Endurance

Chapter 1

Ayyyyy Salaam everybody it's meeeeee:3

That's Iram on the right and Farrah on the left.

Hope you enjoy the first chapter!

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'Yaa Allah! Mamma is going to kill me!'  I thought, looking at the time on my watch.

 I scurried down the stairs faster so I could hurry up before I was done for. I was currently at  my best friend Farrah's place to do our group project for History that was due the next day. Every other time I had gone to Farrah's house for the project all we did was mess around and not work on our project. We procrastinated until the last day and eventually finished in five whole hours. It had already struck 8 pm and I was stupid enough to not text or call my mom about my visit to Farrah's house.

 After walking for ten minutes down the street I finally saw my house and just as I predicted,'The Little Devil' walking down our parking lot, presumably to go and look for me. I stood there like a deer in headlights as he turned around to the sound of my rustling.

'The Little Devil' is my 16 year old brother, Asim who can fool anybody with his charming smiles, but once you see him in the house you would be horrified of such a creature. He and I are major sassy pants. We got our extraordinary trait from our dearest mother, and because of this our poor dad can never catch a hold of us.

"Where were you at Iram?" said Asim with a mischievious smile.

Tell me why exactly does this dude look like a raccoon whenever he makes that face?

"A-Uhmmm...uhhhhh...  At Farrah's place." I replied with a guilty chuckle. I started fiddling with my fingers, a habit I had since I was young whenever I was caught doing something.

Asim looked at my fingers and then back up at me. The ugly smile on his face turned into an evil Ursula-like chuckle as he headed inside calling our mom to get me in trouble. I stood outside shocked at what he just did and prepared the wrath of my mother. I closed my eyes and started whispering my last wishes in my head.

Dear World, 

I shall give you my last death wishes..

Please don't tell Asim I had my stash of chocolate hidden in my fourth drawer in my nightstand.

Tell Farrah to safely take the whole stash when I die and keep it for herself.

Tell everybody I loved them except for my brother.

And kill Asim for me!

I finally opened my eyes and saw that my mother was coming out of the doorway with her slipper. Oh no, this was no ordinary slipper. This was THE Slipper. It hits harder than a whip ever can. It was my mother's kitchen slipper.

I quickly ran to the back door, running up the stairs and locked myself into the room. 

Whew, I'm safe! 

Until I heard the emergency room keys jingle outside of my door...

"IRRRRAAAAMMMM!!!" Mamma yelled shoving things out of her way to get to my bed.  She looked enraged. Her face was completely red and her eyes glinting with fury. Ya Allah mujko kuch madat dado! (Oh God give me some help!)

"Jee Mamma? (Yes Mom?)" I asked making my face look innocent and cute. She still didn't let go of her expression and I cowered away trying to not look scared at the next long lecture she was going to give me.

"Baat mat karna! Mujhe bohot gussa arahi hai! Ya Allah, mujko kyuw esi beti ko dediya? Ye meri baat benehi suntehi!" Mamma yelled at me. (Don't say anything! I am very angry! Oh God, why did you give me this kind of daughter? She doesn't even listen to me!)

I came up to mother and hugged her, trying to pacify her anger. You do NOT want to be on the bad side of my mother. "Mamma, I'm sorry. I was just at Farrah's house for a group project, please forgive me, naa?" I mumbled holding my ears. She knew that by me surrendering means that I would never do it again.

"Okay fine! But next time don't do that! I was so scared!" she said running her hand through her hair. I nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

She walked away from me, grabbing my clothes from the laundry basket near my desk and left. My mom, unlike other typical Desi parents, had a huge sense  of understanding when it came to parenting. She knew what that a child should have their own dreams and a career of their choice. She also never brushed of Asim and I's feelings off, she always made sure we had someone we could talk to whenever we felt like we were going through a rough time.  I fell in deep thought for what seemed like hours until I heard a voice call me.

 "Iram! Come downstairs we need to talk with Baba!" Asim shouted from down the stairs. 

"Coming!" I called back going to the bathroom. I quickly took off my hijab and ran downstairs to see what was going on. 

And by the looks of it I know that its not going to be a good conversation either...

"Salaam Baba!" I squealed running up to him, hugging him as tight as I could.

 "Walaykumusalam Iram, lets sit down we need to talk." he said very calmly.

 That's really weird. Baba has never been this serious when he's greeted me back. Something doesn't feel right.

I sat down and just stared at them, waiting for an answer. I could tell everybody was trying their hardest to not give the information out first so they waited for a couple of minutes, and I was here sitting like a clueless idiot.

"Sooo.....Who's gonna tell her first?" Asim spoke breaking the two minute silence in our living room.

Wait...Why does Asim get to know the secret first? THIS LITTLE TWAT! I'M GONNA KILL HIM LATER ON!

I glared at Asim and I could see that he was visibly gulping.

Baba sighed and took a deep breath.

Then he dropped the bomb of something I never wanted to hear in my whole life of living in Texas.

 "Iram, we're moving in three days." He said cautiously as if I was a baby, worrying that I might even faint at the news.

I sat there stunned at what words he just uttered. The place I had many memories of, was going to be gone? I am never going to meet my friends again? My other family members? What about my first year at college? School is gonna end tomorrow! So many thoughts were floating around my head and I wasn't processing all the information.

Finally I was snapped back to reality by Mama snapping her fingers.

"Silly girl, always zoning out." Mama said in a quiet voice.

I stared at Baba and quickly composed myself.

"Okay, Baba. It's okay, I respect your wishes. I know that if we are moving its for a good reason." I said in a small voice, afraid that I was going to sob if I spoke any louder.

 Baba nodded and got up the couch. He let out a soft sigh and kissed my forehead.

"Thank you jaan. I knew I could always count on you for being the strong girl you are." he said  with a smile and  headed up the stairs to rest .

"Thank God! I thought I was gonna die with the pin drop silence in the house!" said Asim dramatically. 

As he was turning around, the table leg caught his foot and he tripped, his face meeting the floor for a hug. Yup, he has been watching too many Pakistani shows. 

I laughed hysterically on the couch, looking exactly like a maniac. Asim huffed while crossing his arms in a toddler-like manner and went up the stairs to his room. He is such a baby but I don't blame him at app because I usually tease him in the meanest ways possible. 

I headed upstairs to my room, went into the bathroom to change into my clothes, and finally crashed onto the bed so I could finally rest in a long time.

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