Nobody Knows, But You

Birthday

Aisha

I sat through both dinner and breakfast in silence, feeling the weight of unspoken tension in the air. Mom's sidelong glances didn't escape my notice, but she made no effort to engage me in conversation.

Shouldn't she have tried to talk to me, considering our unresolved issues?

I remember brushing off her attempts to explain herself the other night, consumed by hurt and anger. Yet, that doesn't excuse her silence now!

Even if it's not the right time for a conversation, shouldn't she at least appear concerned or make an effort to mend things?

Dad drove me and Hiba to school. Hiba was dropped off at the primary gates, ending her long monologue about peach-flavoured edibles. A couple of minutes later, we arrived at my station. I was about to open the door and get out when,

"Aisha," Dad called out, "Happy birthday, honey."

I blinked. I glanced down at my phone lock screen.

July 06

"Oh," I replied. "Thanks, Dad." He gave me a warm smile.

"Study well," he added before driving off.

Great job at crushing the vibe, Dad.

Birthdays were never a big deal in our family, but this one felt particularly sad. Perhaps that explained Mom's avoidance and nervous glances. Was she feeling more guilty about our left-off interaction?

My chest still felt abnormally heavy. I wondered whether this was how people normally processed these kinds of revelations.

I tried not to think of Mom and our unfinished business as I made my way in. It wasn't that hard, to turn to a different track of thought. The building was huge, and as soon as I stepped in, I felt the atmosphere change.

I thought it was just my mind, but it was the air conditioning.

The space was bathed in natural light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow over the modern interior design. Sleek yellow and blue accents adorned the walls and furnishings, injecting a vibrant energy into the atmosphere.

The reception desk stood at the center, its polished surface reflecting the soft hues of the surrounding decor. A large, abstract painting hung on one wall, and a petite woman in a black hijab sat below it, drinking coffee.

I made my way to her and cleared my throat, "Uh, Good morning!" I smiled.

"Good morning," She stood up, keeping her cup right next to the computer, raising my concern, "How can I help you?" she sounded warm and friendly.

"I'm new here. Today is my first day, I was hoping-"

"Is that cup bothering you?" She chuckled, displacing the object next to the artificial flower pot. In an instant, I realized that I'd been staring at her cup while answering her. I felt the heat of the blood rushing to my face.

"I'm sorry, I do that to myself sometimes." She said, smiling.

"Oh, I..uh, haha.." Oh great, I'm nervous now!

"I think I heard you say you were new?" She rummaged through a file, "Here's your timetable, and..." she kept rummaging. "Here, fill out this form."

"Okay," I told her at lightning speed. I grabbed both sheets and dashed to the plush seating areas with geometric-patterned cushions, to fill out the form.

"You need to give me the filled form" The reception lady called out. I gave her a thumbs up. Great now I made a show of myself!

I read the form. It really seemed to me like an ambiguous query of some random personal data. Like my birthday, emergency contact information, photograph release consent, etc. I filled it out and flipped to the other side. There, it was asking about extracurriculars and hobbies.