All For What!

30

This chapter is dedicated to @sereneserica. I always look forward to read your long comments 😍

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Manal totally forgot about what Khadijah had told her and continued playing like she didn't hear a word from her friend regarding her mum.

"When will your daddy come back?" Khadijah asked while painting on her friend's book.

"I don't know. He normally comes back when I'm already asleep. I haven't even seen him since this morning." She replied.

"That's sad! My daddy always comes home by 5:00pm everyday."

Manal was about to speak, when Maryam and Aisha walked in, interrupting her.

"It's already late, dear, we should leave." Aisha said.

"No mummy, let's stay a little longer pleaseeee." She pleaded.

"I wish we could, but it's already late."

"Pleaseeee mummyyy," she continued begging, almost crying.

"Dear, listen to your mummy. Do as she says. Manal will be coming to visit you soon. I promise. I will specifically bring her to your house myself." Maryam said.

"Please mummy, let's stay a little longer. I haven't finished showing my painting skills to Manal." Khadijah continued to whine, stamping her feet on the floor.

Maryam smiled at the little girl's cuteness and averted her gaze to Aisha. "Why don't you allow her spend the night here?"

"I'd have allowed it, but she has to go to school tomorrow." Aisha explained, apologetically.

"But there is a public holiday tomorrow." Maryam informed.

"Ohh!" Aisha recalled. "Tomorrow is October first - independence day."

Maryam smiled. "Does that mean you're allowing her to stay tonight?"

Before Aisha could give a reply, Khadijah and Manal had started jumping up and down. "Yay!" She squealed.

"I haven't given my permission yet." Aisha said, slightly glaring at her daughter whose demeanor instantly contorted in sadness.

"But why, mummy? Don't you want me to sleep here?" She asked, pouting.

Manal as well as Maryam fixed their gazes on Aisha, anticipating her reply.

Aisha sighed. This daughter of hers would get her in trouble one day! She was making it seem as if she was avoiding to let her spend the night at their house intentionally. "Because I haven't told daddy yet and you know he'd-" she cut herself off, seeing as tears were already gathering in her daughter's eyes. She hated to see tears in them. "Alright, you can stay."

"Thank you, mummy." Khadijah squealed and wrapped her tiny arms around her hips.

Seeing how ecstatic Khadijah was, Aisha smiled. She waved at the kids before leaving the room with Maryam.

"I will make sure I return her back to you early tomorrow. Try not to miss her too much." Maryam teased.

"I will be free from making unnecessary noise tonight. Khadijah can be a brat when she wants to. I get tired of listening to her stories everyday." Aisha chuckled.

"Manal is different. I have noticed she doesn't talk much like before anymore." Maryam said.

"Yeah. I have noticed to." Aisha agreed.

"Do you think there's a reason for that?" Maryam inquired, worriedly. Manal used to be a very jovial child and she changed in just a shirt period of time. It bothered her a lot.