Remembering Shauqina

Chapter 13: Sick

 CHAPTER 13: Sick

 I bumped into Zak at the staircase on my way to do recess duty. He was wearing a dark blue jacket. Without thinking, I blurted,

 "Why didn't you come yesterday?"

 I had to ask him. Had to. Curiosity got the better of me. The day before, was his class’ concert performance and his class gave a sterling display of a military like 'storm' performance in front of the whole school. He was supposed to be part of it. I know. I saw him practicing with his friends the day before. But he wasn’t there during the actual performance. He went missing. AWOL. Since I don’t think  he was that shy to not want to perform, there must be good reasons why he was not around.

 "Didn't know you noticed..." he mused to himself, smiling softly.  

              "That wasn't the question!" I blasted back, suddenly irritated at the smile on his face. I hated that smile. He looked so secretive – so – unreachable. He looked so aloof. But then I felt sorry, for he looked back DOWN at me, questioningly.

 "Oh! Afwan! So sorry....I was sick."

 "Sick?" I asked, a little unbelievingly. He looked fine the day before. He looked quizzically at me, shifting his weight a little from his right foot to the left. He seemed to be thinking about his answer.

 "I had migraine. And – asthma,” he replied, a little hesitatingly.

 "Oh... Must have been pretty bad …"

 That figures. All my two brothers had asthma. I remembered how sudden the attack would come and just as suddenly, it would go away. Once, however, my eldest brother's asthma did not go away, it was so bad, he had to be hospitalized. He was lucky. We were lucky. The doctor said he would have fallen into a coma if we had come later. I involuntarily shuddered.

 ' 'Why?" Zak's concerned voice broke my thoughts.

 "Hmmm?"

 "Why are you shivering? Are you cold? Here, take this..."

 He really was about to take off his jacket and I was like, looking up at him, horrified. No, no, no, no, no..!

 "No, no, no! I mean, I'm not cold! Not cold!! Do you have to bring a puffer - I mean, my brother does, he is also asthmatic..." I was relieved to have diverted his attention. Me in his jacket? That would have been scandalous.

 Zak gave his winsome smile and I could feel the temperature went up degrees higher.

 "Alhamdulillah...not that bad...I was too tired with the practice the day before...I do need a puffer sometimes, but yesterday, I just needed to rest..."

 " Oh!”

 We suddenly felt the awkwardness of the situation and the cat got our tongues, I guessed for I was nodding my head for no real reason and he was also nodding his head and I bet we looked like the lucky, golden nodding cat statue in a taxi if not for a sweet syrupy voice cutting through the air. Rahima’s.

 "Zak! There you are! We've been waiting for you!"

 'Why?"

 "We have discussion, remember? We have been waiting for you for almost - half an hour."

 "We do? You all have??? Where?"

 Zak really sounded like a fool hit by amnesia. He looked comical too in an adorable way. I knew I went red under my tudung.

 "Under the tree - our usual place..we - Oh! Hafeza! Sorry, did not notice you..." (Yes, what's new...I told myself.) Assalamualaikum! " Rahima managed to notice me. At last.

 “Waalaikumsalam.”

 I managed a smile and took Rahima's outstretched hand. Her fingers were long and slender and soft. I sighed. Mine was rough, I bet, full of calluses from gripping the hockey stick ages ago.

   "Can we have him now?"

 "Huh?" Both I and Zak answered, almost instantaneously.

 " We do need to finish that discussion because the presentation is tomorrow. If we don't complete this, you know how Ustaz Ishak is like..so, can we take him away NOW, Hafeza? " Rahima asked, a trite too politely.

"No, no, no! I mean yes, YES! I was about to leave – duty- " I immediately countered.

 "But -"  Zak mumbled, still looking like a dear fool struck dumb as well.

 I nodded in acknowledgment at Zak, going a little bit hot on the cheeks again as I noticed his eyes looking intensely on mine. 

             " All right. I meet you there Ima. Give me - five minutes, okay?"

Rahima looked at Zak, then looked at me - her eyes narrowing a little as they searched my eyes. I tried to give an innocent, angelic expression - I hope. She shrugged, then left. As I watched her back, I started to go in a huff. I did not like that Zak had called Rahima - 'Ima'. Blah!

            "You're not sick, right? I mean, you were shivering just now and then your cheeks were red.       You have fever now?"   Zak asked, searching my eyes, bending a little. I almost thought he was going to feel my forehead for signs of fever and I know my heart got lost somewhere. 

And there goes my cheeks again - this time, my cheeks were on fire! I was on fire from embarassment at Zak and anger at myself. I merely shook my head and almost ran away from him out of fear I might accidentally put myself on instantaneous combustion if I stayed longer. I know Zak was still looking at me as I scooted off as calmly as I could.

            I did duty that day on pink clouds of blue jacket, winsome smiles and foolish looks.