There's Always A Next Time - Part 8

source

Lynda ran to the park to tell Samir about what happened. Samir called their uncle Hasan who was a lawyer and asked him for help. Mr Hasan made it to the police station about two hours after Ahmed's arrestment. They didn't want to let him meet him at first but he was a man who knows his rights and never lets anyone deny them. Once he saw Ahmed, he knew exactly why they tried not to let him meet anyone, especially a lawyer. His clothes were dirty and he was suffering some terrible pain in different spots of his body.

-Hello young man, My name is Hasan, I'm your lawyer, and I'm also Lynda's uncle.
-Hello sir
-First, I want to thank you for helping Lynda. But you didn't need to risk your whole future for her.
-I would rather be arrested for few days than let an officer force her to remove her Hijab.
-Few days? Are you aware of the consequences of the charges they're throwing on you ?
-Oh I'm well aware. But I'll only pay for what they can prove I did.
-Like breaking an officer’s nose while he's doing his job you mean?
-The only thing they have against me is the two officers’ testimony. And I bet they won’t mention it.
-How can you be so sure.
-Well, they got their revenge, I guess, and that officer lives in neighbourhood I can apologise from him and we move on. In the end he can’t afford having his reputation ruined by being punched by a teenager.
-It seems you don't really need a lawyer! I'll just try to be an intermediate and make sure your plan goes well.

Ahmed was in custody for three days because it was saturday when he was arrested and the court had to be scheduled on monday. But then everything went as expected and he was sat free.

-"What class are you in?" Asked Mr. Hasan while driving Ahmed to his friends.
-I just finished my baccalaureate exams today.
-What specialisation?
-Litterature.
-Perfect.. Would you consider going to the low university? I mean you obviously have what it takes to be a good lawyer. You might not see it now, but I do.
-I guess that's one of the very few options I have.
-Ok here's my number, call me when and if you get accepted for the low university. I can use a smart young man as an assistant. You can study and have a part time job, just like I did when I was about your age.

-How was it like to be behind bars. Said samir acting like he was holding a microphone and interviewing Ahmed when he first came to the park.
-I met some good friends.
-How was the food.
-I can eat any kind of food when I’m hungry enough, I just strengthened that belief even more.
Lynda was angry at him at first because she felt guilty about being the cause of the arrestment and the violence he went trough. But then she started joking about it just like Samir when the conversation started getting very funny.
-Do you think it was worth it? To go to jail for a girl, how romantic of you! She said.
-What? You think I did it for you? I just turned 18 and I earned the right to go to jail so that was me claiming my right.

Later on that day, Mr Ali called his wife and told her that he bought the airplane tickets for her and for Lynda to go to London the day after Lynda's baccalaureate results. That way, that she can have her diploma, apply for Tunisian engineering universities as a precaution and then try to find a good english university that would accept her.

When Lynda went to england, Ahmed knew he might never see her again. Not as long as "Ben Ali" is the president of tunisia, which hasn't change for almost two decades already and god knows if it will change any soon. They kept in touch for years using E-mail and E-mail messengers from time to time and that allowed them to be informed of each others life events.

One of those events was Lynda falling in love with a Palestinian guy in London. Ahmed was still having feelings for her but he managed to oppress them and convince himself that the closest he can be to her is her best virtual friend that would give her the right advices when she needs them the most. He supported that relationship and felt relief when she told him the guy is planning for engagement and marriage. He even helped her understand how men think, when to approach them and when to give them space. How to explain things that might seem puzzling and forgive things that might seem unforgivable. Thanks to him she is the supportive and smart girl that any man would be blessed to have her as a wife.

---

---

---

Here are the links for the previous parts of the story in case you missed them:
-Part 1
-Part 2
-Part 3
-Part 4
-Part5
-Part6
-Part7