Kindred Ties

Chapter 22

Maryam was in the kitchen making breakfast for herself when yasmin walked in, with ear plugs on and humming to a song. She peeped at the food that Maryam was making. "Ya maryam dan Allah zanchi." Yasmin begged.

"Bazaki ci ba." Maryam said without sparing her a glance. "Dan Allah mana" she begged but she ignored her.

"What should I help you with?" Yasmin asked looking around her trying to find what to help her with. Maryam looked at her and shrugged saying "Nothing, just go back to the living room and sit cause I ain't doing nothing with you." Yasmin came and stood beside her saying, "Dan Allah mana it looks so delicious, what are you going to make with..- she counted the eggshells on the counter that maryam had used and continued, "with 6 eggs?"

"Rolled omelette."
"And eat it with what?"
"Fries and pepper sauce."
"Please ya maryam, you know your pepper sauce is to die for, please make it with me." She pleaded and maryam looked at her and said, "Thanks for the compliment." Then she looked at Yasmin with a confused expression, "it's a compliment right? You know my English is slowly disappearing, rashin makaranta."
"Irin you have finished school dinnan, Wallahi I'm so jealous. Me I'm just starting university."

"it's just a matter of time before you also finish, kaman gobe ne." She said as she poured half the egg mixture in a pan. Yasmin rolled her eyes "yeah yeah kaman gobe ne." She said with a note of sarcasm in her voice. Maryam chuckled and asked her to help blend some veggies.

She finished making the breakfast for herself, mama and yasmin, put it in a plate, and gave mama hers before coming to the living room and settling on the love seat. She kept her plate, and cup of tea on the side stool, and grabbed her laptop from the center table. She turned it on, and went to YouTube to watch Lauryn doan's vlogs. She ate as she watched it. When she was done, she paused the video, and took the plate to the kitchen.

"Maryam." Ya Mubarak called her as he walked into the kitchen. "Na'am." She turned to find him opening the sauce pan. "Ba abinchi?"
"Yeah." She dropped the plate in the sink.
"What did you eat?"
"Chips and egg."
"And it's finished?"
"Yeah." She quickly washed her plate and kept it in the basket.

"Oh God, I'm so hungry." He groaned and sat on the kitchen stool. Maryam looked at him and chuckled saying, "I think we have some tuwo left with granny's soup."
"Yes! I was actually craving tuwo can you imagine?" She nodded her head saying, "yes I can, because you and mama are the only tuwo lovers in this house."

She then exited the kitchen and was on her way back to the living room, when she bumped into Ahmad; her stepbrother in his mini car. "Ya Maryam Ina kwana." He greeted. "Ahmad how are you?" He smiled revealing his missing tooth gap. "Fine." She nodded and said, "I see you have gotten your dream car." She pointed. He frankly nodded saying, "yes, mummy bought it for me yesterday."
"Madallah." "Ya Maryam where is fatima please, I want to show her my car."
"I don't know, maybe she is with mama." He thanked and they went their separate ways.

Maryam went back to the parlor and finished her tea while watching Arrow. She was halfway through an episode, when mama walked in. "Maryam bazaku tashi kuje kuyi abinchin rana ba?" Mama asked looking at Maryam. Maryam also looked up saying, "zamuyi."
"Oya get up and go cook the food now." She internally groaned, closed her laptop and stood up. "What should I cook?"
"I don't know, anything."

She turned and walked to their room where she found ya amma seated on the bed talking in hushed tone on the phone, and yasmin in front of her camera just blabbering. She and Maryam sometimes vlog and just keep the video I'm the gallery. "Yasmin go and cook something, I cooked the last time."

Yasmin quickly paused her video and looked at maryam. "What? please Adda, I'm kinda busy here."
"Okay, let me go and tell mama that." She turned and Yasmin was quick to grab her arm saying, "no, I will go make it. But what?" Maryam shrugged and push pass her into the room. She sat on her bed and grabbed her phone from the bedside drawer, only to find two missed calls from Aisha.