Broken Trails

The neighbors

Haroon prayed Maghrib while Mayra got ready to go to the neighbor's house for dinner. It was half past seven when they finally stepped out onto the porch. Haroon locked the door behind them. Twinkles, was fast asleep. "I think she'll be fine right there, till we get back" Mayra said stepping into her shoes "Yeah, she should be, she's much safer here." Haroon agreed. "Is their house far?" Mayra asked as they walked towards the gate. "It's just around the corner." Haroon replied. Mayra reached for his hand and his fingers closed around hers. Mayra felt really safe as she walked beside him in the darkness. Neither of them spoke much during the four minute walk to Saleh's house. A stocky teenager met them at the gate. Mayra immediately guessed that he was the son, Haroon had told her about. They greeted and Ousama, led them to the house which was huge, way too big for three people, in Mayra's opinion. A very big sister who introduced herself as Malika, welcomed at the door with utmost enthusiasm. "You have a lovely wife Haroon." Malika was saying minutes later. Haroon grinned "I do, don't I?" Mayra smiled shyly. "Ousama, take Haroon to your father." Malika said turning to address her son who had been by the door getting a good look at Mayra. "Come this way." She told Mayra once the men had gone. Mayra was amazed by the house, it was splendid and it didn't take her long to conclude that Saleh and his family were filthy rich. "You seem pretty shy." Malika pointed out when they were seated in the living room. Mayra smiled "Just for the first five minutes, I'm being polite." Malika laughed, poured a glass of punch and handed it to Mayra "Well, I'm not that kind, I start babbling from the get go. I hope you're ready because I talk a whole lot." Mayra laughed, she was already beginning to like this lady. "So I hear you're from the country side." "Yep." replied Mayra nodding. "I used to live in the country too, my dad had a ranch with horses and all." "Wow! Really, and did you learn to ride?" "I sure did, and I was pretty good at it...that is until I fell off and broke my arm and believe me, that was more than enough to put an end to my little riding sessions." "Whoa, I bet that would have stopped me." Mayra said with raised brows. Malika chuckled "So, tell me, what was it like up there for you?" "Well umm...my dad is a farmer, so we worked with him on his farm, my sisters and I, it was pretty lonely up there but I enjoyed the fresh air and the greenery, mashallah, it's really beautiful up there." "It sure is." Malika agreed "and so peaceful, you don't have to listen to traffic all day." Mayra nodded. "So how old are your sisters?" "Fatima is nineteen and Janaan is seventeen." "Hmm are they married?" Mayra's eyes widened a little "Nope." "Oh okay, cuz Saleh and I are trying to get that boy married, he's eighteen, has everything he'd need to support a wife...maybe he and the younger one could be a good match." A small smile settled on Mayra's lips and she shrugged "Maybe, I'll suggest it to my father." Mayra said before taking another sip of her drink. "I'd really appreciate that." Mayra nodded "I will, inshallah, as soon as I get a chance." The rest of the evening went pretty well. Malika told some really funny stories about her childhood and marriage, they talked about hair, food, hobbies and family. Then they had dinner and dessert after which the brothers went to the mosque to pray. Mayra was a little embarrassed when Malika told her to make wudhu and join her in salat. "I'm uh...I'm not praying." She said had said nervously. "Ohhh, I didn't even think of that, okay, you just right there and I'll be with you in a minute." Malika was a short heavy set woman with light brown skin, green eyes and full lips. Her husband, Saleh was average height and thin. He was Egyptian with a pale skin and a big beard. Usama was a mixture of the two and seemed to have gotten a fair share from each of them. (He isn't bad looking at all.) Mayra thought remembering the young man who had showed them in. (Janaan would definitely think so too.)

