Yesterday, when I saw Benyamin for the first time it seemed as if he walked back from the dead. When I looked into his green eyes, I wanted to drown in them they were shining like emerald gen. So far, he had grown more handsome and taller then last time I saw him and even had a patch of beard on his chin.
When we drove to our in-laws house, I quickly got out in glee and pressed the doorbell. Before my aunt could completely open the door, I went behind her and closed her eyes with my hands. "Aunty, guess who came?" I yelled in excitement.
"Huzaifah?" She asked confused. Huzaifah looked at me with a grumpy glare in Benyamin's arms. He probably woke up when his dad was trying to take him out of the car.
"No. Why would I be excited about that?" I thought out loud making Benyamin chuckle and Huzaifah frown. "No, I mean he already lives with me." I corrected quickly to fix up my son's mood to normal.
"So, the person who came is a man?" My aunt asked with a nervous tone, still with my hands covering her eyes.
I chuckled. "Yeah, well I hope he is one." I said out loud to annoy Benyamin who just laughed it out.
"That laugh sound so familiar, it almost sounds like Benyamin's here. Wait is it him?" She exclaimed in surprise. I let go of her as she dashed to hug her long lost son.
My uncle tripped down the stairs when he heard her yell, "What happen did your aunt fall of the stairs or something? I told her to watch her steps but she's always really clumsy." My uncle grumbled.
"See for yourself uncle." I grinned, as he peeked out the door and ran to hug his son. In the meantime, I quickly took out my phone to text Yusuf, Hajara, and my parents the news, and within minutes they arrived.
Yusuf jumped on his brother tackling him down, not letting him go anytime soon. Me and Hajara watched those two and bursted out laughing with our kids. Little Abu Hurairah was in Hajara's arms who she gave birth to two weeks ago.
I quickly took him away from her, and in the corner of my eyes, I noticed Huzaifah and Hawa standing together hand in hand watching their father's in awe probably, thinking if they had gone crazy.
Yusuf pretended to wail and hugged Benyamin tightly just to make us all laugh. "Daddy, are you ok?" Hawa asked concerned, tugging his dad's hand. Her brown ponytails swayed as she tilted her head to get a glimpse of her dad's wailing face.
"No, Hawa meet your uncle, Benyamin. Benyamin meet my daughter, Hawa. He left me..." Yusuf continued his fake wailing again, loudly.
"Yusuf cut it out, you sound horrible. You grew up for real?" Hajara yelled in annoyance with a poker face. "You're twenty one, but don't even act like one."
Benyamin looked at Hajara alarmed. "When did Hajara start speaking? She was always the shy one in the family."
My sister rolled her eyes, "You can't be shy when you deal with Yusuf." She threw back, making us giggle.
"Yup dear couz, I agree with you." Benyamin admitted with a nod.
"Uncle Ben... you know making daddy cry is bad, rweeealy bad." Hawa pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Say sorry to daddy!" She demanded angrily, stomping her feet making her ponytail bounce up and down.
"Sorryy, Hawa's daddy never will I ever leave you, because your such a big baby." Benyamin said faking an apology, slapping Yusuf on the arm.
"That's better." Yusuf pretended to wipe away his tears away in relief. He quickly switched his tone to a serious one glaring at Benyamin. "You better not."
"Anyways sweety, you're so pretty." Benyamin said, pulling Hawa's cheeks.
"Thanks!" She muttered, softly blushing.
We all got inside the house and obediently took a seat in the living room while our parents got in the 'recreational' room enjoying their time by chit chatting about life and their cleaning appliances. Huzaifah and Hawa played catch with the pink ball that Hawa dragged along from home. We watched them and how awesomely cute they look together. I mean... all kids look cute together right? But somehow, looking at them, I knew they had a great future laid out ahead.
"Bro, my daughter in law is awesome." Benyamin whispered to Yusuf, stretching on the word 'awesome' in a high pitched voice.
Yusuf rolled his eyes. "She is only two bro and you are already considering her married? This is my daughter we are taking about."
"A.K.A my daughter in law." Benyamins boasted with my mischevious smile. "Well she is betrothed to my son, isn't she?"
We all glared at him and shouted at him in unison. "Not in front of the kids!"
"Oh come on, they're babies for god's sake!"
"You should know how good their hearing skills are." Hajara frowned, "They may look like they are playing but their ears are all perked up on us, that is how kids are."
My aunt catiously peeked in the room. "Guy's you are all staying here for the night, no excuses."
We all looked at each other and nodded, "No problem."
