Light Upon Light

#42 The Good News and The Bad News

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته.
Hello people of the world!! Eid Mubarak to all of you. Here is my Eidi to all you wonderful peeps. Can't wait to see your reactions ;)

#42 The Good News and The Bad News

One fine day, two weeks into November, I was going to my bus to return home from school. Samar called me aside and led me to our car in the parking lot. I was wondering why on earth someone came to pick us up when Dad emerged from the driver's side.

I almost squealed loud enough to make birds shoot to the skies from the trees and all of Marwa stare at me as though I was a mad banshee. Well they already think the latter about me, most of them. In reality, I ran to Dad drawing attention anyway.

'You just couldn't inform me exactly when you were going to reach huh?'

Dad grinned as I pulled away and said, ' Salam to you too Juni and I'm extremely pleased to see you as well!' I couldn't stop the smile from popping back on my face.

He had come in November as promised and I was the happiest. A smile was stuck on to my face everytime I turned to look at him. I pestered him with questions about his journey, what he brought for me from Dubai, and about Mom and Safwan and Samir until Samar butted into our chat.

'Stop eating his ear off with your damn questions. He's going to be here for awhile!' He teased smirking.

'Oh shut up! You don't know the joy of seeing your Dad after a long time,' I said pulling my tongue out at him.

'You Skype him every other day,' he rolled his eyes.

'It's not the same as seeing him in person. Why am I wasting my time on you anyway?' I turned back around in my seat facing the front. 'So Dad when did you say Samir was coming?'

'You Skype him every other day as well!' Samar said before Dad could get a word in.

'If you haven't gotten the memo yet Samra dear, you're excluded from this conversation. Samir thought it unnecessary to let me know when he's coming,' I bit out, giving him one of my death glares in the process. He just tossed his head in defiance.

Dad laughed at our interaction as he drove through the highway to the south.

'Dad... why did you pick this idiot?'

'Because he happens to be my sister's son.' Dad quipped, daring me to challenge his statement by raising a brow up at me before fixing his eyes back on the road.

'I'm hurt Javed Mamu.' Samar said with his hand on his heart. Rolling my eyes I asked him to shut up as Dad chuckled.

'And why are you evading my question Dad?' I pressed, crossing my arms and pinning him with a stare.

'Because Samir has given me explicit instructions to not reveal his surprise.'

Pouting like the spoilt child I was, I zipped up my lips for the rest of the drive back home.

After Chachi and Dadi ganged up on me and opened my eyes to the folly of my curious meddlesome behavior, I sulked for almost a week. I stopped spending time with Dadi, I ate my meals in silence and I didn't go downstairs to pray in congregation with everyone else.

The good outcome was, Samar backed off. He never pestered me about boys or my intentions or whatever. I am hoping it would last and not result in a blowup that has been waiting in the sidelines since that morning he taunted me.

But my mood grew foul, I started cooping myself up in my room using my studies as an excuse. Shikha and Haseeb picked up on my grumpiness easily. I tried my best to appear nonchalant but when I snapped at a couple of juniors who were looking at me oddly, Shikha restrained me and gave me a good shaking.