I See Fire

42 | Time after Time

Aamanee prepared since the night before for her exam that was to happen this morning. The timing was surprisingly too early but what could she do?

She'd begged Yusuf to drive her but he argued that no one wrote any exam at 06:00am. Aamanee begged to differ—it was stated boldly on her slip.

Nevertheless she woke up 5 and showered. She decided to look a bit formal today. Black jeans, white top and a blazer—one size too big for her. She folder her sleeves and put on her chiffon veil.

By the time she was done it was time for Fajr  so the blazer had to be taken off before going back to it after her prayer. She sat before her mirror, putting on some light make up consisting of powder and lipgloss before going to meet Yusuf in his room at 5:40.

She knocked and pushed the door open. His room was so cold she ran back out and shut it. Yusuf wasn't even in the room so she went down the stairs to see if she would find him in the living room.

He was actually in the kitchen but he came out just as she entered the living room, holding a glass of water.

"I'm set," Aamanee smiled at herself "Why are you still in your sleeping attire?"

"I told you no one writes these things early." He dismisses, turning back to the kitchen.

"Well, that's what they gave me." She murmured just loud enough for him to hear.

"Have you ever seen where someone was asked to write exam just after their morning salat?"

"My paper," Her stand held the slip to his face "What if it's possible with me?"

"Trust me no one does that." He touched her head and for a moment his eyes went from her stomach to her face and she frowns "I wrote jamb too. Don't forget. Our morning batch was around 8."

"Ok," Her back turned to him as she resigns back to her room to read more.

By 6:30 Yusuf knocks on the door of her room and she quickly jumps to open it. He comes in and just stands there looking around before stopping at her.

He puts his hands to his waist "It's been long since I came here."

"Yh?"

"Yh," he nods "Let's go."

Aamanee grabs a small bag and puts her booklets in it with a calculator, biro and pencil. She wore her shoes in the car as Yusuf started the car to her examination center.

The sun was already rising and she could already feel it in her gut that she was about to have the greatest meltdown of her life. Yusuf noticed her quietness and nudged her with his elbow.

"What's wrong?"

"What if I'm too late?"

"You're not, ok?" He touches her head "Be calm. Just continue reading."

She draws in a breathe and stops hugging the bag on her lap. The book that stuck out from the opened space of her zip was chemistry which was one of her biggest problems so she took she out and began to answer the questions with her pencil.

He turned up the AC and turned off the music so she could concentrate on her studying just as he increased his speed as he got closer to the location.

She thought of her parents and wished she could tell them she was taking one of the most important exams of her life today. Most kids had their parents taking them but hers was different—both mother and father were gone—she just wished everything could go back to the time everything was normal.

When the car stops she doesn't even notice. Yusuf had to close the book on her lap to snap her out of her thoughts and her mouth moves a little to smile but it doesn't go so wide.