Something lived, Something felt

CHAPTER 23

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CHAPTER 23

  Looking through the room she realized how big and elegant it was. It was a modern Arab sitting. The ground chairs where simply fine, she knew her cousin Faiza would die for the room. Hauwa and Fauziyah were in their room.

She took out her phone and dialled mama's number twice but she didn't answer. She called Khadijah who picked like she was waiting.

"Amarya" she screamed causing her to remove the phone from her ear, she smiled hearing a familiar voice, she missed home but she had made a decision she had to live with it.

"Burst my ear and be happy"

" I reach? I no want trouble with your husbi abeg. How far nah, gist me oya" she said impatiently.

"See you, gulma will kill you" she laughed

"See leave that one, them Nafisa sent us pictures from your transit. I want to hear everything". She didn't tell her much except for the breakfast incident.

"Aww Oh my" she gushed " I can't wait to get married too so that my husband and I can do public display of affection" she continued. Zinar rolled her eyes from the other end.

"Am just waiting for anti-Hauwa to gist everyone she knows about it".

"Don't forget adding salt and Maggi" Khadijah finished and they both laughed. Anti Hauwa was the fun aunt, the only flaw with her was her mouth. She could exaggerate everything.

She heard a knock on the door and she went to open. It was Nafisa and Amna they had come to show her around the house. They left the room together after they chatted with Khadijah for a while.

"So do you like it here?" Nafisa asked Zinar, they were on the swing set just beside the main house. The house was enormous. It was bigger than both the girl's homes back in Canada. She wondered how just three people lived in it, though there were maids but still. They walked to the garden. It was serene, it was big yet it was moderate for the house, she looked around admiring the absolute beauty of nature, the different flowers, the trimmed carpet grass; it looked perfectly green and kept almost like it was artificial.

"Is that a fish pond?" she asked forgetting the question she was asked. She moved closer and it was a fishpond. She sprinkles some of the feeds she saw and watched as they race to the surface for a bite.

"Yeah, Jaddo loves fishing. He got it built after his legs started to feeble." Amna answered.

"How often do you come here"

"Abi and Abu come here quite often to check with work" Nafisa shrugged. (Abi- Omar while Abu- Abdullah.) They showed her the rest of the house and each place they showed her was its own lit. They snapped a bunch of pictures before heading inside. It was already time for zuhur. The ladies prayed together while the men went to the masjid, Ahmad was out for some errands for Jidda, he had sent Nafisa to tell his wife.

"Try some of this" Jidda said to Zinar. They were seated on the table for lunch. She had made her try almost all the Arab dishes severed ranging from fatir, tabbouleh to kapsa and many other dishes. She told her she had to get use to the Arab meals since she was married to one. Most of it were nice except for the ones that were tasteless or dry. She had had Arabian dishes before and could even cook a few, she learnt from when she was in Egypt. Launch didn't seem as awkward and uncomfortable as breakfast. She was still shy and nervous but managed to catch on and laugh at the jokes Jaddo made. Things seemed great, they were all trying to make her feel at home.

"I hear you are quite good with crochet and wool" Jidda asked adding more salata to her plate.

She looked around with a nervous laugh "I won't say good".