After two weeks of working at the Franklin household, it’s safe to say that many things don’t go unnoticed. People seem to run on a daily schedule; starting from Marc all the way to the workers.
For starters, Anaya, she’s pretty much normal but for a 15-year-old I do believe she sleeps way earlier than the average and she seems to only go school whenever she feels like it. And I can’t quite put my finger on why; but although she comes across as a very cheerful and jolly person, I do sometimes feel that behind that smile there’s a story that is never mentioned. Sometimes she looks very distant, like something’s troubling her, holding her back, but she successfully covers it up by simply being happy. And then the workers; apart from Julie, they all just come, work, and leave. Julie, the traitor, is the oldest out of them all and she’s pretty much the ‘mother’ figure. She tells people off, she takes control, she knows what’s best when it comes to Anaya, she’s very blunt and she’s very kind at heart. Yup, she’s definitely a mother.
Gosh I thought I was describing Neha for a second.
Speaking of which, Neha and Hafsa have both been very busy planning the wedding which is apparently taking place next week. So soon, I know. But according to Hafsa, ‘it’s the perfect time!’ And I think that may be because Ramadan is nearing and she can’t wait a whole month to finally be a bride and wife. I would’ve been part of the planning and the process but, I think I’ve said this before, I’m very lazy. And it didn’t help that sir was always demanding something from me; starting from coffee to arranging meetings and appointments to getting him ‘important’ files and yadda yadda yadda. Not to mention, how we cannot go a day without wanting to strangle one another. It’s tiring, it really is.
I let myself in the house with the spare key that Anaya had given me, expecting the usual faces, I walked into the living room. What I didn’t expect was an annoyed looking Anaya, an overwhelmed-looking sir, an overly-excited woman and an amused-looking man. It was a rather comical view.
Anaya seemed to have noticed me first for she practically ran towards me and collapsed on me making me stumble a little.
“Isra, gosh I thought you’d never come!” she squealed.
By now, all eyes had turned on us.
“Well here I am! What’s going on?”
That seemed to have wiped her smile away and a pout formed on her lips. “Those idiots are nothing but annoying.”
The man who I’ve never seen before playfully cocked his eyebrows at her, “Excuse me?”
“Apart from Dayyaan, those idiots are annoying,” this seemed to have made the man, whose name I’m guessing is Dayyaan, happy whilst the other two shot daggers at Anaya. “Don’t look at me like that...you both know damn well that you’re annoying.”
I giggled at her bluntness before turning it into a cough as sir and the woman shot daggers at me.
“Marc, darling, who is this?”
Sir snaked an arm around the woman’s size zero waist and his eyes met mine.
“My assistant... Isra. Isra, Amanda, my girlfriend. Amanda, Isra.”
“Nice to meet you,” I smiled.
Her grey eyes looking at me from the floor and up before responding, “Likewise.”
Just then, the Arab looking man deliberately cleared his throat, as if trying to make his presence known.
“Ah yes, of course, Isra meet Dayyaan...the attention-seeking ass who I like to call my brother,” Marc smirked towards the man, Dayyaan.
“Salaam Isra,” he nodded at me.
“W-wa alaykum salaam.”
“And you,” he turns to Marc, “I would rather you not speak bullshit about me in front of woman, thank you very much.”
I stood shocked, Marc had claimed this man to be his ‘brother’ yet he is a Muslim and probably the exact opposite of Marc. Not to mention how they look nothing alike, whatsoever. Wait, that’s what I thought about Anaya and Marc and they happen to be related. I should stop assuming things, I really should.
“Dayyaan and I are not blood-related you fool,” Marc’s voice rang.
I looked up at him, confused. How did he know what I was thinking?
“You know...if you didn’t think out loud then maybe I wouldn’t have a clue as to what you’re thinking,” he smirked, an eyebrow raised at me.
“Oh love this is amazing!”
We all turned to Amanda who looked as if she was going to explode of happiness.
“What is it?” Marc leans in and places a kiss on her cheek.
“She can help me plan our wedding!” Marc comes to an abrupt stop as he moved away from Amanda, Anaya’s eyes are threatening to leave her skull and Dayyaan’s jaw has dug through the ground. And I...I was smiling.
Amanda didn’t look fazed at all by their reactions; in fact, she just kept her eyes on me.
Marc straightened up, clearing his throat whilst looking highly embarrassed. “I don’t recall erm...proposing,” he manages to choke out.
