The Red Nights

2- Changes

It was about 2 p.m when all the youngsters finished their training and prepared to leave the hall. Jamal was arranging his stuff when Natasha approached him, her voice was soft when she said, " I wanted to apologize for earlier. It was not my intention to put them in danger, you know? ".

" Yes I know it, and I'm also sorry for reacting so emotively... I didn't mean to lash out at you". Jamal scratched the back of his head, " I know that you all just want to help quickly rebuild the city but you should not rush to the point you are endangering yourselves ".

" We are just upset that we are all forced to only half of our lives, " Natasha said while taking a sad look at her comrades while they were preparing to leave.

After hearing that, Jamal couldn't help but bow his head, feeling a bit sad. Despite knowing that it was nothing his fault, he couldn't help but feel sorrowful when he looked at the faces of all these poor kids as he would have wanted to do more for them.

Even if it happened 2 years ago, that day left scarred deeply in the hearts of all the people, not only in his town or country but also probably everywhere else. He was sure that the terrible event touched the whole world, and that there were some countries or cities which were more damaged than others.

[We cannot forget it only in one or two years] thought Jamal, " I even wonder if one day we would be able to forget about it and finally move forward ". After asking himself that, he felt overwhelmed by a very sad mood that even Natasha felt it.

Seeing that his mood was going down, Natasha felt guilty as she thought it was her fault for bringing up such sad comments, as she felt bad, she thus tried to cheer him up, "So... You're going to visit Lina after that? You have a date together if I'm not mistaking ".

Hearing that, Jamal's face twisted, and he had a weird reaction. When Natasha noticed it, she began laughing slowly at the beginning but then louder as she couldn't control herself.

" Why are you laughing at me?! " shouted Jamal, embarrassed.

" Ha ha ha, sorry it's just both funny and cute the way you look or react when someone starts talking about her, " replied Natasha while trying to calm her laughter.

" There is nothing hilarious, you just love making fun of me, " said Jamal as he stared at the young woman.

" It's hilarious because you are acting as if you were 13 years old virgin who only got his first girlfriend yesterday and is living his secret love with her. Just know that everyone in this city is already aware of that! " Shouted a voice from the leaving crowd.

" Just shut up and get out of here! " Jamal replied to the person who made that bold, yet, truthful comment. He took a sweaty towel and threw it at him.

Then everyone started to laugh, even Jamal couldn't hold his smile as it appeared on his face. Seeing them happy, he progressively looked quite better than earlier which pleased Natasha. She was trying to turn back and follow his friends outside when Jamal suddenly stopped her.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her aside from the crowd where they wouldn't be heard, he lowered his voice before asking her, " by the way, how do you feel now? Did you... ".

" Not since the day before yesterday, " Natasha immediately responded, " it is like sometimes it comes and leaves randomly. Some days I feel it and the other days not ".

Jamal didn't reply immediately, thought a little while before he said " Well, just control yourself and keep me informed whether it happens again, something tells me it will just keep on increasing, but remember, don't talk about it to anyone else. I will try to find out if there are other people who started to chan-... ahem sense the same thing as you did. "

" Do you think there are other people like me? " Natasha asked him, surprised by what he just said.

" Maybe, I am not sure, but if this happened to you it is most likely not an isolated case, " he shrugged.

Natasha lowered her head as she felt that things were getting worse each day passed, she wanted to say something but she could of anything, Jamal put a finger below her chin, and lifted it up delicately so he could look at her in the eyes, " You don't have to be scared of anything, " he paused " I will always be there to protect you, no matter what weird things happen, okay? ". 

Natasha felt like a bubble of happiness suddenly burst in her chest. She has always felt fully safe when she was with Jamal but now it was different, what he said to her was the certainty that she did matter to someone. To him.

She quickly turned aside from him when she felt that she could not control her emotions anymore and put her hands on her face. She was too moved to keep looking at him, moreover, she didn't want him to the face she was making at that moment. " Are you okay? Did I say something that got you mad? " said Jamal a bit worried.

" No no... It's just... no one ever told me something like that before. I was just surprised, that's all " replied Natasha, " I think I should go now ", then she dashed out of the sports hall without giving a look back and left Jamal behind her a bit confused, " it's unusual to see her being that emotional, " he said to himself.

...

" You came earlier than usual, did something happen? " said Lina while Jamal was about to have a seat. They were in their favorite coffee bar, one of the three restaurants which were not completely closed. It was true that many stores and businesses in the city were abandoned however with the efforts of Jamal and the ones who helped him, some proprietors agreed to let still be opened in order to try to give a second breath to their town.

