Leah and Omer

Copyright © 2025 Hafsah Khalid. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Chapter 1

[November]

I know I shouldn’t eavesdrop. It’s a terrible habit of mine. But I can’t help it. I mean they’re making it painfully obvious that they don’t care who overhears. Plus, I feel like when it’s two people you know, it really isn’t eavesdropping. Is it? 

I bury my head deep into the laminated cut out of assorted desserts and teas, as I pretend to look through them. Thank god for paper menus. They do a good job, hiding me well enough so the couple sitting three tables away can’t tell it’s me. It helps that I’m not wearing what I typically wear, and just ended up in a navy blue top, capri pants — and big yellow shades.My hair is down, it almost never is, but the sea water in the Maldives did me good. Who knew after spending bags and bags of money that the secret to perfect curls really is just plain and simple sea water?“Hello miss. May I take your order?” The waiter’s voice cuts through, making me crouch even further, as I lay my chin on the table and turn to the side to face him. He’s standing — hovering right above me, and my eyes have to tug at him to not look at me as if he’s finally seen Mona Lisa smiling.“No.” I whisper, yet he glares at me like I’m deranged. I don’t blame him. I’d think I was deranged too. “No you may not.” 

“Right. I’m sorry maa’m you have to order something or we will have to escort you out.” He doesn't say it like a threat, it’s more like an apology. He has one of those faces I guess. The ones that can’t be assertive no matter what dialogue comes out of their mouth. “Okay.” I tilt my head just slightly up, the shades gracefully coming off, as I hold the menu upright to block my face. “Moid.” My eyes spot the name tag he’s wearing on the right, as I whisper, hoping he will just go with what I’m about to tell him and not question it. “Moid, just do me this one favour, and then I will order.”

“—Maa’m this is a five star restaurant we don’t do favours—"“—Moid, please let’s keep our voice down.” I say, a shy smile crossing his face that I can tell he’s trying his best not to fully let form. “Now please listen to me very carefully. Do you see that couple right over there.” My eyes point, as he towers over me. “Moid. Third table to the left.” His eyes signal an Aaah, as I continue and then I blurt out, “Look I need you to….” I think about it for a moment and then realize my creativity has gone flat but I have to come up with something… “put sugar in that woman’s drink.”

I say that and immediately he looks at me like I’ve just told him to throw his mom off a cliff. “Maa’m this is a five star—”

“—Restaurant, yes I’m aware. You’ve done a great job with it.” I cut him in, my back slightly standing upright now as his eyes meet my eye level and I can tell he’s listening intently now.

“Look, that’s my friend over there,” I say, as I sneak a glance over at our targeted table. They’re deep in conversation now. Allysa’s hand is on her chin, and she’s doing that head tilt she does whenever Hasan says something obnoxiously cringe.

Hasan too is engaged, gazing deeply in her eyes as if the world hasn't already seen or heard enough of their love making on this trip. I gag almost thinking about the voices I heard last night, but return my focus to Moid, who to my surprise is listening intently.

“I’ve been off my game this whole trip, and we leave tomorrow. It’s tradition at this point to pull a prank everytime we travel and I haven’t been able to do that yet. Call it laziness or the fact that she’s been suspecting it too much, but I just— I can’t end this trip without at least getting one laugh in. So if you could please just do this for me and I will be eternally in your debt.” I look at him with pleading eyes as if I haven’t just asked him to risk his job just for me to get a laugh. 

He sighs and I see his face change– he’s contemplating it. It’s a face that says I really don’t want to lose my job but I also really don’t get paid enough for this. I think he just needs a push— “Maa’m.”“---Call me Leah.” I smile, my eyes practically gleaming with joy but he unwillfully looks the other way. He’s still not entirely convinced. 

“How about I promise to give you a really fat tip?” I let out and I feel like if he wasn’t contemplating kicking me out of the restaurant before. He’s definitely considering it now. 

