Edited:
Published: Saturday, September 26th 2015 1:22 am
Ayah:
Last nights phone call:
"Jamila, slow down. What happened?"
"A bunch of little kids, a teen who doesn't know life outside of social media and a guy who doesn't know how to wait is what happened!"
"Okay," I sighed, moving my pasta around with my fork. Just when I thought I was going to sit down and eat a good meal, I have to deal with more drama.
"What exactly happened? Because I don't one hundred percent believe children exposed you...a lot."
She scoffed. "Yeah, 'a lot' in that sentence helps so much."
"Hey?" I exclaimed. "I'm trying to help you, Jamila. Leave the sarcasm out of this."
"I'm sorry. What were you going to say?"
I pursed my lips and raised my eyebrow in amusement.
"I believe it is you who was going to explain your dilemma."
"Right! Okay, well, I was in the front room..."
Jamila's Pov and house:
"Aunty Jamila, can we have candy?"
I internally glared at Zahrah's twins before replacing it with a smile. They are literally driving me crazy. From wanting to take selfies, play with my electronics, not to mention dig up Ummi's flowers, I deserve a raise.
"No."
"Then what can we have?" Hafsah smirked at me, crossing her bony arms over each other. Seriously, why does a four year old know how to smirk?!
"Amna!" I yelled. It's only been twenty minutes and I already need backup. Why did I agree to do this?
When I was asked to watch the kids for a couple of hours, I didn't think it would be this hard. Call me crazy, but when I realized I would be watching five kids I didn't panic. 'Amna can help me', I thought. Sure she's helped me for about...ten minutes, but then social media called. Thankfully Zahrah took her baby with her.
"Amna?!"
"Yeah?" Her faint voice answered. She's probably upstairs on my computer. Wait...
Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped up from the couch, completely forgetting the twins in the front room. I really hope she's not on my computer. But I know she probably is. These last few days, she's been in my room trying to hack my password. She never got it right, but today could be her lucky day. And as I round the front of my room, I see Amna smiling like a goof in my chair. But she's not alone...
"What are you girls doing in my room?!"
They're more like my annoying little sisters than my nieces.
"Who is Mu'adh?" Samra asked me with a toothy grin. Oh no...
They were definitely snooping around my messages. I ran up to my computer, completely bypassing all the messages and pictures I was sent to turn off my laptop, grab them by their shirts and push then out of my room.
"That's not fair!" Amna exclaimed. "We weren't done reading the good stuff."
"What's not fair is that you two snooped around my room!"
"We just wanted to look at Twitter," Samra replied innocently, her eyes big. She's good...
"That doesn't mean you can just go on my computer without my permission. My personal business is on there."
"Oh, we know what's on there," Amna said with a smile. "And you are one...interesting messenger."
I glared at them. "Why you little..."
"What's going on here?" Ummi asked as she came up the stairs. And before I could stop them, Amna and Samra went to tell her everything.
Phone call with Ayah: (Ayah's POV)
"So, that's what happened."
"Wow."
I am actually very suprised that they cracked Jamila's password, not so much that she got caught. I was expecting that. Jamila and I are cool and all, but Allah reveals what needs to be revealed. She needs to know that what she's doing is not okay. I should have sat her down and had a talk, I know. But I'm glad it's out in the open.
"What did your parents and sisters say? Because I'm sure they weren't happy."
"I actually just got done speaking with them. I'm banned from going anywhere the rest of the summer, and my Abi is going to have a talk with Khalid and Mu'adh's parents. Basically, I'm screwed."
"You're not screwed."
She scoffed. "Did you not hear my predicament? My parents are going to have a talk with them! I ruined my future with both of them!"
"Actually, you ruined it when you started communicating with them."
"Ayah, I thought you were helping me!" She whined, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I checked the time before replying to her.
"Jamie, I have to work tomorrow, and coming in sleep walking doesn't exactly scream professional."
