Wealth and Madness (Chapter 1)
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Chapter 1
A moment of silence prevailed between them, broken only by the whistling of the wind through the distant tree branches. Yara stared into her sister's eyes, as if searching for something behind her dreamy smile. Then she said with a heavy calmness:
Yara leaned against the edge of the balcony, contemplating the bright moon adorning the sky with its light, while cold breezes sneaked onto her face, lightly caressing her black hair locks, until it seemed to compete with the darkness of the night. Breezes carrying the omens of the coming winter, with its coldness and warmth at the same time.
She hummed the melody of her favorite song, in a low voice that softened the soul: "I love you.. and I wish I could forget you...", drifting with the words as if recalling distant memories. She didn't feel the light footsteps approaching behind her until slender fingers wrapped around her shoulder, and Yomna's mischievous voice interrupted her daydreaming:
— Oh my, look at the romantic state my big sister is drowning in... Have we started "yearning" and wanting to go back, or what?
Yara glanced at her from the corner of her eye, a warm smile drawing on her face:
— My girl, don't you ever get bored? I told you it's over, I'm not thinking about him anymore. That door was closed a long time ago.
Yomna giggled playfully:
— Oh, really! So what's the explanation for this beautiful song and these eyes full of emotions in front of me?
Yara sighed, as if releasing a weight from her chest:
— You know, Yomna... maybe I miss the feeling of being in a relationship itself, not the person who left. But I haven't met the man who makes me defy my fear and try again. Do you think I've become complicated?
Yomna giggled lightly, shrugging her shoulders:
— Complicated how?! You just rejected five perfect grooms in one month... Anyone who calls you complicated is crazy!
Yara laughed and adjusted her hair that the wind had scattered:
— Stop it, girl! I've decided I won't get engaged or married. Keep marriage all to yourself.
Yomna fell silent for a moment, then cleared her throat with a mysterious faintness:
— By the way... remember Emam, my colleague I told you about? He decided to come and ask for my hand next week.
Yara turned her face toward her gently, pure love shining in her eyes:
— Yomna, you know how much I love you and wish you the best. I have absolutely no objection to you getting engaged and married before me. But honestly... I think you are rushing things with Emam. Think carefully before taking any step.
Yomna smiled a dreamy smile, as if seeing a rosy world before her:
— Believe me, Yara, Emam is different from anyone else. Successful, responsible, handsome, kind... and rich too. He plans to travel with me to live outside Egypt. Every quality he has is better than the other.
Yara asked softly, as if testing her sister's certainty:
— Okay... are you sure you can leave your country and travel to live with him in Lebanon?
Yomna zoned out for a moment, then murmured with shining eyes:
— I wish to travel with him... to the end of the world.
A moment of silence prevailed between them, broken only by the whistling of the wind through the distant tree branches. Yara stared into her sister's eyes, as if searching for something behind her dreamy smile. Then she said with a heavy calmness:
— Yomna... not everything that glitters is gold. Sometimes a dazzling appearance hides things we can't see.
Yomna trembled slightly, then replied quickly as if defending her decision:
— You don't understand, I've been through many situations with him, I saw him standing by my side when I needed it... Emam is not like anyone else.
Yara gently placed her hand over hers:
— I'm not doubting his intentions, my dear, but I'm afraid for you. Traveling abroad, a new life, people different from your people... it's not a simple decision.
Yomna let out a light laugh to hide her confusion:
— Oh wow, Dr. Wisdom! What, am I that young?
Yara answered with a sad smile:
— Not young... you're just still flying with your dreams, and that's the most beautiful thing about you. But sometimes dreams can hide nightmares behind them.
Here Yomna looked down for a moment, as if her sister's words had slipped inside her despite her attempt to deny them. Then she raised her head and said in a hesitant tone:
— By the way... there's something Emam only told me two days ago.
Yara observed her with widened eyes:
— What is it?
Yomna swallowed hard, and whispered:
— He... has an old relationship, he says it ended years ago... but this girl is still trying to get back to him.