"Oh my! My grand babies are not suppose to play ball in the living room." My aunt frowned, crossing her arms around her chest and pretending to look mad. Huzaifah and Hawa stopped playing and looked up at her with confusion. My aunt took the ball away from their grasp and threw it in the 'recreational' room, a really vast room. The kids ran downstairs after the ball and she followed them running down childishly. I don't blame her, my aunt's only in her late thirties to be exact, she gave birth early if you uncover her history.
"I call dibs for sleeping with my brother for the night. We have some important 'man' talk to do." Yusuf said raising his arms in the air. "Sorry Sarah, but after tonight this man is all yours." He playfully slapped my husband on the back wiggling his eyebrow while my husband just glared back at him furiously.
"Sure don't care, well me and Hajara have some 'girl' talk tonight. So, I am stealing your precious wife." I cackled evilly like a villain.
"Fine by me. But make sure she doesn't have the craving to sleep with me for the night." Yusuf smirked at Hajara's way.
I watched as my sister's face turn red, she handed me her sleeping son and got up in anger and embarrassment. She walked towards Yusuf and started throwing uncontrollable punches which didn't even seem to have any effect on him, he just laughed at her craziness. At last he held her fists with no effort as she squirmed to get out of his grasp.
"I hate you Yusuf. Let me go!" She fired angrily.
"Nah, you love me!" He said acting bored still holding onto her wrists.
"I hate you!" She yelled.
"No you don't!" He pulled her close suddenly as she stumbled falling on his lap and Yusuf engulfed her in a hug pulling her aclose to him as possible. She stopped squirming instantly and gave up in defeated.
"I knew you loved me!" He told her, caressing her cheek. She looked at him and they were only few inches apart drowning in each others. I looked away, I can't watching this!
Benyamin coughed loudly. "And now ladies and gentlemen, now comes the romantic kiss." He cheered out making me laugh. "Sorry to break to romantic moment. But I also hate to break this to you that you are sitting here in a public area and we meaning your 'younger siblings' are watching your ... ahem your 'inappropriate' act. Please, I beg you and I encourage you to book a room in this house to commence the romance!"
They quickly broke apart blushing with embarrassment, Hajara quickly covered her face with her scarf and got up from her husband's lap. Her flushed face doesn't go unnoticed by me specifically, never. She abruptly left the room without a word. Yusuf sat there surprised, probably registering what just happened.
He got up and stood in front of me coughing.
"You choking?" I asked cluelessly, cocking my eyebrow. He's cheeks were also flushed red from embarrasment.
"How can he be? He was just caught red-handed almost about to kiss his wife." Benyamin teased him.
"Woah! Do brothers have to point that out, this poor man is already embarrassed? No need to rub it in his face." I scolded my husband.
"Can I have my son?" Yusuf asked, extended his hands towards me while giving his brother a death glare.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about my sleeping nephew in my arms, no wonder Yusuf was standing in front of me. I placed a kiss on my nephew's forehead and placed him gently in his father's arms.
"I didn't forget the time you guys literally kissed in front of me. He gave a death glare at Benyamin. "So now I will exit the room... cause I'm pretty sure you'll both be all over each other if I don't leave on time." Yusuf smirked, happy with his comeback as he left the room with his son. We were left speechless and shocked remembering the surfing memory that occured few years ago. Okay, I will admit that was pretty stupid and embarrassing!
Benyamin got up from his place and sat beside me on the sofa that I was really comfortably placed in. He leaned back and I put my head on his shoulders. We really did have a long day!
"So... how was life without me?" He started.
"Hell! I mean ... raising Huzaifah alone, taking the role of a mother and father at the same time was the worst."
"Yeah, I understand!" He sighed, his voice full with sorrow. He missed four years of his son's life, that was already a lot.
"Mooooom, I love you!" Huzaifah said running in the room, engulfing me into a tight hug.
"Hey man, where is daddy's hug?" His father asked, extending his arm and Huzaifah shyly hugged him still not use to his father. Benyamin held him on his lap securely and placed another arm around my shoulder. This is what I craved and dreamed for, my family to be together and happy, we would talk, and spend time together and everthing.
"Your done playing?" I asked my son.
"Yeah, Aunty took Hawa to bed."
"Oh, are you not going to bed?"
"No, I just woke up. I don't want to sleep. Can I please stay up with daddy, please." He begged and I shrugged helplessly and gave in. After all, he just met his father for the first time, he has the right to bond with him.
"Where's Yusuf ... I mean uncle?" Benyamin asked him curiously, I mentally noted to slap him. He probably wanted to know if his brother took his adviced, booked a room and was spending the night with his wife or kissing her or something.