"So, you're hanging up on me?"
I once again rolled my eyes at her. She can be so dramatic.
"I have work, miss drama queen. I'll call you sometime tomorrow."
"Okay," She sighed. "Assalamu Alaikum."
I smiled because I finally got her off the phone. "Wa Alaikum Salaam."
Now it's time to sleep.
-*-
August 22nd
"Ayah, you're late!" I heard someone say as they shook my bed. What the...
"Go Away! I'm trying to sleep."
"I'm not going away, Ayah, you're late!"
I lifted my head up to look out my window and frowned.
"It's still dark, how am I late?"
"Fajr!" Lee exclaimed in a 'duh' tone. "It's time to get up."
Suddenly it all made sense, and I jumped up out of bed and ran for the bathroom. After making my wudhu and making salaah, I took my hair out of its messy bun and made my way towards the front room for breakfast. Thankfully I don't have to be at work for another three hours, so I have time.
But the sight I was met with was not what I was expecting, but odly it made sense.
"Want some?" Lee asked, her mouth covered in milk from her cereal.
"No thanks," I said with a low chuckle. "I was actually going to make some eggs and toast if you want some."
"Yes, I do!" She exclaimed, the milk from her mouth getting on the counter. She reminds me of Mina eating cereal. "Last nights pasta was very good. You need to make it for the group."
I looked at her in confusion as I took out the eggs.
"The group?"
"Yeah," She nodded and put her bowl in the sink before turning to me, a wide grin on her face. "Anderson, my cousin Iffah and our friend Carlee."
"That sounds cool," I smiled. "When do you want to do this?"
Lee smiled in triumph. "How about tomorrow night? That's when Iffah gets here."
"She's doesn't live here?"
Lee shook her head. "No. She lives in Oklahoma."
I put the eggs in the pan, getting ready to scramble them when something caught my attention.
"Is that why you knew to get me up? Because of your cousin?"
Lee nodded, a proud smile on her face.
"Yeah. I used to spend a lot of Summers at their house. And since I like to get up early, Iffah had me wake her up. Speaking of which, you don't mind that she stays here?"
"Of course not. Family is family."
"I like that you're not bitchy." Lee said before leaving the room, and me awestruck.
Okay then...
-*-
"It's good to see that you passed the test and came back." Elizabeth Cunningham announced as I came inside the office towards my desk.
"Don't worry, I'm not a quitter. If I travelled this far, I won't back down."
She nodded in approval. "Noted. Now, why don't you sit at your desk and get to work on my schedule. I have a ton of appointments yet I didn't plan a time."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I need you to call the people I need to meet with and select a time. And before you ask the times I'm available, I wrote the times down on the notepad."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Oh, please," She waved off. "Call me Liz."
As soon as she dissapeared into her office, I sat myself and my bag down and got to work with the first person. I read the number on the notepad and started dialing.
-*-
"...Monday at four is perfect, Mr. Shaw. Ms. Cunningham will be there."
I hung up the phone and let out a deep sigh. I never knew someone could be busy the whole entire day. Today Liz is free, but next week she's booked from eight in the morning to four with appointments, not to mention seminars until seven, followed by late night editing until who knows what time.
I didn't know being an editor was this much work.
"You're here again?"
I looked up from the phone I was now glaring at to smile at Nadia. She is stood in front of my desk with the same folder she had yesterday.
"Yes," I smiled. "This is my new job."
"Elizabeth must like you."
I shrugged. "I guess. The work is hard but not unbearable."
"Writing isn't so peachy either," She sighed and sat down where she was yesterday. "I have to have at least ten chapters done by next week, yet I only finished two."
I grimaced. "That's going to be a lot of late nights."
"I know," She groaned. "But this school is the best; you can't beat it."
"Let me go tell Liz that you're here."
"Liz?" She smiled. "She really likes you."
I couldn't help but smile, too.
-*-
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