The Girl Who Carried the Sun

Twenty Four

Twenty Four
★★★

Amir stayed with Daniel and Lily until his mother returned home, which was after three long days and three long nights. The boy waited — anticipated really — for his mother's return in the sunny front yard of Puh Khozii's after lunch, slowly munching on a packet of chips. He sat on Lily's lap. Three long days and three long nights had been quite enough for Amir to get to know and be comfortable with Daniel, Lily and the entire family. It had been quite a while since they hadn't had a child in their household. Sahriine would bring her daughter, Veidonae, to the village mostly only during occasions and so, the waiting was always too long and the missing was always too terribly deep. And Amir just happened to be a blessing that filled the void.

Every one in the family was easily taken with his dimpled smiles and adorable eyes. Puh Khozii would always bring a snack for him from the village shop if he was ever out of the house. Aunty Lily would pack delicious and attractive dishes for his lunchbox at school, those she watched and learned from YouTube just for him. It was nice staying with Sir Daniel and Aunty Lily but of course, he missed his Ama very very much.

"Amir, if your Ama is returning today, who will you sleep with? Won't you be sleeping with Sir Daniel tonight?" asked Veihriine.

Amir carefully bit into a big piece of potato chip, breaking it in the middle and said, "Tonight I will sleep with Ama. But tomorrow I can sleep with Sir Daniel."

"And what about me? When will you sleep with me?" Lily nudged him on his back.

Amir took a moment to think and said thoughtfully, "I can sleep with you and Sir Daniel on Saturdays and Sundays since they are holidays. I don't think Ama will let me sleep over on school days. We always study together at night."

Awing with a softened heart, Lily holds him tighter and kissed him on his head, saying, "Then, you can stay over with us on Saturdays and Sundays. And on school days, you can come over to play and have snacks after school... You know just come over whenever you feel like."

The boy nodded.

"Why don't you just stay with Sir Daniel and aunty Lily?" teased Veihriine. "Aunty Lily is so nice and she also makes delicious things for your tiffin, doesn't she?"

Amir smiled bashfully and said something that had the rest of them laughing out.

"Ama's roti is also good," he said. And that was it. No more. No less. Aunty Lily could be as nice as she could get but, he still loved and preferred his Ama's roti. He would return to his Ama, to his little hut. It had been nice with Sir Daniel and aunty Lily, but there was nothing like home.

When Sir Daniel's truck finally came into view and turned into the yard, the boy jumped to his feet and called out to his mother who he saw through the film of dusty windows. Asha, who appeared much stronger now, and Che Dune beamed from the inside at the sight of the boy's happiness. He went and grabbed his mother once the door was opened. That night, he returned home. That night, Lily and Daniel stayed up late out in the porch, feeling incomplete.

A gentle breeze kept brushing past the front porch, bringing a gentle chill on their skin, taking a portion of the fragrance of the potted flowers, a chink of the wind chime, and then rushing off to the trees bordering the plot. There were no other houses in the vicinity and usually after dusk, the house would fall nearly into silence and a cool calm ruled the nights. Now, it was just the two of them. For three nights, their world seemed upside down in the presence of a child. It had been far from the usual, frightening even, but worth cherishing and wishing for.

"I wonder if he's asleep. I miss putting him to bed and watching him sleep," Lily said, resting her chin on the railing on top of her folded arms.

"Hmm," Daniel nodded and turned to look at her. She seemed a mixture of peace and sadness. And the look in her eyes held a sentimental note of searching for something faraway.