RAYANA 'THE GAME OF LOVE'

The Beginning

If you didn't read my note, please take time to read it first. Thank you. 

There's a two part of being alone, one is good for you for being independent and two is bad for being too attached to it. Lone is one of the people that do and don't do, perhaps it makes them secure or may be it scared them to death but that's the only sort they have for this life, but for me being lone person is my destiny, or so I thought. I've grown with danger, and death is my settlement, though it's hard to take my life, but I never regret anything except being a virgin. Yeah yeah, I know it's lame, nether do I or time could tell how far I had to go, and it's been years since I woke up from the tragedy that took my freedom, or so I called it freedom because I can show my face but now I am wearing a hijab, a Islamic vail wrapped around my head to cover my hair and half of the face, getting used to wore a long dress that reached my ankle with a long sleeve all the time and a strap doll shoes all the time, with a tote bag. I look at myself at the mirror once again for my make up. 

"Hayan, Hayan?" I called opening his room's door. I lifted my brow when I found him on his laptop with a headphone, he shut it loud and looking at me with his purple eyes that stand out from the darkness of the room. 

"Ma, why?" he innocently said. I lean on the door crossing my arm when I saw that attitude. 

"Love, I know you're curious but early in the morning?" Kastigo ko. I on the light and saw him still wrapped on his sheet and by the look at it, I couldn't say more. 

"Ma!" The flushed face and irritated look makes me laugh at him. 

"Mamaya na yang gabi, let's eat breakfast first" I heard him groan and hide on his bed which makes me laugh more. I go to our small kitchen and prepare our breakfast. 

Urmia County, the biggest city in the west Azerbaijan province in Iran, this county known as diverse culture because of the history, and it appears that this place is good for us. Most of the people are using Iran or Persian language but other languages are their native tongue which well preserve as well as their cultures. That fascinate me the most. It may be hard because of the different culture and living, but I adjust a couple of years ago when we settled here for good. I am teaching English language in an Foreign language Academy near our place. Little by little I studied Persian language and it goes end well because I started 5 years ago, Persian language is easy to learn when you are persistent. It is challenging because it is so different that modern alphabet that we use today, but nonetheless I am a little bit accurate of it, if you talk to me. 

I heard his noise on his room while I prepare our breakfast. Sighing when I saw him after 10 minutes with a damp hair and his long sleeve polo-shirt. He dropped his back to our small sofa and go to the small dining table. 

"Vahid and I go to a party later, Can I?" he said suddenly making me look up to him, he have this charming smile on his face while trying to see my reaction. 

"Where?" 

"Hindi ako gagabihin, I promise!" that lift my eyebrow, kahit na ang cute ng tagalog nya at may slang, alam ko ang promise na yan ay mali sa pandinig ko.

"I am asking you where? Saan? Sa central?" We are in the city but not in the central part where malls, bars and parks are located. Kahit na sabihing pwedeng lakarin ang pagpasok sa eskwela dito at malapit lang ang eskwelahan, sasakay ka pa rin ng bus around the city. 

"We're in one group, In Soraya's house" You mean Mansion, that Soraya's name irritate my ears, he may not told me but there's something between them and even though 3 times ko lang nakilala ang Soraya na yan ay alam kung anak mayaman. Iran have a lot to offer, the upper class have the advantage and I don't mind rich people until this boy suddenly have friends when he reach a puberty stage, now here he is, towering my form, his still 17 but his growing huge everyday. His 6 foot now and I am 5'6, and it doesn't make me feel good when he looks down on me, not even involving his friends that seems wanted to party all day. 

I put my pork and spoon down, crossing my arm. 

"I'm going to say yes but you're gonna told that Soraya to put some extra clothes when she greet me"

"Mama!" Laki nyang mata sa akin while he laugh out loud. 

"I told you Hayan, if you brought problem to our table, I won't help you" I said makes him dropped his laugh. 

"We just going to a party" Singhap nya, looking a bit down. 

"Oh yeah, I should buy you condoms, Vahid will like it too don't you think?" Vahid is his bestfriend, magkatapat lang ang apartment namin sa apartment nila.

"Ma!" he cries dramatically, as well as the doorbell rang. 

"Speaking of, he must sense that we were talking about him" I tease making his face crumble and push his foods to his mouth. 

I open the door and saw a foreign teenage boy, with a greenish eye looking so shine. Gusto kung takpan ng kunti ang mata ko ng ngumiti sya sa akin showing his white teeth with his deep dimples. We are in the same height, I met Vahid Salamat in their 7th grade, a cute boy with a benny and we have the same body, his a stick I swear. Feminine and all soft touch on his aura.  

"Salam, Rayana xala!" he greeted. (Hello, aunt rayana)

"Salam canım, içəri gir" he  obliged to get in while I close the door. (Hi my dear, get inside)

"Hayan hazırdırmı? Onun bu günlərdə narahatlığı, həmişə gecikməsi!" I just laugh at his words. His taking his shoes off (Is Hayan ready? His being nuisance this days, his always late.)

"Mən də ona dedim ki, qorumaq üçün ikinizə də prezervativ lazımdır" I laugh when I saw him looks shock while standing up, getting red and puff heat in the air, how innocent. (I said it to him also, I suggest that you two need condoms for protection)

"Mama!" sulpot naman nung isa, still chewing his food. This young boy, where his manner now a days. 

"Hayan, ədəbsiz olma. Yeməyiniz." I said, giving him a warning. (Hayan, don't be impolite. Your eating.)

