Once she entered her room, Haifa immediately reached for her phone and dialed Aseel's number. After a few futile minutes, she let out a frustrated sigh and decided to send him a text instead. Yet, there was no response. She rolled her eyes in exasperation; Aseel's habit of not replying wasn't something new. Whenever he was busy playing video games or hanging out with his friends, getting a response from him was nearly impossible.
She pressed the phone to her
forehead, feeling the need to talk to someone. Haifa swiftly sent a text to her
best friend.
Ifa:
911! NEED TO TALK!
The reply came almost instantly.
Aish:
Sure, come over
Haifa swapped her oversized blue
t-shirt and grey sweatpants for a stylish polka-dotted blouse with a lace-up
red top featuring puffed long sleeves, paired with light blue jeans. Swiftly,
she adorned a matching berry blush chiffon burqa scarf around her head,
following a new style she had picked up from a TikTok tutorial. With meticulous
attention, she applied lipstick and eyeliner, then grabbed her bag and
cautiously listened at the door for any sign of her mother. Detecting no sounds
from the other side, she slipped out as noiselessly as she could, leaving a
hasty note on the white magnetic board attached to the fridge.
Her mother had a system in place so that she wouldn't have to wonder about
Haifa's whereabouts. The rules were straightforward: whenever Haifa went out,
she had to jot down where she was headed and when she expected to return. This
way, her mother wouldn't need to constantly call or message. There was a
sub-clause too, she should inform her mother if Haifa was running late or if
her plans changed.
Haifa stealthily grabbed her
mother's scooter keys from the holder and crept out. It wasn't that she was
trying to sneak away to hide her whereabouts; it was more about avoiding a
confrontation with her mother at the moment. Her mother had never been overly
controlling, not even during her high school years. As long as she was aware of
Haifa's plans and activities, Nasreena had granted her freedom. Haifa had
always respected that trust and never taken advantage of the privileges she
had.
Haifa rolled her eyes, silently
thanking the heavens for the luxury of the elevator. The past twenty years in a
lift-less building with their apartment on the 4th floor had been an exhausting
saga of stair-climbing. She had her fill of that, thank you very much.
Reaching the ground floor, she
marched across the street, where their trusty ten-year-old Fino was usually
parked. The once-vibrant red paint and cool stickers had lost their charm, but
the motorbike held up well. Her face twisted in annoyance when she spotted
another bike crammed up next to hers, encroaching on her precious space. With
the seasoned moves of a parking ninja, she grabbed the back handle and yanked
her bike a few times, giving it a stern warning to behave.
After a sweaty struggle, she finally
managed to free her Fino from the clutches of the rude neighbor's bike.
Grumbling under her breath about their lack of parking manners, she squeezed
onto her own ride. A few choice words were directed at the offending bike owner
as she revved up the engine, ready to hit the road.
Navigating through the congested
weekend traffic on the narrow streets, Haifa expertly avoided the careless
riders who seemed to have a nonchalant attitude toward traffic rules. Her mind
was still spinning from the bombshell her mother had dropped earlier. The idea
of starting a new life in that unfamiliar place felt overwhelming and
nonsensical. She found herself fuming at the injustice of it all – they had
brought her to this bustling city, watched her grow fond of it, only to ask her
to uproot herself once again.
Her train of thought abruptly halted
as a taxi in front of her abruptly made a sharp left turn without signaling.
She had to swerve to avoid crashing into the vehicle's tail light. The driver
seemed to be in a hurry and showed little concern for the safety of others on
the road. Shooting an annoyed glare at the reckless taxi, she continued on her
way.
Haifa had once questioned her mother
about the narrow streets of Male'. Nasreena had explained that during that
time, vehicles were a rarity and bicycles were the primary mode of
transportation. As a result, the road system was designed to cater to bicycles,
and accommodating two-way traffic along with public parking was a challenge due
to the limited space.
Haifa clenched her teeth, realizing
she would never complain about the challenging roads of Male' again.
