The other woman's DAUGHTER

Chapter 14

Maryam's grandmother stared at Maryam as she ate from the hot foodflask of noodles she had prepared minutes to her departure from home, knowing if prepared hours before the consumer eats, then it might turn out soggy and it's quite unpleasant eating soggy noodles.

She had asked if either Noorie or her mother would want to come with her to the hospital, to check on Maryam's health but, they had both declined her request, with the excuse that they would come visit later because, it is too early for them to leave home. Aliya had volunteered to come with her, even before she asked.

Being a private hospital, the rule about visitation hours wasn't implemented. Infact, one could go and come as they please. Unless, the patient is in the emergency unit or intensive care unit, that required serious security.

Zarah exited the bathroom with a fork, she frowned at how Maryam was almost half way through noodle. She had just gone to rinse her fork, she squinted and grumbled towards the food. She eyed Maryam menacingly making Maryam chuckle.

     "Sorry, I was so hungry" Maryam spoke with a mouth full.
   
     "So was I" Zarah retorted and they both continued eating in a comfortable silence with Aliyah watching them silently. Aliyah had always been very playful, she was never the type to specifically disrespect Maryam, unless if Noorie was around to fuel it.

Mama's children on the other hand, were stark disrespectful and Maryam had learnt not to step on their toes, because of the beatings from the older ones. She tried as much as possible not to cross their paths, because she would be at the receiving end of whatever punishment was to be given. Aliyah had always been a bystander and a follower. As she grew, she noticed her mother was always wrongfully accusing Maryam of things. Some accusations were ridiculous. What had happened yesterday had made her understood, her mother did not fancy Maryam at all, and ofcourse she felt really bad.

With the last spoonful of noodles, Zarah urged Maryam to drop her spoon in the foodflask, then she headed to the bathroom to give it a rinse. She hated how people would give her back dirty foodflask even after being of held to them. Whenever her mother sends her to go deliver food to her family house, Zarah would sit down calmly and wait for the miss to do the needful. There was an instance where her mother's friend had just relieved her maid of her duty.  She did not want to stand up and do the needful, and Zarah did not like this woman particularly.

     "And my maids are not even around to wash this thing" she had said smiling, hoping Zarah would either take the foodflask or give it a rinse herself. The woman had grown up daughters for crying out loud. Seeing the woman did not want to wash the foodflask, Zarah sat comfortably waiting to see what she would do. "What will I do now?" She mumbled exasperatedly as if it was a big deal to wash plates.

The irritating part of all this is, they are new money. It hadn't been long her husband got an appointment with the federal government. All of a sudden she's a pampered baby. Zarah could remember how tattered their old house had been, and how she used to use firewood to cook and how her children would rush and collect the food from Zarah happily because, they knew her mother made the best festive food ever.

She chuckled softly, before heading to the kitchen when she realized Zarah was going nowhere until she cleaned the foodflask, she had grumpily dropped the foodflask, but Zarah feigned ignorance and beamed at the woman, before exiting her home tht Eid.

Maryam's grandmother pleaded with Zarah not to wash it, but ofcourse she refused. She knew they would wash it again when they get home. But, an effort to do the right thing always makes people respect you. 

When Zarah exited the bathroom, there was a knock on the door and ofcourse it was Mama and Baba Direba. Zarah swallowed, because she has known that the two women were best of friends, until Maryam's grandmother had agreed to get her own daughter married to Mama's husband. Baba Direba was with a gigantic food flask, and water flask.