Can I Be Your Mrs?

12: Art Showcase

She stood up, folded the praying mat back before she walked to the bed. She wanted to take her hijab off, but there was no way she could do that without a veil over her head. "Yazeed, I'll just help her wear her headgear and then I'll be back even before you notice I'm not there. It's not like your guests came here famished that if I didn't serve them immediately they would die, or did they?" She sarcastically asked and he glared at her.

"Be sure you're out in five minutes." He was out even before his voice began echoing through her ears.

Wafiyya came to where she sat and smiled apologetically, "They've exhausted me today, Jalilah."

Jalilah chuckled as she began tying her headgear and spoke, "But you're doing a good job, I'm sure they all appreciate you, Wafiyya. I'll help you with the serving, it's not like I have something else to do."

After she was done, she looked at Jalilah with an appreciative smile. "Are you sure? I would have appreciated it. Get your veil and let's leave, you can leave your bag here, I'm going to lock the room because they can't add more pain to my body by making a mess of it."

Jalilah stood up and did as she was instructed before she took her phone and they walked out of the room. They moved to the kitchen together, Wafiyya served the food in plates while Jalilah helped arranged the drinks in trays. They took them together and walked out while Wafiyya complained about how Yazeed always made sure he stressed her life enough to the point that she couldn't even move a finger. They walked to Sulaiman's guest living room, which was where his friends were, which were also Yazeed's acquaintances. It wasn't weird to him that he had no friends, just a few acquaintances that were always Sulaiman's friends.

Before they entered, Wafiyya turned to look at her with an understanding smile. "I know you haven't spoken to me about it, but if you'll feel uncomfortable being there, I mean, he's inside too, I'll understand. Just wait until I take this inside and I'll be out to carry your tray as well."

Jalilah shook her head, "Oh come on, you're truly making a big deal out of this, Wafiyya. Let's get in already." But truth be told, she was nervous. She felt anxious even. She wanted nothing but to run back to the comfort of her room and never get out. But she knew this would be like an opener to her, she knew she had to get used to seeing him and know that things weren't like they used to be before, they would never get back to how they used to be.

Wafiyya turned the doorknob and they walked inside together. Jalilah ignored all the eyes she felt on her and she fixed her eyes on the floor, the way she walked, the way her feet looked. She squatted and placed the tray down while she began arranging the bottles with the cups again. She heard Sulaiman's voice out of the blue as Wafiyya walked around the men and was handing them the plates.

"Oh my god, Wafiyya, how could you make Jalilah work?" She had planned that she wasn't going to look up to them but she knew she had no choice but to do that now, it would be rude if she ignored Sulaiman's comment.

She looked up with her signature smile and shook her head, "She didn't make me work, I have nothing doing and she busied her legs frantically moving around, so I offered to help. Congratulations once again, may Allah bless his life."

He smiled and nodded his head at her, "Thank you, Jalilah. I've asked where you were and Wafiyya said you were asleep."

She shyly smiled and nodded her head, wondering how in the hell Wafiyya was conversing freely with the men. From all indications this wasn't the first time she was seeing them, they have known each other for a long time now. "Yes, I was." She stood up and wanted to serve the men with their drinks as Wafiyya did, but the first one she handed the cup shook his head.

"Oh, come on. Making a beautiful lady work is a hideous crime. Wafiyya, come here, you have to do all the work." He collected the cup nonetheless, and there was an uproar of laughter.