After the truth

epilogue

Six Years Later...

It was Maryam's sixteenth birthday and Marwa was throwing an intimate dinner party for close friends and family. Everyone was seated at their respective place but Maryam was nowhere to be found.

"I will go get her." Mukhlisa offered, scraping her chairs backwards across the wooden floor. She was now so tall and began to look more like Imran each passing day.

Lisa ran across the room and bounded up the stairs to their shared bedroom. Inside, Maryam laid quietly on her bed, staring into space.

"Ummu Ayman is asking for you." Lisa told her, slowly approaching the bed. Marwa was no longer mummy to her anymore. She began calling her Ummu Ayman after her brother clocked three.

"I don't want to celebrate my birthday." Maryam grunted, turning away from Mukhlisa.

"Everyone is here for you Marie." Lisa whispered, plopping down on the bed.

"They should all leave. No one listens to me. I didn't ask to be celebrated." She fired, sitting up and sending a hard glare at Lisa.

"Maryam, take a deep breath and tell me what's actually going on."

Maryam began to cry. She threw her arms over Mukhlisa and sobbed hard. Lisa was just fourteen but was so smart and kind. She understood her more than anyone.

"You're my best best friend in the whole entire world." Maryam sniffed.

"And you're mine too Aunty Maryam." Lisa teased, grinning.

"That's right, I am your aunty." Maryam laughed.

"Will you tell me what's going on in that head of yours?" Lisa asked, poking at Maryam's head.

"I miss my mummy." The girl revealed, sighing loudly.

Lisa hugged her tightly. She could feel the tears in her eyes but she chose to stay strong for Maryam. Mulki, Maryam's mother lived 5 more years despite the doctor's remarks. She died a day before Maryam's 15th birthday and ever since, the girl had been inconsolable.

"I miss mama Mulki as well." Lisa whispered.

"Remember your 14th birthday?" Mukhlisa asked her to which she nodded. "She loves you Maryam. A whole lot. It's alright to miss her. I miss her too. But she wanted you to be happy and live, not be sad. Remember what she did and how she thought it was right."

Maryam pulled away from her embrace.
"Let's celebrate how far you've come and remember Allah together as a family. Later on, we can go to our tree house, play Sheikh Nurain's recitation and cry our eyes out."

Maryam nodded in agreement. She decided to change into a pretty abaya that Shamsia had gotten for her and her mother, Mulki. The two girls raced downstairs and into the large dining area.

Maryam gasped at the array of meals organized neatly on trays and food warmers. There were gifts arranged at the edge of the table where no one sat. She felt emotional at the sight of everyone who had shown up for her. Her siblings, grandma Shamsia, Cherry, Ayman. Subhanallah.

"Okay guys, when Mukhlisa comes down with Maryam, you yell out surprise". Marwa was saying as she walked in from the kitchen.

"Surprise?" Maryam grinned, running towards a pregnant Marwa. She could see the shock on Marwa's face and her heart was filled with happiness upon hearing everyone else laugh.

"Thank you so much. You're the best." She whispered, hugging Marwa.

**********
A prayer was said for Mulki first.

Maryam was seated at the head of the table and she looked around her as everyone chattered and conversed. Zayn was with his wife Mardiyah, Aaron's milk sister. They were waiting until she got her nursing degree before having children. Zachariah made raspberry sounds at Ayman and his son Adeel, trying to entertain the two rascals. His wife was unable to attend as she was heavily pregnant but she insisted on him being present for Maryam's birthday.

Zulfa held the attention of the ladies in the house as she showed off her engagement ring. She was getting married to a man she had met on her umrah trip. According to her, she was living in her answered duas.

Maryam watched as Zayad rolled his eyes at what Fauziyyah had whispered to him. Sometimes she wondered if they truly loved each other because they acted otherwise on most days. Marwa said it was the way they could show love to each other. They were so comfortable to be who they truly were around each other.

Cherry and the last child of the Hussein household, Farhan were laughing about something. Maryam wondered where Mukhlisa had run off to. She watched Farhan, wondering if he was truly happy being with them. Belinda had sent Farhan to live with his siblings. She was getting married and Zayn had asked to care for Farhan until he was old enough to visit her whenever he wished.

"What are you thinking of so lost in thought?" Mukhlisa suddenly whispered in Maryam's ears making her jump in surprise.

"How lucky I am. And if Farhan is truly happy being here."

"It's how blessed you are." Lisa smiled, wrapping her arms around Maryam's neck. "Look at how cool we are. Of course he'd be happy." She laughed.

Fifteen minutes after 10 pm, Maryam received lots of gifts, marking the end of her birthday dinner. Shamsia handed her a jar and Zayad dropped a large box in front of her.

"Happy birthday my fiery munchkin."
Maryam looked at the tablet screen with wide eyes. Her mum, ever so radiant in her gold bubu stared back at her with loving eyes.

"Ummi." She cried out, gasping.

"I can't believe you're sixteen now. If you're seeing this, I'm currently in Jannah waiting until I reunite with you all." She was smiling like it was okay to break her heart all over again. "What? Don't give me that look Shamsia. Allah asked us to think the best of him. And by his mercy, I pray he grants me Jannah." She whispered fiercely at the other woman. Everyone laughed.

"I want you to know how much I love you. You're the best gift Allah has ever given to me my darling child. You're a big, bright ball of light that has illuminated my life. You have two gifts from me."

"The jar contains letters that should be opened on every birthday until you're 21, In Sha Allah. And the box has letters for every day until it's exhausted. I wrote them everyday for the past 5 years." Mulki paused, scrunching her face as she tried to make calculations, "Who knows how long it will last."

"Never forget how amazing you are. Do not miss me too much. Look around you baby, you have so much love to receive and while you do that, stay healthy for mummy and hold onto Allah. Be good okay? Do not fight with Lisa or Cherry alright? I love you."

The screen went blank and Maryam started to cry. She sobbed and wept so hard. Her mum loved her so much she prepared a whole lot before her passing. Her mother loved her so much that she reminded her to be happy. To be healthy. To refrain from petty fights with her best friends.

"It's alright Maryam." Marwa came over to hug her. Aaron watched the two of them keenly.

"We're your family. A whole lot don't you think?" Aaron said.

"Exactly." Lisa agreed.

"Mayam." Ayman suddenly called out to her, holding Zayn's large phone in his hands. "Sayyyyyyy chis."

______________THE END_______________