Dawud.

Chapter 20: The New Apartment

  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

"Mariam, this apartment is so nice. Allahumma Barik!"

Abdallah and Mariam had finally purchased their own place to live. The floors were made of shimmering white tiles, the curtains were a light gray, the couches were made from matte beige leather and little accents brightened up the apartment. The layout was simple, gifting me with a clear view of the yummy fried rice Mariam was cooking in the kitchen.

She called me over to give the food a little taste and when I was close enough to see her fully, I chuckled at her silly apron. She pressed a hand against her hip in defense. "Hey! Don't laugh at this, okay? I got it as a gift."

I raised my eyebrows and grabbed the spoon full of rice from her hands. "Who hates you enough to get you an apron as a gift?" I asked her, popping the rice into my mouth. It was delicious. "Where'd you learn to make something like this? Pinterest?"

Mariam smirked. "To answer both of your questions, Dawud and Dawud." My eyes fell to the floor immediately after hearing his name. I was now on my third week without speaking to him or about him. No one but Warsan knew what happened between the two of us. "What? What is it?" Mariam pressed, lowering herself to catch my line of vision.

"What do you mean?" I asked, quickly handing her the spoon. I laughed to put up a front, shaking my head. "Living with Abdallah has driven you to the point of insanity, I see." I teased her. I really hoped she'd drop the matter and she did, Alhamdullilah.

Mariam exhaled. "It's hard, you know. You and I have lived our lives surrounded by women and all of a sudden, I'm living with a man." She told me quietly. "I'm still getting used to it. We've been married for over a year now but I still jump a little when I see him in the kitchen." She revealed.

I threw my head back in laughter and pulled my sister in for a hug. I breathed in her familiar scent and it brought me back to when we were kids. "You're all grown up, Mariam." I said quietly. I nudged my head into the crook of her neck and stayed there for a while.

"I'm twenty-one—almost twenty-two, actually. My life is just getting started!" She scolded me. I pulled away and smiled. "Even though all the uncles and aunties are asking us when the baby is coming."

I looked at my sister with wide eyes. "You're having a baby?" I pressed.

"No, we're not and that's the problem! People automatically assume that I'm immediately going to get pregnant." She huffed. I watched her warily.

"Well, you're married and you live under the same roof so don't you think it's normal for people to ask about when you plan on having a child?"

"You sound like an adult." Mariam teased me.

I scoffed. "Hey, I'm serious. I can't help but feel the tension here. Is there more to it than what you've told me?" I asked her. I knew my sister well and was concerned.

"No, Jannah. If there was more, I'd tell you."

*

Later that night, Abdallah strolled in with a chocolate bar in hand. "How do you like the new place, Jannu?" He asked me with a grin.

I let out a sharp breath and shook my head. "When will you stop calling me that?" I asked, irritated.

"When you get married." He teased.

I felt my eyes fall. Oh, how far that dream must be. I watched and fixated on his feet that now shuffled awkwardly over the hardwood tiles.

"Jannu-I mean Jannah, are you okay?" Abdallah asked me cautiously.

Suddenly, an idea hit me. It was crazy, but it might just work. "I've got to go." I told him, rushing to the closet to grab my coat. If this plan of mine didn't play out like I wanted it to, I don't know what I would do.

Mariam raced to the door and blocked me from leaving with her arm. "You don't know how to get back!" She said frantically. "I can call Dad and he can pick you up. I don't want you to get lost on your way back."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and moved her to the side. "I had a pottery class a few miles from here. I know the area." I told her.

Abdallah sighed. "Jannah, just wait for your Dad-"

"I'll take the train! Guys, just stop it! I'm starting to think you two don't want to be alone with each other." I half-joked. Abdallah rolled his eyes but Mariam looked down with shame. Was she scared to be alone with her husband? What was going on? "Okay, fine." I continued, "Could you walk me to the train station, Mariam?"

My sister winced with gratitude and slipped on her coat. Abdallah protested but Mariam and I convinced him to let us go. It wasn't until we entered the elevator that she spoke. "Jannah, I'm scared." She blurted. I looked at her worriedly. "Do I have to have a baby? Is that what Abdallah is expecting of me?" She stressed. I grabbed her hand.

"Mariam, you haven't spoken to him about it?" I questioned her.

She nodded. "We have. He wants five kids but he's never mentioned when. He talks about how nice it would be to have a son but we're in our fourth year of university. I'm not ready for any of that."

"Mariam, all you have to do is tell him. Tell him that you want to wait a bit. Until you're ready. Say that you want to enjoy the liberty of going and doing whatever you want without having to constantly stress over how you'll incorporate a child. It would be inconsiderate and unfair to pressure you into carrying a baby for nine months when you're not ready." I told her sternly. We stared at each other for a moment before breaking into a fit of giggles. I shook my head with a smile. "Yeah, I do sound like an adult."

We walked to the train station together, arguing over whether I should get a real job or keep my personal henna business. Mariam insisted that I work at 'The Tea Shop' but I shook my head. The smell was too strong and it was almost always empty but I really did need a stable job. Neither of us mentioned Abdallah or Dawud.

The train ride wasn't too long. I got off at a station not too far away from my father's house and ran as quickly as I could to catch my dad before he went to the masjid. After running down four blocks and a half, I saw his headlights flicker and sprinted to the driveway. Once I reached the car, I knocked on my father's window. He rolled it down with a startled face. "Dad! Dad, I need you to do me a favor." I said breathlessly.

My father looked at me from the driver's seat with wide eyes. "What? What is it Jannah?" He questioned desperately.

I took a minute to catch my breath. "Remember that time," I took another breath, "That time you told me about my friend from kindergarten?" I asked him.

"Mustafa's son? The one that proposed to you last month?" My father looked at me suspiciously.

"Yeah! Did you give him an answer yet?" I pressed.

"No, I haven't seen his father for some time."

There was a moment of silence. I asked myself if I really wanted to do this. The answer was yes. "Well, I'd like to get to know him for marriage."

Chapter Twenty-One ->