But by some miracle he says in the most unserious tone, 

“Are you trying to bribe me?” “Am I?” I ask him and we both kind of have a moment where we question each other's integrity. His shoulders shrug as he gives me the kind of I won’t tell if you won’t look and I take that opportunity so fast.

I don’t question his willingness to agree, and neither does he. I briefly instruct him what to do, and order a creme brue le after he tells me that’s their special for the day. He even let’s me keep the menu for disguise and then walks away.

The grin on my face is evident. I feel accomplished. I know it’s meaningless and God— so stupid but it had to be done.

We had been doing this for as long as I can remember. Allysa, Hasan and I. For the past three years since they started dating. Their relationship started because of a prank we pulled and so to honour that every time we’re on vacation we end up doing something stupid. 

I look to my right, still trying to keep my disguise up, as I peer around and I meet these pair of baby blue eyes—Am I tweaking or is this kid fully judging me? He’s sitting there in a light yellow teddy bear shirt, next to this couple who I assume are his parents. The mother is this fair skinned woman wearing an Aaliyah dress, going on and on about something and the husband is sitting wearing formal pants and a buttoned shirt listening intently with his hand on his chin. 

I glance at the little boy who looks like he’s about six years old, has freckles on his face, which make him appear innocent but he’s looking directly at me with this I’m going to tell everyone what you’re upto face. 

I look away, trying to ignore him but he tugs at his mom’s sleeve and I’m forced to look back at him as I gesture with my hands. No no no no. 

I signal over and over with my hands and whisper over the tables, “You’re not snitching.” I say and we start to talk over the tables. 

He crosses his arms and says with his mouth but no sound comes out, I am. 

“No you’re not.” I say whispering back, but he’s already tugging at his mother who with her eye brows crossing like an angry bird turns to him and mutters in sign language,“Milo leave the girl alone.” And she gestures me an apology. 

My heart drops for a moment as I realize he’s deaf. 

I'm about to speak in the broken sign language I know but Milo signals you suck to me, so I decide to use my hands and reply with, get a grip. 

I can’t tell if he’s happy about my reply or not, but he's definitely upset at his mother for not taking his side, so he shakes his head as he says watch this. And I see this kid taking the salt shaker and pouring bits of it in his mothers drink. She doesn’t notice. The dad does and he grins instead of doing something about it. 

Milo is still looking at me grinning now, and I hold my hands over my head and drop the menu that I was using for my cover as I go— why would you do that? 

And he looks me dead in the eye saying you did it too.

My mouth opens and I’m about to give a reaction, when a laughter breaks out, cutting through our conversation, as we both look to the side. 

There a pony-tailed Allysa throws a fit at Moid who’s looking back at me and I put my hands over my face. Hasan holds his head in his hand, and begins to glance around. Without missing a beat, he says, 

“Leah?” and like clockwork Allysa’s fit pauses as she gets up. “Oh my god is this Leah again?” Her face turns to laughter as she calls the waiter back, and demands my location. I glance over at Milo, and signal it’s my cue to leave. Thankfully, there’s a back entrance that leads back into the restaurant from my side, so I quickly click my shades back on, grab my purse and make my way out. “Leah. I see you.” She screams, but I don’t look back, as I dash into the restaurant. I almost lose my balance bumping into a waiter holding a tray of iced teas. His eyes move back as he looks at me bamboozled and I just blurt out without giving either of us a chance to really speak, “Where’s the powder room?” 

His eyes make an uhhh and he senses how urgent this situation is and points to the corner at the end of the restaurant.

Thankyou. My mouth whispers and before I know it, my feet are carrying me faster than I can keep up, and my head barely sees anything as I reach the two brown doors on the side. 

My hands move forward to reach the handle and then I pause in place. It’s too obvious. I turn my head around, and am about to enter the men’s bathroom when a man walks out. 

“Oh —Hi.” I find myself saying as I look at him and he looks at me and pauses. “Hi.” He says in this soft voice, and I don’t know why it’s like time pauses. But time hasn’t paused. I’m in a crunch here.

