Besotted

CHAPTER 2

As Zaheerah stepped out of the office building, tears started to roll down her cheeks. She felt humiliated and embarrassed. She had been fired and now she had to face her parents, especially her Mother with that knowledge. She sat down on a bench outside the building, not sure of what to do next.

It was then that she saw her cousin, Layal, walking towards her. Layal was always the one Zaheerah could count on, no matter what.

"Zaheerah, I'm so sorry about what happened." Layal consoled.

Zaheerah looked up at her cousin, and before she could even say anything, she broke down in tears. Layal sat next to her and wrapped her arm around her.

"They fired me, Layal. They fired me!" Zaheerah cried out, as if Layal wasn't aware of her current dilemma.

Layal held her tightly, letting her cry for as long as she needed. "It's going to be okay, Layal," she said, soothingly.

Zaheerah looked up at her cousin, her eyes red and puffy. "What am I going to do? I don't have a job now. How am I going to pay the bills?"

"Allah will give us a way out don't worry. We'll look for a better job in Sha Allah. I'll do what I can to help you."

Zaheerah hugged Layal gratefully. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I would do without you."

Layal smiled, "That's what family is for."

They both sat there for a while longer, Zaheerah venting her frustration and disappointment while Layal listened and provided emotional support.

Eventually, she helped Zaheerah stand up and they walked towards a coffee shop nearby where they could talk further. As they sat inside, Layal reassured her cousin that everything would eventually work out, even with all the uncertainty that was waiting for her in the future.

Zaheerah felt lucky to have a cousin like Layal, someone who would always be there for her through thick and thin, even if they had different schedules. She felt grateful despite everything that had happened, for having a caring cousin who could help her through this difficult time and potentially even a job in the near future.

***

Zaheerah opened the door to the house and walked inside, feeling numb, and felt as if the world seemed to be closing in around her. Her mom was sitting on the couch, staring at her with anger in her eyes.

"Zaheerah, what happened at work?" her mom demanded.

"I got fired, Mama," she said quietly.

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!" her mom yelled. "YOU HAD ONE JOB, ZAHEERAH!"

Tears welled up in Zaheerah's eyes, but she tried to hold them back. She didn't want to give her mom the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"It wasn't my fault Mama," Zaheerah said. "My boss just didn't think I was a good fit for the company."

"That's just an excuse," her mom spat. "You're lazy and you don't take anything seriously. That's why you got fired. Bakida abin Fadi kuma."

Zaheerah's heart sank. She knew her mom had always been hard on her, but she didn't know it was because she thought so little of her.

Before she could say anything else, her mom's phone rang. She picked it up and listened for a few moments before her face went pale.

"What is it?" Zaheerah asked, concerned.

"Your father," her mom said quietly. "He's been found unconscious in his workplace. He's at the hospital now. We need to go there immediately."

Zaheerah's heart raced with panic. Her dad had never been sick a day in his life. She followed her mom out of the house and hailed a cab, feeling a sense of urgency as they drove to the hospital.