Accepting You

Chapter Sixty One

"Eid Mubarak Asiya!" Kulthum screamed as she crashed a hug into Asiya's side and nearly slammed her body into the ground. Asiya squeezed her younger sister back and laughed as Kulthum tickled her head under her chin.

"Eid Mubarak!" Aminah cheered from behind them.

"Don't forget about me," Asiya's mother said as she cocooned all of them in her arms and pressed a quick kiss on each of their foreheads.

Once they had untangled themselves from each other, Asiya stood up. She blocked out the sun with a flat hand above her brows and moved her eyes across the landscape.

Hundreds of celebratory dressed Muslims had spread themselves across the field, covering the grass with disorganised clumps of colour like wildflowers shooting their way above ground.

Asiya's eyes searched through the crowd. Kids were skipping their parents to the amusement park. Adults were exchanging handshakes and cheek kisses. Teens were harvesting sweets from younger kids like they were dealing with a black-market exchange. It was like playing a game of Where's Wally?

"Asiya, you'll see your husband when we're back home," Kulthum said as she tugged on Asiya's hand. "Sit down and snack with us."

"I just wanted to say Eid Mubarak," Asiya pouted as she lowered herself onto the mat. "I didn't even speak to Yusuf properly this morning. We all went in separate cars, and the men left earlier than us."

"Yeah, blame Mrs soon-to-be two under two for that." Kulthum nodded in Aminah's direction. "Because of Aminah's truckload of kids, we had to take two cars."

"Oi. I only have one kid right now. Watch yourself," Aminah scolded playfully as Fawaz squirmed restlessly in her lap. "We used to barely fit in one car when we were all single, anyway."

"Someone needs to watch you!" Kulthum remarked as she prodded Aminah's stiff belly. "Another one? At this rate, you'll be singlehandedly responsible for a population crisis."

Asiya snickered at her sister's exchange while her mum scowled.

"Kulthum! E dáké!" Asiya's mother masked her reprimand with a smile. "We're in public."

"Okay, mummy. But you do know the aunties are sat over there, right? You and Aminah should join them." Kulthum batted her eyelashes innocently as she referred to the group of predominantly Nigerian women a few feet away from them.

Like it was a ritual, members of Asiya's community often stayed behind after the Eid salah and picnicked on cultural snacks and chatter. With geles sprayed with glitter, sequined lace and different coloured iro's, buba's and asoebi, the women buzzed around their coolers, plating up puff-puff, meat pies and fish rolls like the wings of butterflies splashed with light.

"Mummy, take your grandchild with you, please." Fawaz kicked his chunky legs in the air as Aminah lifted him like he was a sacrifice.

"Gladly," Asiya's mother cooed in Fawaz's face. "I'll be over there if you girls need me. Kulthum," her mother narrowed her eyes, "behave."

"I always do mummy," Kulthum smiled as she unwrapped a lollipop a kid had given her.

"Do you think Yusuf is still with dad?" Asiya asked as she played with a piece of grass.

"Ugh!" Kulthum groaned. "Asiya, I promise Yusuf has not run away. When we return to the house, I'm sure he'll be there, ready and waiting for you two to do your usual disgusting routine of hiding in one corner and snuggling."

"Err, we do not do that," Asiya rebutted as heat flooded through her.

"Yes, you do." Aminah rolled her eyes. "But I'm not mad. I'm happy to see it."