When Skies Are Exposed

Chapter 10

Salaam
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
I just realized it's weird... It's like I have been set like an answering machine to say that... Anyways...
To the story...

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"I will be down in a while." Naima assured Aunt Faiza. She went up to her room and sat on her bed. She missed Tawfiq so much. She quickly opened up the envelope and removed the paper from it. She smiled when she saw her name.

Naima,

How are you and Karim? I miss you guys a lot. I have something to tell you and I didn't want to tell you in a letter. I wanted to tell you directly but it wasn't possible. Naima, I want you to move on with your life. I know it sounds stupid but I'm begging you to move on with your life. Find someone else who will love you. I didn't want to say this but I think I have found someone else for me. I did love you just not anymore. I'm soo sorry. Goodbye.
                                   Tawfiq.

Naima read over the letter again and again and again and again but the letter remained the same. The smile she had worn when she started to read the letter had formed into something between confusion, sadness and anger.

She didn't realize when tears started to fall from her eyes She wiped her eyes quickly with her hands. No. She wouldn't cry over him again. She wasn't going to waste any more energy on him. How could he do this? If he even didn't love her again it was fine but to abandon Karim? She got up from the bed, crumpled the paper and threw it into the bin.

She'd move on, like he had suggested. She wouldn't let him break her. She had to remain strong and firm, if not for herself then for Karim. It was all for Karim in the end. She rubbed her face with her palms and breathed in deeply and exhaled. She was going to show him that she could survive on her own without him.

She went out of the room and walked downstairs to see Karim eating his food like there was no tomorrow.

"Karim, slow down. You will choke." Naima warned him and went to sit on one of the kitchen stools.

"Swawy, mwama...." Karim said with food in his mouth. Naima gave him a disappointed look to which he shyly looked down at his food in shame.

He knew he wasn't supposed to talk with food in his mouth. He had to be in his best behavior or else his father would not come home. He would turn 6 in a few months. He had stopped throwing tantrums like before because it got him nowhere. He decided to just persuade people by using kindness and a bit of cuteness.

Naima looked straight at the wall facing her. Lost in her own thoughts that she didn't realize Aunt Faiza had been calling her for a while now.

"Sorry. I was just thinking." Naima muttered.

"Uh-uh... Something is up and I bet it has something to do with that letter you received." Aunt Faiza frowned.

"No. It's nothing." Naima replied and got up from the seatm

"Don't give me that. Sit back down, Missy." Naima sighed and sat back down.

"You know I'd be here for you in thick and thin right? Now tell me what is wrong?" Aunt Faiza urged her.

"It's just.. I'm so angry mom. Tawfiq, he did it again. He sent me a letter telling me to move on with my life because he found someone else." Naima felt a tear trail down her face and wiped it.

Aunt Faiza on the other hand couldn't believe it was true.

"Tawfiq? He said that? Are you sure?" Aunt Faiza questioned her.