All For What!

14

Nafisa looked at her now stained skirt in disgust.

"How dare you! Couldn't you hold it?" She asked, glaring at Manal.

"Now go to your room, you're not getting any food again."

Manal went into her room and began to cry. She wanted to tell her parents so bad that Nafisa was starting to maltreat her, but she was afraid of what she would do to her when they are away and besides, she warned her against doing so. She had no choice than to keep mum.

Nafisa was busy rinsing the vomit from her skirt and muttering incoherent words under her breath - something she always did, when the doorbell rang. She began to panic - what if it was her dad or mom?

Soon the ringing of the doorbell stopped and banging started.

Nafisa had no choice than to open the door and face whatever consequence she had to.

"What took you so long?" Maryam asked, angrily. This was one of the times she got really angry - when she gets back from work and things weren't going her way, then she tends to get angry at even the slightest mistake.

"I was in the-" she paused for a while to think of the best excuse. "- in the bathroom," she lied.

Maryam ignored her answer and went into the living room.

"Where is Manal?" She asked.

Oh my Allah! What was she going to tell her? She forced her to eat something she didn't like then she puked and she sent her to her room hungry?

"She's in her room," Nafisa answered, her voice laced with nervousness.

"What did you cook today?" Maryam asked, walking towards the dining section Before Nafisa could distract Maryam from going into the dining room and seeing Manal's vomit, she entered the and gasped at the mess on the floor.

"What is this?" She asked with wide eyes. She knew what it was - it was obvious, but she wanted to know why it was on the floor.

"I was about to clear it before you arrived," Nafisa answered.

"Who vomited?" She asked.

Nafisa knew she could lie no more, so she spoke up.

"Manal did," she answered and watch as Maryam's demeanor contorted in worry.

"Subhan'Allah! When did this happen?" Maryam didn't wait for an answer as she rushed to Manal's room.

She met her sleeping and went closer to her bed.

"My poor baby," she felt her temperature with her hands and kissed her forehead, then turned back to Nafisa who had followed her into the room.

"What happened?" Maryam demanded for an answer, angrily.

"I...I don't know. She was okay when she came back from school, but vomited when she ate," Nafisa tried to explain.

"What did you feed her?" Maryam asked.

Nafisa wanted to lie, but she knew she couldn't because the leftover of the food she cooked was still remaining and Maryam would see it.

"Yam porridge," Nafisa answered, fidgeting with the gem of her shirt.

"Did she or did she not tell you she doesn't eat it?" Maryam asked.

"She did, but I didn't take it seriously. I thought she was only kidding," Nafisa tried to defend herself.

Maryam shot her a glare, before touching Manal's neck again.

"And her temperature is slightly high. Why didn't you call me immediately?" Maryam asked.

"I'm sorry ma, I didn't want to disturb me," Nafisa apologized. It pained her she had to apologize even when she did nothing. She would make Manal pay later.

"Anything concerning my daughter is not a disturbance to me, so take note. You can leave," Maryam raised her hand, dismissively and Nafisa left with a scrunched up face.

Maryam went to her room to get some medicine - paracetamol for Manal and came back shortly later.

"Baby," she carefully tapped her. "Wake up."

Manal stirred in her sleep, before finally opening her eyes. It was red.

Had she been crying - Maryam panicked.

"Ummi," Manal hugged her and started crying all over again.

Maryam pulled her back with furrowed brows.

"Why are you crying, Manal? Does anywhere hurt?" She asked her.

She shook her head.

"Then why are you crying?" Maryam asked, worriedly. Manal had never acted like that before - crying for no reason.

Manal was about to open her mouth to disclose Nafisa's doing to her ummi, when she sighted Nafisa at the door giving her a warning look not to tell her mother a thing. Maryam's back was turned on the door, so she was oblivious to what Nafisa was doing.

Nafisa didn't leave when Maryam asked her to. She hid just outside the room to eavesdrop on their conversation. She wanted to know if Manal would tell on her.

"Why are you crying, baby?" Maryam asked again, wiping her tears with her palms.

"She has been crying since she came back to school, saying she misses you," Nafisa came into the room and said, before Manal could answer.

"What! That's new, she's already used to us not being with her all the time," Maryam said.

"I also wondered why she said that earlier," Nafisa lied and Manal couldn't say a thing with Nafisa giving her a warning glare from time to time.

"Is that true, Manal?" Maryam asked.

Manal looked at Nafisa and nodded her head quickly.

"I missed you too baby-" she turned to Nafisa. "- has she eaten anything after she threw up?"

"No. She refused to allow me cook something else for her," Nafisa lied, remorselessly.

"Come baby-" Maryam picked her up and she rested Manal rested her head on her shoulder. "- I will prepare whatever you want myself. What do you want to eat?"

They went into the kitchen and Maryam prepared what Manal wanted, with Nafisa helping her with little things like blending of some of the ingredients and bringing things to her. Maryam fed Manal with her own hand. She missed spending time with her only child and feeding her like she used to do sometimes when she was a baby. It was as if she was reliving in the moment.

Manal was happy and contented as well. Having her ummi with her, rather than the mean Nafisa was nice.

~~~
Hey!

How are you all doing?

Unedited.

What do you think about Maryam - is she a good mother or not?

**don't forget to vote, comment and share**

deey_jah
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