Yara felt a shiver run through her body, and said slowly:
— And... do you believe him?
Yomna lowered her eyes, her voice trembling:
— I don't know... but I feel there is something incomprehensible.
Yara looked up at the moon again, and whispered:
— Sometimes, Yomna, the signs come before the big step... but few pay attention.
Yara sighed as she watched the moon rising among the scattered clouds, then turned to her sister saying with a warm smile:
— My girl, my words might seem heavy on your heart... but I'm speaking from experience. I'm twenty-seven years old now, I've been through many stories and I know what it means for a heart to get excited and then break.
Yomna tilted her head slightly, and jokingly said:
— You mean just because I'm eight years younger than you, you see yourself as the wise, rational one and me as the child?!
Yara laughed and patted her shoulder:
— I don't mean that. You're still in your last year at the Faculty of Commerce, your whole life is ahead of you... and I've been a graduate for a few years and still haven't found a job or gotten into a relationship. The difference between us is that you still have the chance to choose right from the start.
Yomna crossed her arms dismissively, but her eyes held a gleam of determination:
— But Yara, just because I'm a student doesn't mean my head is empty! I know what I want... and I don't want to waste time.
Yara shook her head slowly, her voice dripping with tenderness:
— And I'm not against your happiness, Yomna, on the contrary... you are my whole world. But I just want you to make sure your decision is based on logic, not just the heart.
Yomna was silent for a moment, then smiled a dreamy smile trying to hide her confusion:
— Maybe you're right... but still, Emam is different.
Days passed quickly, and Yara's words kept ringing in Yomna's ears, but she did not back down from her decision. And the awaited day arrived, the day "Emam" came to officially ask for her hand.
The living room was lit with calm lights, and the seats were carefully arranged, exuding the aroma of fresh coffee prepared by the mother. Yomna sat nervously, trying to hide the trembling of her fingers between her hands, while Yara stood beside her with quiet dignity, watching the details with a vigilant eye.
The bell rang, and the mother rushed to open the door. "Emam" entered with obvious confidence, a handsome young man with an elegant appearance. But what caught the eyes more was the man who accompanied him.
His father was relatively tall, wearing a dark suit that increased his imposing features. His eyes, despite the depth of the mystery dwelling in them, held a gleam of warm tenderness, as if they carried untold stories. He sat quietly, observing the place with sharp looks coated in remarkable intelligence.
The family welcomed him, and he returned the greeting in a low, dignified voice. However, Yara, from the first moment, felt a strange flutter in her heart, as if his eyes had caught something hidden inside her. It was nothing but a fleeting attraction, but it confused her, especially when her eyes met his for a moment longer than they should have.
Emam sat next to his father, smiling with the confidence of an ambitious young man, while the father began talking briefly with the family, revealing extensive culture and intelligence in choosing his words. Every sentence he said carried more than one meaning, as if behind his voice lay hidden secrets.
As for Yomna, she was drowning in her dreamy smile, watching Emam as if she saw no one else. On the contrary, Yara was secretly looking at the father, trying to understand the secret of this mystery surrounding him, and the secret of the incomprehensible attraction she felt towards him.
Emam sat talking enthusiastically about his work and his small projects in the export field, while Yomna listened with obvious admiration, and her mother nodded from time to time.
The father smiled faintly and said in a calm but penetrating voice:
— Export is important, Emam, but what's more important is risk management. The market changes quickly, and any small mistake can cost the entire company.
Emam nodded in agreement, but seemed unable to keep up with the depth with which his father led the conversation. Here the father turned to the mother smiling, and started talking about the state of trade in Egypt compared to neighboring countries, and the importance of long-term planning.
Then suddenly, he interrupted his talk and directed his gaze straight at Yara, who had been silent most of the time, and said with a calm smile:
— And you, Miss Yara... what do you think? How do you see the future of trade in Egypt?
