Chapter 99

Dominik could not coordinate his thoughts, h e was i n  shock. His hands were shaking. His heart, pounding, h e lost his grip and let his phone slip, dropping it o n  the ground.

“Dominik? Say something, please!” Samanta demanded a n answer.

Aháva was confused, she could not understand what was going o n  with her father, why did h e turn s o pale all of a sudden? She bent over t o pick up the phone from the floor. Dominik was forced t o sit back down from a sudden light-headedness.

“What's wrong, dad?” Asked the girl.

Samanta heard that sweet voice through the phone and her heart started pounding.

“Aháva. Baby. It's me. Mommy” said Samanta, but the girl did not hear her. She was holding the phone, but trying t o get her father t o react.

“Papa! What's wrong?” Aháva got closer t o her father. “Hello?” Sounded her little voice through the phone. Samanta froze. “Who i s  this?” Aháva wanted t o know the reason her father was i n  shock.

Samanta was speechless, she had no idea what t o say t o her. Her daughter thought she was dead. She couldn't just say it was her, s o out of the blue. It could b e a huge commotion t o her.

Victim of panic, Sam hung up.

»Hello? Hello?” Insisted Aháva, but i n  vain. “They hung up” she said and handed the phone over t o Dominik, sitting down, still, i n  silence, with vacant eyes.

*****

“What happened?” Asked Charlotte, seeing her friend looking terrified.

“I couldn't talk t o her” she gulped.

“But you talked t o Dominik. What did h e say?” Charlotte's nerves were a mess.

“Nothing. h e went mute.”

“I think the man passed out” joked Carlos.

“I have t o see them. I mean, her” emphasized Samanta.

*****

“Daddy, talk t o me! i s  there something wrong with auntie Charlie? Or uncle Carlos?” Aháva started freaking out.

Dominik grew a huge smile, and, all of a sudden, h e hugged his daughter.

“She i s  alive!” h e yelled.

Aháva frowned.

“Who is?”

“Your mother, sweetheart. She lives” said Dominik, and exploded i n  laughter.

“Yes, daddy. She lives o n  i n  our hearts” said the girl naturally.

“No, baby. You don’t understand. I will explain” h e grabbed her by the shoulders and looked right into her eyes.

Aháva smiled back at him, s o sweetly and thought: «Poor daddy, h e must have gone mental».

»Let's go home.”

Dominik took her hand and they walked back into the car. The phone rang again.

“Samanta? i s  that you?”

“Dominik, I need t o know about my daughter. I need t o hear her. Talk t o her, tell her it was all a nasty misunderstanding.”

Sam was talking, but Dominik wasn't listening, h e could only think about how she was still alive and how happy h e was. His eyes fogged up i n  tears.

Aháva was very confused hearing her mother's name and seeing her father cry, she started getting anxious.

“Daddy, what i s  this? —The sweet voice was about t o take Samanta's little remaining sanity away.

“Dominik, please. Put my daughter o n  the phone. Now!” She demanded.

“Aháva honey, please get i n  the car” said Dominik.

“No! Dominik! Put my daughter on. Dominik. Now!” yelled Sam.

“But, dad, I wanna talk t o auntie Charlie” the girl replied.

“You will. But not now. Please do a s I say, baby girl. I promise you will talk t o her later.”

The girl got i n  the car and Dominik turned the radio o n  s o she could not hear what was being said outside.

“Why? Why are you doing this, Dominik? Let me talk t o my daughter!”

“Are you crazy? God! You were declared dead. Do you have any idea what that meant t o us? It crushed my heart. You have no idea how I've suffered knowing and thinking I would never see you again, feel or even hear. Aháva suffered with me, too. But I grieved i n  silence, s o I appeared strong for her. What ever happened t o you?”

“It's a long story” she said, with a quivering voice.

Hearing everything Dominik had t o say caused her a strange feeling.

“What happened i n  Palestine?” h e asked, anxious t o hear her answer.

Samanta had t o tell the whole story again. And she didn't enjoy it. Talking about what went down that day disturbed her. Remembering the death of Amir made her voice crack and she cried.

It was the second time i n  a row she had t o tell the story and she could not hold back her tears this time. Hearing Samanta's recollections made Dominik feel a deep pain i n  his soul, only imagining going through all those mishaps, alone, i n  a place where no one could understand her…

“I need t o see my daughter, Dominik. You have no idea how badly. I need t o see her, hear her, hug her...”

“Yes. I can imagine, Samanta. But she thinks I have gone mad. Let me talk t o her first. Let her understand and process it. I am shocked. Imagine what this could do t o her.”

Samanta knew the man was right, s o she calmed down and accepted Dominik's conditions. They ended the call.

Dom got i n  the car and looked at Aháva, who was watching him with confusion i n  her face. Her father was smiling and she hadn't seen him like this i n  a long time.

“Daddy, You're scaring me” the little passenger said.

“I will tell you again, and no. I am not crazy” said Dominik.

He took a deep breath and told her everything.

Aháva listened and thousands of emotions were running up and down her tiny frame. Thinking her mother would b e back with her and hugging her filled her with joy. However, she did not believe her father. Sadness overwhelmed her and she could not fight her cry.

“It's not fair, dad. It's not fair you telling me those things. I saw them put my mother i n  that hole and throw dirt o n  her coffin. You're insane. Please, don't do jokes like this” said the girl, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

“It i s  no joke, baby. It i s  true” h e insisted.

“Papa, if this i s  a lie, I swear by Allah, I will never forgive you.”

“Little girl. Have I ever lied t o you? Your mother i s  alive.”

Aháva stayed i n  silence, pondering over her father's words while Dominik drove through the streets of Munich, o n  their way back home.

When they arrived home, Dominik and Aháva got out of the car i n  silence. Aháva went straight into her room, she needed t o cry and let out all she had been holding back for s o many months.

“Hi, honey. How was practice?” Dihanna welcomed them home. Dominik still had a huge smile. “Wow! I see you did very well” she  realized Aháva was also there. “What happened? Why i s  the girl not i n  school?” Dominik continued walking t o his room. “Honey, talk t o me. i s  something going on?”

Dominik looked at her with a spectacular glow i n  his eyes and said.

“First of all, I missed practice, I had t o go pick the girl from school because she was a little feeling a little blue. Second, Something did happen” h e said, heading for his closet, h e pulled out a suitcase and opened it. “Help me pack for Aháva.”

Dihanna was watching him closely, i n  utter confusion.

“I'm s o lost. What the hell i s  going on? Where i s  the girl going?” His wife asked.

“Samanta i s  alive!” Dominik responded euphorically.

Dihanna's jaw hit the floor.

“What?” She approached him. “Love? Are you serious?”

“Absolutely” h e said, a s h e packed some shirts i n  his bag.

“Dominik?” Dihanna panicked. “Love?” His wife was concerned for his mental health. “DOMINIK!” She yelled. h e dropped what h e was doing and looked back at her. “Samanta i s  dead. She was buried eight months ago. You have t o accept it and move on” she said, trying t o control the tone of her voice.

Dominik walked t o her and kissed her forehead.

“Samanta just called me. We have t o go back t o Egypt. You can come if you want, pack your bags. I am going with Aháva either way, but I would appreciate you and Abraham joining us” h e said gently and kissed her again.