I See Fire

59 | The final letter

A few months later...

China, Chengdu.

13/09/22

04:30am

Aamanee's alarm shot tremors through her brain. It was so loud her grogginess was instantly lost to the vibrations it caused her body. She got up from her bed, sweaty and with a fast beating chest, slowly lifting one leg after the other to sit.

The darkness stilled everything going on for her. What was she to do first? Alright, today was a Wednesday—the start of her exams—she was to begin with a language test and an introductory module to psychology. Then there was her antenatal that Hindu forced her to call the hospital and set a date for.

Her mind was lost to all these thoughts and still, she hadn't prayed Subhi. She rubbed her bulging belly and let out a strong yawn as she let her back fall to the wall behind her. Aamanee was truly not in the mood to do anything. Her eyes looked lazily around the room for no particular thing before she dragged herself off the bed.

She stops before her beside table and taps her screen for the clock to quit ringing again and pads down to the shower. Her mind begins to wonder about Saif in the silence and steam of the hot water. Was he ok? What did he do after seeing her that night? Find another girlfriend? He blocked her since prom but this was her first time remembering him.

Social media was available for her to stalk him. It wouldn't be the first time she sneakily searched for an ex on Instagram with a burner account. But this was special—Saif is special—if she looked, it'd be with her full chest and with her real account.

Well, now she was occupied with someone who'd been taking her mind away from everything. Merely a distraction but she was happier than she'd been months before she met him. He is her coursemate. They didn't share too much classes but some seminars, they attended together.

Right after their afternoon class, he was driving her to the hospital. The exam she'd written was different from his because he wasn't taking the Chinese class. It was already his first language. That didn't mean he was fully Chinese or having a skin color different from hers.

Of all the men she'd ever come across in her life she never thought she'd ever fall for a mixed race man who from either parts of the world he was from that her parents ever allow her to marry into. But they weren't here to stop her so she went ahead to go with the flow to see what their friendship would result in.

He was only two years older than her but they shared a lot in common despite the age gap. Psychology wasn't his first choice of course to study. It wasn't like he knew what he wanted in life apart from being "successful". He was just in need of a degree to make his parents proud.

Both were career driven. His African American father is a doctor and his Chinese mother, a lawyer which would make him the expected mixed blood child with the first class honors in psychology. They also couldn't care less about what he studied as long as he made them proud in the field he chose.

"Is your class over Manee?"

"No, Jaheem." She shakes her head "Is yours done?"

"Yes, but why are you out if it's still going on?"

"My appointment starts in 25 minutes." She shrugs "The drive there is long."