The paper in her hands had been crinkled from all the times she had folded and unfolded it. The neat scrawl had begun to fade and there were breaks in between all the dark blue lines as the ink seemed to have stretched over all the tiny creases.
"You've been staring at that number for almost 10 minutes." Mr Umar's voice shook her out of her reverie. "You're going to dial it or not?"
Could she do it?
She bit her lip as she picked up the receiver with shaky hands.
It was only a number. It was only just a number.
Each key that she pressed seemed to reverberate along her arms, striking a chord within each and every one of her fears.
It was only a number.
The soft rings in her ears did nothing to lessen her nerves. She closed her eyes, listening carefully to each ring.
One
Two
Three
Four
Fi-
"Hello."
Tasneem slammed the receiver down, completely ignoring Mr Umar's bewildered look. "It was engaged." She mumbled before hurrying away once again.
...
He rested his forehead against the top of the phone, playing mindlessly with the change in his pocket. He was nervous. He hadn't spoken to her in such a long time that he was sure he had forgotten her voice. He waited anxiously as each ring seemed to resonate throughout his entire being. He couldn't wait any longer.
He wanted to his mother's voice.
He needed to hear it and he needed to know that she was still okay.
He tapped his fingers impatiently against his thigh as the monotonous ringing began to grate on his nerves.
Six
Seven
Eight
Ni-
"Hello."Her voice was barely even a whisper but as soon as he heard it, his eyes closed as his heart began to rejoice at the sound strumming through its very core.
"Mum?" His voice was gruff with longing as he pictured her standing over the small round table in the lounge. She was probably wearing one of her sun dresses and her black sandals that she wore in the house. Her hair was tied up and she was wearing the small silver necklace he had bought for her on her fortieth birthday.
"Riaz?" He could hear tears clogging her voice as she spoke to him and he could hear the slight thud as she leaned back heavily against the wall.
"Hi Mama." He smiled just knowing that he could finally speak to her again. Their fight had faded into oblivion as soon as she said his name and he wondered how it could be that he was afraid to phone her at all.
"I miss you." She breathed out the words that flowed from the deepest corners of her heart.
"I miss you too Mum."
"Are you okay? Are you dressed warmly enough?"
He laughed at her question. "It's almost 30 degrees today. I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt."
"Oh." He could hear her sigh of relief. "Are you eating okay?"
"Yes Mum. I'm eating okay."
"Good. I'm worried about you."
YOU ARE READING
Normal With You
Romance''Hey little bee.'' His soft, husky voice sounded close to her ear. ''Yes?''She looked up at him, smiling at the way he looked down at her. She knew what the others saw as she looked at him because it was the same thing she saw reflected in his dimm...
