Is This Me?

Chapter Eight - "Thank you for your time"

Friday afternoon. It was a sunny day in Egypt and the sky was clear and beautiful.

Inaya reached out to the counter to grab some chips and popped them in her mouth. The crunching echoed in the room. She was watching 'Full Out' on the soft couch, waiting for Ibrahim to arrive.

'"Where's Brittany?" Ariana asked as the nurse pushed her on her wheel chair

"She's not here today. I'll be putting you through the paces" the nurse replied.

"Aren't you a little young to be a Physical Therapist?" Ariana asked

"I'm a Physical therapy resi-...'

Knock, Knock, Knock...

"Oh!" Inaya yelped and reached over to the counter to grab the remote and paused the movie before getting up to get the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Ibrahim, open up"

She smiled.

The door opened with a click and she saw Ibrahim standing there with a smile. He was wearing a white Kaftan (Islamic clothing) because he just returned from the Jummaa (congregation) prayer - It was Friday.

"Assalamu a laikum (Peace be unto you)" Inaya greeted him, smiling as she reached out to give him a hug.

"Walaikum Salam", he replied, hugging her back.

"How is everyone doing?" Ibrahim asked entering the house and dropping his keys and wrist watch on the room divider.

"We're doing good, Alhamdulillah. The girls are upstairs and I've been waiting for you to come back so that we can watch a movie" Inaya smiled.

Ibrahim sat down.

"Really?"

She chuckled before he added

"It seems to me that you have already started watching without me" he smiled, looking up at the TV.

"I was tired of waiting, Ibrahim! But we can start over if you want" she smiled again.

"Oh no, it's okay. Just explain it to me as we go"

"Okay then"

They both sat down as Inaya hit 'play' on the remote.

'"Resident, which means I'm in Training to become a P.T"

"I was in Training once. Lots of good it did me"'

Pause.

"What? Why did you put it on pause?" protested her husband.

"On second thoughts, we should get the girls, don't you think? Let's make this a family fun cinema!" Inaya declared as Ibrahim sighed and murmured okay, shaking his head at her spontaneity.

She stood by the stairs and yelled "Girls! Your dad's home!" Seconds later, they bounced down happily to give their father welcome hugs.

"Assalamu alaikum Daddy" Kamila said, going over to hug him. The girls loved movie nights. They got a big bowl of popcorn that they had made earlier that day from the kitchen and all cuddled up on the couch to watch their movie.

Finally, Inaya hit 'play'.

* * *

Mama was standing in the middle of the hall. The house was empty and quiet. Standing there reminded her of Papa and all the memories they shared together. They had been in that house ever since they relocated from Nigeria. It was their only home. But she understood that sometimes, God puts you in trials to test you and she prayed that God would strengthen her through this trying time. She swallowed. It was hard being without him. Her heart ached for him so badly. She imagined him walking through the door to hold her...