“Ummm…. I have to go to the bathroom.” I say and his eyes signal to the brown door adjacent to us that has a circular drawing of a woman wearing an olden times hat and then I look back at him and I know he’s going to think I’m an idiot but I say, “No.” I let out as I nervously click my knuckles together and my eyes dart to the door behind him. 

He looks back at me and I look at him but I don’t know how to voice it out that I need to go to the men’s bathroom because my friend will find me in the women's.

Allysa’s aggravated voice echoes through my conversation with him — “Leah I know you’re here.” She screams at the top of her lungs and my eyes pop out as she asks someone so loudly, “Is she in the bathroom?!”

In this moment, I’m not sure what to think so I look back at this guy and say, “I’m so sorry for this.” I say and I push him into the bathroom. 

I push him into the bathroom and he falls back but he doesn't fight it and I shut the door behind us, turn around and am about to apologize, when Allysa’s voice cuts through again—

—Leah I swear to you—” She says and I think she goes into the women’s stall, because I hear a click. “Oh my god Leah where the hell are you?”

The voice traces and I’m here staring at this man who’s now looking back at me, our eyes meet and I say, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t think of a better hiding place.” I say my hands falling out, as he looks back at me and smiles as he says, “It’s oka–”

“—LEAH I SWEAR TO GOD.” She screams and both our eyes meet as we burst into laughter and I hold my hand over my face. 

“Friend of yours?” He asks and I nod my head as he smiles the other way. 

He smiles. I notice his face I think for the first time over his cracked smile. 

I’m not entirely sure what it is about him that makes me look at him twice. 

There’s something about the way he’s carrying himself — something beyond the fact that he’s tall, has broad shoulders and is self contained. I just pushed this guy in. He should be losing his mind right now but he’s not. He’s so composed without really even trying. 

It doesn't help that he has a beard. A clean cut perfectly trimmed beard that fits his face well. I think this is the first time I’ve seen a man with a beard and found it attractive.

“Do….” I break my own thoughts, “Do you think she’s gone now?” 

“I can check if the coast is clear.” “No.” I say, “I can’t ask you to do that.” 

“You don’t need to ask.” He tells me, “I’ll do it.” “Okay….” I say and then tilt my head and he opens the door only slightly, peers outside as I try looking over his shoulders. He glances back at me, our eyes meet for a moment and he says, “You’re good to go.” 

“Thankyou.” I say, and he turns around as his face— I can’t exactly tell what he’s thinking but our eyes meet and he tells me. His voice is a little clearer this time. “Omer.”

“Thank you, Omer.” I smile as I step out, and peer around the place. Yup there’s no sign of Allysa. My mind calms down a little and I’m about to leave the restaurant. 

I look back I’m not sure why, as I see Omer walking over to the waiter pulling out his wallet, taking out a couple notes and handing them over as he taps their shoulder. 

I don’t think much of it. I don’t know the guy beyond our two minute interaction… so I can’t really think much of it… and I make my way back to the hotel room.

Chapter 2

Two years later

“Leah.” Allysa says as she looks over at me and I snap back into reality. Her dark brown pupils dilate and I know what she’s going to ask me, but I’m not ready for this conversation. Not yet.

 “Hasan and I were thinking.” She starts and my ears go shut. Yup she’s going to bring it up. “We just think it would be nice if we could all go together again. It’s…” She chips her nails. She does that a lot when she’s nervous and she avoids eye contact. She’s doing it right now as she says, “It’s just we think if we go out there— you’ll feel better.”

I don’t respond and for some reason she takes that as a cue to go on. 

“Allysa.” I tell her and fake a smile. “Please. Let’s just not— now.” “—But Leah.”

“Please Allysa. Let’s drop it okay?” I say and gives me the same look she’s been giving me every time we have this conversation. It’s irritating. “Leah, it's been two years. Life moves on.”

I don’t respond to that. 