 " Not at all, " he said ironically with a shrug of the shoulders, " besides the fact that despite my warnings, my dear students decided to come to the training earlier than they normally should so- "

" Don't you dare to put down your ass on this chair before giving me a sloppy and passionate kiss! " Lina suddenly raised her hand and interrupted him, with a fake angry look on her face.

Jamal just stand there staring at her for a moment, seeing that she was serious, he looked around, trying to assess if anyone was watching them before he hesitantly decided to kiss her, he put his lips on hers, inserted slowly his tongue to fondle Lina's for few seconds, and after they stopped, when he pulled his head, she slowly opened her eyes and gave him one of her sexiest smiles before she declared, " now you may have a seat darling ".

He tried his best to look composed and hide his embarrassment as he continued, " Well, what I was telling you, was that I came early because my careless students decided to start their training earlier today ".

" Wait, let me guess. I'm pretty sure it was Natasha's idea, wasn't it? " said Lina while raising her forefinger in front of him.

" Why are you always fighting each other, can't you just get along? " Jamal sighed and said that instead of giving a proper reply.

" So I conclude that I'm right, it was indeed her idea, " she said, ignoring his comment.

He didn't reply to that, instead, he stood up and went to the barmaid, he ordered a cup of milkshake and returned to his place. However Lina didn't give up yet and she continued " For your information, it's Natasha the one who doesn't like me... I don't even know why" she started to move like an old drama movie actress to accompany what she was saying.

" But it wouldn't be like this if you quit provoking her, " replied Jamal who still couldn't get the joke.

" She just never wants to acknowledge that I am always right, " she gave another shot despite his obvious lack of perspicacity when it came to common social matters.

" You're not, half of the time it's me who chooses your side because I don't want you to be mad at me or leave me, " he rolled his eyes and sighed before taking a sip of his milkshake.

For a moment Lina did not add any comment, she just took his hand and started rubbing the palm with her thumb. " I was right though when I told you about the case of the outlaws. That there was no need to watch the barrier at night because they would never dare cross it at that time ".

Jamal sighed and nodded, " Yeah that's true, and I still don't get why they would hold themselves from taking action at that time, you didn't explain me ".

" They are still thinking that those... "things" will reappear in the night to come for us again, " responded Lina with a tone that wanted to sound indifferent about what she said.

Jamal thought a little bit and found a new question, " and how can you be so sure that those... will not come again? "

" Because they already got what they wanted, didn't they?" said Lina with a serious look.

Jamal didn't seek any extra explanation because he already knew what she meant, furthermore, even if he asked her she wouldn't respond. In fact, no one in this town would ever respond to this question, it was a too awful memory.

That day, everyone lost someone close to them. Dear relatives or friends, and it became too painful for the large majority of them to remember them.

" This morning, Nata... hum ... my students shared their thoughts with me and told me that they were sick being forced to live only half of their lives, " Jamal paused and lowered his voice. " Do you think I was wrong when I ordered the 1 p.m law? Do you think one day we will ever be able to move forward and turn the page of these tragedies? "

When he said that he fixed his eyes on his girlfriend and she could see how desperate he was, and was actually just looking for some consolation. She held his hand tighter, tried to choose her words, and said " Hey, it's not your fault, you hear me? Don't be so arrogant to think you can control everything and carry the world on your shoulders. Just... know that you're nothing responsible for what happened... for what is happening. You did all you could do in order to protect them ".

" But maybe I could have done more... maybe I can do more, maybe..." he couldn't stop thinking.

" You're not god, you are just a human " cut Lina.

Jamal stayed quiet for a while, holding Lina's hand even tighter, with a little bitterness in his voice he wondered, " How? How did we end up like this, with this situation? "

They stayed quiet for a few minutes and then Lina suddenly stood up. " Finish your milkshake quickly and come with me, " she ordered.

" Where? " said Jamal a little confused while still struggling to finish his cold milkshake without collapsing from a frozen brain.

" Into my house " replied Lina while smiling and moving up her eyebrows to point out the specific meaning of her phrase.

" For what? We are not even at the beginning of the evening, and don't you have work to do?" said Jamal with a joking smile after he already finished drinking.

Lina rolled her eyes with a sigh before she leaned over his shoulder, and whispered to his ear, " I don't care about that right now... right now I want to make love to you until you forget about all these worries of yours ".

Jamal smiled as he was quite thrilled by the idea, however, he still replied, " Don't be silly, there is no way I could forget all about them unless I die ".

Lina smiled too and replied while drawing circles on his chest with her finger, " You underestimate me and my bed skills, honey, be sure that I will fuck you so hard that you will either forget or just die ".

He laughed, " are you sure you don't have work to do? " he tried to remind her again.

She caught his arms, and forced him to follow her, while she said with a smirk, " forget about that, for the moment you and your lower part are my priorities, " she paused, " just come with me, and I promise you that you will definitely not regret ".