“Bum, bum, bum”…
Gradually, my right foot began to cramp and numb. My left foot had already started throbbing three kilometres from where we’d parked the car. I’d been contemplating taking my black ballerina flats off for a while. The smooth paved streets of Dubai welcomed my bruised bare feet.
Now, alongside my sparkling fuschia purse, my hands held my flats too. I don’t mind the hassle of carrying my purse although it felt like I was carrying the heaviest dumbbell. Tonight was the perfect occasion to accessorize this bag. But when Mum had offered to take my purse and put it in my sister Kinda’s stroller, without a second thought I accepted.
The night air, thick with excitement, filled with the buzz of conversations, laughter and the occasional honk of a distant car. The burj khalifa towered over the city. Its lights cutting through the dark sky like a beacon guiding us forward.
I exhaled, stretching out my sore toes against the cool ground, feeling freed from flats but also silly for strolling around barefoot in the middle of Dubai. Mum glanced over her wrist, eyes narrowing as she checked her watch,
“It’s 11:49. If we don’t hurry we won’t get a good spot.”
I swallowed hard, my grip tightened on the side of Kinda’s stroller handle. The thought of being so close sent shivers down my spine and through the rest of my body. My chest tightened as our steps began to quicken.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Nour. Enjoy it!” Mum says with a smile, whilst brushing my baby hairs back. I nodded, exhaling slowly trying to believe her words.
There’s no turning back now. This is it.
Around us, the crowd began to voices blending into an excited hum. The Burj khalifa looms right over us, glowing against the night sky. I shuffle close to mum, trying to push away the uneasy feeling as we wave through the sea of people.
The voices around us grew louder, blending into one big wave of anticipation. People started holding up their phones trying to capture the moment seconds before it began. My heartbeat matched the crowd’s simultaneous countdown.
“SIX, FIVE, FOUR..”
And suddenly, I saw the light, and the bright streaks struck the sky. Above us, the sky exploded with gold and crimson, the Burj Khalifa glowing as fireworks rained down like falling stars.
Cheers erupted, cameras flashed, and for a moment, I forgot my aching feet.
Mum smiled, squeezing my shoulder. “See? Nothing to worry about.”
I laughed, watching the colours dance above us. For the first time that night, I let go — of the nerves, the rush, the discomfort.
On the other hand, Kinda wasn’t amused and her sharp cries blurred with the intense atmosphere.
Barefoot in the heart of Dubai, I simply stood still, eyes lifted to the sky, lost in the magic of it all.