𝐴 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝐴𝑡 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒

'You can't be around those who think your growth is a competition to them'
~anonymous.

Rahma didn't expect herself to be anxious and nervous while waiting for the replies from the places she had sent her résumé, but she did and it affected, plus, she had been losing sleep for some days after her encounter with farha.

She still suffered from the sleep paralysis, though it wasn't as frequent as before as she didn't get nightmares as before and the duration was much more shorter. She didn't tell her family though, not wanting to worry them.

To take her mind off things, she got ready on Friday and went to ya hameeda's house to pick up the kids as she had promised. Halima insisted on going with her, so they went together.

"Are you going to tell me about him?". Rahma asked when she noticed her sister declined the call that came into her phone.

She had been noticing it and she knew halima was brutal and insensitive towards things she dislike and she imagined what the guy who was always calling her was going through, she knew it had to be a guy.

"It's just one jobless man, always disturbing me". Rahma smiled smugly.

"Why haven't you blocked him?".

"I know he'll use another number, so I'm saving myself the stress of mistakenly picking the call and realising it is him". Rahma shook her head.

"You don't believe me?".

"Ofcourse I do. But I think you like the attention you get from him, I mean he's being adamant so that should be a good thing right?".

"You can never trust this men". Halima brushed her off.

"So where did you two meet?". Rahma asked still.

"I escorted hauwa for her sister's wedding-- which I shouldn't have. Then he saw me and that stupid Hauwa gave him my number and he won't let me be, it's been months!". Rahma smiled lightly. She wouldn't convince her sister to give him a chance, as she couldn't give herself the same advice, so she laughed and they changed the topic.

The kids were more excited to see Rahma. They didn't like halima as much, because in their words, she's a bully. They already had their boxes in the living room.

"Since the day you left, they started disturbing me to pack their things. If you hadn't come today, they would have forced me take them to you". Hameeda told Rahma and she laughed.

"Anty Rahma let's gooo". Nafisa whined pulling her anty's arm.

"We just got here and she's saying let's gooo," halima mimicked the little girl. "Go and get me water jor". She added and with a pout nafisa went to the kitchen and filled her pink kids cup halfway with water from the tap and returned to the living room.

"Wallahi yarinyar nan ta Raina ni(this girl has seen me finish)". Rahma and hameeda laughed at their antics.

"Anty Rahma, please let's go". Hafiz reminded her, her name coming out (wahma) as he had an 'r' deficiency.

"Okay okay. Get your boxes".

"Anty lee don't follow us". Nafisa said as pulled on her tiny box and Rahma helped her with it.

"If I slap you". Halima threatened and nafisa laughed. They bid hameeda goodbye, who was more than happy to have them gone.

"Where should we go first?". Rahma asked as she started the car.

"Wonderland!". Hafiz and nafisa chorused excited, Rahma laughed and agreed.

*****

Dawud listened to his friend speak to his sister, a small smile on his face. He knew it was Rahma, she's the only that sudais has a soft spot for, also because he had said her name when he picked the call.