The Imperials

Grounded

Umme Qulsum POV:

"You will not sleep until you read one juz (Quranic chapter) to Huzaifah." Mom sternly lectured, wiping the dinner table clean as the three of us--Mom, dad, and me--finished our meal. Today, somehow, I found myself stuck in my parents house caged under their dominance. There was no more messing around with Huzaifah or Safoora, and they were probably triumphing around due to my non-existence in their house.

"But, he's annoying--" I complained, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Uh-huh, no excuses young lady." Mom glared, finishing her table wiping business and tossing the rag away. "You are reading your Quran to him, finishing your homework by twelve, no later than that. Then heading straight off to bed in your room--"

"Why can't I just head off to Huzaifah's house instead?" I cried, grabbing my Quran off the living room shelf. It was the same old Quran that I had owned ever since I started hifz. The quran's red paper cover lined with gold swirls had discoloured and faded over the years, the edges chewed as if it had been gnawed by a moth, and the pages were yellowed due to all the prehistoric touches and excessive recitation. I couldn't recall how many times I had to tape up this holy book to keep it together no matter what storm brewed over it. 

"Don't you think you are already fooling around too much in your thirteen years old life?" Mom snapped. "You already mess around too much with the twins. Huzaifah says you give them the bad vibes--"

"Me? Musa gives me the bad vibes!" I shot back. "Who the hell is Huzaifah? He's a dad like any other dad, he isn't even home half the time. How the hell would he know? He's just a snitch!"

"Don't talk back!" Mom shut me up by shoving the phone in my hand. "Call Huzaifah, he will listen to your dour. Make sure he tests a juz, nothing less."

"Fine!" I glowered, harshly dialing my brother's number since I had already practiced my Quran during lunch time while Chantria nodded her head to the beat of her music and Eshal scribbling away in her personal diary. When I accidentally recited aloud, Chantria thought I was singing some national arabic song. Although, I hated to prove her wrong that it was actually the words of Allah engraved in my heart.

Huzaifah answered at the fifth beat, his voice slurred with drowsiness. It was a sign that he had worked overshift, and had no time to meddle with me. Nonetheless, I recited to him the juz mom had ordered me to recite. Not like Safoora was any less busier if I called. She had to end her work, and also cook and feed her kids, then send them off to bed unlike my brother who ate up and immediately headed off to bed for the start of his next day. Why were men always so lucky in everything?

At the end of the juz, Huzaifah's snorings was echoing loudly through the phone like a hibernating bear, leaving me wondering why I had even bothered to call him in the first place. I slammed the phone off, and sighed throwing my head back. Without my siblings, this house felt like a cage--hollow, empty, and suffocating. No friends, playmates, or anything, just isolation.

"Qulsum, you done?" Mom shouted from upstairs, peeking her head from the top of the stairs. She was now changed into her pink nightgown and fluffy pink slippers as she stumbled down to tuck me in bed like I was a freakin' two years old.

"Yes," I groaned, not mentioning Huzaifah's snoring that had disturbed the phone call between us, and that he couldn't even wait till I finished the entire juz to begin with. 

"Take out your homework!" Mom ordered, grabbing my school backpack. "It's already eleven, and you're not done anything. Is this what happens in Huzaifah's house when you're there? That's it, you are banned to go to his house--"