Tale In The Red Sand

Chapter Seven

Layla slouched in the corner of a circular booth in a restaurant she didn't recognise and didn't want to be in, but to her unfortunate circumstances, she loitered. Her stomach began growling in hunger at the sight and smells of dishes on the tables surrounding them, but they were yet to order anything. Her mother, Idil, tutted beside Auntie Beydaan, lightly kicking her shin from under the table as a silent plea to behave. Layla squeaked in response before grumpily mumbling something very unladylike under her breath.

"Wait until your father gets back before you start eating." Idil whispered sternly, turning to shoot a tight lipped grin at her relative.

Layla couldn't help but inaudibly scoff at her family's falsity. They all knew that auntie Beydaan was a difficult woman, and at that, the whole city was aware. In other words, she was judgemental beyond anyone she had ever come across. More so than the usual flock of aunties she sees patrolling the streets of Xamar Weyne or their respective neighbourhoods to further spread gossip caught from other gossipers and so on it goes until quite literally the whole of Mogadishu becomes aware of the gossip and the poor individual who fell subject to it.

'Here we go again.' Layla thought, leaning further back into the cushion with her nose haughtily upturned.

"See that wasn't so hard." Her mother quipped as the marbles hanging above the glass doors of the restaurant clinked together in harmony, announcing the entrance of her father and Abdihakeem trailing behind.

"It's hell finding parking out there this time of day. You shouldn't have waited." Mustafa remarked, taking seat on the edge of the booth before his grinning wife. His belly groaned just as his daughter's did previously, only it was louder and angrier. He hid the persistent sound with a loud and awkward guffaw, raking his well grown beard between his fingers. "I've kept you and myself waiting for too long".

Layla quietly chuckled at her father as she reached over and helped herself to one of the butter bread knots sooner her mother could deny her with a slap on her hand. Uttering a small bismillah, she contentedly chewed on her piece of bread and waited patiently with something to suffice on until actual food was ordered, not long after the whole party began to fill their bellies.

"What topic is the judge going to bring up today, I wonder"? Layla nudged her brother in the arm who sat next to her unbothered by the world until his younger sister bursted his little bubble. "Hm?"

"Don't be rude Layla." Abdihakeem said quietly so that only she could hear, tutting the same way his mother does, disapprovingly. "Are you not supposed to be studying anyway?" He asked, raising a thick brow.

"Shshh, no talk of studying, you're making me lose my appetite." She grumbled. Much like Hibbaq, Layla got into studying nursing too, though she was more keen on learning midwifery. It was something she saw herself doing in the future, so she took up the course, and she was pleased for it for she came to enjoy it much more than she reckoned

"Let me eat." She chastised, holding up a hand to conceal her sight from his scowling face.

"Abdihakeem aren't you just excited"?! A chirpy exclaim came from opposite them. He quickly wiped the scowl of his face and plastered on his notorious charming smile, making Layla once again scoff at all the falsity. She wasn't one to be pretentious, her words and feelings were rather sharp and not in the most kindest of ways sometimes. Whether it was by her parents or teachers or friends, she had always been scolded for it, hence why Auntie Beydaan and herself never got along.

"Yes, Habaryar?" Abdihakeem called, his eyebrows raising in question even though he knew very well what she was implying.

His unwanted engagement of course.