The Jouney To The Motherland

Chapter One:

Aliyah A. Jadeed

''I've got news for all of you!''

Mum was emerging from the kitchen, phone in hand as if she had just finished a call. I still remember that unforgettable, life-changing moment that flipped my whole life upside down.

We were sitting at the dinner table, Aden, Aisha and I devouring our customary Friday-night dish of the cheesiest tuna-cheese-mayonnaise pizza ( if you think that's disgusting, then please, shush. I haven't tried the pineapple, you haven't tried the mayo, we're even.). Mum comes prancing into the room just as Aden lets out a loud burp, ( I won't  tell you how it smelt) followed by the most prolonged sigh without excusing himself. I glared at him.

Mum didn't seem to detect the smell though. When she failed to do so, I, as any responsible older sister would have the decency to do, confronted him of his disgusting behaviour.

Starting with Mum's signature move: to call the guilty by his/her name. (Length of the name depends on how big the wrongdoing is)

ME: Aden! That was so uncalled for!

Another one of Mother's strategies is: Question the accused for their inconsiderate behaviour and show them the impact it would have on others around them. Wait to see if they regret their actions, like so:

ME: Do you realise there are other people at the table too? You clearly don't consider anyone other than yourself!

Final step: Remind the reprimanded of what he can lose for his actions, preferably something that they are too attached to that prevents them from coming down to eat meals on time:

ME: Let me hear you burp one more time, Aden, and you will not be seeing your storybooks for a week! And if I smell it again, YOU will be paying for my nose medicines for many years to come! Do you undersatand?

(Kindly ignore the last bit. It might be true but I do not intend to wish such unfortunate circumstances upon myself.)

You may be wondering why Aden isn't answering back, and you have a very good reason to.

Well, you see... this all happened in my head. I didn't have a chance to follow my script.

You may remember that my mother entered the room with a certain spring in her step just then. She seemed like she was holding in something that she couldn't keep in - a burp, perhaps?- and only when she swooped down to sit opposite me at the table did she say the words. The same words that caused the whole world to come crashing down around me. The same words that caused my voice to be stuck inside my throat for what seemed like millennia. The same words... that made Aisha dance with joy...

"We're moving!''

I found myself choking on my unfortunately
now- very-much-wasted orange juice while Mum came round the table and thumped my back repeatedly.

"YAAAAAYYY!" was the exclamation that came out of Aisha's mouth while puching the air in triumph. Honestly, I was more surprised that she even knew what Mum meant, let alone cheer for something that I saw as absolute betrayal. Betrayal to my friends. Betrayal to my neighbourhood, betrayal to the most elite oak tree that I would always climb with the neighbourhood kids for years and was older than my great-grandmother...

"Wait...," Aisha paused her mini-celebration, "what does that mean?"

Typical Aisha. Not knowing what anything meant yet always insisting on seeing it in a bright light. An optimist, you can say.