A Sea Of Brown

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

'Just one more to go over and that will be it', I thought to myself. I had to go over everything I did since morning to make sure I didn't create a mix up because half the morning I was completely distracted. I had made up my mind to go see Aisha when I was done with work, I needed to off load my thoughts on someone real bad and Aisha was the perfect person to go to. I called her first to check if she was home.

'Aysh please tell me you are home', I said when she answered the phone.
'Yes, are you coming?' She asked
'Yes, in a few minutes'
'You sound odd, what is it?'
'I'll tell you when I get there'
'Ok, give me the headlines'
'You wouldn't even believe me if I did. You'll get the full details soon'
'Then hurry up and get here'
Ok, ok, I'm coming' and I hung up

I put everything away and tidied up then left. On my way I kept trying to imagine her reaction when I told her about my conversation with Maama this morning. She would probably give me her wide eyed stare, her eyes almost doubled in size whenever she received unbelievable news, this one was sure to produce the same effect.

When I got to Aisha's her mother let me in and I went up to her room. She was lying on the floor of her room with papers littered around her.

'Finally', she said when she saw me. I dropped my bag on the floor and plumped myself on her bed letting all the exhaustion sip into her covers and away from my skin.
'So... Out with it' She said when I was still quiet.
'Abbu found me a husband' I blurted out. I raised up my head to watch her reaction and sure enough she was all wide eyed just as I imagined.
'What?!' Was her reply, 'you're joking with me right?!'
'Nope. Maama broke it to me this morning'
Aisha sat up, 'Details lady! Details!'

So I told her everything that happened that morning plus the conversation with Maama after I graduated, how I agreed to her and Abbu and all. I thought her eyes wouldn't get any bigger but they did, looking more like dotted tennis balls when I was done.

'So you're sure you have no idea who it is?'
'No idea. I didn't ask. It didn't occur to me to ask her before I left. I couldn't get past the news to get to the 'who' part'.
'Are you going to go through with it?'
'I have to meet him first'
'...and you are free to say no if he doesn't do?'
'Yes, it was part of the agreement'
'Well that's reassuring, isn't it?'
'It is, kind of, I think, I'm not sure'
She got up off the floor and sat next to me.
'Don't stress yourself up Safiyya', she said, 'it's either he doesn't do, you let them know and the whole thing is called off and forgotten...'
'Until the next one comes along', I interrupted
'Yes... Or he's this super sweet amazing looking brother you fall head over heels for and you two live happily ever after'
'Yeah, right'
'Come on, you can at least stay positive, honestly I have a good feeling about this'
'I'm trying', I said, 'I've got it off my chest but now I'm getting nervous'
'Why nervous?' Aisha asked
'I'll be meeting a total stranger, it's like a blind date' I explained
'It sounds funny when you put it that way', Aisha laughed, 'but hey, he's probably somewhere being nervous about it too right now'

I laughed too. It was actually soothing to imagine the poor brother sweating about how to impress me. I got a bit tempted to make things a bit difficult for him when we did meet but Maama will probably make me promise not to. Talking to Aisha made me feel better, a lot better.

I got home still feeling a bit odd, this time because I wasn't sure what to say to Maama in case she brought up the topic again. I was considering just hiding in my room for the rest of the evening but I had to let her know I was home. One thing I was sure I wanted to do was hide from Abbu for as long as I could.
Ahmad was watching a football match when I got in and he was alone. It was hard to get his attention these days, he was either out playing football with his friends, home watching football or playing FIFA on PS. A typical 12year old obsessed with football.

'Ahmad, where is Maama?' I asked him.
'Doing laundry', he said not looking away from the t.v.
'Thank God', I thought to myself.

I ran into Sum halfway up the stairs and she looked relieved to see me.

'What took you so long?' She asked, pulling me by the arm and hurrying me to her room.
'What is it?' Looking at her queasily.
'I heard Maama and Abbu talking about you', she explained, 'something about marriage and someone you are supposed to meet, what is going on?' She gave me a questioning look.

I had to recount the whole day's events again. Sum, being the person she was, couldn't stop laughing by the time I was done.

'Can you tell me what part of this is so amusing and funny to you?' I asked
'It's funny because you, my dear, have just been placed on the hot sit', she continued laughing, '...and I'm trying to imagine the meeting and how awkward it's all going to be for you, plus Its making me thank God I'm not the first'

I left Sum laughing and went into my room. Some moments later Maama knocked on my door.