Breaking Point

14

Chapter 14:

It took me a week to realise that I should have seen it coming. A week full of stolen glances and pregnant silences and tension filled pauses. Salma had been either unusually quiet or overly enthusiastic. Ian and I still hadn't said a word to each other. Nadia, too, barely said a word to me and Art class was awkward and sad and I wanted to just turn to her and grab her by the hand and just run away. 

I knew silence. I knew it meant something was coming.

Near the end of the week, I came home exhausted and stressed out. Salma was being uncharacteristically chatty again and talking my ear off about the new movie that she was going to see with her friend. I nodded and yawned, and flipped on the kettle. When the little red light did not immediately glow, I stepped back in confusion. I fiddled around with it, wondering if the kettle was broken. It was when Salma complained about her phone charger not working when I realised what had happened.

When my mother got home that night, I told her.

"The electricity isn't working."

"Oh, no..." My mother. "That was today...?"

"Huh?"

"I haven't been able to pay the bill, lately." She explained and sighed, hanging her coat and rubbing at her eyes. "The company sent a notice but I thought I could pay it off before they cut off the electricity."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry, habibi." My mom apologised. "I know you have to study online."

"It's okay, mum." I mumbled. "I can go to the library."

I looked away, biting my lip. I wished I could help my mother.

"Mum...I can look for a job." I started. "I can try to-"

"No, habibi." She shook her head. "You have to focus on school."

"But, what's the point?" I complained. "What's the point of school when we're struggling to pay for food and electricity?"

"Abdullah, please try to understand." My mother sighed. "You and your sister need to focus on your education. That's what food and electricity is for. It's my responsibility to give you these things. "

"Mum." I groaned. "It's not just your responsibility. It's dad's. It's ours, too."

"Your father isn't here...right now. So it's mine."

"And what about us? We can help."

"But you shouldn't have to."

- --

"My phone battery is at, like, 6%." Salma loudly whined, the next morning.

Last night we'd ordered pizza and today my mother had given us money to buy breakfast because the stove wasn't working. I still hadn't had a drop of caffeine in my body and I was beginning to moan like a zombie. Never before had I realised how important electricity was in my life. Today, my mother planned to talk to the electric company to make an agreement and I prayed they would go easy on us.

"Charge it at school." I grumbled.

"Oh no!" Salma ignored me. "Now it's at 5%!"

"Maybe you should get off of it, then?" I rolled my eyes, and wished for coffee and silence.

Salma, meanwhile, complained that she couldn't curl her hair today. We walked to school, and I noticed that it had been getting colder, and that it might snow soon. Frost covered the trees that stood out, dark against the pale sky. My breath fogged in front of me and I pulled up the collar of my jacket.