A Day in the Dark

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When I was fourteen, aunt Fatima had asked me to invite some of my friends over. I was a quiet kid and I didn't socialise much. The few friends that I did have had never been over to my house. When aunt Fatima had suggested a small party, I had reluctantly said yes, but when my friends had arrived, everything had gone smoothly. Aunt Fatima had cooked up some delicious snacks and even bought cupcakes from the local bakery. My friends and I were having a good time, until my aunts ex husband had come home. He had a ridiculous temper and had scared my friends away. He yelled at me, at aunt Fatima, and even broke a couple of plates. But that was quite usual. He would do those things regularly. What he had never done before, though, was take a piece of glass and throw it at my aunt. My heart had almost stopped beating.

Hearing Asha say those five words was at par, or even worse, than that day. Obviously the two situations were very different, but the fear and disappointment I felt were near the same. My eyes widened, heart rate dropped and sweat started trickling down my face. She didn't know who I was.

"I...I don't understand. I'm Zoya. Your sister. We got separated-"

"I don't know you," Asha said, cutting me off.

"But, you have to believe me, we are sisters," I said, taking a step closer to her. A small rip seared through my heart as I watched Asha move a step back, one hand still firmly wrapped around the little girls wrist and the other clutching her brown abaya. The abaya was old, the colour had started fading and it looked a bit too big for Asha.

"I don't have to believe anything. Please, just leave," she said.

"But, don't you remember, Aunt Fatima and I, we..."

"I don't know who you are. Just leave, I don't want you here," Asha said, her cold voice cutting through the rising tension.

Taking another step forward, I opened my mouth but stopped when I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. Without having to look behind me, I knew who it was.

"Zoya, why don't we get going?" Isaac asked, squeezing my shoulder ever so lightly.

"No, I have to tell her," I said, shrugging off his hand. Isaac grabbed me again, this time pulling me back into him.

"You're going to make this situation worse. At this rate, she'll never want to even see you again," Isaac whispered, his head near my ear.

Asha wasn't looking at me anymore. Instead, her eyes were focused on the small girl beside her. I glanced at the young girl and immediately noticed her resemblance to Asha. She had a small face, light brown eyes and she looked extremely frail. Her dark blue dress hung off her shoulders, making her seem even smaller. I wanted to ask about her, but stopped myself. Sister Julie had said that Asha had a 'little one', earlier. The girl must be her child. It would also explain the way Asha always had a hand on the child. She felt the need to protect her...against me.

Turning back to look at Isaac, I nodded. There was no point in trying to win over Asha when she clearly didn't even want to hear me speak. She didn't trust me. And why would she.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Isaac, we should go," I said, my voice low. Clearing my throat and hoping the tears wouldn't fall from my eyes, I grabbed Isaac's hand, gave a quick nod to Sister Julie and Asha, and rushed out of the small building.

Once outside, I sucked in a large breath and let the tears fall. My heart constricted as I let out a loud sob. Letting go of Isaac, I wrapped my arms around my waist. I felt Isaac reach for me and pull me close to him, encasing me in a tight hug. Burying my face into his chest, I welcomed his comfort. I wasn't an idiot, I knew that things would have taken a bad turn if I had continued trying to convince her. The look in Asha's eyes, it was something I definitely did not want to see again.