Chapter Twelve – Family Reunion
Lutfiyah was so excited to see Sara that the entire week seemed to drag by on its toes. May got along fabulously with her aunt and Lutfiyah just knew that a weekend with one of her most favourite people in the world was going to be epic.
Thursday finally came to an end and Lutfiyah made supper with a smile. She hummed her way through dicing carrots and grinned her way through all the stirring. May even seemed to pick up on her mood and was babbling away happily when there was an unexpected knock on the door.
Frowning, Lutfiyah got up and adjusted her hijab before heading for the door and peering through the peephole. All she could see was black so she opened the door slightly; making sure to keep the door chain on and what she saw shocked her.
She slammed the door closed, took out the chain and opened the door with a frankly embarrassing scream. The person behind the door greeted back with an equally high-pitched squeal.
“Sara! Oh my god. What are you doing here? Assalamualaikum! I thought that you were coming tomorrow!”
The bright-eyed brunette grinned at her. “Surprise!”
And thereafter ensued a screaming match of fangirl proportions.
They were rudely interrupted when the flat door behind Sara burst open to reveal a panicked Jaafar in sweats, water droplets and nothing else.
“Ms Abbas! What happened! Is everything o-
He stopped short when he saw two gaping women in hijab staring at him. His mouth closed with a snap and a confused look crossed his face.
“I thought that you were being attacked.”
His eyes flitted to the floor and he stepped back into the safety of his apartment, the alarmed look on his face slowly subsiding.
Lutfiyah cleared her throat.
“I’m sorry about that. We just got a bit over excited. I’m sorry for interrupting your...” she trailed off, trying to keep her gaze downward, sideward, anywhere-ward that was not his dripping chest.
“Shower,” he supplied, his voice dropping deeply.
Lutfiyah swallowed audibly. “Yes, that. We apologise.”
He gave a short nod and closed the door with a click, leaving behind a pregnant pause.
Sara saw fit to break it.
“Who, in the world of spicy jalapeños, was that?"
Lutfiyah smiled. “My new neighbour. Jaafar Abdullah.”
Sara crossed her arms. “You, my dear, have been holding out on me.”
# # #
“What do you mean ‘he looks familiar’?”
Sara shrugged, popping a morsel of food into her mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing. “I don’t know. That face and that name. It’s like I’ve heard it before.”
Lutfiyah shook her head and stood up to start clearing the table. “That’s not possible. He does nothing. I hardly think that he would run in any circles that you or Riyaad run in.”
Sara frowned, her hazel eyes glowing with suspicion. “He does nothing?”
Lutfiyah paused in her cleaning up and turned her head slightly to face her cousin. “Yeah. He’s in his flat the entire day.”
Before Sara could answer, May walked in holding her pink toy phone tightly to her ear. She mumbled into it before holding it out to Lutfiyah.
“It’s Uncle Jaafi. He wants to know when he can come over to play again.”
Sara’s eyebrows rose. Lutfiyah cleared her throat. What was it about kids and asking their parents things in front of guests?
“May. Sweetie, we’ve spoken about this.” She crouched down. “It’s not nice to keep calling him because he won’t say no but sometimes people have things to do.”
“I thought that he did nothing,” Sara said, amusement in her voice.
Lutfiyah shot her a glare.
“May, go to the bathroom. I’m coming to wash you now.”
With a disgruntled look, May walked away, her unhappiness showing in the way she dragged her phone away, the handset trailing behind her on the floor.
“Uncle Jaafi?” Sara asked, crossing her arms.
“It’s complicated, Sara.”
“Then uncomplicate it for me.”
“Let me put May to bed then we can talk, okay?”
# # #
With minty fresh breath, an empty bladder and a scrubbed clean face, May jumped onto her air mattress in delight.
“How long will Sara Khala stay for?” May asked as she wiggled further into her blankets, pulling them up to her chin.
“Three nights,” Lutfiyah replied, making her daughter repeat her sleeping duas after her.
In between the prayers, May said, “And I can sleep here all that time?”
Lutfiyah nodded, bending her head to kiss her daughter’s soft cheek. “Now go to sleep. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mama.”
Lutfiyah smiled and got up, walking to the door before stopping when May’s voice broke the silence.
“Mama?”
“Hmm?”
“Does Uncle Jaafi have anyone to tuck into bed at night?”
Lutfiyah sighed and shook her head. “Not that I know off.”
May frowned. “Isn’t that sad? I get sad when I wake up and you’re not here.”
“But he’s grown up. So it’s not the same.”
“But you would be sad if you woke up and I wasn’t here!”
“I know. That’s why I am glad that you are here. But you’re going to sleep on the bed with me tonight if you don’t close your eyes and go to sleep now.”
May hurriedly shut her eyes tightly, the skin of her eyelids crinkling up with the effort. Her exaggerated snores filled the room and Lutfiyah left smiling.
# # #
Lutfiyah watched as Sara sucked on her spoon of ice cream before saying, "I'm glad."
Lutfiyah frowned, turning her head to look at Sara more directly from her position on the couch.
"I thought you were suspicious."
Sara shrugged, lifting her mug and took a sip of her hot chocolate before replying. "I can be suspicious and glad at the same time."
Lutfiyah rolled her eyes and took a sip of her own hot chocolate before wiggling her toes where they were tucked under her cousin's thighs. "Why are you glad?"
Sara sighed. "I'm not overly excited about May's attachment to him but, I mean, it seems like he's breaking down your defences."
Lutfiyah sighed and dropped her head back against the couch. "Is that even a good thing?"
Her cousin laughed, the sound jarring in the silent flat. "My love, it's a great thing. I'm not saying marry the guy, not saying, untwist your panties," she said, sticking her tongue out at the way Lutfiyah had jumped at her words, "but maybe it's good for you. You've been on this defensive mode for so long. You need a little excitement in your life."
Lutfiyah smiled. "He is exciting."
Sara trolled with laughter. "He is though, isn't he? So delicious, gosh."
She smacked her cousin's head with a pillow. "You are married!"
"So? I'm looking at the menu. Not tasting."
They both started to laugh, falling silent abruptly as they heard May through the monitor.
"Well, it's time for bed. We can catch up properly tomorrow."
Lutfiyah nodded, knowing that these sessions were better than any therapy she could go for.