After salat, Mayra and Malika got to talking again but not for long because they were soon interrupted by Saleh who told them that Haroon said it was time to go. Mayra and Haroon thanked them for everything and took their leave. "You seemed to be really enjoying yourself." Haroon told her, once they were back out in the cool night air. Mayra laughed "Why do you say that?" "C'mon I could hear you laughing in the next room." "Oops, was I really that loud...I couldn't help it, the sister is really funny." Haroon chuckled "Her husband is too...hey, can you believe he said he heard you screaming earlier and almost came over to see what was wrong." "No!" Mayra exclaimed, her voice hinting surprise and embarrassment and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my God, this is so embarrassing, Haroooon." Haroon laughed "Calm down Mayra, it isn't that bad, I told them, we were just having fun." For some reason, those words made Mayra even more embarrassed and her cheeks grew hot. "Harooon!" "What May?" he asked in a voice that indicated that he was really enjoying her embarrassment. "That's even worse! What if...if...what if they thought it was...T-THAT kind of fun?" Haroon grinned in the darkness "What kind of fun, babes?" he asked trying to sound clueless. "Oh please! You know exactly what I'm talking about." She said punching his arm. "Owww!" he said laughing wickedly as he recalled how loudly she had been screaming. He cleared his throat "Well...I must say... I am, THAT good, at THAT." Mayra was so embarrassed, she wanted to turn into a tree. Haroon flashed his phone light on her face, she turned away but he had already seen the look on her face and he howled with laughter. Mayra bit her lip to keep from smiling and started walking fast. Haroon rushed after her. " Heyyy wait up, don't be embarrassed, I told them I was pushing you on the swing, see, they don't think it was that." He said catching up with her and placing his arm around her shoulders. "Are you mad at me?" " No...but you can be really wicked, Haroon, you know that embarrasses me." "Yeah, May, but you brought it up, I wasn't even thinking about that." Mayra twisted her lips " Okay, whatever, let's forget that topic." She said as they entered the yard. "Meow! Meow!" Twinkles was crying. "Awww twinkles! I'm back baby!" Mayra said rushing to the porch where twinkles waited on the steps. "That bad man kept me away for sooo long." She explained picking up the kitten. "That's a fib, she's been running her mouth and forgot all about you." Haroon corrected. Mayra covered twinkles' ears "Don't tell her that!" She scolded. Haroon laughed "well that's what happened." "Still." She said squinting back at him as she entered the house "if you don't have anything good to say, be silent." Haroon grinned and closed the door behind them "I doubt lying counts as something good." Mayra let out a brief laugh "Oh hush!" She said pushing him with one hand. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Mayra, but im going to have to report all this abuse to your parents, everyone was on my case, talkin bout...if you lay a finger on her...if you hurt her...don't you dare make her cry!" He said putting on different voices "and now who needs protection? ...me...you have been really violent of late and I don't plan on keeping that a secret." Mayra was grinning as she listened to his speech. "Oh paleease!" She said hitting him on the arm playfully. "You see." Haroon said wiping his eyes "That is exactly what I'm talking about." He said trying to sound close to tears "you're always hurting me." Mayra laughed "Oh my God, that so sounded gay." "And verbal abuse too!" He exclaimed and he turned and marched towards the hall. Mayra was on the floor laughing when her phone rang. It was Fatima "Assalamu alaikum." "Wa alaikum salam. " Mayra replied sighing with laughter. "Umm...am I interrupting something?" "Nooo, I was just laughing at Haroon, he's too funny." "Oh no, what did he do this time?" Mayra was about to reply when Haroon took the phone from her. "Who's this, teems or naani?" "It's me, Haroon." "Oh okay, listen, teems, how come neither of you bothered to warn me about your abusive sister?" Fatima let out a laugh and Janaan could be heard in the background saying "I did, you just weren't interested, I'm the sister that cared about you but you ignored me so it serves you right. I hope she beats you good." Haroon laughed "I'm beginning to think this runs in the family, don't pass this down to my kids." He said wagging a finger at Mayra who was still laying at his feet. She reached for some hairs on his legs and pulled them out. "Aaaah!" He yelped and jumped back. Hmmm...uhm, tell Mayra to call us back when she's done with you." Fatima said before hanging up. "Mayra, now that...that! really hurt...you just ripped hair out of my skin." He said looking down at his wife who was smiling with a wicked twinkle in her eye. "Yeah, I did it for you, remember...and was just two little hairs from your leg...thousands from mine, so quit whining." Haroon frowned, he was defeated. "Wicked lady" he muttered and handed her the phone. "This isn't over." He said picking up twinkles and heading to the kitchen muttering apologies to the cat for putting her in the care of such an evil woman. Mayra had a good laugh before calling her sisters back.