NORTON

Meeting the Real Ayaan

CHAPTER 2

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The presence of baby Pumla in the tiny apartment brought joy in ways they didn't expect. Kim and Norton smiled at every development their child went through. Aayan's unemployment status also didn't impact their livelihood too much. Norton had saved enough for five months and Kim opted for the exclusive breast-feeding option for the first six months of their child. Thanks to this, the baby's only financial needs were nappies. Aayan bought two big cloths and his wife sewed the baby's dresses and pajamas. Kim's mother and sister bought clothes from the store for the baby and Norton's family bought nothing. Aayan's mother, Suvika, was still struggling to accept Kim as Aayan's wife and her influence quickly spread to her other sons and their wives. During their visits, the Nortons mostly spoke to Aayan then held the baby for a few minutes before excusing themselves.

Aayan and Kim hardly had visitors so the child became a replica of her parents in a lot of ways. Pumla mostly played in silence and even cried softly. They went to the temple regularly and Norton was still unemployed five months later.

The Landlord threatened to put them out if they couldn't pay rent for the second time and that's when Norton decided to put his pride aside. For less pay, he took a job in a garden servicing company. His duties included mowing and raking the yards of the upper class. Depending on how he was rostered, he was away from home for seven or eight hours a day. He no longer could afford to save for unforeseen circumstances but his wages covered their daily needs. Kim deeply desired to use her sewing skill to generate an additional income but she knew her husband wouldn't be open to the idea of unholy strangers making contact with his wife and innocent child. That would also encourage the culture of regular talk by his wife and Kim knew this would drive him crazy. It was bad enough that the Dulux ladies liked to show up to see the baby and had his wife talk more than usual. Aayan couldn't see how talking so much couldn't lead to some form of sin. Either gossip or lies were bound to slip out of one's tongue if they spoke more than it was required. Kim's mother detested the unspoken rule of silence in her daughter's house and she always ensured that her visits coincided with Aayan's working hours. Winnie saw her sister whenever she wanted to and paid little attention to her brother-in-law's strict rules.

Thanks to the humble life they were already leading, Aayan and Kim survived on little and Aayan continued to seek employment elsewhere while still gardening for the middle class. Their visits to the temple started becoming a little more pleasurable for Kim, whose bundle of joy was a hit with many females. Kim initially felt like an outcast when she got married because Aayan's family made it no secret that they expected him to choose a wife who grew up Muslim. Many at the mosque liked and treated her really well when the Norton family members weren't looking. She persevered under unpleasant conditions and didn't feel completely welcomed up until she and Aayan showed up with adorable Pumla. The little girl radiated her father's light skin tone, beautiful smile and big eyes enhanced by long lashes. All the ladies wanted a turn with the new Norton member and this gave Kim a warm, fuzzy feeling. One of the Imams asked what the baby's name was when the Nortons first took her to mosque and Aayan's answer was, Pumla Bibi Norton. Kim's eyes glowed with fresh tears but luckily for her, the veil covering her face revealed nothing. The Imam was too focused on the child anyway to notice the mother's teary joy. Aayan had fully accepted their daughter and life at home was happy but only for a few years.

Aayan continued to search for better employment but failed to secure one that accommodated his religion fully. As a devout Muslim man, attending Friday's prayer, Jumu'ah, was as imperative as breathing but potential employers saw no business sense in letting an employee skip work on Friday just to go pray. "Pray in the morning before you come to work" one manager told him once. He stuck it out with the gardening service company and three years later, they moved him to the office. As the manager of the physical laborers, Norton mostly monitored operations, equipment and rostered stuff. One of the very first things he did with his increased wage was buy a bigger couch and television set for Kim. Pumla especially loved the hunchback colourful box and her ability to stay mum started to match her mother's. A few months later, Aayan bought an upgraded sewing machine for his wife who especially loved creating dresses for her princess. When she wasn't doing house chores or taking care of Norton's needs, Kim spent time plaiting and styling Pumla's hair too. She was happily married and loved being a housewife.