You, Alone. ✅

Chapter 11

Wonder- Shawn mendes

We walked into the royal themed living room. A huge portrait of a dark and chubby man together with a young and fair woman hung on the wall directly opposite the door. Gold and white striped wallpapers covered the concrete walls and also being shield by huge and thick brown curtains. The chairs sat tall, each with a pointed back tip and rounded foots.

As we walked further, Rayyan walked to a hallway and minutes later, the young woman in the portrait came out and gasped

"Ammarah!

Both she and Rayyan paused as she said that. And in an apologetic glance to Rayyan, she turned to me with her initial excitement.

"Ohh is so nice to meet you"

She pulled me into a hug patting my back slightly and then keeping me at arm length to observe me "You're so pretty"

"Thank you" I smiled "You're also beautiful, and so is your home"

She waved a dismissal hand "God works miracle for his servants. I never thought I could visit a house like this, and here I am living in it"

I realized how she's a trophy wife and absolutely living her best life so I nodded "You're absolutely living the life"

I let her absorb the compliment and then she smiled before ushering us into the living room.

"I didn't know you were coming" She said as we sat down

"It was a last minute thought" Rayyan replied

"I'm talking about Ammarah. I don't care if you drop by from work or not"

She turned her ahead in the direction of a room and called out before shouting "Bring them something"

She turned to me and smiled "I'm his elder sister Binta and you must be Ammarah"

I nodded "Nice to meet you Binta"

"I heard so much about you and I'm not even going to pretend I didn't. Rayyan talks about you and how you love his painting"

I nodded amused at Rayyan's embarrassment "I do. He paints beautifully"

She smiled and we fell into a conversation. Minutes later, she called us to eat lunch and we sat at the yet again golden table. When we finished, we went back to the living room.

"Do you have any kids? I asked after we prayed zuhr

She nodded "Three and my dear, it's not funny"

I laughed "You love them a lot?

She looked at me and nodded "Of course I do. It sometimes gets exhausting but it is also satisfying. Watching a human grow, a human that was once in you"

"That must be wonderful"

"That doesn't mean it isn't scary. I breath a sigh of relief every time they leave to school"

We all laughed and she shook her head addressing Rayyan "Remember the time you and Sadiq play with water under the tap and when caught, you run out of the house until it's Maghreb"

Rayyan groaned and shook his head while Binta laughed and turned to me "They thought they will escape only to meet the punishment of two things. Playing with water and running"

"Our mom used to whip them while they cried and yet they prefer that to my dad's scolding" She laughed again while I joined her trying to imagine a young notorious Rayyan. A Rayyan who wasn't calm or soft or patient or kind. A Rayyan who didn't know he would be an almajiri or school or own a spice shop or be an artist. A Rayyan who didn't know his life or what is ahead and still doesn't care. Made me think if I also had that childhood?