“I know,” she grins, “but I love you, you love me – it was bound to happen!”
“She’s going to be my sister-in-law?” Anaya exclaims, clearly not happy by this little announcement.
“And what is wrong with ‘she’?” Amanda raises her eyebrows and flips her long blonde locks over her shoulder.
“Well apart from everything hmm...Let me think,” she exclaimed, her tone thick with sarcasm.
“Wait, hold up. Let’s rewind this a bit,” we all turned to Dayyaan as he signalled for us to wait. He took a gulp of the water from the bottle in his hand and clearly didn’t swallow it for his cheeks were puffed out. Then...well, the water that was in his mouth had come shooting out like a cannonball and sprayed around the living room. In other words, he did a spit-take. “Dude, you’re getting married!”
It took us a few moments to actually register what he had just done before we all erupted into laughter. Yes, we as in me, Anaya, Amanda, Dayyaan and Marc. Yes people...Mr Marc Edson Franklin was laughing. Ladies and gentlemen let’s have a minute of silence please. God knows when something miraculous like this will happen again.
“So it’s settled...Isra and Anaya will help me plan the wedding,” Amanda squealed, “and it’ll save money because we won’t need to hire someone, this is great love!”
“Amanda...you know money’s not a problem for me,” sir spoke, waves of cockiness radiating off him that it took my all not to roll my eyes at him. But I couldn't refrain myself from scoffing, nope.
“Is there something wrong, Miss Isra Kamil?” sir asks, challenging my patience, clearly.
I shoot him a forced smile in response, “absolutely nothing your royal highness.”
“Wait, wait, wait...wait,” Anaya places her hands on her hips and stares at her brother, “So just like that, you’re getting married? That’s not even a problem...but you’re marrying her? Of all people...”
Clearly, clearly, and for whatever reason, Anaya doesn’t like Amanda...clearly. And clearly, this whole marriage idea isn’t sitting well with her...at all. But it did bother me that this woman has just volunteered me to plan her wedding. I mean...I’m not helping my own beloved cousin plan hers, so why exactly should I plan this one? I’m going to have some explaining to do when I see Hafsa again.
“Anaya, it’s my choice so why are you so mad?” sir speaks, dismissing his sister’s anger and frustration.
“Hey man, c’mon put yourself in her shoes...I mean, don’t you think this might be happening a little too fast? You haven’t even taken a minute to think this through...I mean, is this really what you want?” Dayyaan stands beside Anaya, who looks as if she’s about to lose it in any second.
“Ok listen people,” Amanda huffs out, “he’s ok with it; I’m ok with it, so it wouldn’t kill you if you were a bit supportive towards your brother’s decision y’know? This is clearly what he wants.”
“Will you shut up? Stop making decisions for him and then calling them his,” Anaya hisses. And she’s lost it, “you know damn well that you’re only doing this for you and only you. If you really cared about this asshole and his damn feelings than you wouldn’t have the heart to even think of coming back...gosh you make me sick, you’re just so selfish! And he’s such an idiot because he can’t see that!”
I stood, shocked, that was the first time I’ve heard Anaya swear. Gosh I didn’t even think she was capable of getting that angry. The next thing I heard was a sudden slam on the front door. All four of us were lost for words, neither of us knowing what to say to one another.
“She hates me...” Amanda whispered, directing it to no one in particular. I watched a single tear drop from her eyes. She no longer looked excited and happy.
My heart went out to her. I mean... sure the whole marriage thing came too soon, as Dayyaan said, but the poor girl clearly loves Marc and didn’t mean any harm by it. I can’t imagine how I would feel if my future sister-in-law hated me...that would kill me because at the end of the day... I’m marrying her brother and calling her my family. I wouldn’t be able to take it if my family hated me...not one bit.
“Amanda don’t be ridiculous, she doesn’t hate you,” Marc spoke, trying to soothe her I guess though the way he hissed at her didn’t seem soothing at all. But nonetheless, Amanda seemed to appreciate his attempt and shoot him a small smile.
“Is Anaya going to be ok?” I enquire, worried about the poor girl.
Dayyaan chuckles beside me, “Insha’Allah ... he’ll cheer her up but damn he’s in some deep shit.”
“Wow...you mention Allah and you swear in the same sentence,” I fake gasp.
“Huh?” His eyes widen slightly as realisation hit him, “Oh, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah!”