Splendid Fall

Ch. 42 Drain the Desert

Chapter 42 

"Nora told me about the girl at school," Maya teased Noor as she sipped her coffee and peered at the boy sitting at the kitchen counter. Birdie looked over her shoulder just in time to see the hint of a blush appear on Noor's cheeks.

"Yeah," Noor drew out the words. "I don't know if I'm going ot ask her out."

"What?" Maya laughed. "Why not?"

"I saw her touch the cafeteria table last week and before she picked up her fries and started eating....she didn't clean her hands."

"Oh good god," Heyder, who was sitting beside his grandson at the breakfast bar sighed, dropping his spoon and letting his head hang.

"That's what I thought too," Noor poked his pancakes.

"So you won't ask her because she eats fries with her hands?" Birdie asked.

"What, no that's ridiculous," Noor snorted. "I won't ask her out because she doesn't wash her hands before she eats."

"Let me ask you something," Birdie turned to the boy. "Is this girl pretty?"

"Sure," Noor shrugged.

"Describe her to me."

"She's sweet, she's a part of the theater club, she has really pretty brown eyes," Noor went on. "She smells good too. Like mangos and strawberries and her hair.."

Maya, Heyder and Birdie watched Noor sigh as his cheeks turned crimson.

"She has really nice hair and her smile," Noor grinned. "Man...her smile is really nice too."

"And you're giving all this up because she doesn't wash her hands?" Heyder asked.

"Yeah," Noor nodded.

Heyder looked at his wife with his finger pointing towards Noor, "No child of mine can be this stupid."

"I'm not a child of yours," Noor corrected. "And honestly, you and dad are so different. I'm not 100% positive he's a child of yours either....maybe Birdie."

Maya laughed as she picked up the knife and began to slice the apple she was cutting. Birdie watched in amusement as Heyder stared at the young boy with suspicion in his eyes.

"Listen, kid," Heyder said. "If you like someone, go for it. What's the worse that can happen?"

"She'll reject you in front of the whole school," Birdie said.

"Or she will get together with her friends and laugh about you," Maya added.

"No, nothing of that sort," Noor narrowed his eyes. "Jeez, why is the older generation so cruel and heartless? Is this what you two did to men who asked you out?"

"No," Maya shook her head.

"Maybe," Birdie laughed.

"Well, not I see why you're single and why mimi was left with only Paba as an option," Noor said.

"Heyder was the only choice," Maya leaned over the counter and kissed the jinn's cheek.

"It's okay, Mimi," Noor shrugged. "I understand. There weren't many fish in the sea so you went with the....eel."

"That's a lot of talk for some puny boy who can't even ask a girl out," Heyder snorted. "Have you ever even kissed a girl?"

"Baba!" Birdie gasped. "Don't embarrass him like that.....you gotta start low. Noor, have you ever even spoken to a girl before?"

"Obviously, you don't don't, right?"

"Leave him alone!" Maya clicked her tongue. "He will do it at his own speed. No one pressure him. When the time is right, Noor, you will know who your person is."