The Angel And The Devil

5

The day was going to be tomorrow and she still hadn't mustered up the courage to say goodbye to her parents. She just doesn't want to and that was why she was afraid.

Now there she was again, pacing in her room, fumbling with her hijab, her cover. It was second nature to her. She had been wearing it ever since she was little.

She doesn't take it off, never! Except to bathe and brush or braid her hair. She even slept with it on. Her Abba called her his hijabi princess because of it.

She just walked around her room, sweating profusely in the cool air conditioning. She felt sick to her stomach or maybe it was nervousness.

She didn't know what to do. And then, an idea came to her. She was going to spend her last day with her family.

She went downstairs to the kitchen and met her Ammi taking out some pots to cook breakfast.

"Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu ya ammi."

She greeted chirpily and kissed both of her cheeks and her forehead.

"wa alaykumus salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, habibiti."

She answered, looking at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads.

"What happened, Ammi? Is there something on my face?"

She had asked, reaching out to touch her face tentatively.

"No dear, but you are unusually chirpy and in the morning too!"

Her mother exclaimed, eyeing her from head to toe.

That was because she was totally not a morning person. Not even a bit. She was very grumpy in the morning, especially when she gets woken up.

"I just feel really good all of a sudden. I'm taking the day off today from my job at the day care to spend it with my family."

On days she didn't go to college, she went to the daycare just to spend time with the babies there.

Her mother smiled lovingly at her and grinned and nodded her head.

"Oh, very good dear."

She pinched her cheek lovingly, proud that at least one of her children had time for family.

"Ammi, just go and sit down. I want to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for everybody today."

She had insisted and her mother opened her mouth to object.

"But a--"

Afni stopped her and the woman looked at her daughter with a confused look.

"No! Ammi, you do this everyday. I want to do it today and besides you are running a fever. Just look at how pale you are. And your skin is burning!"

She smiled at Afni and nodded as she reached out the back of her hand to her mother's forehead.

"Don't mess up my kitchen, young lady!"

She warned or more like scolded and Afni promised and crossed her heart.

She left for her room and the girl started making coffee for herself and her Abba and then tea for everybody else.

She made toast and omelets. Then she made pancakes and waffles and brownies and then fresh orange juice.

She had finished setting the table just as everybody had come out of their rooms. She greeted them all and they sat down to eat.

"Wow! Who has cooked all this food for us?"

Abba asked and she smiled.

"it was me, Abba. "