Scarred For Life

Chapter 2

*

Barely a few minutes after joining her mother in the kitchen, Afrah began to smell like the spices and seasonings she was using in the food. For this precise reason, she had chosen to leave the veil in her room, having wrapped her favorite and very casual-looking black scarf around her hair instead.

"Allow the stew to simmer for a few more minutes before you add the spices," her mother called from the counter where she was chopping the carrots, green beans and onions.

Afrah lifted the lid and peeked into the pot, noting the reddish colour of the stew. She closed the lid once again, leaning against the kitchen island so that her back was turned to the stove.

"Are you planning on roasting yourself as well?" Umma asked as she briefly glanced at her over her shoulder.

"No ma'am," Afrah shook her head.

"Then move away from that stove at once," she said.

"Umma," Afrah groaned as she moved towards the cabinet instead, "I'm an adult, you know. Legally, I'm allowed to do whatever I want to do."

"Not as long as you're still living under our roof," she replied. Afrah opened her mouth to speak, but she fell silent instead. The only sound in the kitchen was coming from the covered pot.

"Your aunt Safiya told me last night that Fahad has returned from Malaysia this week," Umma said quietly, testing the waters.

"Oh," Afrah replied simply.

"He has finished his Masters, and has already secured a job in the Ministry of Finance," she continued. "She says he plans on buying a house in Katampe, which should be about twenty minutes from here."

"I see," Afrah shrugged.

"Do you remember what he looks like?" Umma glanced at her briefly, though she avoided meeting her eye.

"Not exactly," Afrah said nonchalantly.

"Well, I think he's going to drop her off today," she said. "You should say hi to each other, as I'm sure you haven't spoken in ages."

Afrah ignored the sudden irregularity of her heartbeat and nodded stiffly.

"When are you going back to school?" Umma asked after nearly ten minutes had passed.

"Ten days from now," she replied.

"And then?"

"Our graduation is coming up in three months," she said, feeling a mild tingling sensation up her spine at the thought of finally leaving school. it had been fun, but she was ready to start a new chapter of her life.

"And after that?"

"Well, Abba said he'll talk to a few people and find out whether I can get an internship as soon as possible, which will hopefully lead to a job offer," she said, staring at her mother's back curiously.

"And then?" she asked again.

"And then life goes on," she said. "I'll get a job with a decent salary, save most of it, then use the rest to take care of my wants and needs."

"And is that how you plan on spending the rest of your life?" Umma asked. Afrah turned towards the fridge and opened it, picking a bottle of water.

"What else am I supposed to do?" she asked as she opened the bottle and began to gulp down the water.

"Oh, I don't know," Umma said, "but what about getting married?"

Afrah froze so suddenly that the water she had been drinking poured down her front. The sound made Umma turn, narrowing her eyes at her.