2| HOMECOMING

"Tequila breath, you don't have to do this if you feel nervous" Dream rubbed her hand in comfort and Tequila took a deep breath. She has been going through a lot these days from Ali's death to failing her oral test. She's weak and tired of all the darkness finding her and she just wants to collapse and cry her pains away. The private jet conveying Ali's body back to Ikram would be ready in an hour and she's getting the cold feet already. 

She would've decided not to go if she wouldn't feel guilty for the rest of her life. Ali had been there for her when nobody stood by her. After finding out she was pregnant from her wild night with the sheikh, Tequila was close to losing it. She didn't know what to do or who to call on. God sent her an angel in the form of Ali and since then he never left her side till death snatched her. 

He was there through her pregnancy and he loved Uthman like his. She remembered the look of pure joy on his face when she granted him the permission to name her baby, he named Uthman after his cousin whom he admired so much and Ali never hesitated to spoil him silly. 

Poor Uthman doesn't know that his favorite Uncle Ali is gone forever and he might never see him again. He thinks the visit to Ikram is for vacation and Uncle Ali would receive them at the airport. She couldn't bear to burst his bubble and tell him his uncle Ali is dead and would never come back again. It still felt like a dream to her too. 

Her phone ringing on the make-up table brought her attention to the device and she picked it up as soon as she saw Nathan's name on the screen. Nathan was Ali's most trusted bodyguard and he was like a brother to him. The first time that Tequila had seen him cry was when he picked Ali's dead body from the street where the truck had crushed him lifeless when he wanted to go into the next toyshop to get something for Uthman who went to school for the first time without crying. 

"Nathan, how are you?... Yeah we are ready... You already sent someone to pick us? Okay then... See you later" She ended the call before she stood up from her bed and pulled the box Dream had packed for her. She motioned for Uthman who came rushing towards them without noticing the sadness in the air. His attention was on the game he was playing on his tab. Tequila doesn't even see herself forgetting Ali in a jiffy because everything in this apartment reminded her of him. 

Tequila descended the stairs with Dream pulling their luggage after her and Uthman walking slowly behind them, his attention still on the game he was playing. When they got outside, a black Mercedes Benz was waiting for them and the driver stepped out, bowing a little for Tequila who acknowledged his greeting with a nod. They got in and Dream kissed Tequila goodbye before she turned back to go back into the apartment. Tequila was quiet all through the ride to the airport and Uthman, as if he could sense his mother's silence, didn't throw any fit. By the time they were about to board the jet, Uthman was already fast asleep and Tequila had to carry him on her shoulder. 

By the time the plane landed in Ikram, It was night time already but it didn't look like it all. The whole kingdom stood at the airport and they started a dirge as soon as the body was brought out. Tequila still found it hard to believe that Ali was an Arabian prince with a vast kingdom to inherit, when they met he was the most humble person Tequila had ever met. 

The whole town held a candle and Nathan passed Tequila one before leading her towards the royal family. The sheikh wasn't anywhere in sight and Tequila curtseyed to greet the rest of the royal family. They all smiled widely at her and Tequila relaxed instantly. This wasn't what she was expecting, she expected them to be stuck up and proud because she's a western human and she didn't belong to any royal family. One of them volunteered to help carry the sleepy Uthman but she declined politely. 

She walked slowly with them while the people carrying the body went in front, the royal family followed. The rest of the people held up their candles above their heads while they sang slowly. Tequila could see how everyone around her was holding their tears, Ali had been a good person. She knew him inside out and the fact that he was one of the humans she loved truly made her more sad. She couldn't hold her tears any longer and she let them fall freely. Someone took her candle from her and she held Uthman with both hands. She cried hard as memories of what she had with Ali attacked her. 

When they got to the entrance of the royal graveyard, the crowd stopped and they raised their voices even louder. They walked inside and towards the end, Tequila noticed a freshly dug grave and she shook her head as the tears pooled her eyes. The body was brought down from the shoulders of the carriers and they lowered it on a stool. Tequila watched as they all walked one after the other towards the body and kissed his forehead while muttering things. 

The sheikh went first and he bent his head in a deep bow before Ali's body. He kissed his forehead and he walked off with his personal guards trailing behind him. His mom went next and Tequila could see how she was barely hanging on to sanity. Ali loved his mom so much and he told Tequila how his mom couldn't wait to meet her and Uthman. 

She bent over the body and she placed her head on his chest. She shook him slightly as if waiting for a miracle to happen and he would come back to life. She left quietly after his sister pulled her away towards the direction the sheikh had gone. Tequila watched with interest as everyone came to pay their homage to the dead heir, some more emotional than the rest. All in all, Tequila knew they all loved Ali, well who wouldn't?. 

"My lady, let me take the boy. It's going to be your turn soon" someone whispered and she handed him over after shooting her a grateful smile. She watched the person beside her go and she came back almost immediately. She concluded that maybe they weren't on good terms but that didn't justify not even saying a proper goodbye. 

Tequila walked towards the body and that was when reality finally hit her. She was never going to see nor hear from Ali again. He wouldn't be in her apartment shouting at the top of his voice while pretending to be a popular rockstar nor would she tease him about his horrible voice for someone who loved music. He wasn't going to tickle her again whenever she wasn't paying enough attention to him or do horrible make-up on her face because he felt like she's too beautiful to be seen by anyone. He wouldn't wiggle his butt in front of her bathroom mirror anymore nor would he play hide and seek with Uthman again. 

She knelt beside his body and she marveled at how he still managed to look so nice even in death. She now believes his word that he was never going to be caught unfresh even in death. She kissed his forehead first before she cleared her voice to tell him her long goodbye message. 

"Ali, you probably can't hear me now or you can hear me and I can't hear your reply. I can't believe our friendship is ending here with you being wrapped in white and me trying to hold on to the last thread of sanity left. Ali, I love you so much and I'm glad we are friends till death decided to cut short our friendship. No one's ever going to take away the memories of whatever we had and I'm not going to let anyone call Uthman anything else. I badly wish the tears will stop and I'm trying to imagine you're in a better place now. My mom says whenever good people die, they go straight to heaven where they deserve. Ali, the world doesn't deserve you and I hope I convince myself enough. I hope when Uthman grows up, he won't ever forget the kind of father figure you were to him. Thank you for all you did for me and Uthman, thank you for every time you made us your point of duty. Thank you for being patient with me even when I said I didn't want to make commitments with you. I wish I knew, maybe we would have solid memories to reflect back on. The ones we have, I promise to cherish them forever. It's hard to say goodbye to your best friend and I hope you don't make new friends in heaven who will replace me. Don't forget to get all the girls too as you said you would. I love you Ali, I fucking love you. I wish I said it when you wanted to hear them but now it's of no use since you can't even reply or flash your dimples at me in approval. Ali just open your eyes and tell me goodbye. As your best friend of over two years, I deserve more than just a mere text announcing your death. Stand up and tell me it's going to be alright now. Fucking stand up" She was screaming at this point and they dragged her back as she clutched to Ali's body in tears. Everyone started crying again and they pulled Tequila towards the medical tent. 

After a lot of efforts of trying to hold her down, Tequila was sedated under the sheikh's orders and she was taken back to the palace while the burial rites went on.