Against The Tide (Formerly Two Tribes)

19: When In Rome, Act Like A Roman

Afrah woke up to a feast. In front of her was a table full of different delicacies.

"Wow, Afrah!" Amal exclaimed. "This is a lot. I can't recall when last I was served so much food."

Afrah chuckled. "The foodie in you hasn't disappeared. I knew you wouldn't be able to keep being on a diet for too long. Go ahead and eat as much as you desire. No one is going to stop you."

Amal rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's dig in."

Afrah didn't know how starved she was until she had a bite of the scrambled eggs on the plate before her. It tasted delicious—just the way she liked her eggs. She couldn't help but wonder who made her such a breakfast. Due to the reception she was given by hajiya Hauwa on the previous day, she knew it couldn't possibly be her. It couldn't be Najah either because that lady despised her. She wondered if it was Jameel's work. Not prepared by him of course—Afrah knew what a poor cook he was. Perhaps he had ordered the dishes from a nearby restaurant.

"Hey!" Amal waved a hand over her face. "Where are you lost? I have been talking to myself like a lunatic."

Afrah snapped out of her trance and shook her head. "I was just wondering who made all these dishes for us."

"Definitely Jameel." Said Amal, munching her pancakes. "Who else?"

Afrah hummed. She ought to have been excited that Jameel had her in his mind all night for him to have her served breakfast so early in the morning, but the fact that his mother wasn't concerned about her hurt her unexplainably. She wanted to convince herself that she didn't need her mother-in-law's validation—that she was okay as long as she had her husband's love, but no matter how hard she tried, it just didn't work. The first thing she recalled when she woke up was the mean things hajiya Hauwa had said to her.

Afrah's head lowered and she dropped her spoon.

"What's wrong?" Amal asked with her mouth full.

"I just lost my appetite." She mumbled.

"You've lost your appetite?" Amal asked, shaking her head. "how's that even possible? You were practically stuffing those eggs in your mouth a few seconds ago."

Afrah heaved a sigh. How was she supposed to explain to her friend why her mood was ruined? She would probably think she was overthinking and creating an issue where there is none.

"Come on," Amal probed. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing, Amal."

"Really now?" Amal asked, widening her eyes. "You've only got his moment to speak about it to me because I will be leaving in a few hours. When I leave, you will have no one to advise you. I know Jameel is here, but you already know I give the best pieces of advice."

Afrah puffed out her cheeks. "Jameel's mother really hates me...I can't stop thinking about the cruel things she said to me. I really wish I can stop myself from doing that."

"You should tell Jameel about it. I'm sure he's going to be furious with his mother."

"Furious?" Afrah chuckled. "Definitely not. Disappointed maybe."

"Whatever it is, you should still tell him. He should know how his mother treated you."

Afrah had thought about doing just that yesterday, but it didn't sit well with her. "Uh-uh."

"You're not going to tell him?"

"What's the point?"

"For him to know how his mother treated you, duh!"