Muslimah Next Door { Editing }

{ 7 } Good News?

{ Saabira }

As I was walking up the stairs to the house, I see James and an older figure that looked exactly like him standing beside him. I put my head to the left to see who they were talking to, who of course was Ifrah.

"Is everything alright?" I said standing there.

They all turned and looked at me, James was staring coldly.

"Hello! You're the girl who got hit by a rock. He apologizes. He was drunk," his father said while smiling at me.

I don't respond. I just stand there and look at them.

Ifrah gives me a look, signaling that I should start conversing with them.

"James, give the money to them," I hear his father say.

"I ain't giving them shit," James says as he storms off.

"Um... You guys can just drop the money anytime this week, if possible," Ifrah says while giving me yet another look.

"Oh yeah, no problem. I don't know what has gotten into that kid lately."

◈

Waking up in my own room, and not in the hospital, is such an amazing feeling, Alhamdulillah. I sat up on my bed and looked around, realizing that Ifrah was there. All of a sudden, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I say, confused as the door opens and Yusuf comes in the room.

"Salam, Yusuf," I greet.

"Salam, Saabria, how are you feeling?"

"I'm getting there, Alhamdulillah. Thanks for asking," I say, looking out my window.

"Um... Well, Saabria, I have something to talk to you about, could you please come to the living room once you get ready?"

"Uh.. yeah," I replied.

"Okay, thanks," said Yusuf exiting the room

◈

Walking down the stairs, I follow the wonderful aroma of breakfast food coming from the kitchen.

I haven't eaten a good meal since I went into the hospital.

"Salam Uncle," I say, turning into the kitchen.

"Salam, habibti," he says, kissing my forehead.

"Everything you're making smells so good!" I gesture around the room with one eyebrow raised. "How are you cooking all this?" I ask, looking at him, confused.

"Oh, that's the thing Yusuf wanted to talk to you about. He's in the living room" Uncle explained still looking at the pan he was mixing when I turned around. I see Yusuf sitting in the living room talking on the phone, whose voice I could hear.

"Salam, Yusuf," I greeted while taking a seat across from him.

"Salam, Saabria, how's everything going so far?"

"Oh, Alhamdulillah, how're you?" I reply politely.

"Great, Alhamdulillah, I wanted to talk to you about something, as I said earlier."

"Oh, and what was that?"

"Well we know that you've been through a lot in the past couple of years," he started.

The room is quiet.

"There is a guy that has wanted to marry you for a while now. I told him that I would talk to you about it because you'd be making such a huge decision."

"Oh wow, um, I honestly don't know what to say," I say, speechless.

Everything just stopped right there for me, I was so shocked and confused as to who on earth would marry someone like me, and the fact that he's wanted to marry me for a while is the part that scared me.

"Um, Yusuf do I know this 'guy' that wants to marry me?" I ask, still shocked at the news.

"As a matter of fact you guys were best friends as little kids, but later got separated. I think we might have some pictures of you guys?" he said.

Wait, what? My not-sure-future husband and I were best friends when we were kids?

A couple of minutes later Yusuf comes down the stairs with a huge album of pictures.

I looked at him with a shocked face and said "Wow are all of those pictures of me and that 'guy'?

"Haha, no. That would be amazing if it was," he said while looking at me with a smile.

You guys are probably thinking "What? You actually want to get married?" But let's face it, I'm ready to handle this. I mean, we were best friends as kids, I think we'll click very well.

"Here you go, look at these," Yusuf said while handing me the pictures of me and the 'guy'. As I looked them, I started having flashbacks and memories of us.

"I don't remember his name," I said, looking at him with a smile on my face.

"Oh, how rude of me, Mohammed is his name," he informed me.

Mohammed? Mohammed? I keep saying the name in my name over and over again in my head.

"When do we meet? I mean... I-I'm not sure if I'm gonna get married yet, but it w-would be nice seeing him again I-I guess," I stuttered, feeling shy.

"He said he'll come over anytime you're ready to meet him," he responded.

"Ok... Um- how about this Saturday at 4:30 in Sha Allah?"

"I'll call him and ask if he's available and I'll get back to you as soon as possible, inshallah," he replied happily.

I leave the room and I still see no sign of Ifrah. Where in the world did she go?

◈

The adhan for Asr just rang, so I leave the room to go make wudhu as I hear three male voices downstairs.

"What is going on?" I whisper to myself.

I make wudhu Alhamdulillah and start praying. After prayer, I decided to read my Quran.

All of sudden, there's a knock at my door.

"Umm, you can come in" I reply hesitantly.

Guess who it was?

"Salam, Saabria," says a female voice.

I look to my right. Ayan is standing in the doorway.

Ayan is my best friend, we've known each other ever since we were born.

"Habibti, I haven't seen you in forever," I said, smiling, getting up from the floor and hugging her.

"I know, right? I've been so lonely and sad ever since you left your aunts," she replies dejectedly.

"Yeah, me too. But enough about me, how's everything going?" I ask, eager to know everything.

"Everything is going well, Alhamdulillah. How about you, about the whole incident and all that stuff?" She questions carefully.

"Ehh, Alhamdulillah, I'm doing better than before," I say before giving her a smile.

Silence.

Then laughter.

We've always had this relationship where we would laugh at the dumbest things ever.

"But Ayan, I have something to tell you," I say before I could forget.