Ya Amar (My Moon)

**Epilogue 1**

“Inaaya” she turned to her daughter. “That’s enough for today. And you know how much I dislike it when you both fight. I do not like it when you cause trouble” Inaaya went silent. Noorie expected a word from her. Inaaya knew it but was too stubborn to utter it. “Inaaya, what are you supposed to say?”

“I am sorry mummy”

“Now good” she nodded her head “Where is your assignment from school?”

Displeased, Inaaya rose to her feet. Noorie could do nothing but admire her. She looked cute in her Zara jeans and a top with her hair which were the same African hair like her mother’s tied to the back. The difference was her daughter would be hairier that she was.

“In my room”

“Go get it and yours?” she looked at Hanan who had stopped weeping.

“In my schoolbag” she replied with a certain cuteness her mother noticed which was caused from the down turn of her lips. With adoration, she smiled wider at Hanan.

“Now go and get it but before then” she placed her on the floor and knelt down next to her. “Mummy does not like to see your pretty face messed with tears” she used the end of the scarf around her next to wipe her tears and the aqueous liquid running down her nose. “Now you look good” she beamed earning a smile from her. “Go get your assignment” she pats her back.

A heavy sigh left her lips after their departure. Now she had to change the scarf. She looked at the messed up scarf in her hand as her lips broke into a smile.

Later that day when the day had faded and night had set in, the three females laid in bed with the duvet over them. In between the Noorie and the younger version of Noorie, Hanan had fallen asleep. She held her mother closer, eyes shut with soft snored emitting her lips. Her hand clutched unto the fabric of her mother’s nightie. Inaaya chattered in a very low voice, cautious not to wake her younger sister.

“Daddy is coming home tomorrow mummy” Inaaya chuckled lowly.

“Yes” Noor replied with a soft smile on her lips. A hand of hers caressed Inaaya’s back. The little one was hyperactive, not ready to fall asleep anytime soon.

“I have missed him” she smiled showing her mother, her perfect set of milk teeth. “Do you miss him?”

Noor’s cheeks flamed. She knew she had turned pink on her cheeks. What a question to ask? Her daughter could barely see her face to notice her mother had turned pink from her innocent question. The light that was switched on barely lit the room. They hated the dark so every night, she had to switch on one of the bedside lamps to brighten the room a bit.

“I don’t know” she whispered into the room.

“I miss him very well. He promised to get me dolls and that books I wanted. He said he would get me another sketch book and coloured pencils” she ranted excited about her father’s upcoming arrival.

“He said that?”

“Yes. We have no school tomorrow. I am happy but I miss daddy”

“I miss him too” she whispered very inaudible for her daughter to hear. Her heart longed for him. He had been away for three days and the distance created a hollow in her heart. The late night calls did nothing to lessen her yearn instead they increased her yearn for him with impatience. “Sleep Inaaya” she whispered running her hand through her back.

Silence dawned in. No one said a word. She was satisfied when she noticed Inaaya had fallen asleep. She rose from the bed after saying duas over her sleeping daughters. Her feet slapped gently against the floor as she walked over the large expanse to the chair. They had not spoken for long that night. When he had called, she was preparing the girls for bed and had not been able to speak to him after he spoke to their daughters.