THE TALE OF SARAH

Chapter Five

"So tell me, how was it?" Yusra said plopping down on her bed after her isha'a salah.

Sarah sighed."It wasn't exactly good, you know like the typical good impression thing." She said air quoting the last three words. "I know Madam Munirah likes me but the rest of them," By this time, she had a faraway look in her eyes. "I don't just know."

Yusra looked concerned. "Why do you say so?.

Sarah narrated the events that took place earlier, while she was serving dinner.

When she was done, Yusra spoke. "Hamad," She said disgust etched on her features. "That shameless guy."

"You aren't referring to him with any sign of respect!"

"Why should I? He had done some disgusting things in the past."

Sarah shook her head. "Not only him, but sir Sa'ad too. The way he was acting," she sighed. "I don't just know."

"Yeah, sir Sa'ad will definitely be against you. In fact, he wasn't pleased that Madam Munirah was going to your place for hairdressing."

"How do you know?"

"Of course I know." She said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Madam Munirah was all over then."

Sarah sighed and started imagining how things were before her arrival and how things are will be now. She prayed she didn't cause any rift between Munirah and Sa'ad. She looked faraway in thought. But Yusra didn't want her new roommate thinking.

"I promised to explain Huda's attitude." Yusra said out of nowhere.

"Oh yeah," Sarah said as she came back to reality. "Can you imagine she was glaring at me during dinner?" She said unbelievably.

"What did you now do?"

Sarah scoffed. "I ignored her of course."

"She's been trying to get one of Madam Munirah's sons to like her, particularly Hamad. She thinks he's handsome and cute and all that. Anytime we get a new worker around her age, she gets competitive. Combined with that is, you'll be serving his meals and stocking the fridge in his room. You'll get to see him more frequently."

"Pfft." Sarah scoffed. "As if I'll like it. What does she do? As in, what's her work?"

"She cleans the workers quarters." She was quiet for a few moments. "You know sometimes I feel for her. She doesn't get to see the main building except when Madam Munirah summons her."

Both Sarah and Yusra looked at themselves before bursting into laughter. "And-she-wants.........she-wants-to-get.........attention-from-Hamad." Yusra managed to say in between.

After the minute long laughter died down, Sarah asked, a smile smile still on her lips. "What does sir Sa'ad do for a living?"

Yusra turned to look at Sarah with questioning eyes and lips curved into a smirk. "Curious much?" She asked with a raised brow.

Sarah raised her hands up in defence. "What?! You expect me not to be? With this beautiful place Masha Allah and the convoy that conveyed him this evening?"

"Yeah Masha Allah, this place is beautiful. He's the finance minister."

Sarah's mouth fell open, and her eyes almost popped out of their sockets as this information sunk in.

"Subhanallahil Azeem (glory be to Allah the great)! I can be opportuned to work in a minister's household." She said in awe.

Yusra just giggled and shook her head amusingly.

"Maybe I have a purpose in this life after all." Sarah said sadly.

"What?"

"I said maybe I have a purpose in this life after all."

"Whatever do you mean by that?" Yusra asked, concern etched on her features.

"You know, after the terrorist attack on my village that caused the death of my family, my life turned upside down. I actually thought I didn't have any reason to live. You know, I actually thought of committing suicide."

"Oh, that's sad." Yusra said actually feeling sad for Sarah.

"Yeah, really sad. But I got over it soon enough."

"Oh, that's good."

There were few moments of silence after that.

"So tell me about yourself." Sarah said.

"Me?" She asked unbelievably.

"Of course, why not?"

Yusra sighed. "Okay, where do I begin? My mum gave birth to me nineteen years ago, she gave birth to my elder sister Hamdah, twenty one years ago,-"

Sarah irritatedly rolled her eyes and cut her off. "Can you be less complicated?"

Yusra gave a small laugh. "Okay, let's get serious. I'm nineteen, I have three siblings, an elder sister, Hamdah, who's twenty one years old, Uthman, my immediate younger brother, and Afrah. Uthman is fifteen and Afrah is ten. Dad died of cancer a few years back. Before dad's death, we were well to do, but his illness costed a lot so we were almost broke after he died. So everything became difficult." A tear escaped from her eyes as she struggled to breathe. Sarah quickly left her bed to sit beside her and comfort her. "Mum had to do all sort of things-" And that's when she broke down. Sarah stroked her back soothingly to calm her down.

"Its okay, if you can't continue." Sarah said comfortingly.

"Gosh. What am I doing, you've had worse experiences." Yusra replied while wiping her tears away.

"Its okay, if you can't continue." Sarah repeated.

"No! I must finish what I started." She said flashing Sarah a watery smile. "Mum had to do all sort of things including working as a labourer. But she couldn't continue that for long as her health started deteriorating. By that time, I had just finished secondary school and Hamdah was in her third year in uni. She was also engaged. I had to put a stop to my education and she had to drop out so we could sponsor the rest. So I came here and Hamdah started working as a sales girl in one supermarket."

Sarah nodded understandingly. "How's mum's health?" 

"Alhamdulillah, it has since started getting better and now that there is little or no more health expenses, we've started saving for school."

"Did Hamdah get married?"

"Yeah she did a few months later."

"I'm sorry."

"What? No need to be! Its good to have someone like you who can understand me around."

"Yeah, it is for me too."

"Nice to meet you?" Yusra said extending her hand out for a shake.

Sarah giggled and shook her head unbelievably, but nevertheless, shook her hand.

"We should get some sleep." Yusra said after some time.

"Yeah, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

By now, Sarah and Yusra had formed a bond. Sarah went back to her bed and after saying her night dua'a and after that thanked Allah and went to sleep with a contented heart. A heart that was at rest and  peace after so long.

Wow!!! How her life had changed in just a day.