Allysa and I have known each other I believe longer than most friends know each other. Or a healthy amount of time to be able to call her my best friend. Fourteen years. We’re twenty three now. She’s six months older than me. I guess that makes her wiser. 

We’ve had our ups and downs, and we’ve been able to work through them. Well….we fight through a lot of them but she’s always understood me and I believe I’ve understood her to a certain level. 

I just wish sometimes in these moments, she’d understand that I really don’t want to talk about what happened.

“Hasan and I are going in Febuary.” She continues and I sigh as my shoulders shrug. “There’s always a ticket available. Let me know.” She taps my hand as if I need help to get through this and I hate that. I hate that more than she knows but I don’t have it in me to tell her that right now.

“Okay.” I say sarcastically, my eye brows going up and she picks up on that, as she grabs her bag and gets up and leaves.

Chapter 3 

[November]

I reach the hotel room, and Hasan is standing there with his back to the doorframe. His head is down, buried in his phone and I hold my hands to my mouth as I call his name. He looks back up at me and has the most Leah look on his face. 

“Is she upset?” I ask him and his eyes glare at me. 

“No.” He says his eyes are popping out and I repeat again, “Hasan.”“I’m asking you such a serious question right now.” I say and he holds his hand in the air like what am I supposed to say?

“Hasan, just tell me.” I say, “How bad is it?”His shoulder sighs and he whispers, “Between you and me, she’s just mad she didn’t pull a prank first.” “Okay — see that.” I say, a smile leaving my lips,“That I can work with.” I tell him and I knock on the door. I do appreciate his honesty in these situations. Makes the day a lot easier. 

Hasan looks back at me as he says he’ll give us both some privacy and walks down the hallway. His head back to being buried in his phone. One knock. Two. 

“If this is Leah—” “Allysa open the door.” I say as I knock again. She opens the door after a few moments of the constant knocking. The door opens, and my eyes meet her. She’s standing there, her hair is tied in the same high pony tail. She hasn’t changed out of the blue shorts and white top that she wore at dinner, and her eyebrows are fuming. I open my mouth, but she beats me to it. —- “No, don't even start—- where did you go this time?” 

“Did you even try to find me?” I counter, ignoring her comment. 

“Yes I flipped the place upside down for you.”  

“Oh.” I say and I can’t help but smile, but her face looks like she has smoke coming out of her ears. I want to laugh, but I feel like it’s just going to trigger her more so I keep it in. 

“Leah.” She repeats and I cave. 

“I was in the men’s bathroom Allysa.” I let out, and her face gawks. 

“Wow, the one place I didn’t look.” 

“Mhm.” I say and my hands trace the pillow. “I guess you should’ve searched a little harder.” 

“Shut up Leah.” She says and I grin as she says, “We have two more days on this trip. I’m getting you back.” She adds and I look back at her like sure you are. 

“Are we going hiking tomorrow?” I lie down on the bed and she looks over at me recalling our agenda. 

“Yeah.” She nods her head. “Eight am. Don’t oversleep.” 

She says and I say okay and then we talk for a bit. A few hours and then Hasan knocks on the door. I look at her, and then tell her I’ll shower and we can all meet up for dinner.

It’s times like these where I’m kinda grateful we booked two separate rooms. Even if they are interconnected.. I think regardless of how close you are, everyone likes their privacy. I know I do and I’m sure with everything I hear through the paper thin walls… Allysa and Hasan enjoy it too.

I enter my room that’s a little messier than I would like. The suitcase is in the corner, my makeup supplies have thrown up over the counter and my dresses are piled one on top of the other on the white cotton bed. 

I add to the mess instead of cleaning it, as I click my shades off and place them on the bed side table. And walk into the bathroom. 

The marble flooring trickles my feet as I slide open the glass door and run the tap. My fingers touch the water… it’ll take a bit to heat up. I gaze over at my reflection and meet myself in the mirror for the first time today …

I rummage my hands through my hair, slip off my dress and enter the cubicle shower. 

The water droplets touch my skin and yeah… it’s hot enough now. I enter and the water trickles down my spine and over my skin as the glass gets foggy. 

