Normal With You

Chapter 26

Her bed was moving strangely. She didn't understand it. Wasn't Ashlynn sleeping? She was so sure she was already sleeping when she had finally dosed off herself. "Ashlynn?" She mumbled sleepily. "What are you doing?" She felt someone grabbing at her, trying to hold on to her yet their grip kept flailing. "What's wrong?"

She turned around warily, hearing muffled moans and creaks coming from behind her. "Ashlynn..." She whispered, her breath unsteady. Her eyes struggling in the dark but she could still see...

She tried to shout yet her voice seemed stuck in her throat.

She couldn't move or yell or cry.

She only froze as she watched.

And watched.

And watched.

It was a rare day for Riaz to be home as she walked into their flat. It was a beautiful day and the sun was streaming down upon them, filling their entire apartment with its happy warmth. He was surrounded by reports as he shifted on his mattress before reaching for another stack of thick files.

"Hi." He looked up at her, removing the pen from his mouth before twiddling it in his hands.

"Hi. I forgot you get back early on Wednesdays."

"Ya. What are you doing?"

"I have to make a note of all the mechanical failures they had this year on the site." He pushed the file off his lap, rubbing his eyes.

"Were you busy with it since you dropped me off?"

"Ya. I lost track of time." Tasneem rolled her shoulders before stretching her neck from side to side. "Hard day?"

"No, I was just bent over a lot. Mr Umar asked me to make his frikkadels for him. Tannie had to go to the hospital and everyone else was busy."

"Is Tannie okay?" He asked referring to Mr Umar's wife. They had developed something of a soft spot for the couple over the few months they had lived there- especially Tannie. She always sneaked an extra helping of chips for them when her husband wasn't looking.

"Ya. She just had to go to the clinic for her tablets but it was taking longer than usual." She wiped a hand over her face, scrunching her nose at the fish smell. "I need to shower."

If there was one thing she hated about her job it would be coming home smelling of fish every day. She would spend almost half an hour with a waslap and lemon juice just to get rid of the smell from her hands. And even though she wore gloves, the smell still seeped through it all. "Do you want to go somewhere with me when I'm done?"

She shifted from foot to foot waiting for his reply. She wasn't nervous but the idea of sharing her spot with him caused something like an entire swarm of butterflies to meander its way through her stomach.

"Ya okay." He dropped his glasses back onto his face before he looked down at his reports. "I'll just get this done then."

"Okay. You'll still have some time. Don't worry." She rifled quickly through her clothes looking for something a just a little nicer than usual. She didn't have much but...

She wanted to look a little nicer all the same.

There are hours of lonely musing,

Such as when evening silence come,

When soft as birds their pinions closing,

The heart's best feeling gather home.

Then in our souls there seems to languish