For another 4 years everything went by smoothly, and by that, I mean continuous foul words thrown at me left and right just for breathing but she hasn't hit me. I'm really worried though, I hope you understand me after getting to know my aunt, I hope that like me you don't think her silence means peace. I haven't been sleeping or eating well. I'm too concerned I need to know what she is scheming. she hasn't been hanging out with many of her friends rather she leaves the house on different days of the week but at precise times. once she left on Monday at 3 and then she waited until another two weeks and went out on Friday at 3. The days seemed to change but the time was precise.
I have a theory that she might be meeting with someone. at first, I assumed it was normal, maybe she is going over to her friend's house but then I remembered one of them coming and she wasn't present.
"Tell her we miss hanging out, she should come over on Thursday all of us want to sit with her." so obviously she hasn't been hanging out with her friends either. I walked around the house while Jabil put on his little jambiya and white thobe. he was 10 years old and wouldn't stop fumbling with his hair.
"come here qamari, I'll brush it for you"
"I can do it," he said shaking his head. He gets mad that I still treat him like a kid but he is a kid.
"Just take this time to rest I bet aunt has a whole list planned for you " I brush his hair anyways and he talks about the different merchants he saw at the souk and how they bring so many fruits, books/pencils, clothes, and more. I hardly saw him anymore, he was always hanging out with his friends after school.
we head over to Maryam's house and Marwa has grown a lot too. Her hair was dark like Maryam's and she had dimples on both sides of her cheeks, unlike Maryam. she must have gotten them from her father. Jabil was keener towards her now and she was less huggy. she ran towards him and hugged him. this hug was less huggy than her past hugs.
"Jabilll," she says with a wide grin. He wriggles out of the hug quietly as she pulls him to the yard to show him the swing they bought.
"Mash'Allah Marwa looks beautiful"
"Of course just like her mother" Maryam smirks slapping me on the back. I felt pain under the spot from Allah knows what hit my aunt gave me. Although I did threaten her about my mother's death I realized no one would believe me. I feel like the odd one out, everyone seems to know everyone. I'm Yemeni for crying out loud why don't I have a big line of relatives? cross that out I do have a big line of relatives I just never spoke to them. they all made me hate myself when I was young but I don't think it's worth not talking for so many years. but maybe they still hate me, maybe I am better off like this.
I gazed at Maryam's Dir3 (Dirac), my eyes scanning her exposed arms. it was a habit, I always scanned if she had new bruises since we were young. This time there were only faded marks, I don't expect them to disappear, even if they do physically I think mentally those scars remain there. She was confident enough now to show her arms that itself was a good sign. I think her ex-husband shamed her for them, she seemed to always be wrapped in turtlenecks no matter how hot it was. at some point, I wasn't really talking I was just observing how not long ago, she cried assuming her whole life had fallen into shambles and now she was better, much better than any time in her life. Allah truly is capable of everything, I only pray that my life as of right now which I also think is falling into shambles only burns to offer a light at the end.
my focus shifts to Marwa standing on Jabils hands to reach galaxy chocolates, that her mother seemed to hide away from her.
"Jabil!" I said sternly. He moves and Marwa collapses over him
"Get off me," he says pushing Marwa off and grimacing from the impact of her weight crushing him. "I told you to go faster"
They both look down after getting caught but Marwa keeps her hands hidden behind her back. Maryam looks at me figuring it out as well. "We're sorry," they both say looking upset. Jabil looks more upset than Marwa. When they walk away I see Marwa show him her hands and he does a fist pump eagerly.
Maryam's co-sister-in-law (helima) watches them coming inside to sit with us "I'm calling it right now those two are getting married when they're older"
Both Maryam and I laugh at this. I can't imagine our kids getting married to each other. They're both still so young I can't even imagine how they would look all grown up.
Jabil tries to act like he doesn't care when we go over to Maryam's house but I know how excited he gets. Every time something almost harms Marwa, Jabil tries to protect her. he complains to me that she's lazy, dumb, and doesn't even know how to walk correctly. I laugh listening to him grumble. I wonder if Abbas was a grumpy child too.
Farrah fell asleep on the sofa with the misbaha in her hand. "she always makes tasbihe and dua when she's sitting. she says we should value our time and use it wisely, instead of sitting around in our thoughts or doing nothing, make tasbihe, make dua she would say" Maryam explained pulling a cover over Farrah and taking the misbaha away putting it on the shelf.
"you can never have enough dua, there are so many people who need it" Maryam slightly laughs saying it. she smiles with pride and sits next to me.
"you really like her?"
she smiles widely and nods.
***
Walking home I find my aunt coming from another neighborhood. "Mama that's," Jabil says before I put my hand over his mouth and pull him behind one of the street walls. "Shhh," I tell him. I wonder where my aunt is coming back from. Allah knows best what evil she's scheming this time. She seemed to be rushing home like she didn't want anyone to notice her.
We walk slowly after her hoping she would reveal some type of clue as to where she was. She goes inside the house and we go in after her. I open the door with my keys. "wow mama are you spying on aunt"
"I don't think that's halal of you" he adds shaking his head sarcastically.
"Watch me!" he gestures with two fingers for me to watch
he was quick, I tell him to stay in the kitchen and I follow her downstairs. there was a noise coming from the bedroom I sleep in.
YOU ARE READING
A silent cry
Historical Fiction"and after all this time of waiting the devil would reach out to me and whisper, he's dead and you are here, how much longer will you wait, how much longer would you deny the truth, at some point, I was afraid that he would unlock my ribcage and sen...
