Barakah

- Sparks

30/1/2022.
Happy new year:)

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Barakah

"What brings you here today Barakah?" Celeste was a middle aged woman now, tones of silvery strands in her long brunette hair conveying the era of life she was now settled into.

Several years ago, when Barakah had initially met her, she was a fresh Muslim revert in her late thirties whose family had immigrated from Spain when she was no more than a kid of seven years old.

When they had first met, Barakah was a broken teenager who had nothing in her but a hopeless lens she used to stare into the world.

When they first met, they were both settling into new paths and both had something to give to the other that was more than just an exchange of services and banknotes: Guidance.

"I got married to him," She didn't hesitate to pause even with the tightened, intense scrutiny Celeste wore, "I had too actually. . . . . We both had too I think," Processing that information from what both her twin sister and A.J had told her.

"My father would've gone to jail if I hadn't. The family business would've burned to the ground. We would be ridiculed by society. . . . . But I don't really know to an extent, why he married me."

Celeste sat up straighter, firmer. A squeezing grip overcoming the poor cup of coffee she had prepared for them. Barakah could see the weariness in the woman's eyes. A court of dilemma playing in her head, trying to pick between professionalism or letting her own feelings about touch on the matter.

There's a break of time between them. . . .

Tick,

Tock,

Tick,

Tock,

Tick,

Tock.

What was it going to be?

Barakah took that time to admire the homeliness of her living room. Everything was tasteful, voguish with a shadow of decor pieces from the era of time she was young, her golden age. it was just Celeste there. Occasionally, her twin daughters would come around for the holidays.

How old would they be now? Ah, thirty-two. Celeste was very young when she had them. Thirteen.

A pre-teen mom. Her parents had kicked her out. She'd then live with the boy's family till she was done with high school before moving to NewYork with her twins and their father for college. They were very young at that time, thirteen and fifteen with the world's shattering odds against them but they survived. Married even when she was twenty-five until life happened, again.

He had cheated, she fell out of love and they divorced when she was thirty-five. Their twins however, had blossomed well. One was a surgeon and the other was big shot model who often graced the biggest covers and runways. They were both happily married and Celeste adored her grandchildren.