Chapter Forty-Eight: The Financial Crisis

Abboud sat in his room in Berlin after a long day at work, staring at the ceiling while anxiety gnawed at his heart. He needed at least $40,000 to meet Leila’s father’s demands, but his bank account was almost empty. His thoughts raced as he wondered how he could gather such a huge amount of money in a short time. The more he thought about it, the more he felt helpless.

Abboud (speaking to himself with growing concern): "Twenty thousand dollars for the dowry and another twenty thousand for travel and wedding expenses... How will I gather that? Everything feels impossible."

He didn’t have much time. Leila was waiting for him, and her father had placed this heavy burden on him. He tried to think of every possible solution. Borrowing from the banks was out of the question due to his financial situation, and his coworkers barely knew him, so asking them for help wasn’t an option.

Abboud (whispering): "Abbas... Maybe he can help me."

Abbas was the only person Abboud fully trusted, the friend who had been through all the hardships with him and had always been by his side. Abboud grabbed his phone and dialed the number he’d known by heart for years. This call was filled with tension because he didn’t want to place any additional burden on Abbas, but the circumstances left him no choice.

Abboud (in a quiet voice): "Hello, Abbas."

Abbas (happily): "Abboud! How are you? I haven’t heard from you in a while."

Abboud (hesitantly): "I’m okay, Abbas, but I have a big problem... I need your help."

Abbas (concerned): "A problem? What happened?"

Abboud began to tell Abbas everything about the large dowry Leila's father had requested and how he needed to raise $40,000 in a short time. He tried to remain calm, but the stress was evident in his voice. He knew that Abbas might be his only hope in this moment.

Abboud (with a sigh): "I know it's a lot, but I don’t have any other solution. Can you help me? Even if it's a loan, I’ll pay you back later."

Abbas felt deep concern for Abboud, but he also knew things weren't easy. Abbas himself was thinking about marriage and needed money for that as well. Still, he wasn’t willing to leave his friend to face this crisis alone.

Abbas (hesitating): "Abboud... You know I would do anything to help you. But I’m also trying to save up for my wedding. I only have $10,000 right now."

Abboud paused. Ten thousand dollars wouldn’t be enough to cover the full amount, but it was a start. At least Abbas was there to support him. Abboud felt deeply grateful, but he knew it still wasn’t enough.

Abboud (with heartfelt gratitude): "Thank you, Abbas. I know you’re doing everything you can to help me. Ten thousand dollars is more than I expected. I’ll find a way to gather the rest."

Abboud and Abbas sat talking for a while about potential solutions. Abbas suggested that Abboud look for extra work or try borrowing from other close friends. While these solutions weren’t perfect, just discussing them gave Abboud a faint glimmer of hope, no matter how faint.

Abbas (seriously): "Abboud, don’t worry. We’ll get through this together. I’ll give you what I can, and we’ll find other ways to raise the rest of the money. There’s always a solution."

Abboud (with a faint smile): "Thank you, Abbas. I don’t know how I’d handle this crisis without you."

After finishing the call, Abboud sat alone once again. The situation hadn’t improved much, but he felt a sense of hope. He needed to find the rest of the money now, possibly by taking on extra work or finding another way to raise the funds.

Abboud (talking to himself): "I’ve got $10,000 now... I need to find a way to gather the rest. I won’t give up on Leila that easily."

He decided to start searching for additional solutions the next day. He knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but his love for Leila and his commitment to his promise pushed him forward.