MY PRIDE

chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

FANNAT POV:

I went to open the door, and I saw a lady dressed in a long green gown with a small white hijab around her neck. She was startled when she saw me opened the door. Ya,Allah am I seeing things! a girl in faisal house! what happened is he finally getting the hang of it! I thought it will take years for that old bottle gourd! she exclaimed, she then realized that she is outside, so she went in, closed the door, and continued: how old are you? where are your parents? and I stood there mortified, both by what she is saying, and asking, for I had not known women to be so open, perhaps faisal heard the commotion, he came into the parlor and said mama aisha I thought you are not coming today I started making breakfast, oh sorry faisal, I had to stay at home my boy Kabir was feeling a little down this morning, she said. no problem mama aisha. what are you making? she asked. sandwiches and tea he said. seriously,I don't know what to do with you faisal, well I don't expect anything less you haven't been a good cook since you were a little lad you get that from your maa, she said nostalgically. well since we have guest, and a lovely one at that, you are in for a treat, she said. as I stood there watching the exchange between them, I couldn't help but I admire their relationship, and the respect he has for her which is rare where I came from, she went to the kitchen to cook. faisal and I stood there looking at each other, after a while he broke the silence you are not much of a talker are you? he asked. well...i...am just not comfortable in presence of men, but I do well with women, I said. oh and why don't you do well with men, he asked. I....I I stuttered. well you didn't tell me what you were doing outside, last night. breakfast is ready mama aisha interrupted him. we will talk later young lady, he said. I for my part breathed a sigh of relief, because I dreaded the direction of the topic, even though I started letting my guard down, I was far from trusting a man I just knew yesterday about my troubles, because I had been warned and learned not to trust men easily. We went to the kitchen and saw mama aisha had put out the fire and is arranging the food on a mat which consists of some cookies, small cakes, sandwiches, and tea. you must be hungry, there is left over cookies and cakes from yesterday, faisal didn't know were they were because the guy hardly go to the kitchen as mama aisha continued talking, faisal was expressionless if I had not noticed his red ears, I could have thought the guy was unaffected. the mat she had placed before was big enough to accommodate all of us. you guys should wash your hands outside, she said. we went outside I then realized that the house is surrounded by a beautiful yard filled with small flowers and grasses. we went to the well at the center of the yard faisal fetched water from there and we washed our hands we went inside sat down on the mat in the kitchen, say our bismillah and began eating, mama aisha joined us later after washing. We finished eating, and I volunteered to the dishes, because Allah knows I had not done anything helpful since yeaterday, and I feel useless, after which mama aisha went to clean the house, faisal went out to Allah knows were, after I finished the dishes, I went to the parlour to see mama aisha dusting the wooden couches, I went to help her as I was helping her,I asked: where is faisal, he went to work, she said. ok I replied, then I stopped, as I remember a very important thing I forgot to ask for bathing water oh Allah!