Freeing or Fleeing

Chapter Four - An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter Four

I poured the last of the heated milk into Eijaz's favourite mug, a lime green one with the words 'home sweet home' written on it in white letters, and stirred the tea. It was a Saturday so he was off for the next two days, back to his stressed-filled life on Monday. Although, he might argue that weekends are quite tiresome too with all the arguments he has with Mum trying to defend me.

As I exited the kitchen with his mug in my hand, I made a mental note of rinsing out the milk carton and chucking it away in the recycling bin, anticipating a complaint if I didn't. I entered the living room to the backs of Mum and Eijaz sat beside each other on the three-seat sofa that faced the television on the wall. Eijaz had his head resting on Mum's shoulder as she had one hand her stroking his hair and the other holding her tea mug. Earlier, when I had made tea for Mum, I had returned to the kitchen to clear up only to hear footsteps coming downstairs so I thought to make tea for Eijaz too.

"I had to wait two hours after I should have finished work for a client to send me the information because that's what they told me they'd get it to me by. I waited an extra hour after even that and they didn't even get back to me," Eijaz moaned, talking about work.

"My poor baby, it's okay, just rest today; don't think about work." Mum moved on to stroke his cheek.

I cringed from behind them, disliking how Mum always babied him.

"Assalumu alaikum," I spoke, moving around the sofa and standing next to Eijaz. "Your tea"

"Waalaikum assalam," they both replied in unison, although Mum had already returned my salam when I had first seen her this morning.

Eijaz's tired face looked up at me and gave me a grateful smile.

"JazakAllah khairan," he said, ever so quietly.

"Wa Antum Fa JazakAllahu khairan. Let me go get you some biscuits."

I glanced over at Mum's tea mug to see that there was still some tea in there, otherwise I would have taken it back to the kitchen with me.

Returning to the kitchen, I rinsed out the milk carton and went outside to throw it away into the recycling bin. Back in the kitchen, I pulled out the box that contained the digestive biscuits and went to the living room, placing the box on the glass coffee table in front of Eijaz.

"What took you so long? My son is getting hungry." Mum frowned at me as I took a seat on the one-seat sofa, which was adjacent to the one they sat on, closer to Eijaz's side. Her tone was aggressive.

"Uh, sorry, I had to go throw the milk carton away," I replied.

"it's okay, Mum," Eijaz commented.

I froze on my seat, scared that any movement at all would trigger her. Could she not give me a break for once? I watched her lean forward and place her empty mug on the table. She turned to the television, which was just background noise up until then.

After a couple of more minutes, Mum sighed.

"I guess I have to do everything," she grumbled.

She reached out for her mug and made to get up, forcing Eijaz to lift his head away from her shoulder. I knew she wasn't really going to get up. Eijaz turned to me, begging with his eyes, for me to take the mug back to the kitchen instead.

Usually, he would help me around the house but with his mother around, he was bound to the culture of his upbringing in the hopes to prevent the complaints that all too often spewed out of her mouth.