The Shades of Spring

Didn't see that coming...

Some days you just wake up with a flutter in your stomach and your gut telling you your life is about to change. Usually, the gut is right. One small decision you make that day can build bridges where there were chasms before and bring rain to a barren land. That is how Sidra woke up on that glorious Friday morning with a secret anticipation.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, almost pushing their way through the otherwise stubborn fabric. Like mini beams from an alien ship, they sought her closed eyelids and shone on them till she woke up groggily.

It took a few seconds to register, but she sprang for her phone and tumbled down from the bed, discarding the blankets as she hurried to the door, down the stairs and burst into the living room where Jameel and Amanah were sipping coffee without a worry in the world. Their smiles and little chatter were too cute to interrupt, but Sidra had a bigger problem.

"Why didn't you wake me! It's nine! The library!!"

Startled by the voice, Jameel hastily set down his cup almost pouring the hot liquid on his wife who leapt away in time to avoid the splash.

"Allahu Akbar, Sidra! What do you want?"

"It's nine in the morning!" she began in a loud complaint and slowly lost the loudness of her voice upon realising just what she was doing. "........and my shift....is.....in..the evening....Ya Allah. Sorry."

Jameel looked like he was about to rebuke her, but decided against it with a good humoured guffaw. "This won't happen if you didn't live in a world of doubts."

"Doubt is my middle name," mumbled the girl trying to figure out why she felt the way she did. Like...like she was just about to see what stood behind the bend...like she was close to a revelation that she should be knowing.

"Munthaha is your middle name," corrected the father.

"Yeah...okay." Her head was kind of getting light and airy and she felt like she was going to...float away....was it some dream she saw? What was happening to her head?

"First of all, change and come. Second of all-" Amanah shot her husband a mischievous look before covering her lips and mouthing something to her daughter.
Sidra read There's a patch in your t shirt and didn't stop till she reached her room; only to find out she'd been lied to. For fun. Her mother would probably say it was a dire necessity to wake you up.

"Well played, Mama. Well played. You and your lovely husband. I will get my turn and then you'll see."

She changed, had breakfast, helped make lunch and still couldn't get rid of the butterflies in her stomach. Even as she unwillingly (strange) pulled herself to work later that day, the butterflies floated from the pit of her stomach and into her throat. She couldn't decide if she was feeling sick or going crazy.
At work, like good old times, Hafsa was the first to spot it.

"Look up," she commanded pulling down the lower eyelids. "Now to the left. Right. Is it okay? Can you see?"

Sidra removed her friend's hand from her face, "Yeah yeah. I can see alright. I just.....I feel sick."

"Go home then?"

"Nope. If I faint though, call an ambulance."

"Or a coroner if you wish."

"Hafsa!"

They collapsed in a fit of very chortling laughter until Sidra decided to pull out first and seek refuge in the washroom; away from the public eye.
When she emerged from there, she felt tonnes better.
Maybe I just needed a good laugh.

"Assalamu alaikum, kid."

"Wa alai- Mas'ud Pa! Wa alaikum-us-salaam! How are you?"

"Alhamdulillah," replied the older man. It never failed to astonish her how he looked like an aged Ayaan. If this is how Ayaan aged some day, no doubt he'll continue to be handsome. What?