The Wedding

Chapter 15

Friday

15 days to the wedding

"I should go tell Rahma" Laila said to Mukhtar "Yusuf is almost here"

Mukhtar nodded and she excused herself, headed to the guest room leaving him standing in the middle of the living room. He heard clanks from the kitchen and headed there.

From the door he watched the little girl Ya Zainab brought home- Ya Zainab's soon to be niece in law if Laila's gossips were reliable- tip toe towards Ya Halima and tickle her on the small of her back. Mukhtar smiled as Ya Halima jumped a little, scared. She turned around to find Maryam giggling.

"What are you doing here?" Ya Halima asked her, her breathing ragged.

"Aunty Zainab is dressing up so I left the room"

Ya Halima nodded then turned back to the counter, to continue chopping vegetables. She spoke over her shoulder to Maryam "I'm working so why don't you go hang out with Aunty Laila?"

"She and Uncle Mukhtar are talking so I came to you" Maryam replied as she tried to climb the counter by the sink. Mukhtar watched as she placed her first knee on the marble top just for it to slip resulting in her falling back. He instinctively reached forward but Ya Halima threw away the knife and luckily caught her before she hit the hard tiled floor. He stood back and watched his sister steady the girl just for her to say

"What were you thinking?!" Ya Halima scolded making the girl flinch "You could have been seriously hurt!"

"I'm sorry"

"How do you think your mother would feel?!" Mukhtar frowned and tried to see his sister's face from where he stood. But she had her back to him and they were still unaware of his presence, he wanted to be sure.... Was she crying? "If anything happened to you"

Maryam stood there, fingers laced and staring at the floor. Ya Halima grabbed a rag by the sink and dried the counter where Maryam had previously tried to climb. She went over the marble several times, until Mukhtar decided she was just venting on it and the water was since gone. When she stopped she looked at Maryam, then her expression softened

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just didn't want you to get hurt" Maryam nodded biting her lip. Ya Halima picked her up and placed her on the now dry counter, "Don't do that again okay? Next time ask me to help you"

Maryam looked up to meet Ya Halima's eyes and she didn't look scared anymore.

"Have you forgiven me?" Ya Halima asked

She shot her a toothy grin and Ya Halima too smiled, before returning to her chopping board. He walked into the kitchen and asked Maryam if she wanted to go outside with him and she agreed. He helped her down the counter and she waved at Ya Halima before holding Mukhtar's hand and walking out with him.

XXX

"She's so confused!" Yusuf complained "You should have seen me trying to convince her it wasn't time for dawn prayers yet"

Laila laughed leaning back against the car door. "I used to think all grandmas were sweet and amazing and spoiled you with sweets. Obviously yours is nothing like that"

"Almost every ten minutes she'd ask why Rahma wasn't there. And I'd have to explain to her all over how she asked to stay back with you. Then she'd go on about why I didn't bring you along too, I'd then remind her how we're not married yet. She'd then move onto why I'm not married yet and sometimes even breaks down saying she'd die before getting to see her grandson"

Laila frowned "But you are her grandson"

Yusuf snorted "Would you mind telling her that? I tried she won't listen"