My Qadr

Little Ameera

Farrah

Once I got over the embarrassment I'd faced at the office once again, I took my position on the bed, trying to give my mind a break before I had to go out with Nabeela

'My mind', I thought sighing, it never really has a break when Mr Zayyad is near.

I look at the clock, noticing it was already evening, and just about time for Asr(Sunset prayer).

Hurriedly, I got off the bed and proceeded to say my prayer.

Minutes later, I changed my shirt and hijab and grabbed a purse off my table.

Nabeela and I had agreed to meet up at the cafe I'd gone to the last time,  after I had sent her the address.

I quickly made a call to Nabeela, once I was done dressing, telling her I was about leaving for the café.

An hour later, thanks to the horrifyingly long traffic, I was standing outside the cafe waiting for Nabeela.

'I can see you, I'm heading over to where you are' She texted.

I looked around for her, squinting my eyes under the harsh sunlight but didn't find her.

Just when I was about texting her back, I saw her exit a car, grinning hugely as she headed over to where I was.

I smiled at her as she ran towards me, engulfing me in a sweet smelling hug. Initially I was caught off guard, but subsequently returned it.

"Let's go in" Nabeela said after a while, linking her arms in mine.

I responded with a nod, looking around for the little girl I'd seen the last time.

Her belongings were on the floor, so I guess  she'd gone somewhere and would be back, hopefully soon.

"What are you staring at?" Nabeela asked, looking at me quizzically.

I told her about the girl I'd seen the last time, and she suggested we buy her something to eat before she came.

I smiled in agreement, as she pulled me into the café.

"Well this place is cozy, I can't believe I have never heard of this place" Nabeela started, striking up a conversation to dissipate the silence.

I could tell I would enjoy her company, but we'd just got to know each other and didn't know what topic to bring up.

"I also stumbled into this place by mistake, when I went to look for a job" she looked at me for some time.

"I'm trying my best not to come off as insensitive but did you get the job" she asked me, all the while with a defensive expression on her face, probably getting ready for an angry look.

Her expression slowly morphed, however, into one of relief the longer I stated at her amusedly.

"Your face looks so funny" I admitted, smiling as she looked at me sheepishly.

An hour, a couple slices of pizza, and an extra large pineapple smoothie later, we were ready to leave.

Once we started talking about races and humanity, the slight layer of frost that served as a barrier between us was broken.

When I mentioned that my grandmother was Nigerian, hence my tanned skin, she went into overdrive.

Apparently, her dad was Somali, a fact that wasn't at all noticeable seeing how she had pale skin, a feature she later attributed to her Turkish mother.

She said her grandfather had lived in Nigeria for the some part of his life where he'd married his first wife, a few years later however, with no issue his family had forced him to move to Somalia, following his divorce.