Their Fate

chapter 12

After dropping mama back home after the grocery trip, I call Ihsan. My head is exploding with the number of questions I am giving it.

She picks up the phone just after two rings, "hello." Her voice is hushed. Where the heaven is she?

"Where are you Ihsan?"

"In a cafe, having brunch." Her voice is still hushed. Why is her voice like that?

"What's going on? Why are you mumbling? Tell me the cafe's name, I am coming." I don't know where she took Ali and now her quiet voice is seriously making me worry.

"Oh! I'll send you the location. Bye, then, gotta eat." With that, she cuts the call. This woman seriously has a good relationship with troubles. And now she is in a cafe having brunch, that too with my kid?
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Following the location map, I am now in front of a French cafe. Eyeing the exterior for a good few minutes, I finally feel like getting inside this beautifully built facade.

The inside of the cafe is also like the exterior, With walls clothed in wood and burnt bricks. The walls were bathed in a chocolate brown color. Off-white marble carpeted the floor. It matched the wall like a match made in heaven.

It had traditional small wooden square tables with four chairs per table. The color was the same as on the wall. Classic black and white frames hanging on the walls gave the cafe a retro vibe.

After doing a clear excursion of the cafe, I browsed for my little one and Ihsan. The cafe is not crammed with people but it is large enough to give a proper scan.

Abruptly, I think I heard a Baaba. But I am not sure. Again, I heard it. I look for the source and there he is, sitting on the lap of a woman. Wait...!

A woman?

Slowly but surely our eyes met.

Her eyes widen. And my heart starts to race. She quickly looks away. A guilty conscience slapped me in the face. Did I just stare at a stranger woman? Instead of lowering my gaze!

"Ibrahim!" I hear Ihsan call my name, and I lowered my gaze. Reluctantly, I walk to them. Who is this woman? I mean, why do I feel like this is a trap for me?

And then it kicks in, Is she the woman that Ihsan was talking about yesterday? Maybe, it's just one of her friends. It seems like I am walking in the air or maybe I am walking too slowly?

Once I am near, I let my eyes on Ihsan who is grinning ear to ear. This woman!
"Assalam Alaikum." I greet looking at Ali, the salam is for both the woman not just Ihsan. I hear them both greeting me back.

"Baabaa..." Ali stretches his arm, enthusiastically. I love this little man. He is still sitting in the lap of the woman, but without going near or making a contact with woman, I scoop my munchkin into my arms. He giggles, ruffling my neatly set hair. Oops.

"Have you had anything?" My sister questions. I haven't had anything, but I am too self-conscious to eat in front of a stranger woman. Especially, after many things happened in my life. I just give her a nod.

"Are you done? Can we make a go?" I just don't want to stay here. Weekends are the only hope for me. I just want to go to her house and sleep my eyes out.

I can see the woman shifting in her chair through my reflection. Whoever this is, she is extremely nervous. I can say that without looking.

"I'm still in the middle of a brunch! Sit and wait here till I am done." I glare at her. She is making her statement sound deliberate. Sigh. She has always been a slow eater. "Oh and this is Hairah. Hairah, meet my brother, Ibrahim." Hairah. I still didn't look the woman in the face but in her direction. And give a nod.