Aaliyah actually found to her surprise she enjoyed tutoring Jameel. He was very eager to learn. That made him a perfect student. He always turned up on time, always worked hard. She no longer had the nightmares that she'd been having since the accident. She found living with her brother and his family therapeutic. Everyone in the neighbourhood was friendly. Nobody asked about her private life, which she was grateful for.
"I'm thinking about going home."
"Why? Don't you enjoy living with us?"
"Of course I do, it's been lovely, but it was only a temporary thing until I felt better. And now I do. So, I'm thinking of going home soon."
Aaliyah went to Jameels house and told him that they would have to stop lessons. "Why? Don't you enjoy teaching me? Don't I work hard?" "Of course you do, it's nothing to do with you. I'm just going back home, that's why."
Aaliyah boarded the train the next day, and went home. She realised how much she had enjoyed herself. Everyone was friendly, and nobody had asked her any awkward questions. Plus, she had actually enjoyed tutoring Jameel. It had felt nice making herself useful after so long. Her in-laws, as much as she loved them, didn't like the idea of their daughter in law working, so she had quit her job. But she felt alive after tutoring Jameel. She felt alive after doing her old job. It gave her confidence and helped shape her character.
When Aaliyah got home, she moved her piano into her courtyard and would play it every night. Slowly, slowly, she grew a list of little kids, who wanted to learn. She enjoyed teaching them, but she missed teaching Jameel. He had been the one to make her restart teaching, and make her fall back in love with it. She was about to ring her brother to ask after Jameel, when there was a knock on her door. She opened it and gasped.
"What are you doing here?"