Nemesis

The key to our bedroom door is missing. We noticed when we first moved in and we kept meaning to do something about it but never got round to it. We didn't need it. We live on our own. And our house guests are usually far too polite to come near the bedroom - let alone walk in without knocking.

Last night, my kid sister did just that. She barged in on us, I mean. I saw the light from the corridor outside and I heard K yelling at her to get out. But it didn't register. It was a really, really bad time for me. I mean, at that moment I could have cared less if the entire population of Abu Dhabi Island PLUS the Mainland were to walk in through the door.

When I felt him getting up, I nearly burst into tears. He mumbled something(I have no idea what) in what was supposed to be soothing tone of voice and then he was getting dressed. He went after her. I heard more yelling, something about knocking etc....

He came back in & said I'd better go see what's the matter with her, that she seemed to be sick or something.

That was when I opened my eyes & the whole thing hit me like a truck. Oh my God. OH MY GOD! I DID burst into tears then! Of mortification. I never wanted to see her again!

Him: Yinfa3 kida? Hiya 3amalsa t3ayat hinak winti hina? Tab a3mil eh ana dilwa2ti? Di eh 3ailti elmaganin di?!!(He's saying that she was crying over there & I was crying here & what was he supposed to do, that we're a crazy family.)

I paid no attention to that.

Him: 7abibi, mish wa2to, elbint shaklaha ta3bana begad. 2oomi shofiha di masa'oliya mish 3ayzeen mashakil allah la yisee'ik. (Sweetheart, this is not the time. You have to go check on her. She's our responsibility.)

Me(screaming): ASHOOFHA?!!Roo7 inta shoofha.(Check on her?!You go and check on her!)

Him: Mish 3ayza t2ooli fi eh. Maksoofa bayin.(She doesn't want to tell me what's wrong. Maybe she's embarrassed.)

Me: Maksoofa? Hiya maksoofa? (EmbarraSsed?SHE'S EMBARRASSED? )

Him: Momkin ti3a'ali ba2a? Fi eh ya3ni 3ashan da kolo?(Calm down. What's the big deal?)

Me: What do you mean? People can just walk into my bedroom & watch me having sex?!!

Him: Allah! Wihiya mal ahlaha? (It's none of her business what we do.)

Me: Oh just forget it.

Him: Momkin tibatali gnan?!!(Again telling to stop acting crazy.)

I was already getting up though, scrambling to pull something on.

I didn't think there was anything the matter with her. I thought she did it on purpose. And I was going to have it out with her.

Well, I was right. She lied to him. She wasn't sick or anything. She just told him that to make him stop yelling at her.

The real reason was that she needed to make a long distance call, she said.

There's a history to that. The first few days she was here, I noticed that she was on the phone long distance a lot. When I checked our phone bill, the numbers floored me. I never knew it was even POSSIBLE to run up those kind of numbers in a couple of days. She was on the phone with her friends in Casa. 4 or 5 hours a day. At least she said it was her friends. All the calls were to the same number & I have a feeling it's a guy but no matter.

So I managed to hold on to my temper. I didn't want to fight when she'd only just arrived. So I did an ostrich act. I just pretended it didn't happen. Two day later, I checked again & she was still doing it.

This time, I confronted her. She denied it. Flat-out. Said it wasn't her. That's something else that drives me nuts about her. She'd lie to your face like that even though she can see that you can see the truth. And she wouldn't waver.

I didn't push the point. I thought ok fine, now she knows I know she'll stop, right?

Wrong. She didn't stop. Not for a single day.

Didn't bother to talk to her about it again. Why bother? I just locked our long-distance calling facility and told her that when she needed to use it she should tell me so that I can be around to make sure she keeps it within reasonable limits. I told her she could have 30 min long distance per day. If she needed more than that, she could buy phone cards out of her allowance. We both gave her money when she came & I know my parents wouldn't have sent her over here penniless.

So now she calls me up at work & whines that she needs to make a call NOW. And then starts to whine even worse when I explain that I can't just walk out of the office & come home to unlock the phone for her whenever she wants. She'll call me 6 or 7 times a day at work.

At home, she'll wake me up if I'm asleep, whining about needing to use the phone.

And then last night. The last straw.

It's like she's sworn not to let me have a moment's peace until she gets what she wants.

All of this just because I won't let her run up a Dhs.10000 phone bill? She's like a junkie who hasn't had her fix!

I told her this is it. I've had it, that she was going back just as soon as I can get a flight for her.

We had a screaming match last night, of course. Complete with her throwing things at me. It would have degenerated into a physical fight if K hadn't managed to restrain us & bundle me back into the bedroom where I sat up smoking in bed for an hour before I could calm down.

He was smoking too. At one point, we looked at each other and burst out laughing. The two of us sitting up in bed - sleepless & smoking. Physically & emotionally frustrated. All because of a 16 yr old kid. Pathetic. Funny in a sad bizarre sort of way.

Today, I am left with the mother of all headaches. Sexual frustration does that to me. And it doesn't look like anything is going to get done about it anytime soon. I won't feel comfortable enough with her in the house. Even if we manage to lock the door, I wouldn't trust her not to be listening in at the keyhole. I have absolute faith in her power to think of something to rattle me at the worst possible moment.

And I won't send her back either. Was just bluffing about that. Am all talk. It would upset my parents if I sent her back like this. They had high hopes that me & her would have a grand reconciliation etc.....

Fat chance. If we make it without one of us committing fratricide, that will be something.

Oh God. 5 more days of this. What am I going to DO?!!!