The Two of Us

Chapter 9 - One Day

Chapter Nine - One Day

Sabrina could hardly believe it. In five days, she was getting engaged. To Khalid. A year before, they hated each other and despised seeing each other. And now....Wow, things have changed, she thought. She yawned and slipped out of bed to go to the bathroom. Five days until the engagement party, she thought. Five days.

It was a beautiful morning and as she settled down on the kitchen table, with a mug of coffee she replayed the last couple of days in her head. Everything was rushing by so fast it was hard to sit back and enjoy things. Leila and Emaan were freaking out over her engagement to Khalid and making plans and already thinking up of names for her future children. Sabrina bit back a giggle at the thought. She was glad to see Leila loosen up a little. Her mother had been getting worse lately.

Sabrina's smile fell. It didn't look too good for Aunt Halima. She'd visited her just yesterday and the sick woman could barely talk properly. She had difficulty remembering things and she couldn't walk anymore. Her nervous system was too damaged. Sabrina suppressed the rising feeling of tears at the thought of what her aunt must be going through.

And Leila. The only thing that made her smile now was mention of Sabrina's engagement. Other than that, her mind always seemed to be elsewhere and she was becoming more and more withdrawn as the days went by. Sabrina couldn't bear to see her best friend this way.

Her mother walked into the kitchen and Sabrina hid her face in her coffee mug to hide the tears standing in her eyes. Her mother was keen however, as all mothers are, and instantly came over and sat beside her.

"What's wrong, Sabrina?" She asked, eyeing her daughter. "Why are you crying? Is this something about Khalid?"

"No!" Sabrina laughed, dryly, wiping her tears. "Why does everyone think I'm doubting my decision to marry him?" 

Okay not everyone. Just Khalid. And now her mother.

"Well?" Her mother asked, sounding relieved. 

"Its just that...I don't want Aunt Halima to die." Sabrina answered in a small voice. Saying it out loud made more tears prick at her eyes.

"Ah..." Her mother said sadly. "No one does, baita. You know she was my first friend here when you father moved us here after we married? She was the one who helped me adjust to this place. In'sha'Allah, she'll get better. And remember, Sabrina, everyone dies. So there's no use tearing our hair over it because this is what Allah wills."

Sabrina nodded and looked up and saw the pain in her mother's eyes. Deep down inside, they both knew Aunt Halima was nearing her end but all they could do was make dua, and pray she fared well in the next life. Her mother, sensing her thoughts, have her a small smile and told her to go get ready for school. Sabrina silently nodded and got up, leaving her mother staring off into the distance.

* * *

"Okaaaaay." Emaan said, sarcastically. "And then she was like, "from all this talking I assume y'all are done'".

Leila snorted and Sabrina cracked a smile as she listened to Emaan complain about her Biology Professor. 

"And then this kid at the back of the class was like, "from all this complaining I assume you're single" and oh my Allah, you should have see how red her face got!"

Sabrina laughed, shaking her head. Even Leila managed a halfhearted smile. Emaan went on, waving her hands all over the pace and stopping to make faces to go along with her story. The three girls were walking around in the courtyard of their University, enjoying the warm, sunny day. Emaan was especially amiable today and Sabrina guessed it was to take Leila's mind off her mother. She joined in, with a few funny stories of her own and together the two girls had Leila laughing like she had no worries.