//Jamil
My finger traced round the rim of the mug. A smile was glued to my face as I stared at the steam rising from the chocolatey goodness. Tariq and Said both stuffed marshmallows into their mouths, having a competition on how much they could fit in their mouth.
"Said, stop it," I said with a laugh. He looked at me with his mouth full of marshmallows. Tariq was somehow fitting some into his mouth. "Tariq, stop it." I leaned over and pulled the bowl towards me. They both stared at me wide eyed, shocked I would take it away.
Aneel pulled up the chair beside me followed by Aisha. She smiled at the boys and took out her phone to take a picture.
"How long do you think till one of them pukes?"
"Oi, don't jinx my son."
Said came and sat beside me. I smiled at him and he waved since he still hadn't swallowed the marshmallows yet. Tariq was there munching away as if he was eating normally. I ruffled Said's hair and placed an empty plate in front of his mouth. It didn't take that long till he spat it all out. He rubbed his jaw with his hand and I chuckled.
"Are you gonna marry Amma?" he asked innocently. Priya looked over at us and even from where I was sitting I could tell she was blushing.
"I don't know, buddy. It's up to your Mummy."
He frowned. "I want you to. You make her smile. Abbu doesn't make her smile." I sadly smiled and watched Priya look away.
"Tell me about your Abbu."
Said shook his head. "I don't want to." A minute or so later, he sipped from his hot chocolate. "He wants me to call him Dad but I want to call him Abbu or Baba. He tells me that's not what white people call their dads. What does that mean?" He looked up at me innocently and it took everything in me to not laugh. Instead, I just ruffled his hair and sighed.
"Doesn't matter, kiddo. Don't worry about things like that."
"Okay. Well he doesn't play with me much anyways. When I go to his house, he only gives me his phone and watches...it's the box...tel-no and wait." He huffed and took another sip of his hot chocolate. "How do you say it?"
"Say what?"
He looked around the kitchen and sighed. "The one in the sitting room. The screen. I have one too but I forgot the name of it." He quickly raised his hand in the air as if he was in class. "It's television."
"It is. See, you knew it."
"Thank you for not telling me the answer. Amma always tells me the answer and then I can't guess myself." I looked over at Priya who was shaking her head with a smile.
"Because your Mummy isn't as smart as boys. Boys are the best."
"I heard that!" Said sniggered as he leaned down to sip from his mug. "I'll see who's smart when we go home, Said. Betraying your own mother." I watched his eyes go wide and let out a laugh.
"Stop scaring the kid. Get back to what you're doing. I want a strawberry tart!"
"Oi, don't talk to her like that," Amma said. She kissed Priya's cheek as she walked past. "I'll just tell her not to make you a tart."
"But I'm your son, you can't do that to me."
"More like her daughter," Aisha mumbled.
Aneel snickered and pulled his jumper up to his lips. "Then you must be her son," he muttered. Aisha gasped and looked around at everyone.
"That's not funny!" she screamed. I watched as she stormed away with a laugh.
"Aisha! Come back!"
She popped her head in through the kitchen door, glaring at him. I missed that glare in the house. She was always the touchy one and would get offended the quickest. The house was so quiet without her.
"I'm not talking to you. None of you."
"I'm sorry!" he said with a laugh. "I love you?"
"Get lost, Aneel."
I shook my head with a laugh and looked up at my mum. She was drinking her cup of tea while looking at the both of them with a smile. "Aren't you gonna go after her?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, she'll come back...eventually."
"She is such a drama queen."
"Don't have to tell me that. Seen enough of it during the last couple months."
I leaned towards him and smiled. "It really looks like you've been married for years, you know. I've literally never seen anyone get married and get along so quick. You make her really happy."
He shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. "I try my best, Bhai. After all, it's quite hard to make a moody cow happy." Amma came over and smacked the back of his head. "Ow! That hurt, Amma!"
"It was meant to. Don't cuss my daughter."
"Don't you mean son?" Amma smacked him again and I turned the other way as they both bickered. I looked up at Priya who was now putting the cream on top of the tart.
I slowly walked up to her, placing my mug at the end of the island. "Shall I start cutting the strawberries?"
"No, don't be silly. Go and sit and I'll do this."
"What, think I'm not capable of doing anything in the kitchen?" She rolled her eyes and looked over at me.
"I'm not having this back and forth argument with you again. You're so childish, you know that?" I shrugged my shoulders with a smile.
"Hey, you are what you are. And who do you think cooks in this kitchen most of the time?"
"Me!" Amma screamed. I raised my eyebrows as I lifted the cup to my mouth. "Stop trying to impress her. You can't cook anything." Priya shook her head laughing and I felt my ears burning. I thought mothers were meant to help you.
"Want me to teach you how to cut strawberries? Or think you can do that yourself?"
I mimicked her and put the mug down. Her lips were in a tight line as she stared at me. "Oh, took it to heart did you?"
"You're acting like a big baby."
I ignored her and went into the fridge to take out the box of strawberries. Aneel rushed up to me and took the box off me. Rolling my eyes, I took out another one and placed it on the counter. I watched as Aneel rinsed a bunch of strawberries before taking out the chopping board. He took out the blueberries and banana and chopped all of them. He took out a bowl and put half of them in before squirting the whip cream all over it. The rest of the fruit went on top followed by some more whip cream. He topped it all off with two whole strawberries.
"Aisha!"
I looked over at the door when I heard her loud footsteps. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stood at the doorway. "What?"
"I made you something..." She lowered her arms, stepping into the kitchen. "Want to sit down and I'll give it to you."
"Depends on what it is."
I rolled my eyes and pushed her towards the chair along the island. She stuck her tongue out at me before sitting herself down. Aneel placed the bowl in front of her and she slowly smiled at him. I smiled myself when I watched her take the spoon off him slowly. Aneel looked down at her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. It was clear he loved her dearly. It was just the way he looked at her as if she was everything to him. I have to admit, I don't think I ever looked at my wife that way. Maybe that's why she did what she did. Shit! If only I paid more attention to her then none of this would have happened. I glanced over at Priya who was placing the sliced strawberries on top of the tart. But if none of that happened then I wouldn't have met Priya. I wouldn't have laid out the proposal out for her, eagerly waiting for her to say yes.
"And now..." she said. I smiled at her as she pushed the finished dessert in front of me. "This is your strawberry tart. You can be the first to cut into it."
"No. He always does it. You cut into it, you made it," Aisha said. She handed the spoon over to Aneel and he took a bite of what he made her. "Please. It just might shrink that big egoistic head of his."
"Babes, that ain't ever happening," Nafeesa said. I rolled my eyes and leaned onto the counter.
"If you're gonna cut it then get Said along with you," I said. Priya smiled and called the boys over.
"You guys do realise it's just a tart? I make tons of these everyday."
Despite that, the boys and her cut through the tart and she placed them on everyone's plate. I lightly pushed her onto a chair, giving her a plate as well.
"You scared me."
"Good. Now eat." Amma sat beside her and I gave her a plate too. Once I handed the plates out to everyone, I pulled the plate towards me and sighed. This is it. This is going to be it. I put a spoonful into my mouth and groaned. I was craving this so bad! "I swear this is the best of the best!"
"You sure? I mean-"
"Shh, I'm eating now. This is too good!" Priya laughed and started eating her own. Once I as done with my piece, I took another two, leaving just one left. I desperately wanted to take that one but I knew someone else might want it.
"You can take that last one. I made another one." She pointed at the smaller strawberry tart and I immediately went for the last piece. I smiled at her again.