The family was slightly confused, even Yomna looked at her sister in surprise, as if she didn't expect the question to come to her. But Yara did not delay in answering. She raised her eyes steadily and said:
— Honestly... the Egyptian market is full of opportunities, but its main problem is poor management and planning. Most traders think about momentary profit, not sustainability. Whoever can balance product quality and expanding the foreign market will move forward quickly.
The father looked at her intently, so Yara continued in a calm but confident tone:
— For example... the food sector could be a massive power in export if European quality standards were applied to it. We have agricultural products that are sold abroad for a cheap price, and if someone focused on the value of the brand, this field would turn into gold.
Silence prevailed for seconds, before the father smiled a quick smile, then said looking at her with his mysterious eyes:
— Your words are very correct.. and your analytical style is deeper than I expected. It's clear that you have a business mindset that isn't easy to dismiss.
Yara smiled shyly, saying:
— I'm just a commerce graduate as you know... maybe circumstances didn't allow me to work, but I never stopped following the market.
The father leaned forward slightly, as if his words were directed at her alone:
— Sometimes, real experience is built from observation and understanding... not just from a job.
Yara felt a mysterious shiver as she received his look, while Yomna was busy with her dreamy laugh with Emam, unaware of what was happening between the eyes in the silence.
A brief moment of silence prevailed after the dialogue, before Yomna's father intervened with a warm smile, saying:
— By God, Mr. Selim, we are honored to have you and your son become part of our family. We are simple people, the most important thing to us is morals and a good reputation.
Selim — Emam's father — smiled calmly and replied:
— Morals and reputation are the foundation, and everything else comes after. I am a man who lived his whole life in trade, I saw many people, and what remains in the end is not money... what remains is one's origin.
The father — Yomna's father — looked at Selim and said seriously:
— You are right... the world changes, and money doesn't last. But a man is known by his conduct.
Selim nodded, as if there was a silent agreement between them, then turned to the mother, saying in a tone tinged with light sadness:
— The truth is, Emam is my whole life... his mother — may God have mercy on her — passed away many years ago, when he was just a little boy.
Everyone's features changed to sadness, so Yomna's mother said with emotion:
— May God have mercy on her... she must have been a great woman.
Selim smiled a sad smile as he answered:
— She was the greatest woman in the world.. and after her, I was satisfied that my life would be my work and my son. Maybe that's what made me hold on to Emam and let him grow up in my embrace.
Emam looked at his father with a look of silent gratitude, then held Yomna's hand shyly, while her face flushed red with embarrassment in front of everyone.
Yomna's father intervened with a friendly smile to break the atmosphere of sadness:
— We are honored by you, Mr. Selim, and your son Emam is well-mannered and successful... and that is more important than anything. The most important thing is to see our daughter happy and reassured with him.
Yara nodded in agreement, while her eyes closely followed the features of the man who combined strength and tenderness, mystery and honesty.
...........................................
After the dinner was over, the family exchanged words of thanks and praise, and laughter still echoed throughout the living room. Selim said as he placed his napkin quietly on the table:
"Egyptian cuisine has an unparalleled flavor... as if every dish holds a long story."
Yomna's mother laughed, her eyes shining with satisfaction:
"It's because we put our hearts in it before the spices... maybe that's the secret."
Yomna intervened shyly, looking at Emam:
"I helped Mom today... even if just with simple things."
Emam smiled, staring at her with a slightly sharp look:
"Simple things are sometimes the essence... What matters is that you know how to accomplish and succeed in what you start."
His tone was affectionate, but carried a decisive note that made Yomna nod in agreement without argument.
Yara, who was observing in silence, noticed that quiet control in Emam's tone, and how her sister surrendered automatically. She couldn't stop herself from stealing glances at Selim. He was sitting leaning back, watching the scene with his calm, deep eyes. There was an unmistakable dignity, combining tenderness and strictness. Something mysterious drew her to compare... between this confident, silent man, and the young men of her generation who never tired of trivial conversations and superficial banter.
