All For What!

29

As soon as the doorbell rang, Manal ran towards the door and as anticipated, Aisha was standing outside the door with her daughter, Khadijah. Manal threw her arms around her, trapping her in a hug.

"As salamu Alaykum, dear." Aisha smiled, caressing her cheek lightly.

"Wa alaykum salam," Manal smiled back and turned to Khadijah. "You promised to visit sooner the last time we went to your house, why didn't you. I missed you."

"It's mummy's fault, she didn't allow me," Khadijah said, looking elsewhere, but her mum's direction.

Aisha chuckled at her kid's naughtiness. "Come on, kids, let's go in. Your ummi is around, right?"

"Yes. She's in the kitchen." Manal replied.

Maryam heard voices from the living room. Perhaps Aisha and her daughter were already in the house - she thought and quickly walk out to see for herself. Seeing Aisha and Khadijah already seated on the couch, made her smile. She went closer to them and hugged Khadijah. "As salamu Alyakum, Aisha." She greeted,  extending her hand for a handshake.

"Wa alaikum salam," Aisha replied smiling.

"How are you, Khadijah? How's school?" Maryam asked.

"I'm fine, school is fine also. Yesterday I got five stars in my-"

"Yeah, yeah we know." Aisha said, cutting her off. She knew just how her daughter was. She would go on and on about everything that happened in school yesterday - she was a talkative, unlike Manal.

"Allow the kid talk." Maryam chuckled.

"Believe me, you'd be literally begging me to shut her up once she starts." Aisha chuckled also.

Khadijah's face scrunched up in sadness. She really wanted to tell Maryam all about her drawings and more. 

"That's not true," Maryam denied, making Khadijah as well as Aisha smile. "Nafisa! Nafisa!!" She shouted.

Within a minute or so, Nafisa hurried down. "Ma?"

Maryam looked at her in disbelief. She wondered if she didn't see the guests in the living room and why she wasn't greeting them? "Can't you see we have guests?"

"I... I didn't. I was-"

"It's okay, go into the kitchen and bring the food I prepared." She instructed.

Nafisa nodded and rushed to the kitchen to do as instructed. On getting to the kitchen, she let out an audible breath. "Can't you see we have guests?" She mimicked. "So because you have guests, I should be jumping like a frog?" She rolled her eyes and carried the food to them.

"Thank you." Maryam muttered.

Nafisa smiled, hypocritically before leaving for her room.

"Who is she?" Khadijah asked, Manal, referring to Nafisa.

Manal remained silent.

"She's the house help." Maryam answered for Manal.

"I don't like her!" Khadijah said with scrunched up face.

"Haven't I warned you to stop this behavior of yours?" Her mother asked.

"But she looks like-"

"Enough, Khadijah," Aisha sighed. "Manal?" She called. "Please go to your room with Khadijah and play."

"Okay..." Manal replied and headed to her room hand in hand with her friend.

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