"He's reading Quran and Aunty is testing him." Huzaifah replied. We nodded in understanding, they were both hufaaz and they would test each other from time to time to keep their Quran secured in their heart.
"Well that is what I call romantic." I told Benyamin and he rolled his eyes.
"Dad?" Huzaifah asked nervously with a pause.
"Yeah? No need to be afraid baby, you can be free with me and ask anything you want."
"Uh... Can you tell me a story, please! No, actually ... tell me how you meet mommy."
"Okay... Once upon a time, there was a daddy. He use to go to school." Benyamin started.
"You mean the school I go to, with tons of toys?" Huzaifah asked excitedly.
"No dear, it was for big kids and it wasn't here though. It was in far away place called 'America'. Anyways, one day after school me and your uncle were walking home--" He continued.
"You know uncle? You met him already." He asked surprised.
"Yup, he is my big brother." Benyamin replied, running his hand through Huzaifah's hair, carressing it. Huzaifah gave a shocked expression in response. "Anyways, your uncle was dreaming and walking at the same time and suddenly he bumped into your Aunty and she feel on the ground."
Huzaifah bursted out laughing, "Well, did she get hurt? And how is it possible, I didn't know uncle can walk and dream at the same time?" I felt drowsy and my eyes were shutting down. "I want to learn how to dream and walk too. That would be cool, I should ask my uncle for the instructions--"
"No you are not asking uncle anything like that. No son of mine are allowed to sleep walk. Anyways, your aunt got hurt because she instantly fell on the pavement. Then I noticed your mommy with her there, and she started yelling at uncle for his carelessness or whatever she was saying gibberish or something. I didn't care because she was way too cute." Benyamin said dreamily pulling my cheeks hard.
Huzaifah giggled as I scowled and rubbed my red cheeks furiously, "And then I was in so much love with her.... blah, blah, blah..."
I felt my eyes closing, I felt weak and tired.
Before I knew it I was zoned out sleeping in Benyamins arms.
***************************************************************
"Benyamin, Sarah, wake up!" Both our moms yelled in unison making us both jump in an instant. Benyamin probably jumped a bit too high making Huzaifah stir in his sleep.
"Benyamin watch the child in your arms." My mom scowled with concern. Glanging around, I noticed that we all had fallen asleep in the position we were all in few hours ago. Huzaifah in Benyamin's arms, my head on Benyamin's shoulders and Benyamin's head on top of mines with his arms securely around both of us.
"Guys, you know, there are rooms in the house. Why are you sleeping the living room?" My aunt scolded.
"Tired aunty." I mumbled, stretching my arms.
"Okay Benyamin, Yusuf is waiting for you to sleep with him for the night. I don't think he even wants to sleep, he probably has some video games snuck under his bed." My aunt rolled her eyes in annoyance. "If you want, you can take Huzaifah too in your room. Well, that is if you can manage to take care of him or Sarah you can just take him with you to Hajara's room where her kids are all sleeping. Okay?"
We nodded and followed my aunts advice instantly.
Benyamin triedly tried to hand me my sleeping baby, but denied; I told him that I was too weak to carry him and he abruptly shot me a worried look.
My aunt went up to her room while my mom instantly took my sleeping son in her arms from Benyamin and scowled at me. "Benyamin, now that you are here, you should make sure she eats properly. She doesn't eat anything! All she does is study, work and runs after her son like a maniac. And the food that she intakes is soo less."
Yeah, I just hated when moms just blabbered nonesense. Why do all moms either complain about your fatness or you eating disorder? It was always one of the two.
I frowned. "It's not my fault I lost my appetite."
"I will make sure she stay's healthy." He confronted her, kissing me on the cheek before climbing the stairs to his room.
After arriving in Hajara's room, my mom gently placed Huzaifah on the bed beside Hawa and Abu Hurairah, and kissed my cheeks goodnight before heading to her room. I turned the lights off and laid down on the sleeping bag on the floor beside my sister who was already in deep stupor.
I sighed loudly in darkness. I am no way leaving Benyamin's side again, nor is Huzaifah. Ever.
Benyamin insisted that he was staying in his parent's house until we can afford our own house or when he becomes a doctor which I instantly agreed too. After all, they are my paternal and maternal uncle and aunt, I can act freely around them and they won't ever judge. They were my second parents anyway. That was the benefit of marrying your cousin, because everyone loves you and takes you for granted. Well, that's what's happening in my case, they love me just like a daughter they never had. But... I won't say that everyone is blessed with the same lucky fate as me.
I took a last look at the kids. Huzaifah had his hands wrapped around Hawa's.
I smiled. They will make a great future together!
I finally let sleep take over me.