And at that moment, Selim broke her train of thought, directing his words to Yomna's father:
"The most beautiful thing is for a person to find warmth around the table... maybe this is the real blessing that erases the fatigue of the years."
The atmosphere stilled for a moment, before Yomna's father smiled a deep smile:
"You're right... there is probably nothing more precious than this moment."
...............................
After moments of light family conversations, Emam turned to Yomna with a low voice:
"What do you say we take a little walk in the garden? The weather is nice."
Yomna hesitated for a moment, then looked at her mother as if asking permission with her eyes, and the mother nodded with an encouraging smile. She stood up with him with shy steps, leaving the warmth behind.
In the garden, the moon was slipping between the branches, and the sound of night birds filled the silence. Emam walked with steady steps, while Yomna followed him as if she were shy of her own shadow. After a moment he said:
"Yomna... I need one thing from you, that you listen to me and trust my decisions. The future we are planning needs a strong partner, not a hesitant one."
She looked at him with slight surprise, then whispered:
"But I'm trying... maybe I'm just not very confident in myself yet."
He took a step closer to her, his voice becoming firmer:
"Confidence will come with time, but obedience must be there from the start. That's how a relationship succeeds."
Yomna felt a sense of awe at his words... a mix between a love she wanted, and a control she feared, but she didn't object, just nodded her head saying in a faint voice:
"Okay... I'm with you, Emam."
Inside, the scene was different... Selim sat talking with Yomna's father about old memories, about the value of family, about the difficulty of a man raising an only son after losing his wife. His words seemed simple, but carried an extraordinary depth.
Yara was sitting quietly, her eyes following his features with interest. She was amazed by this man, how he balanced strength in his words and tenderness in his look. And every time he bowed his head slightly while speaking, she felt his mystery increasing. Internally, she wondered:
"How are there still men with this personality?... Or is it just a mask hiding a lot behind it?"
---
Emam and Yomna returned to the living room, their faces covered with a touch of enthusiasm and resolution. Yomna sat next to her mother, a broad smile never leaving her face, then Emam turned with his confident tone, saying:
"We talked... and we decided to have the engagement next week, and the wedding in just two months. We have to return to Lebanon before my new businesses start, and I don't want to go back without Yomna."
A sudden silence prevailed, during which the parents exchanged glances. The mother frowned and said in a worried tone:
"Two months?! That's a very short time, Emam... Marriage isn't a trip you prepare for quickly."
The father added firmly:
"We have to take our time. The girl is still a student, and marriage is a big responsibility, and just because you are in a hurry doesn't mean we should rush like this."
But Yomna, with a gleam in her eyes, held her father's hand pleadingly:
"Dad, Mom... please. I want to live with Emam, and start my life with him. Every day we delay is wasted. Believe me, he is the right person."
The mother tried to argue with her, but Yomna interrupted her with childish insistence mixed with a big dream:
"If you love me... agree. And I will study from home this year and just show up for the exams. I've never asked you for anything like this before."
The father sighed deeply, then looked at Selim as if looking for support or a decisive word. But Selim just smiled faintly and raised his eyebrows neutrally, leaving the decision to the hosts.
After a heavy moment of silence, the father said in a tone of surrender:
"If this is your decision, Yomna... we won't stand in the way of your happiness. But my daughter, know that we are not comfortable with this rush."
Yomna jumped from her seat to hug her parents with overwhelming joy, while Emam smiled contentedly, placing his hand confidently on her shoulder as if declaring his ownership of her.
In the midst of this charged atmosphere, Yara was following every detail with her shining eyes. She was no longer able to hide what was inside her, so she smiled a calm smile, then said in a firm voice that cut through the laughter:
"I'm sorry... but I don't agree with this rush."
Silence fell once again, as if her words were a stone thrown into a stagnant lake. Eyes turned to her in astonishment... Emam with his sharp eyes, Yomna in unbelievable shock, and the parents between confusion and anger. As for Selim, he kept watching her with deep mystery, as if her word was exactly what he was waiting to hear.....