Two Brothers, One Heart (Rewriting)

Chapter seventeen 17

"Kukurokoo," the Cockerel crowed, signifying daybreak as Islam emerged from her covers. Monday was a tough day as a teacher. She glanced to her left and saw a beautiful bouquet of tulips in a glass vase, blossoming with love and admiration. With a smile, she greeted the flowers, saying, "Good morning." Although she had already prayed fajr, it was still dark unlike now, with the sun shining in the sky as it continued to rise.

She made her way to the kitchen and prepared Pasta with prawns, which she had bought the previous day. Islam loved cooking and preferred to do it herself, without the help of servants.

As usual, they drove to school, and Firdausi was unusually quiet, engrossed in her Civic Education book. Islam noticed her sister's strange behavior since they returned from LA and asked, "What's wrong with you? You've been acting weird lately."

Firdausi replied, "I'm very fine."

Islam sensed that something was off but respected her sister's privacy. They arrived at school, and Islam headed to the staffroom to continue writing some information for her children's educative book, inspired by her learnings from Cambridge. Feeling a terrible headache, she leaned back in her chair. Silvia, kindly gave her a brief head massage.

"I would be glad if you could visit me at my house, so we can discuss the book," Silvia suggested.

Islam replied, "I'll see. Maybe I'll have time for you," as she continued to scribble words on the computer.

                            **
School was absolutely, positively, and undeniably boring for Firdausi. She had built up her expectations, hoping for exciting classes, interesting classmates, and good vibes, but unfortunately, reality fell short. The classes were as dull as dishwater, the students were beyond annoying, and the energy in the air was just plain bad. It seemed like bad luck was following her around like a dark cloud.

As she sat on the terrace, she watched her fellow classmates enthusiastically playing out scenes from the book "Half of a Yellow Sun." Firdausi was assigned the role of Olanna Ozobia, but as time went on, she couldn't help but find it all incredibly monotonous. Maybe it was because her past few days had been filled with nothing but boredom, making everything seem lackluster.

Ms. Dina, their drama teacher, was doing her best to inject some life into the acting by encouraging improvisation, but it felt like a futile effort. Everyone seemed to be under the weather that day, lacking the usual spark and enthusiasm. It wasn't just Firdausi who felt this way; it was as if a collective cloud of dreariness had settled over the entire class.

To make matters worse, Firdausi had been experiencing a series of unpleasant symptoms for the past few days. Dizziness, stomach pain, and waves of nausea had become her unwelcome companions, leaving her feeling scared and uneasy. She anxiously waited for her period to arrive, hoping that it would bring some clarity and relief, while also silently praying that it wouldn't worsen her already troubled state of mind.

Although it had only been two days since she started feeling this way, it felt like an eternity. Firdausi couldn't shake off the feeling of being out of place, as if she didn't quite fit into the puzzle of her own life. Seeking solace, she decided to attend her drawing classes, hoping that the creative outlet would provide some respite from the mundane routine of school.

                        **
After school, they headed home, and the tantalizing aroma of fried rice filled their nostrils. Zaynab, wearing a small dress, greeted them, but being not much of a hugger, she didn't embrace them as usual. The kids understood and greeted her like a stranger.

They went upstairs, took showers, and then Islam sprawled on the bed, engrossed in a novel. She was exhausted from the day's work. Firdausi approached her, but she couldn't hear her over the captivating story she was reading. Instead of getting up, she remained lying down, as she had clinomania and the novel was too interesting to put down.