IN ANOTHER LIFE

Chapter 13: Midnight

I didn't think. I ran.

Barefoot. In snow. In pajama pants and a t-shirt at midnight on New Year's Eve, temperature maybe -5. My mom and Maya were screaming "Happy New Year!" in the living room with the TV, they didn't see me go out the back door.

Aisha was under the oak tree, her back to me. Big coat, black hijab with snow on it. She was touching the bark, where D + A is carved. Our carving was almost covered with snow, but you could still see it if you knew where to look.

She heard my feet in snow and turned fast. Eyes wide.

"Daniel? What are you -"

"Your father! Behind you! Flashlight!"

She turned. Down the street, maybe 100 meters away, the flashlight was bobbing. Mr. Ibrahim was calling, "Aisha! Aisha! Ya binty!"

"Aisha, you need to hide, now," I whispered.

"No, if I hide he will think I'm with you, he will be more angry -"

"Then go to him. Say you couldn't sleep. Say you wanted to see snow. Say you wanted to make dua for New Year. Anything, but not me. Don't say me."

She stared at me, snow falling on her eyelashes.

"I came because I wanted to start New Year where we started everything," she whispered. "At our tree. I wanted to make a wish at midnight. I wished... I wished for January 10th to come and for us to still be here."

My heart was beating so loud I thought her father could hear it from down the street.

"That's a good wish," I said. "Now go. Please. I will watch from here. If he is angry, I will come."

She nodded and started walking toward the flashlight, toward her father, through snow, leaving my footprints and hers.

I ducked behind the oak tree, pressed my back against cold bark, snow falling into my hair.

I could hear them.

"Aisha! What are you doing here? It's midnight! It's snowing!"

"Baba, I... I couldn't sleep. I wanted to pray outside. For New Year. The snow is beautiful."

"In this coat? At the oak tree? Aisha, do not lie to me again. Did Daniel call you?"

"No! I didn't talk to Daniel. I swear on Quran, I didn't talk to Daniel today. I just... I wanted to be alone. I'm sorry."

Silence. Snow falling.

Then Mr. Ibrahim's voice, tired, not angry like before.

"Aisha, I was scared. I went to your room and your bed was empty. I thought you were gone. Like your aunt in Ohio when she ran away with that boy. I thought you ran away."

"I would never run away, Baba. I love you. I love Mama. I just... I needed air."

He sighed. I could see his flashlight lower.

"Let's go home. You are freezing. No more oak tree at midnight, okay? If you want snow, we go together tomorrow morning, after Fajr."

"Okay, Baba."

They walked away, father and daughter, flashlight bobbing, leaving two sets of footprints in fresh snow. Small boots and big boots. No big footprints like mine, because I was still hiding behind the tree.

I stayed there until the flashlight disappeared. My feet were numb. My t-shirt was wet. But I was smiling, because she said "I swear on Quran, I didn't talk to Daniel today" and it was true, because she texted from Yusuf's phone and I didn't reply. Technically true. Aisha is becoming good at technically true.

I walked home slowly, leaving my own footprints now. When I got home, my mom was at the back door, arms crossed, wearing her coat over pajamas.

"Daniel Carter, where were you? It's midnight and you are barefoot in snow!"

"Mom, I... I saw Aisha's father looking for her, I had to make sure she was okay."

My mom looked at my frozen feet, my wet hair, and she didn't yell. She pulled me inside, wrapped me in blanket, and gave me hot tea.

"You love her very much, don't you?" she said.

"Yes, Mom."

"Then you need to be boring better. Because love in snow leaves footprints."

She was right.

---

January 6th. School started again.

Day 28. Or Day 2 if you count New Year's as new Day 1. We were confusing.

Aisha was at school. She didn't look at me in hallway. Her father had driven her to school, I saw his car. He watched her go inside.

We were boring. "Hey." "Hey."

At lunch, Sarah came to my table. She doesn't talk to me anymore since she is with Marcus, but that day she did.

"Daniel, Aisha is crying in the bathroom," she said.

"Why?"

"She said her father found out about New Year's. He didn't believe her 'praying in snow' excuse. He checked Yusuf's phone and saw she texted you at midnight. He took Yusuf's phone too. Now he says the Ohio ticket is final. January 10th, 6 AM. He showed her the new ticket. Printed. On the fridge."

January 10th. The ticket Aunt Layla was supposed to cancel.

Printed. On fridge. Real.

I stood up so fast my chair fell.

"Where is she?"

"Girls bathroom, second floor. But Daniel, don't go, if teachers see -"

I went.

I don't care about girls bathroom rules. I knocked on the door.

"Aisha? It's me."

Silence, then crying, then door opened a little. Aisha's face, red, hijab slightly messy, eyes swollen.

"Daniel, you can't be here," she whispered.

"Is it true? January 10th?"

She nodded, tears falling. "Baba printed it this morning. He put it on fridge so I see it every time I get milk. He said Aunt Layla called him and said there is a seat on 10th, not 3rd, so he took it. He said no more lies. He said if I text you one more time, he will make it January 8th."

January 8th. Two days from now.

"Did Aunt Layla really call him?" I asked.

"Yes. She called him last night and said 'Ibrahim, there is a flight on 10th, I booked it.' So she didn't lie for us. She told truth. Because Baba found out about New Year's and called her angry."

Aunt Layla's plan failed because of midnight snow.

Aisha wiped her eyes.

"Daniel, I have to tell you something. If I go to Ohio, I will not have phone. Aunt Layla's Islamic school takes phones. I will not be able to talk to you. Not for months. Maybe not ever. My father said if I go, I stay there for high school, not just one semester."

Not ever. The words felt like ice.

"Aisha, no, we still have 4 days, we can -"

"What can we do? Be more boring? We were boring and we still got caught because of snow and because I wanted to see our tree at midnight."

She was right. Boring was not working. Because we love each other, and love is not boring.

Love is the opposite of boring.

Then she did something she never did at school before.

She hugged me. In the doorway of the girls bathroom, quick, tight, her black hijab smelling like snow and shampoo, her arms around my neck for two seconds.

"I love you, Daniel," she whispered into my ear, so quiet only I could hear. "In another life, we would be normal. We would not need oak trees and secret letters. We would just hold hands at lunch like Sarah and Marcus. I love you in this life, but in another life, it would be easier."

Then she let go and ran back into bathroom, closing door.

I stood there, in hallway, second floor, with everyone passing and staring.

In another life. She said she loves me. First time she ever said it directly, not in a letter.

I walked back to cafeteria, not boring anymore. Not caring who sees.

I took out my phone and texted Aunt Layla:

_Aunt Layla, it's Daniel. Please don't let her go on 10th. I will come to you man to man after college and ask for her hand properly, like you said. But please give us more time. Please cancel ticket._

She replied in one minute:

_Daniel, I already tried. Ibrahim paid non-refundable. Ticket is final. But Aisha's mother tore up his copy? No, he printed new one. I'm sorry. Come to Ohio with me? No. Be strong. Love that is real can wait two years. - Layla_

Love that is real can wait two years.

But I am 16. Two years feels like forever.

I looked out cafeteria window. Oak tree in distance, white with snow. D + A still there under snow.

4 days left. January 6th to January 10th.

4 days to stop a plane ticket.

And Mr. Ibrahim was sitting in the parking lot, in his car, watching the school doors, making sure Aisha doesn't run again.

But he wasn't watching the oak tree.