Rendezvous of a hijabi

Chapter 11• Safe Haven

I lay curled up in Hamda's bed, her and Maya on either side of me.

"When's mummy coming back?" Maya asked in a small voice.

Hamda hesitated before answering, "I don't know,"

Last night was the most hectic night of my entire life.

After the hospital took my mother in a stretcher, we were returned to our drenched flat to retrieve a few items, clothes and valuables that weren't tarnished by the small fire.

A woman named Susan from social services told us we would be staying at our mother's emergency contact until she recovered and awoke from here coma.

Apparently, she suffered from third degree burns on her hands and had passed out from the smoke inhalation.

We didn't know any other critical information because we couldn't visit her yet, due to 'emotional distress'. I call bullshit.

It didn't make sense that the so called 'authorities' forbade us for checking up on our own mom.
However, inshallah we could see her when she hopefully reaches stability.

Much to their dismay, Hamza and Hamda were questioned by a young policeman about the fire.

They had ambushed us outside our block on our way to Susan's car and had the audacity to treat it like a crime scene. Clearly, it was an accident.

I had to watch in turmoil as they insinuated unspeakable things about our mother and I couldn't do anything about it, as I sat on the other side of the glass.

"Did she or did she not deliberately cause the fire herself,"

"You asshole," Hamza spat, "She's not some deranged arsonist. I was trying to cook some eggs because she was ill and I had left it on the stove for an hour while I used my PS4,"

I watched my brother hang his head in shame.

"She tried to stop the fire but it spread too quickly and she got burnt. We wanted to help her but she told us to stay back and then she passed out while when the smoke got too thick," Hamda whispered, her eyes tearing up.

I buried my throbbing head in my hands. I should have been there. She was ill. I should have helped.

I was a shitty daughter and an even shittier sister. Why did I have to be so selfish and galavant to a stupid funfair when my family needed me?

Truth to be told, I would never forgive myself.

The policeman nodded his head sympathetically, "Sorry. Standard procedure, you are free to go now kids, be safe and I wish your mother the best of health,"

As we walked out, Hamza nudged me, "Saffy?"

I looked up in surprise, he hadn't called me that since we were little, "Yeah?"

"Cut yourself some slack. I know you feel like it's your fault. It isn't," He said earnestly, "it was my own stupidity for not cooking eggs properly. How can one mess up eggs? And now Hooyo is in hospital...."

Hamda ruffled his disheveled hair, "Don't worry she's going to be fine. We need to be strong for Maya."

We nodded our heads in agreement, Maya was waiting with the social worker while we were in the police station.

I can't believe they had to call one, I blew up Fatima's phone telling her to come back but all she could say was she felt so bad but it was exam week and she had to revise.

Hamza shook with anger, "Exams my ass, she doesn't give a damn, does she?,"

I winced. Fatima and mom maintained a rocky relationship, she was more than happy to get accepted at a far far university in a different state. It broke Hooyo that she rarely visited, only to work full time during her breaks.