Novels by Eman Hany

"HOW LONG WILL IT LAST THIS TIME, Sylvia? Two weeks? Four months? Ten years? The hope they take from our running souls and the eternal disappointment that they leave behind. No, no, no I won't go on this date, Sylvia. He may thinks my nose is big so I would have to contour it for the rest of our next five months of dating. Or he may call me BEAUTIFUL, text me Good mornings and good nights every day then one day he confesses me about not being over his ex. And gives me this very broken look of a patient to his therapist SCREAMING HERE I AM MOMMA FIX ME. Listen to me, something will definitely go wrong." The woman's voice is high-pitched enough to make my distracted ears notice her talk on the phone. My eyes are following her anxious walk in the corridor —walking to one side and routing back to the other — meanwhile, Alyssa is making a pillow out of my shoulder to rest her head on. Like everybody else here we're waiting. As if we're about to take a dip in the underworld, we're

I SCANNED THE NAMELESS ENVELOPE carefully with my eyes. No name, no address or a telephone number found on it. Not even a postage stamp. A complete blank and unaddressed outer with no inscription. But there is something. There is a wax seal placed on the envelope. I moved the tip of my fingers on the prominent and strange shape stamped. A raven wax seal stamp. I squeeze my mind trying to think if I can make myself familiar with it. Have I ever seen this raven on any brand logo before? It could be symbolic of a certain cult? Or a hallmark of a local store. Unfortunately, my memory failed to conjure any old information. "You don't really love him, do you?" Ryan wonders softly. His voice becomes low and broken. I thought he doesn't like us being together. Seriously, when did he become a fan of this forbidden relationship? How am I supposed to explain this to anyone? How am

"ZOYA WOULDN'T LIKE THIS SIDE OF YOU." I approached Ryan while crossing my arms. Reminding myself not to fly into a rage because going ballistic immediately brings a short-lived relief and impetuosity ensures no regrets.The gentle autumnal breezes are drying my sweaty face. My body is heated under my panda onesie from speeding up to where Ryan stands. October winds are muted by his loud car stereo which is playing his Saxophone Jazz classics. Don't Blame Me by Charlie Parker. The crazy volume is breaking the usual silence of the neighborhood, making it impossible anymore to catch the barks of our neighbor's Dachshunds and his microwave ringtone.He gives me a side look, puffing heavily on his cigarette. "Excuse me?" The smokes are billowing his face. They are flowing from his mouth like they are curling up from a chimney or a

GABRIEL SPRINGS UP FROM BED and walks downstairs coolly as I rush anxiously after him. Ryan's hollers and curse words at the entrance hall are like symphonies to Gabriel's ears. It looks like he has been scheming against Ryan for the last few weeks. What did he do this time? His pain hasn't rested for a bit, has it? Though I am capable of protecting my brother from Ryan's awful temper – because he can really be destructive and lack self-control sometimes, but you can't stop a car that has no brakes. Gabriel is not helping at all as he breaks the brake himself. Nevertheless, he acts like he is in control of what is uncontrollable. They both rebinds Homer's Trojan war. The scenery conjures Cain and Abel's prehistoric conflict. Or it can be visioned as if Paris of Troy has just clashed with King of Sparta. Nothing, but an intense confrontation. The Titans versus the Olympians. King Odysseus ve

MY FEET ARE SCREAMING IN PAIN. I get to walk back home like an idiot with a bunch of Doritos packets to avoid suspicions. For the first time, I feel grateful for treating my phone as a secret piggy bank and saving money in my phone case. All I ask is punching Abel in the face for my muscle soreness and making me look like a weirdo at the store with my panda onesie pajama. Then I would regret it considerably right after because he is my handsome husband, and I helplessly love him so much. Maybe I can overlook all the jitteriness and awkwardness he has caused today only for saving me from Theresa's gut-churning movies. The house is quiet, and the lights are dim. It seems that everyone is in their rooms and getting ready for sleep. Thank God, that means I'm off the hook. I would pay anything in return for keeping this quietness and going to my rooms safely and taking a soothing warm bath.

MY BROTHER GABRIEL DOESN'T LIKE POPCORN for a movie night at home. He enjoys dipping tortilla chips in ranch sauce. I joined Theresa with her large bowl of cheddar cheese popcorn. But, supplemental French fries served with garlic sauce complete the night. What predominantly amuses me on a Saturday movie night with my family is pranking Gabriel and messing with his snacks. So, I've swapped the chips in his Doritos bag with our homemade popcorn and his ranch sauce with my garlic sauce. These fatuous pranks are more fun to me than the aggressively clichéd and cheap films our stepmom Theresa likes to watch. I shove my body on the sofa wearing my panda onesie pajamas and am ready to sleep out of extreme boredom. Heavy curtains are shut, darkening the living room like an actual cinema, my phone is silent, and my quilt covers my warm thighs. October's vibes are finally on; short days and long nights, hot beverages, cold breezes, bushy autumn trees, cloudy days, and quiet nights. All in all,