"Üzr istəyirəm Mama, Vahid və mən bunu edə bilərik, sonra alacağıq. Doğru?" he said with one gulp on his chewed food and look at Vahid with this warning and worried look. (I'm sorry Mama, Vahid and I can do it, will buy later. Right?)

"Heç nə bilmirəm." Vahid hurriedly said trying to look so innocent but with his red face and awkward stand say it all. It's amusing to see these teens being flushed. (I don't know anything.) 

"Biz alacağıq." Hayan innocently smile at me looking so awkward. (We will buy it.)

"Yeməyinizi bitirin Hayan. Gəl Vahid, bizə qoşul." Aya ko, smiling at the small boy. (Make sure, Finish your food Hayan. Come Vahid, join us.) 

"Səhər yeməyi xalamı götürürəm, anam məni yenidən yeməyə məcbur edir." he groan looking a child wanted a sympathy. (I just take my breakfast aunt, my mother force me to eat again.)

"Daha çox meyvə və tərəvəz yeməlisiniz, Hayan -a baxın, böyüyür və siz kiçilirsiniz, ikinizin əks istiqamətdə olmasına baxmayaraq hələ də itburnu bütövdür?" I said leading him to our small dining, I saw Hayan sulking while finishing his food. (you should eat more fruits and vegetables, look at Hayan, his getting bigger and you're getting smaller, what's with you two in opposite direction but still intact on the hips?)

"Mama!"

Vahid just laugh at our arguments, and we took our breakfast this day as usual. 

"Sənə dedim, əgər ona bədənində daha çox paltar geyin demə, razılaşaram." I said to Hayan after we walk on the main street with Vahid laughing on the back ground. (I told you, if you don't tell her to wore more clothes on her body, I will agree.)

"İrqçi olmağınız, Mama." (Your being racist, Mama.)

"Bunu sənə söyləyim, bu oğul, bura İrandır və çoxlu pulun varsa, xüsusi olaraq azadlığın olduğuna hörmətlə yanaşırıq, ancaq bu azadlığa sahib olmaq üçün mədəniyyətinə məhəl qoymamaq lazım deyil. atalarınıza hörmətsizlik. Bu yaxşı deyil." I stop and face him. I'm wearing a hijab that showing my face.  (Let me tell this to you this son, this is Iran, and we respect that you have freedom specially if you have a lot of money, but it doesn't that you have to ignore your culture just to have that freedom, you're disrespecting your ancestors. That's not good.)

"Biz xristiyanıq, Mama" Apila nya. (We're Christian, Mama)

"Səni övladlığa götürməliyəmmi, Vahid?" Baling ko kay Vahid na nasa kabilang gilid ko, that makes him laugh more and shake his head. (Should I adopt you, Vahid?)

"Ma!"

"Yetər, Hayan. Bu günlərin birində məni dinləmədiyin üçün problemlə üzləşəcəksən. Sizə demək istəyirəm ki, biz burada əcnəbiyik və uyğunlaşan bizik və düzəliş etməklə diqqətli olmağı nəzərdə tutmuşam. Başa düşürsən?" I look at him with my serious face. He dropped his teasing face, and nod seriously. (Enough, Hayan. One of this days you'll get into trouble because you didn't listen to me. I just want to tell you that we are foreign here, and we are the one who adjust, and by adjusting I meant being careful. Do you understand?)

"Yaxşı, yaxşı olarmı?" (Good, take care alright?)

He nod, looking sad and I just sigh on his behavior. 

"Sən də, Mama" Sakto namang huminto ang bus sa stop over, Vahid nod at me with a smile while Hayan go inside the bus. I watch them getting a seat, as I saw Vahid talking to him but he just nod without any reaction, he didn't look up and watch me, he always like that ever since he study in the central part of the city but today, he didn't looks at me. 

I sigh when the bus go and I look down, looking to the other side where I go to my work. I didn't know that we can argue this, he always obedient and stick-in in the rules. May be, his questioning why we were doing this and not allowing ourselves to go more further. I think his seeing the other teens being prerogative, and it questions why we stay as we are after 10 years of staying here. 

I walk away, holding my tote bag and fix my hijab to cover the half of my face. 

I don't have any idea the problems of being a teenager, because I didn't experience questioning my existence nor my standing in society, Hayan and I have common, but too different. I always know what I wanted, and I didn't give Hayan a secure words ever since. It's not because I can't give the life that he wants or the idea of the upper class is cool and extravagant but because we don't have the rights, or may be they don't give us the rights to taste freedom because the past tells us where we began. 

"Xanım Morado təbrik edirəm, bu layihədə yaxşı çıxış etməyinizə ümid edirəm!" said the Principal/Müdir of the Academy. (Congratulations Ms. Morado, I hope for your good performance to this project!)

I just smile and nod, getting the portfolio on his hand. Once a year, the academy choose a English translator/Interpreter for the shareholders of the Academy to go to the city of Iran. We have a lot of native English speaker here but due to busy schedule, they choose me, younger than any teacher here to go, bukod dun kaya ko daw bumyahe ng malayo at nakakahabol sa lahat ng schedule ng Head master which is the owner of the Academy. 

I accepted it, not because of promotion but I never go to any cities beside Urmia and other parts Azerbaijan Province. It is also give us a chance to go more further, Hayan will surely thrill to this. They gives us everything we need, and it will be a whole 2 weeks stay there.