Not Deadly

Chapter one

Zainab's POV

On the 12th of June 2019, my life changed forever.
On that particular day, precisely around 4pm, I was sitting on my couch watching a really good movie when my brother walked in and gave me the biggest shock of my life. Baba was involved in an accident and due to severe blood loss, he died. I didn't believe him at first because he was a very big prankster. He simply grabbed my hand and took me downstairs, where our mother was sitting on a sofa crying and wailing.  I was really shocked because Mama rarely cried, she never cried when the hot boiling oil poured on her leg and she never cried when Abdul or me got sick or injured. I turned to look at my brother and he was also crying. At that moment, the truth sank in, deep into my chest, where my heart was located, it rested there.
I took in a deep breath and walked straight to mother to try and calm her down. I went down on my knees and took her hands in mine. "Mama," I whispered very gently and she raised her head.
My heart broke into a million pieces. Her eyes were so red and puffy that you would think she smoked. Her make up had smeared all over her face and her hands were a shaking mess. I blinked and took in another deep breath.
"Not now Zainab, you have to be strong," I said to myself and blinked the tears away. I buried buried my face on her lap and began whispering soothing words.
"It will be okay Mama, In Sha Allah, it will be fine. This is how Allah wants it," I said and closed my eyes, trying really hard not to cry. "How will it be okay Zainab? How?" She asked, crying all over again. I raised my head slowly from her lap and looked her straight in the eye.
"Mama look at me," I said in a firm voice but she didn't respond. "Look at me," I said again with a slightly raised voice. She slowly raised her tear stained face and looked me in the eye.
"Do you trust Allah?" I asked and she nodded. "With everything you hold dear?" She nodded again. I shifted my attention onto my brother who was sitting on the floor with a dejected look on his face. "Abdul," he grunted and gave me a sideward look. His eyes were very puffy and the top of his shirt was really wet with his tears and sweat. Abdul, the always happy and carefree boy was sitting in front of me crying and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. "Abdul come here," I beckoned with my left hand since my right was on Mama's hair. He looked at me for a few seconds, contemplating as to whether he should obey or refuse. After contemplating for a while, he got up with a huge sigh and slung himself on the couch with a thud which made me smile. 'Abdul the giant' the nickname granny had given him since he was six years old.
I took both his and Mama's hands in mine and glanced at them both. "Allah is the greatest, you know that right?" They both nodded. "He doesn't do things without reasons, you know this as well right?" I asked again and they both nodded. "Do you have faith in him?" I asked once more and they nodded. "Good, if this is the case then why are you crying? Allah hasn't taken Baba to punish us, he has taken Baba for a very good reason which unfortunately neither you nor I know. Maybe if Baba was still on this earth something bad would have happened to one of us. Maybe, just maybe Allah took him for a very special purpose. Baba might not be with us in person, but he is always with us in spirit, always. So just trust Allah and have faith okay?" I looked at Abdul who had a faraway look in his eye whereas Mama just cried some more. "Abdul,"
"You know granny and Uncle Yusuf took Baba's body to the family home?" My eyes widened with shock and dattered  between Mama and Abdul. "They said that will be most appropriate," he sniffed and released a shaky breath. I blinked aggressively for a few seconds trying to grasp what I had just heard.
Granny and mama were always on bad terms. They never saw things eye to eye so this news didn't really shock me like I expected. Apparently, she never wanted Baba to marry Mama because she was not Turkish. Granny and Baba's dad had arranged Baba's marriage to a very 'nice' Turkish woman before Baba could walk. When he found out what his parents had planned for him, he refused vehemently and left the house. Years later, Baba came home with Mama to announce to his whole family that he was married.
To say granny and grandpa were angry would be an understatement. They were furious, so furious that the first thing granny did was slap Mama hard across the face. She then told her that she would never be accepted into their home as long as she was alive. Baba, who couldn't stand the humiliation bud his family goodbye and left his house, never to return. I knew they had taken Baba's body from us just to see Mama suffer and cry. But I was not going to allow that, not when I can stop all this nonsense.
According to the laws, when a woman's husband dies, the woman decides when and where her husband should be buried. No family member, especially the husband's side was to interfere in this. I was going to use that law to our advantage. I tore a piece of tissue paper and handed it to Mama to dry her eyes, we were going to granny's place.
Mama looked at me as if I had gone crazy when I told her about my plan. She kept shaking her head and whispering incoherently. "Come on Mama, if you don't stand up to them, they will keep bullying you," Abdul said touching her shoulder. Mama turned her head to look at Abdul and blinked. "Okay," she said quietly. "Let's go," she stood up with a newly found determination and grabbed her bag. "These people have tortured me enough, I won't take it anymore," she shook her head and headed out of the door with me and Abdul behind.
To say I was happy would be an understatement, I was thrilled!!!