Hope for T

Good Bye, For Now

I wake up to some noises coming from my closet. I turn to look for Nur and immediately know that she's the one making noise when I don't see her on the bed. She walks out of my closet all dressed up in an army green hoodie and off-white jeans and an outfit in her hands.

"Get up. Dress up quick. We need to leave, now".

"Why? Where to?", I say, rubbing away whatever's left of sleep in my eyes... then, the events of yesterday come rushing into my head.

"To get answers of course".

"What's the rush, then? It's not like they're going anywhere. And honestly, I don't think I'm ready for all of that. It's too early for this, Nur", I try to rub away the splitting headache I'm having.

"Nadin, it's 2pm. I don't think it's too early. It's not even early at all. Now get up and get dressed", she walks over and gives me the all-denim outfit in her hand.

"2:00pm?!", and I'm still this exhausted. "Oh God!", I add dragging myself out of bed. When I'm dressed we have breakfast and go back to the room to get our scarves, bags and shoes.

"I'm scared of what we're gonna find out", I blurt out before I can stop myself.

"Just trust that whatever happens today, is for the best", she smiles a quick one as we head to the front door.

"Stop!", a voice stops us in our tracks.

Mum?! Isn't she meant to be at work?!

"Where exactly do you think you're going?", she says, walking towards us as we turn to face her.

"To the hospital", Nur says so casually while I stand there in confusion.

"Why?", she says with a smirk. Something's up!

"To see Lillie", Nur says as if following my guts.

"And how about the boy?", an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, him too", Nur doesn't even flinch, while I'm here trying to regain control of my mouth. I have this gut-wrenching feeling that somethings about to go horribly wrong.

"Well not anymore", Mum says matter-of-factly.

"What?!", I finally speak. "Why not?!", Nur adds.

"Because I'm your mother and I say so", her hands folded across her chest, a grimace replacing her smirk.

"Well you're not my mom, you can't tell me what to do", Nur spits. She's really pissed and this rarely happens. Or at least she doesn't vent with her mouth most times. I don't know why but I'm enjoying her outburst at my mom even though I shouldn't.

"Well I think she'd agree with me", she shows her a text from her mom telling Mum not to let her leave. That shuts her up... for now.

"I am going!".

"Nadin!", she says in a failed attempt to hide her shock. "I said you are not going and that's final. You're not leaving this house. That boy is not good for you and you are going to stay away from him".

"I'm not a child anymore. I can make my own decisions and I know the difference between what's good for and what's not. I don't know why you don't like him and I don't care anymore. I've let you have your way all this while but not this time!", I finish. She can be so exasperating when it comes to T. She was never like this before. I don't understand what's going on. But if she chooses to change, then two can play at that game.

"I don't like him because he's not even muslim. He's not Nigerian. What do you see in him?!".

"Are you being racist?! And he is partly Nigerian for that matter, just because he's mixed doesn't mean he's not like us. Mum, you don't even know him. You don't know what he's been through or where he's headed and you keep judging him". And she doesn't need to know. "I'm leaving", I say and turn to leave.