Thorns and Berries

Chapter Twenty-five

Amina 

               
I hurried my way into Kaka's room, banging the door shut and so nosily behind me and I ransacked the room for my Chanel purse that I had forgotten in there few minutes ago. The others were outside, taking their places in the vehicles and I had let Yasmin go with Husna in her car because she insisted.

The foreign bond between Yasmin and Husna overwhelmed me as much as it appealed to me. Maybe it was the same as the way my relationship with Husna had been in the past.

Even in London, after Yasmin has met with Husna once and twice, my young daughter would not stop talking about her. It surprised me greatly too. Yasmin hardly liked people. But apparently, this time around, she saw Husna as a goddess and adorned her.
 
My eyes caught a glimmering golden colored purse from the top of Kaka's closet and with a deep sigh of relief, I rushed to seize it from its position. With the purse now in now grip, I gave myself a satisfactory smile and quickened again to the door and tried to pull it open but it would not budge.

My smile slowly disappeared and was replaced by a small frown. I tried to push it open again but it gave same result. With clammy hands, I repeatedly pulled and pushed the door, twisting and turning the doorknob and then a harsh voice booed behind me almost causing me to jump off my skin.
       
"What is this one doing here? Do you want to break the door?"
  
I turned sharply to see Karima in her perfect dress, a gown that revealed her hour glass shape and her face flushed with makeup, a turban on her head, making me suddenly feel less of myself, knowing straight away that Karima's turban beat mine. I was never so good at wrapping turbans and because everybody was busy going about the wedding preparation and getting tired, I had resolved to do mine and not bother anyone.

Somehow, I suddenly missed my old relationship with Karima and how she would help me wrap my turbans and then laugh at me for not being able to do so myself. I missed everything about us and I wondered if Karima felt same way too.      

"I said why are you trying to break the door?" Karima barked at me again.
       
"Urm...," I tried to open the door again and when it refused to open, I faced Karima. "It doesn't want to open."
   
Karima gave a long hiss and brushed me out of the way, such that I staggered slightly. Karima tried to open the door too and when it wouldn't respond, she pushed and pulled at it roughly and yet, nothing.

She faced me sharply, with flaring nostrils, big icy glare and a reddened face.
       
"You've locked us inside?!" It sounded more like a statement than a question.
        
"I guess so." I said, finally realizing that I had really trapped us both inside the room. "And how comes you were inside? I didn't see you when I came in."
       
"I was using the bathroom." Karima replied quite reluctantly and faced the door again, banging on it loudly to attract anyone that could be outside.

"Hey! Somebody, help! Please! Somebody!"
   
After spending ten minutes banging, shoving on, and trying to attract attention to us, with no one coming nor could we hear the usual noises and chatters of the household, we stared wide-eyed at each other, realizing too well that we were all alone in the house now, trapped in Kaka's room with no one coming to save us anytime soon.
       
"See what you've caused!" Karima barked at me with an intense, fevered glare and grinding teeth.

I bit my lip to control my temper. I wouldn't want to reply Karima on this one. This time, it was entirely my fault.
      
"You're so..., You!" Karima added, a hand on her forehead as she paced around restlessly.
       
"I'm sorry." I swallowed hard and said, even though I knew too well that Karima cared less about an apology.

"I'll call somebody to get us out." I added and picked up my phone from the bed, dialing a number immediately. When the reciever did not pick the call, I tried another number but the receiver also did not respond and when I made to call another again, Karima interrupted, snapping at me impatiently.
       
"Call Saleh. He's never away from his phone."