Kindred Ties

Chapter 7

After they finished making the food and everything, Maryam had arranged the food flask on the dining table and called mummy and everyone else down for breakfast.

Mummy thanked her, before digging in. Halfway through their meal, Muhammad and Abdallah salaamed and walked in.

They all answered. Abdallah was about to sit when he noticed Maryam. "Oh maryam, I thought you left yesterday," he said sitting on the chair opposite her. She smiled a little and shook her head saying, "No, I am going to spend the week here."

"The month dai." Mummy interrupted with a cocked eyebrow. Maryam smiled warmly, "Toh, the month." She then looked at Muhammad and Abdallah and greeted them.

They both smiled and answered her greeting. They served themselves and began eating.

"Okay this is definitely not mama talatu's cooking, it tastes completely different." Abdallah said with a mouth full of food.

Maryam narrowed her eyes at him and opened her mouth to say something when mummy beat her to it. "That's because she didn't make it, Maryam did."

Abdallah looked at her squeezing his face purposely to get a reaction."Oh that's why it is not delicious." Maryam thrust her jaw forward fixing him with a glare. "Oh, it's because I only made it for people with a highly developed sense of taste, sorry." She said sarcastically.

All of them burst out in series of laughter. Abdallah coughed, quickly taking a sip of water to prevent himself from choking. "ke Maryam, I was just joking."
"Better, because it tastes so good." Mummy said shaking her head at Abdallah.

Muhammad looked at how she was blushing at mummy's comment and said, "Who knew Maryam could cook like this." She flashed him a quick smirk as she took a sip of her black coffee that has been left untouched throughout the meal. He smiled and continued eating.

Maryam looked away from Muhammad and smiled when she saw Muhsin licking his finger clearly enjoying his food. "Muhsin do you like the food?"

"Yes wallahi, it's tastes great." He said giving her a thumbs up. She smiled and they give each other an exuberant high-five, "now that's why you are my favorite. Unlike others, -she looked at the men then continued "-you speak the truth."

"What about me ya maryam?" Ruslan, who was seated on a high chair on the right side of mummy said pouting. "Was I not your favorite?"

"Of course you are my baby, you would always come first before any other person," she said, blowing him a kiss. He gave her a big smile and also blew her one before going back to eating.

Maryam threw Abdallah one look before she went back to eating her food quietly until she finished. Abdallah chuckled softly, "remind me never to cross Maryam again."
They all laughed and threw in their comments also, before resuming eating.

When Maryam finished, she pushed her plate aside and drank up her coffee, then excused herself and took her plate to the kitchen. By the time she came back, they have all relocated to the living room. She was about to head upstairs when she remembered that she was supposed to go home today and she hasn't told mummy.

She turned and made her way to the living room. Mummy was talking and laughing at what Ruslan had said. She quietly went and sat on the couch beside Aisha, who was busy looking for ya Muhammad's trouble.

She smiled when she met ya Muhammad's eyes as she picked up the novel Aisha has been reading since yesterday from the arm of the sofa. She read the title and immediately felt the need to read the novel. Also the book was written by her favorite author; Danielle steel. She has read almost all of her books but has yet to read this particular one. 'Big girl'