After Ahmed closed his room door behind him, leaving the key in his pocket as if guarding a precious secret, silence returned to the house. In the kitchen, Um Ahmed and Mrs. Sayuri were moving in beautiful harmony; pots were being moved, and warm scents filled the place.
Um Ahmed carefully prepared Dubai chocolate, thick and smooth, then cooked a large pot of rice and prepared fresh fish with grilled vegetables and marinated fried shrimp, not forgetting the many cakes she had baked specifically for the trip. The table was being built not just as a dinner, but as a memory.
In Ahmed's room, he sat on the floor wrapping the gifts one after another.
His mother's gift was a rare Royal Crescent 1958 watch, with her name and his father's name engraved on the back, along with a box of luxury chocolate.
His father's gift was an even rarer watch, the Imperial Dawn Chronos, engraved with both his parents' names together, as if time itself recognized their story.
Mr. Haruki's gift was a rare platinum ring, engraved with his and Mrs. Sayuri's names in both Arabic and Japanese calligraphy.
And for Mrs. Sayuri, a matching gold ring carrying the same spirit.
For the children, there was cake and chocolate juice.
And Misaki's gift... silver earrings in the shape of delicate flowers, along with chocolate.
Ahmed looked at the remaining chocolate, juice, and cake, and smiled, saying to himself:
"This will be for the trip... Socotra is worth it."
Um Ahmed came out of the kitchen, went to the living room, and gently woke Ahmed's father and Mr. Haruki:
"Wake up, pray Maghrib (Sunset Prayer), and come for dinner."
They rose quietly and called Ahmed. He came out of his room, locked the door and took the key, then they proceeded to the mosque.
At home, Um Ahmed, Mrs. Sayuri, and Misaki prayed in the room, and the silence was full of tranquility.
The men returned from the mosque, and dinner was ready. Ahmed said:
"I'll help you, Mother."
She smiled and said:
"Set the table."
The two families gathered around the table. They began eating, and opinions soon flowed.
Ahmed's father said as he tasted the fish: "This taste... reminds me of the sea when I was a young man."
Mr. Haruki said, smiling with admiration: "I have never tasted fish like this in my life."
Mrs. Sayuri said, contemplating the grilled vegetables: "Simple... yet masterful. This is art."
One of Ahmed's brothers said enthusiastically: "The rice is different today!"
And one of Haruki's daughters said: "The shrimp is very delicious!"
As for Misaki, she looked at Um Ahmed and said sincerely: "Your food... has love in it."
After they finished, Um Ahmed said: "I'll bring the dessert."
Ahmed said quickly: "I'll help you."
They returned from the kitchen, Ahmed carrying the sweets and his mother carrying the Dubai chocolate. They distributed them to everyone, then Ahmed stood up quietly, entered his room, and returned carrying the gifts.
He presented the first to his mother, then to his father, then to Mrs. Sayuri, then to Mr. Haruki, then to his siblings and Mrs. Sayuri's daughters, and finally stood before Misaki and presented her gift.
He said with shy calmness:
"Don't open the gifts today... open them tomorrow."
Um Ahmed smiled and said with gentle firmness:
"Tomorrow at dawn, we travel to Socotra. Everyone prepare your clothes."
A beautiful silence fell over the house—the silence of those who know that tomorrow carries a different beginning... sea, travel, and a new step in a story that has not yet ended.