The Shades of Spring

Standing at crossroads

Despite Blaise's open hostility, Sidra enjoyed school. She was surrounded by kids who looked up to her and felt loved in every class she went to. Hammad was doing great. He was working very hard to get promoted this time, in fact, he was looking for a Maths award this year.
It saddened her a little that the school year was coming to an end and soon her class would move on and Hammad would no longer be under her wing.
But like all mothers, she had to let go of her kids at some point.

Exams upon exams ate up the fortnight, delivering with it an abundance of paper marking and report making. Some teachers were behind schedule in handing over grade sheets which was making her quite anxious.

The library was going great too.
The crowd increased with the holidays closing in. Yet, Kevin still guarded whatever secret he was guarding and Ayaan was absent. Hafsa stayed the same; mundane talks, inside jokes and reviewing books. Sidra tested out so many new hypothesis to annoy Hafsa to within an inch of her life.

"Last one, promise. Tell me about water."

"Water? I drink water."

"You want an award for that ingenious answer? Here you go. Clap clap clap."

"You said clap with your mouth. You didn't even clap."

"Give a me worthy answer and you'll receive a standing ovation."

"Sidrathul Munthaha...I don't have an answer."

"Surprise me with your brain."

Hafsa scowled at Sidra and tried really hard to come up with an answer. Or at least acted like it.
"No, Sid. I don't have an answer that is worthy of your ovation."

"Fine. Hear me out. Water is like humans. Humans are a large percentage water anyway. Can you guess where this is going?"

"No."

"Indulge me."

"I keep telling you, I don't want to indulge you in these talks. It's beyond my capacity."

"Fine. Wet blanket. It's like this," Sidra casually leaned against the wall, "At one time, water can be inviting. Clear and calm and soothing to a troubled heart. It can quench your thirst. But then, when the time comes, it can also terrify you. It can destroy everything in its wake, lay waste to good lands and do so much damage. And let's drop the ocean and focus on other forms of water too, like the rain.
It can either bring life to earth, make things greener, fresher, nicer. Leave behind that lovely petrichor. Or, as storms, they can be just as deathly as it was lively. Even this water that we drink to quench our thirst, like it's the best thing there is. But while it sustains life it can also end it. It can drown you. Or choke you, for that matter. Still bad."

Hafsa was at loss for words. She didn't know the topic 'water' could be exploited to explain human behaviour.

Sidra seized Hafsa's thoughtful silence to continue. "But the bottom line is," she added "the more power you give something, no matter how tranquil it was earlier, it definitely does more harm than good. Too much power sucks."

This had been in Sidra's mind for a long time. She didn't know why she probed deep into ordinary things, but then she formed thoughts like this out of them and felt the need to voice it. Even if the person didn't really get it.

"Calm ocean, terrible Tsunami. Beautiful rain, deathly storms. Drinking water, can even choke you," Hafsa mused, "too much power corrupts."

Sidra straightened herself and silent clapped for her friend's conclusion. So the woman does listen to me despite claiming not to. Nice.

A soft clap startled both the girls.
"Bravo, you two. I've never heard a more intellectual conversation within these walls." That came from Musa.