Chapter 7

Sorry for the late post!!!!!!!!!! hope you like it though, x

I admired the sign for a minute until we passed it, there was lots of traffic as usual. In Bekaa There isn't  a single traffic light to keep the road organized on the way to our house. I seriously felt that am in Lebanon from the most annoying car horns on earth, driving there was a true chaos!

Driver: Yalla go out, you need the fresh air after a 2 hour road trip
We all were happy we're  finally home!, Each beginning of each summer feels the same until we get there, everything feels better.

Mom: Serene , Sarah come we need a hand tacking the luggage inside
Serene: mama i swear I'm so tired 
Mom: SERENE quick
Serene: Ok mom coming

We didn't have much to carry, A total of 4 bags and 1 hand bag. 2 big yellow bags for me and 2 pink ones for mom. The handbag was a louis vuitton full of shoes. They weren't that heavy but it was less work for the driver, afterall he's the most tired one between us. Shaheen is so sweet and nice to us , He's like a member in the family.

We rang the doorbell, We can see through the gate that no one is actually in the garden, teta(grandma) is still inside.
DING DONG...DING DONG
Marie: I'm comiing,
Marie is teta's personal nurse/maid, she's one of the family members too, teta would never ever give up on her she's very important in her everyday life. We all love her.

EEEEK... EEEEK, the lock was quite squeaky

Marie's english wasn't bad, but she tried her best when talking to one of us
Maarie: Ohhhhhhh Serene!! Madame Tamara,, You came to lebanon you don't tell me I'm very sad of you.
Mom: Hahaha marie, we wanted to keep it as a surprise for you , common aren't you happy
Marie: ofcourse me happy madame, I miss you very much!!
they hugged each other and Marie kept on complaining of course until we got to the door.

Between the enormous white and golden gate was kind of like a garden on a side and a TV room on the other with a bridge between them that takes us to the door of the house. On the porch in the garden is where teta sits with us and tells us stories, when drinking tea together. We are teta's favorite grand children, she enjoys her time a lot when we visit her or she visits us where we live.

Marie opened the door and Teta shouted; " who is it ya marie?"
Marie:" who you think?"
Teta" MARIE i don't want to think who came 

Me and Mom barged into the living room and shouted 
SURPRISE!!!
This teta was dad's mom, We stayed there most of the summer since all of our family sit there together. My uncles and dad built this house/ building together and decided to make it the house of the familia after grandpa passed away. The house is divided into 6 floors and a basement. 
The 1st floor had the living room and the Eating table that had about 40 seats, the kitchen, The Huge plasma HD screen and the kitchen. Teta's room was in that floor too.

we didn't sit there often, the adults would stay there most of the time. 
The 2nd , 3rd and 4th floor had 2 apartments per floor for each family which equals 6 apartments. 
I have 5 uncles with my dad a total of 6 families.

Teta: Oh my dear serene and tamara, you're finally here my darlings, come here to teta serrene!!
I ran and hugged her soooo tight she told me to stop.
Everyone went to their apartments as we came in since there's an elevator next to the staircase for the nanies  and one in the  living room for teta  and us. This time they took the one next to the kitchen to make it faster.
We greeted teta and mom chatted with her for 5 minutes.
 teta: Saamah come take the bags to Mr. charbel apartment, 3rd floor!! Serene,  Tamara this is our new nanny saamah she's been here only for 1 month.
Tamara/mom: really, how is she 
teta: She's very nice and her work is very clean and organized
Mom: good good, Hopefully she will stay like this, now excuse us tant we're going to unpack and change.
Saamah took our bags to the 3rd floor where we live in the summer. The names of each of granny's sons is classified on the doors by a metal log and the apartments where divided in order of age, biggest where near teta and to the youngest on the 4th floor. This means that dad is the 4th one in the family because we were in apartment 3B.

we went in and I dragged my bags to my room. The view from my room isn't just beautiful, its a die for.
I can see the mountains very clearly and my window was right at the street. We lived with the rich families in the middle of Bekaa where people lived in villas and compounds.

I put my back pack on the couch and tossed my phone to my bed. I threw myself after it. This bed was as comfy as sleeping on a piece of sponge. If you go too hard there's a chance of bouncing on to the floor to break something unexpected.

I laid down and decided to nap in the wrong time, but I remembered the fortune cookie which gave me all the energy to run to unzip my bag and take it out. 
I've never opened a fortune cookie before but once when it was my 15th birthday and I got it as a souvenir in the form of a gift from California from a very dear friend. It said that I will always be surrounded by those who love me, and i certainly have , thanks god.
Mom: Serene!!! Come down after me, everyone is gathered downstairs!! don't be late
Serene: Ok mom will do!

The cookie was all I had from Joe, anything or anytime I remember him my heart beats fasten. 
I broke is in half and took out the paper, It clearly saiid:
"You will  be graced by the presence of a loved one soon"
I smiled as I read it, I thought it would be my cousin who's coming from Canada soon. I just closed it and as soon as i put it in my Summer collective box, Mimo came in
Mariam: Serryl!! where are you, we're all waiting down there yalla 
Serene: Haha am sorry I wasn't aware of the time 
Mariam: You seriously haven't changed yet\!! Wear your training suit I'm waiting for you here.
Serene: Fine!, a sport chic one or anything
Mariam: wear something you can sit with visitors in incase.
Serene: Fine , what about this one? 
I took out a Black  BEBE training suit with crystals and swarovski on it, Its beautifull simple and classy.
Mariam: Perfect! wear it with a flat, did you bring your jelly ones like these? You told me you will wear them so that we would be alike.
Serene: hahahaha yeaa you reminded me!! Ok I will BRB Mimo
Mariam: take your time serryl

I changed and went out , grabbed my phone, and put some mascara and perfume then went down stairs.
It was very loud, it seemed like we had many visitors.