A Sea Of Brown

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

'Safiyya!', I heard maama call out from the kitchen, 'I'm almost done, go get ready'.
I had agreed to deliver a basket to Umm'Ali for maama in the morning. Ever since Abbu got me a car maama never seemed to run out of errands and places to send me. This morning I made maama explain to me why she had to send food to the same people we ate with last night, all she said was she just felt like it and that it was a sign of
appreciation.
I put on my abaya and went to the kitchen.
'Where is the basket?'
'Here', she handed it to me, 'send her my love and tell her I said most of it is for Ali'
'Is there anything you want me to get you on my way back?'
'No, just the basket and come straight back home.'
Maama telling me to come straight back home like there is anywhere else I would rather be. Honestly, when Abbu got me a car I was super excited but after being turned into an errand girl and Sum and Ahmad's personal chauffeur the excitement died out. Abbu got me a car because he would rather I drive myself to college than take the bus everyday. He isn't the least bit comfortable with me being on my own all day but he thought having my own car was the lesser of the two evils.

Umm'Ali was as sweet as always when she opened the door to let me in.
'Come in Safiyya dear', she said with a warm smile.
'Maama asked me to bring this', I said handing her the basket, 'she said I should emphasize that most of it is for Ali'
'Your mother really shouldn't have', she said laughing, 'stressing herself like this for that silly boy who never even went to say hello when he came back'.
I just kept smiling not knowing what to say. I find having conversations with grown ups really hard.
'Please make yourself comfortable', she added.
'I'll be on my way right away, Maama told me not to be long'
'Oh, ok then. Tell her I said its so kind of her and I'll make Ali come visit her even if I have to drag him by the ears.'
'I will', I said and I turned to leave. I was about to open the door and let myself out when it opened and missed my face by inches.
'Bismillah!', said the same voice from yesterday. I found the same brown eyes looking at me, again, but with concern this time. 'I'm so sorry, did I hit you?'
'No', I said with a shaky voice. I wondered why my voice was shaky and I knew it wasn't the scare. I moved out of the way to let him through while staring at my feet but he didn't move, instead I heard him say 'were you here to see my mother? Are you leaving already?'
I looked up and he was still looking at me. Standing this close to him I realized how tall he was with his shaggy hair adding a lot more inches than he needed (that beard though, well kept, MashaAllah, I thought to myself).
I found my voice and answered him 'yes, Maama sent me'.
'Please tell her I said I'll come see her soon inshaAllah', he said moving aside just as I did to let me through too.
'I will', I said, walking past him to my car. Even though I didn't look back as I left I had this feeling I was being watched, I was so sure of it.
While I drove home I couldn't help replaying the two awkward meetings in my head. Thank God this time it was his fault. Why do we keep bumping into each other like that? Next time I would prefer it to be a normal meeting please with no nose hitting, 'almost' nose hitting and no apologies. There was an improvement to our conversation at least, longest we have ever had so far. I probably couldn't recognize him at first last night because his hair used to be a lot shorter, he had no beard and before he left I didn't see much of him.

In the evening I went into Sum's room like I often did, she was on her bed reading a book. It wasn't often you got sisters who are as close as I and Sum are. I'm four years older than she is but that never showed when we were together. I tell her everything and she tells me everything. Most of the time she is the first person I go to for help or advise, though she is sixteen I find a lot of wisdom in her words (Maama has agreed to this before too), she has a good head on her shoulders. I always try as much as I can to be there for her.
'You have been hiding in your room all day, what have you been up to?', I asked, sitting down at the edge of her bed.
She looked up and said 'I've got hooked to this book, I can't drop it'.
I looked at the cover and it read 'Reading Humans'
'What is it about?'
'It's about reading people'
That's Sum, it's so like her to read something like that. She is a complete package of weirdness yet Maama thinks I'm the odd one.
'Why are you even reading something like that?'
'So I can know when you're lying'
'Like I ever tell a lie'
'You do know it's Sum you are talking to right? I know all the tiny white lies you tell here and there'
'They are not lies, I keep telling you it's just modifying the truth, enough to stay clear of trouble. Now drop that book I'm bored'
She finally put it down and looked at me.
'Ok, since you really want my attention, let's talk'
'About...?', I asked
'Ali', she said
It was so unexpected that for a moment I just stared at her.
'Why?' I asked
'Because he had to try really hard to stop himself glancing your way last night', she answered.
'Liar', I said hitting her with a pillow.
'I swear it', she said laughing.
I felt myself blush and I have no idea why (maybe I did).
'Oh my God!' She exclaimed, 'start spilling! There is something you are not telling me.'
'I've got to take away that stupid book from her if I ever want to keep something from her', I thought to myself. She pressed once more and I started spilling. I told her about what happened in the morning and last night, by the time I was done I had her ears standing like an obedient puppy.
'Why didn't you tell me all this earlier?' She said hitting me on the arm
'I don't know', I said
'So want do you think of him?' She asked
'Shut up! You know I don't do things like that'
'Things like what?'
'Things like thinking about boys and other things like that'
'Safiyya stop behaving like the saint that you are and tell me', she teased.
'Since we don't have anything better to talk about it think I'll just go back to my room and embrace my boredom', I said, shoving her book back into her hands. 'I'm leaving before you start giving me ideas'
'Ooh... Looks like somebody has been thinking of 'Things' alright', she kept teasing.
I couldn't hear anymore of it. Or did I? There was this thought way way at the back of my mind I was trying hard to ignore. So what if she brought up a topic I was finding a way to bring up?