I find myself recalling my encounter at the restaurant. My mind traces back to the guy I met in the bathroom… he was cute… did he think I was an idiot? He probably did… but that’s the beauty about bumping into people on vacation isn’t it… you never see them again.

I brush that thought out as I rinse my hair. Condition and wash and then I wrap the towel around my waist, stepping out of the shower. 

Bzzz— My phone buzzes. 

And I walk over to open it. 

There’s a notification from my mother… Several. Actually. 

I frown as I look over. They’re all voice notes.

I dry my hands and wrap the towel over my head, as I press play and reach over to the closet for these striped shorts and a cream top….. My mothers voice breaks through the phone and I turn around as I get the top over my shoulder.She breathes in and then starts….. “Leah… hey sweetie…..how’s the trip going? Sofie really misses you. I hope everything’s going well….” The voice note breaks and the next one starts, 

“I don’t know how to say this… but…. there’s some news…. your dad is…..getting married.”  She takes a deep sigh as if this is the first time she’s admitting it aloud, and then she straightens her tone or she tries to, it’s still very soft, “The invite came in the mail today. Call me back when you can please.” 

I pull my top down, and my face drops.

My father is getting married? 

I’m not entirely sure how to process this. I knew he’d date eventually… but it’s not been that long since the divorce…and Sofie… how is she going to cope with it? She’s my four year old sister.

I walk over… I’m not entirely sure what to type… I guess this is where my words might fail me… but I’m about to grab my phone off the counter and I don’t realize that the floor is still very wet.

I don’t realize how slippery it is and it takes one wrong step….. and my foot slips… my foot slips and I reach over to grab anything— the sink top. The handle but it’s too late. My body jerks back and I fall, hitting my head against the marble floor. 

Thud. My head breaks over and I hold it—

—Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

I repeat over and over and try to get back up almost immediately but my head starts to feel dizzy. 

Oh the room is spinning. Why are you spinning?

Why is the wallpaper moving? Can you Stop spinning—-But it doesn't listen and my head starts to ache even more.Why does my head hurt so much?— My hand clutches on to my hair as I straighten myself or try to. I place my hand on my head and clutch my hair tight— and then I see my hand. My hand… my hand thats shaking… my hand thats—-

—-Oh no. Oh no. My stomach turns and I feel sick. I feel so sick. My hand is dripping in blood. Where is this blood coming from? My hand shakes……. And there’s these red dots falling….. Where is this blood coming from? Oh no.. Oh please no. My insides churn and I feel like I’m going to throw up. Oh my god I’m going to throw up… I try to just… my back can’t get up… and the blood…. The blood is oozing out… It’s not stopping. It’s on my hand and on the floor. And every time I move my hand to my head… it gets more bloody.

Huh… 

Oh my god the blood is coming from my head. The blood is coming out from my head. My head is bleeding. My head is bleeding.

“Leah, we heard a voice..” Allysa’s cry reaches my ears and then I hear a scream. “OH MY GOD LEAH.” 

I feel her hands on my head… I think she’s holding me.…. But I can’t look back. I just feel a pair of hands holding me and then there’s more screaming….

“CALL SOMEONE—- HASAN!!!” Allysa screams and I want to say SHUT UP AND STOP SCREAMING SO LOUD… But the pain… it dosen’t let me speak. I feel like I’m being pinched in my own head over and over again…. 

…..Oh god..  Just make it stop. Make this pain stop.

“HOLY SHIT ALLYSA WHY ARE YOU YELLING?” I hear a male voice… Hasan’s voice…Hasans here….and then they both scream… I don’t know what they’re saying… everything’s muffled.

… Okay… stop … stop screaming… stop hurting… everything just needs to stop. JUST STOP HURTING….. . oh… no… it’s stopping… my eyes aren’t reading anything anymore..… I think everything's just going blacker… and blacker….and I look up to see Allysa’s face… and 

Everything 

Goes 

Black.