Last First Chance (Al-Ameen Family Spin-Off)

Smarty-Pants

TEN YEARS AGO

I looked in the mirror at myself. Like really looked.

My hair is a little bit too frizzy. My nose is a little bit too big for my face. Maybe I could get rid of some moustache hairs. But I was... nice. I have a friendly face, that's good enough right?

Whatever, I'll just get rich instead and buy a husband.

I went downstairs to find my mom sitting in the living room reading her Quran. I stopped at the last step to admire her instead.

She had lost some weight these last few years. Her cheeks were slightly drooping, her eye bags were a bit more prevalent than usual, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to me. I wish she would just believe that herself too.

"Oh Maheen," she broke me out of my thoughts. "Could you run to the grocery store? I forgot to get coconuts and I want to make your favourite coconut curry noodles," she said excitedly.

"I'll get all the coconuts in the world for those noodles Rabia" I grin and grab my coat. The Aldi was just down the road and I didn't drive yet at 16 so walking it was. Mom handed me a five pound note with a tsk. She hated when I called her by her name and I loved how she pretended to be annoyed.

I popped in my headphones and took the brisk walk to the grocery store. I had enough for a coconut and maybe a brownie mix too.

I had developed a weird interest in baking and it fascinated my mother. I couldn't boil noodles to save my life but I seemed to have a knack for whipping up desserts with ease.

Baking is a science, something I explained to her many times. And science I got.

I was debating between which coconut to pick when I heard someone say my name. I turned around to see Hasan standing there with a little girl. A little girl who was looking at me holding two coconuts like boobs.

God, take me now.

I dropped them quickly but they rolled and Hasan and I both went to pick them up. And of course bumped our heads in the process.

"I got one," the little girl giggled, holding up the one she managed to find. I quickly scooped up the other and set them both back down in the bin.

"Um hi, sorry about that I was trying to find the best one you know how it is haha, oh who's this by the way," I tried to divert the attention onto something other than me.

"This is my cousin's daughter, Hina" he introduced the girl who couldn't be more than five or six.

"Hi, I'm Maheen," I shake her tiny hand. She looks up questioningly at her uncle. "We are in the same school," I offer as an explanation.

"Hi," the little girl squeaked.

It had been one week since the carnival, one week since Hasan and I frolicked about, me laughing and him putting up with my every whim silently.

"Brownies?" he was looking at the box mix I had placed earlier on top of the coconut bin while I weighed out the perfect coconut by holding them at chest level. Yeah, remember that mortifying moment from ten seconds ago?

"Brownie cheesecakes actually. Trying something new tomorrow but I wanted to take a shortcut, our kitchen's already too small and I don't have a stand mixer so you know it gets messy."

I was rambling.

But was he smiling?

No, I probably imagined it.

"I'm going to get going now. Mum's waiting," I mangle out a laugh to no one in particular and grabbed the first coconut I could. His niece chirped goodbye and I gave her a quick wave as I scurried away.