Something Borrowed

Chapter 15 - Zainab

On the day of Eid...

Normally, on every Eid my mother would wake up as early as possible to cook food. Thus, she would ask me to share it for her amongst our neighbours. It had been a tradition for her to do that since when I was a little. She said, doing that would promote neighborhood. But almost half of the people we used to share food to never really cared to share back. I had once asked her to remove most of them from the list but she looked me in the eyes and said; "Never let the negative attitude of others stop you from doing good" – But for me, seriously, I see no reason why we should care for the people that care not about us. Believe me, I can only do with the people that care and cherish me. If you're with me on this, cheers!

After putting on a white polo top and a blue denim cotton trousers, I lightly applied some makeup and quickly put on my Hijab. It was time for sharing food, after which I would prepare for Eid prayer later. I huffed as I walked gently to my mother who was in the kitchen frying the meat she bought.

"Mum!" I said walking towards her.

"Hmm, you're done preparing already?" She asked concentrating on her work.

"Yes, mum" I nodded my head as I took a piece from the meat she already fried. "Wow, yummy!" I chewed about taking another piece when she quickly took the meat container away from me.

"You're the reason I'm always hiding meat in this house, Zainabu" She said.

"Mum, please just one more and I won't disturb you anymore" I said giggling.

"Okey then, take just one" She said as she brought back the meat container.

"Thank you, mum" I smiled as I took three pieces... and ran to the door.

"Zainabu, me right?" She said.

"Sorry, mum..." I chewed and swallowed. "I should get going now" I said, putting another piece into my mouth.

"Okey, please take care!" She said.

"Alright, mum!" I squealed.

And just as I was about going out she asked me to wait for her to finish what she was doing first. I humbly did while playing the games I managed to download in my ugly Nokia phone. 

"Come, please" She said walking out of the kitchen immediately she was done.

I trailed behind her to her room and just before I knew it, she brought out a case from one of her boxes. It was the case of my iPhone. I mean, the iPhone Ayman bought me. My heart began beating so fast. I was tongue-tied.

"Abrar told me you rejected the phone he bought you just after you used it for a week or so... why, Zainabu?" She said.

I was now puzzled. Was that what he told her? That he was the one that bought me the phone? I gulped as I shook and nodded my head at the same time. If I should blow his cover, or should I say our cover what would she think about us? The whole thing that happened in school she mustn't know about it else she would be so disappointed in me for falling in love.

"It's a complicated phone" I lied.

"You are really not serious, Zainabu!" She hissed and continue. "Tell me the truth, why did you returned it back?"

"Because I can't have him waste his money on us. If he can't marry you, he shouldn't waste his time..." I was blabbering when she slapped me.

"You... you..." She tried to talk but couldn't find her words. Thus, I left.

It took me about 20 minutes or so to distribute the food she cooked among our 11 listed neighbors. I had to return back home each time the ones on the tray finished. Throughout the walkabout, she was still in her room. She should think about what I told her thoroughly!

When I was finally done, I met my mother arranging the plastic chairs in the parlor. I knew she noticed my presence but yet I announced my presence. "Mum, I'm back" I said.

"Go and get yourself prepared for the Eid prayer, Abrar is coming to pick us" She said not minding to look at me.

I knew she was still angry with me so I told her I was sorry. "I'm sorry, mum"

"It's okey. After all, what you said is the truth. I'm hurting Abrar, and I've been doing that for a purpose" She huffed and continued. "I love Abrar just the way he love me but we can't get married because of his sister. If you could remember a woman named Uwani..."

"I remember her!" I blurted out.

How on earth would I ever forget the woman that insulted the hell out of me? The woman that made me cry for love? The woman that made me lose the man I loved? The woman I almost killed...

"She said something terrible to me years back, and that's why I'm still contemplating whether to accept her brother or not" She said and huffed.

"What was that?" I asked.

And just as she was about explaining everything to me a horn blew from outside. It was Sir Abrar. Thus, she asked me to go and prepare for the Eid prayer. I went and changed into my beautiful abaya, and put on my qimar...  Happy with how I looked, I bounced to the parlor. My heart nearly missed a beat as soon as I caught Sir Abrar and my mother engulfed in a hug. I smiled and cleared my throat. Thus, they averted.

"For how long have you been here?" Sir Abrar wrinkled one of his brows.

"Trust me, I'm just coming" I giggled.

"See her mouth" My mother said as she left the parlor to her room to change.

"Lets go and wait for your mother in the car" He said and thus, we walked out to his car which was parked outside.

"You didn't return that iPhone back to Ayman, why?" I asked as soon as I stormed into the back passenger seat.

"I returned it to him but he rejected it. He said I should return it back to you since it's a replacement of your old Nokia phone that he broke with him..."

"Okey, but why did you lied that you were the one that bought it for me?"

"I think before I convinced you to take the phone I told you I would make your mother understand, daughter!" He said.

"Yes, you did" I blurted out.

"So, I and Ayman decided that I should tell your mother I was the one that bought you the phone..." He explained.

"Okey, how is he?" I managed to ask.

"He's fine" He huffed and continued. "He's getting married to that girl, Fadilah on the 18th of next month..."

"What?!'" I exclaimed.

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This is really a bad news!