Loving You

chapter three

Yusuf knocked on the door, in a sour mood. He was irritated at getting yelled at by Dr. Nichols. It wasn't his fault that Rania had decided to be incredibly selfish and just leave him out of the blue, to take care of their daughter with a disability all by himself. It just wasn't bloody fair.

Burhaan, his second-youngest brother opened the door, surprised to see a scowl on his normally pleasant-looking brother.

"Everything aight, mate?" He asked, sensing something was off.

Yusuf just grunted in response, "Where's Hamsa?"

"Um, Ma's feeding her, why don't you come in?" He offered. It was surprising that Yusuf hadn't entered himself. Usually, he'd stay for a while before leaving with Hamsa.

"Fine." Yusuf muttered as he walked in the loud house.

"Uncle Yusi!" Wildan clung onto Yusuf's leg oblivious to his uncle's less that pleasant mood. Yusi. Yet another heartbreaking remnant of Rania.

"Yusi, come over here, darling. I need your help." The two were babysitting Wildan for the afternoon. Wildan's other two siblings were with their grandmother while Yusuf's oldest brother Imran and his wife were out on a date for their wedding anniversary.

"Sure, what'd you need help with?" Yusuf threw his arms over her waist as he brushed his lips against hers.

"OH. MY. ALLAH.'' Wildan gasped as he threw his hands to his face in shock. "HARAM. Baba say it haram to eating other peoples! HARAM!" He scolded his uncle as he pointed his index finger at him. Yusuf rubbed his hair in embarrassment, he'd forgotten Wildan was around. Rania just laughed.

"Uncle Yusuf eating Auntie Rania!" Wildan shouted in bewilderment. The 3 year old had no idea what had just transpired.

"No, silly Willy! Yusi wasn't eating me!" Rania giggled as she winked at Yusuf who groaned in protest when Wildan refused to believe it.

"No, no Auntie! Me see! Me see Uncle Yusuf eats you!"

Rania bent down to meet Wildan at eye-level. "It's a kiss, Willy."

"Kiss?!"

"Yes, sweetie. It's a kiss! It's not haram if you're married. Even your Baba and Mama do it!" Rania explained.

"Baba and Mama?!" Wildan held his head in his lap, unable to take in all of this new information at once.

"See, Yusi and me are married, Willy. So it's not haram if we kiss. And your Baba and Mama are married, too!"

"Wait. Wait." Wildan held his hands up. "Who Yusi?" He asked, wide eyed.

At this point, the couple just gave up. This kid was way too much. "I'm done. Bye." Yusuf tried to leave the kitchen but Rania held on firmly to his wrist. "Oh no, you don't. You're on kitchen duty with me."

"Yusi is Yusuf!" 

"Oh! Uncle Yusi!" And ever since, Yusuf had been known among all of his nieces and nephews as Uncle Yusi.

"Wildan, what are you doing?" Yusuf tried to shake his nephew off of his leg but in an attempt to had all the children laughing at him.

"Unc Yusi crazy!" 2 year old Zuhrah clapped in glee.

"Uncle Yusi, you look so silly!"

"Uncle Yusi like Mr. Krabs!" 5 year old Fahim shouted, referencing the episodes where Mr. Krabs would shrug off Plankton off of his leg.

"Yusuf bhai, what are you doing?" His 12 year old sister, Yusra stood with her arms crossed, looking unimpressed.

Meanwhile their twin brother Salah-ad-din sniggered with a mouthful of cookie. 

"Hey! Respect your uncle, children! And Yusra, help me out here, will you, you good for nothing child!" Tasneem ordered, getting everyone back into line. "Salah-ad-din!" She lightly whacked him with her stirring spoon. "If I see you eat one more cookie..." She sighed. "Go help out your brother with the lawn!"

These children were going to be the death of her.

"Yusuf! Come over here. I have something to talk to you about." Tasneem beckoned her son over.

"Ma, where's Hamsa? Burhaan said -"

"Oh, don't mind her. She's sleeping right now."

"Kay, Ma. What'd you wanted to talk about? Is everything okay?" Yusuf asked, concerned.

"Yusuf, look at yourself." Tasneem looked at him with pity in her eyes. "Ya, Ma?"

"Yusuf! You're only 26. Not even 3 decades yet! What have you done to yourself?" She demanded, worry resting on her features. "Your hair looks like you haven't groomed it in weeks, you've got wrinkles and your clothes are an absolute mess! 26, hah!, scoffed Tasneem. She was extremely concerned for her son, this was ridiculous. Salah-ad-din laughed from behind his mother. 

"Salah-ad-din! Wallah, I'm going to go crazy on you now if you don't leave right now! Badtameez! Leave right this instant!"

"But Ma!" He whined.

"Salah-ad-Din!" Tasneem shouted as she glared daggers at her youngest son.

Yusuf hung his head low. "Ma, what else am I supposed to do? I'm Hamsa's Mum and Dad, it's not that easy."

"Yusuf, love. Look at me." Yusuf looked up at his mother, her eyes full of concern. "Listen, son. I know the struggle, okay? I know it. When your dad died 13 years ago, I was pregnant and once those meddlesome twins were born, it was hard. It was hard, love. I raised 6 children without a father. Even Faisal, the oldest was only 17! Yusuf, I loved your father. And in that love, I didn't get married again. And I don't regret it for a moment. But, Yusuf, darling. You're only 26. You've got your whole life ahead of you.  I could easily go over to your place or have you move in here. Hamsa can be taken care of - for now. But, she'll need a mother. You need that special companion, and she needs her mother. She needs someone who can give her love and nurture her into becoming a woman. This isn't just about you, Yusuf. It's about your daughter, too."

He may have lost a wife, a partner, a lover. But, Hamsa lost more than what she had bargained for; she'd lost her mother. Yusuf pondered over his mother's words. He'd been so busy worrying about how he lost Rania, he'd forgotten that Hamsa had lost even more when she left them.

"So, what do you propose, Ma?"

Tasneem took a deep breath, hoping her son would understand and not be stubborn. For once, she hoped he'd react not like her but as his calm father.

"I want you to get remarried, Yusuf."

Yusuf looked at his mum wide-eyed. What was she saying? 

"Ma. Not all women are good. They're not all like you, Ma." He whispered, so that she could just hear him. 

"And not all women are like Rania." 

Yusuf looked up and eyed his mother. No way. She wasn't proposing him to get married again, was she? Not after what happened.

"Yusuf. I know it's hard but just think on it. If not for you, for Hamsa. I promise it won't end up like Rania this time. I promise. Have faith in the Lord." 

"I..I have to go, Ma. I feel sick."

He picked Hamsa up and left without a word, shaking.