Once In A Blue Moon

09 Vehemence

I will plant my hands in the garden
I will grow I know I know I know.

— Forough Farrokhzad

☾

Her heels click loudly as she walks into the cafeteria of the hospital and away from the the stench of blood and antiseptics in the wards and operation theaters. She feels every bone in her body tired and complaining. She feels ready to crash and sleep a whole day without interruption. But duty is still calling.

"I'm telling you, mama, it's very difficult to manage without servants here," she whines to her mother over the phone, balancing it between her shoulder and ear as she takes money out of her bag and places it on the counter with her order. "Coffee, strong. Little sugar and milk. And a sandwich."

"Why don't you hire someone?" Zuleikha asks her.

She walks towards an empty table and sits down, sighing exasperatedly. "Because I still haven't gotten my first paycheck. And I didn't know your son was living a low-life. Why did no one tell me Zoraiz was wasting his life here?"

"What could you've done when we couldn't do anything?"

"I wouldn't have come to live here with him in the first place. His apartment is the size of a shoebox."

"I'll ask your baba to talk to him about it."

"Don't." Banafsha rubs the skin between her eyebrows. "I've talked to Zoraiz and he wouldn't listen to me accepting help from anyone." She decides not to convey her brother's exact reasons so as not to stir riot that could make things difficult for her instead.

"I'll send you money," Zuleikha suggests. "Just hire a maid to do your chores, darling."

"I think first I'll have to convince Zoraiz for that too." She crosses her legs and leans back. "I think he has been in bad company, mama. He has totally changed."

"What kind of company?" Zuleikha inquires with concern.

"I don't know, but he speaks about the right and wrong as if he's some religious scholar," Banafsha updates her mother.

"Really?" Zuleikha asks, sounding shocked. "I think I should talk to him myself."

"You should. He quit university to snap around photos and decided to cut off himself from our family's sustenance. Whatever is up with him is worrisome."

"And now you're stressing me."

"I'm sorry, but I was just letting you know." A server gets her her coffee and sandwich and she thanks him. "Anyways, give love to Abeer and Wali for me. I'll hang up now."

"Okay, but your sister is here. Wouldn't you talk to her? Everyone has been asking about you, shahzadgy zama (my princess)."

She groans to herself. The thought of chatting with Parisha makes the veins in her throb. She doesn't want to get a headache and decides to refuse. "Another time, mama. Give my greetings to everyone."

They says their goodbyes and Banafsha cuts the line, only for her phone to ring again. She reads the caller's ID before answering.

"Zoraiz, thank you for calling," she says sarcastically. "Do you know the piled up clothes in your laundry basket had me going nauseated with their stink? We need to hire a maid. I've already talked to mama and--"

"Banafsha, listen to me," he interrupts her. "I'm at the hospital right now."

She jerks up as if electrocuted, suddenly alerted. "Which hospital?"