LOST II

Chapter 46: "Wrong Message"

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First draft: May 25, 2021

Turns out, it was no dreaded proposal from any eternally blasted Torgul 'Princit Sparkles'. Rather her mother had made some pies and she wanted Salma to take one to Anne's because --

"Your brother ate half of it the last time I asked him to deliver a pie at Anne's!" her mother complained.

Salma sighed in exasperation for the umpteenth time as she grabbed the tray.

"Not true!" Asim yelled from upstairs in his defense. "Anne told me to stay and help myself!"

"And you had absolutely no shame and ate their share!" her mother replied.

"I don't reject kind offers!"

"How about you deliver this one and accept another offer?" Salma suggested much to her mother's disappointment.

"Nah, be my guest and do the delivery, however, if Anne offers you to stay and help yourself, you can bring it up to me here!"

"ASIM!"

"I'm kidding, mum!"

"Behave yourself!"

"I said I was kidding!"

Salma laughed, making her way out of the kitchen as her mother continued scolding Asim for lacking manners. The street was quiet, cool and dark, except for the street lamps providing some much needed luminescence for navigation.

"Assalamo'Alaikom!" Salma called into the night as she crossed the street. "I know you're out there. Keeping eye on things. Keeping us safe. Whoever you are. Thank you!"

She stepped onto Uncle Dawood's driveway, feeling half crazy, half amused. She imagined a Green Coat watching over the street, witnessing her mad conversation with the thin air and smiling, knowing it was meant for them. Salma looked around.

"Please stay safe," she barely whispered. "Ya'll mean the world to me."

Now sure that she was bordering on crazy, Salma whipped on her feet and walked up the steps. She knocked on Uncle Dawood's door.

She could hear their voices inside but no one opened the door. Balancing the tray in one hand, she reach for the door knob and entered the foyer.

"Uncle Dawood?!" Salma called, announcing her presence. "Anne?"

"It's Salma." She heard Uncle Dawood mutter, then came the sniffs. Salma's brow furrowed. "We're here!" he called from the sitting room. Something was not right about his voice. "Come on in!" 

Salma cautiously stepped into the sitting room to see her Uncle pulling away from a crying Anne after kissing her forehead. At first embarrassed that she was intruding upon their private moment, Salma straight away panicked to see moisture around his eyes too.

"What's going on?!" Salma cried.

Uncle Dawood sniffed, wiping his face with his sleeve as he walked to her. Salma quickly rid herself of the tray with pies.

"Uncle Dawood?" she cried. "Is everything alright?"

"It is." He sniffed, then laughed. "It's more than alright actually." Salma got even more confused when he pulled her into a hug. "You want to hear it from Anne or me?" he asked.

Bewildered, Salma glanced between her Uncle and Aunt, unable to make any sense of their raw eyes and smiling faces. Was it a topsy-turvy day today?