Serpent in the Garden

Chapter 16

Parveen was brushing her teeth in front of her mirror. It was Monday morning and she was preparing to go to class. She cocked her head to one side as she brushed her teeth, and inspected her appearance in the mirror.

Tanya looks better than me.

A frown pushed her brows together. What can she do to make herself look better? She stood out whenever she hung out with Tanya's clique due to her appearance.

She had a darker complexion and her arms were so flabby! She used her free hand to pinch her arms.

She resolved to start dieting.

Then she brushed her hand through her long hair. Samara had called it smelly.

Parveen's mother oiled her hair twice a week, with oil she made using herbs and shallots. Her mother insisted she leave some oil in to protect her hair, but after Samara's remark, she had been washing all of it off. School policy mandates that long hair should be braided. There was little she could do to make her hair look better.

She took a shower and donned her uniform: white shirt with blue pinstripes, navy pleated midi skirt and navy vest. She combed her hair and wondered if she could try something else. Samara's hairstyle is very creative, she wondered if she could also do French braids, on both sides, just like her. She spent 15 minutes trying to do French braids. But it did not look neat so she gave up and resorted to just braiding her hair on both sides, as opposed to the long single plait she normally did.

She went to the study table and organized all the books.

Where is my Zoology textbook?

She stuffed her other books into the bag and kept searching for the textbook everywhere.

It was nowhere to be seen.

Did Tanya accidentally take my textbook?

She checked the time on the wall clock. It was already 8. The school bus comes at 8. 30 am. 

She gave up on her search and ran downstairs with her bag on one shoulder and her shawl on the other.

When she sat at the dining table, her heart sank. Breakfast was Upma.

"Umma, isn't there any chapati?"

Her mother came and set two plates on the table. Abdul Wahhab sat down beside Parveen. He was still in his mundu, he goes to work later than her.

"I will give you chapati tomorrow, eat Upma for today," said Halima and returned to the kitchen.

Parveen served herself a small portion of Upma and started eating. Her mother came with two chai glasses and put them on the table.

Parveen sipped the chai and set the glass aside with a grimace.

"Umma, the chai is so sweet, I told you, I am cutting down on sugar!"

Halima was working before the stove. She wiped off sweat from her brows and pursed her lips at Parveen. She opened her mouth to give a remark, but before the words escaped her mouth, Abdul Wahhab smacked Parveen's shoulder.

"You ungrateful brat! Eat what is given or make it yourself!"

Parveen shuddered at her father's sudden outburst.

She hoped that her father would let her off the hook for bringing Tanya home. But she relaxed too soon.

Parveen's shoulders hunched and her head drooped. She ate her food quietly. Halima was also quiet. The sound of the sizzling vegetables on the stove cut through the tense silence that had suddenly enveloped the house.