Esha and Isa

Chapter 7

Present day

When we land, I stay seated while my new friends stand up to leave. When I came to Pakistan with Isa's father, he told me to always stay seated until people move out. That way, we wouldn't get pushed around or have to stand uncomfortably in long queues.

"Aren't you coming?" One sister asks, getting her bag.

"No, we're gonna wait until the end and then make our way out peacefully," I reply. She sits back down. 

"Why?"

"Because we don't like getting squashed between people and taking teeny tiny steps waiting to get out. I'd rather sit here and play a game or something and then walk out my own pace in the end," I explain.

"That's a good idea. I hate getting pushed around in queues."

"Hasina, why are you sitting back down?" That sister's sister asks. I'm still struggling to remember their names.

"Why don't we wait? I don't want to bump into strange men on the way out," Hasina complains.

"But they'll be waiting for us, we shouldn't be late!" The other sister argues back. I know her name also begins with a H.

"But Husna! You know I don't like crowds." Husna sighs and then sits back down.

"I hate you," She says to Hasina, narrowing her eyes.

"Guys, what are you doing?" Their third sister comes to ask.

"We're going to wait until everyone else goes before we get up. Esha's idea." They begin to argue amongst themselves when Isa pulls my arm.

"Mama, I feel sick," He says.

"We just finished an eight hour flight and you feel sick now?" I ask.

"Mama!" He complains. I take the sick bag out of that little compartment in front of us and hand it over to him.

"If you want to be sick, be sick in this, okay?" he nods and I give him a hug. I rub his back and Isa begins to cry. "What's wrong?"

"My tummy hurts," He replies.

"If you want to be sick, let it out. It's okay. Do you want to sit in my lap?" Isa nods and climbs onto my lap, cuddling me.

"Aww, what's wrong, Isa honey?" Husna asks. Or is that Hasina?

"My tummy hurts. I want to go home," Isa replies, slightly whimpering.

"Isa, don't you want to meet nani, aunty Eliza, uncle Imran, Farah and Sami? They're all waiting for you. They can't wait to meet you!"

"Don't lie Mama. Lying gets you into trouble. Sami doesn't want to meet me because he's a baby!" Isa argues.

"I'm not lying! And okay, maybe Sami's not waiting but everyone else is!"

"Yeah, and don't you want to see London, Isa? It's a really cool place! There's lots of things to see and you can go to the park and play football," Halima comforts Isa. At least I think that's Halima because I know the oldest sister doesn't have an S in her name.

"Mama, rub my tummy please," Isa says and I oblige. The three sisters stay behind with us while others leave, glancing our way with weird looks.

Once most people are gone, we get up too and I ask Isa if he'll be okay to walk outside. He nods and holds my hand firmly while we slowly make our way out of the plane. I hold Isa's bag on my left shoulder and drag the small suitcase while hoping the strap of my bag will stay on my right shoulder.