My Dunya (NEEDS EDITING)

Chapter 5- Memory Lane

CHAPTER 5

I slowly walked over to our dining room peering at all the smiling faces directed towards me. Okay..... This isn't creepy at all!

"Dunya, you're back from Isabella's," my mom stated. "I completely forgot to tell you when I came back from work that the Taha family were coming over today for dinner," she said sheepishly after seeing my shock.

"Oh." It was all I could muster, and I could see the smile fading off my mom's face. "Well, I'm glad you guys are here," I tried.

It has been 12 years since I've seen our old family friends, and the last time I've ever heard from any of them was when my dad passed away and they called to send their condolences. They couldn't make it to the funeral and I was secretly glad becaue I knew that it would hurt more to see Ibby's father, Amo (uncle; I call all elder men uncle even if they're not related) Jamal there. Amo Jamal has a resemblance to my father even though they weren't related, with their same nose structure, height, skin color, thick furrowing brows and kind whole hearted smiles that warm you up.

I walked into our small dining room which surprisingly managed to fit everyone in it.  Auntie Rania's (Ibby's mom) face was glowing when she saw me so I went to say Salam to them all, shaking the hands and doing the three cheek kiss with Auntie Rania and Sumaya (his older sister). Then I had a seat at the dinner table between Teta and Adam. Across from me there sat Ibby, with a shy smile on his face, and beside him, his older sister Sumaya, his younger 14-year-old sister Mariam, and the little 4 year old Malik.

I've always been jealous of the fact that Ibby had a larger family than I did. My mom loved kids and wanted more but then the accident came, and yeah. I wished to have younger siblings, but whatever God wills, right?

I looked over to Amo Jamal, Ibby's father and my heart sunk. He looked the exact same as I remembered him 12 years ago, although his hair had greyed and a few wrinkled have appeared on his forehead and on the creases of his mouth. His eyes looked tired, but other than that, he looked the same. Then I started getting flashbacks, of him and Ibby at the park with my dad and I.

"Baba, why don't you push me as high as Amo Jamal's pushing Ibby?" I pleaded looking back from the swing to his deep brown eyes which which twinkling. "Because, albi, I don't want you to fall off, you might get hurt," he said with so much affection. "But Baba, I won't fall, I'll soar into the sky and reach the clouds!"

"I know you will hayati (my life), I know you will." The smile on his face was nothing short of admiration.

Walking back home, Baba decided to give me a piggy back ride. Ibby got instantly jealous and asked his dad for a piggy back ride as well.  Suddenly, it became a race, and Amo Jamal and Baba were running with Ibby and I on their backs.

As Baba was running with me, my grip on his neck tightened. I felt safe with him. I pressed my cheek against his back and looked at Ibby who smiled back at me. My dad smelled of a fresh scent of musk. He always did, and I took a big whiff of him and just relaxed. He even smelled comforting. "Baba, go faster, they're catching up on us!" I yelled from over his shoulder. "Come on!" He kicked up his speed and ended up winning the race.

Once Baba and Amo Jamal stopped running, Ibby started complaining. "Baba," he started. "They won, why didn't you go faster! We could've beated them!" He exclaimed.

"Baba, you're my champion!" I looked up at him now that I was walking alongside him. "You're my hero!" I turned to him and gave him a big hug. He crouched down low and looked at me eye-leveled. "And you're my princess," he kissed my forehead and then took Ibby and I for ice cream. Both Amo Jamal and Baba got cookies and cream and Ibby and I got the fruity mint swirl.