"Well, you're stubborn headed. Asaad on the other hand is definitely not someone that can say no to you" she said.
"Well it was pretty difficult to get the information out of him"
She chuckled.
"Why do you think Dad kept it away from us?" I asked her.
She shrugged " I started to suspect him recently but confirming it really shocked me. He has been with his other family this whole time in New york. But, why did he hide it from us?"
"I have no idea. And to think we believed he was just always busy. It hurt me the most that he didn't pay you a visit this whole time. He couldn't even care to check in on me and see how I've been doing"
She sighed. "I don't even want to talk about your father right now, he has done a lot of damage already. However, I've noticed you've lost some weight"
"Ummi, you've not even seen my body yet. How'd you know that?" I asked her.
"Those cheekbones are a bit too pronounced don't you think?" She said and I realized i had lifted my niqab up. I didn't realize I had even lost weight.
Ummi was soon fast asleep and I was left alone with my thoughts. For some reason, I wasn't very hurt by what my father had done. Maybe because it didn't change anything. I was only curious to meet his other family. What were they like? How many half siblings did I have? What was his second wife like? Why was he hiding them from us? Did they know he had another family as well?
I searched my handbag for my phone.
Yasmeen had texted me saying she wasn't able to come because something took her out of town. Audrey had also called me a couple of times.
I responded to my texts and calls and contemplated on calling Asaad.
Deciding, I hit the call button.
I waited as the call rang but he did not pick up. I tried calling a few more times, but he still did not answer. He was probably still mad at me so I decided to give him some space.
I had not realized I had slept off until I woke up to Ummi's voice. She was in a conversation with someone. I lifted my head up from the edge of the bed , adjusting my sitting position. My entire body was sore from my sleeping position, sleeping while seated wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing to do.
I rubbed my eyes before slowly opening them.
My dad was standing at the other side of the bed, saying something to my mom.
I couldn't refrain myself from rolling my eyes before I greeted both of them 'good morning' .
Why was he here?
Why did she seem happy speaking with him?
"Elham, how've you been?" He asked me. I was in disbelief.
How was I? After everything he did?
"Alhamdulillah" I simply said, standing up to excuse myself from the room.
"And how's your college applications going?" He asked.
I was grateful that my niqab was now on, he would have noticed the irritated expression i had on.
"Why?" I asked him.
"Why what?" He arched a brow.
"Why are you suddenly pretending to care. You've never cared. What're you even doing here in the first place? You've not come to visit ummi this whole time? Are we even your family at all? Because it definitely does not seem like it. I've literally been alone for the past weeks without any family, do you know how that felt like?!" I muttered.
"Elham.." my mom trailed off.
"Ummi please, he doesn't care about us, you shouldn't defend him!"
My dad was taken back by my outburst and just stood there in shock.
"Also, why have you been hiding it from us that you have another family somewhere?!"
His eyes widened.