Maneuvering through the congested streets, it took her over twenty minutes to
reach her friend's house, a distance of barely a kilometer. She mused that she
could have walked faster. Parking was a nightmare, and she ended up parking
three blocks away from her destination. Haifa walked down the familiar but
uneven pavement, with protruding bricks here and there. Among her many close
friends, Aish was the one she turned to in times of adversity. Their bond had
formed since grade school and had only grown stronger over time.
Aish was among the fortunate ones
who had her own house in the city. Thanks to her grandfather's native roots on
the island, they had a plot of land that her father later developed into a
home. It wasn't overly spacious, but it radiated warmth and the sense of a true
family abode. Haifa knocked and entered the house, exchanging quick pleasantries
with Aish’s mother and aunt in the living room before dashing up the stairs to
her bestie’s room.
When Haifa knocked, Aish's voice
called out, "Come in!"
Aish sat on the parquet floor, legs
crossed. Her short black hair was held back with an orange headband. Her black
eyes and oval face were half hidden behind her large glasses, which apparently
was her style. She wore a loose purple shirt over her customary cotton harem
pants. Haifa almost envied her friend’s slender frame, while she often felt
that her own body was "too curvy".
"I was glad you called. Look,
Shein sent gifts. Your pile is over there," Aish said, pointing to the
left side of her bed without looking up. Usually, the duo bought their trendy
clothes and makeup from the large online shop Shein, which had started shipping
to Maldives. Haifa didn't have enough allowance to reach the $200 limit for
free shipping, so she usually piggybacked on Aish's orders. Fortunately for
her, Aish frequently placed orders. Aish also had an allowance, which was
larger than Haifa's. Both of Aish's parents worked full time and didn't have
the added burden of paying rent every month.
Haifa plopped down on her bed
without even giving her new items a second glance. "What happened?"
Aish dropped the package and rushed to her side. "I've never seen you
ignore a Shein package before. This must be something major."
Haifa lifted her head, her voice
breaking, "Mamma said we have to move to Vavathi in two weeks."
Aish blinked, trying to comprehend.
"For how long?" she asked, dumbfounded.
Haifa shook her head. "Moving
for good," she said, watching Aisha's reaction sink in.
"But why!" Aish exclaimed,
sitting up. " No, NO! You can't go! What about the job? What about me?
What am I supposed to do without you?"
Aish was the only one who knew that
Haifa had applied for a job at Lit Magazine, one of the most popular magazines
in the city. They had spent days stalking their website and social media,
crafting the perfect resume. Haifa had been hesitant to talk about it afterward
to anyone including her mother, fearing she might jinx it.
"They emailed me, and said
there's no vacancy right now for someone without prior experience in the
field," she said, her voice despairing. "Oh, my world is falling
apart."
Aish grabbed her phone, desperation
in her eyes. "I want to talk to Mamma. She might listen to me," Aish
had been Haifa's friend for so long that they had become like sisters. She
called Haifa's mother "Mamma," just as Haifa did with Aish's mother.
"You know Mamma won't change
her mind. She's so stubborn once she decides something," Haifa said,
letting her head fall back onto the mattress. "My life is over, Aish. I
just don't know what to do."
"Why do you have to go? Maybe we
can convince her to let you stay," Aish suggested a glimmer of hope in her
eyes.
"I don't earn any money, Aish.
If I want to rent a place, I need a steady monthly income," Haifa replied,
her voice tinged with dramatic despair. "I can't leave her now, Aish.
She's done everything for me when I couldn't do anything. And now that I can, I
can't abandon her."
"There has to be a way, why
does she want to leave so abruptly?" Aish insisted. Haifa made a face.
"It's not exactly sudden; she's been mentioning it for as long as I can
remember. I just didn't want to believe her. I think now that my studies are
over and our lease is up for renewal next month, she's finally made up her
mind." She explained, a hint of resignation in her tone. "Mamma has
been bringing up those renovation plans repeatedly in the last few months. I
just hoped and stayed in denial." "Maybe she also doesn't really want
to leave?" Aish asked with a hopeful tone, trying to find a silver lining.
"No, she was very sure. I don't
know what to do." Haifa replied sadly.
"We have to do something. Stall
her maybe. Make her think this is her home," Aish's face scrunched up in
thought. "I hardly doubt I can change her mind once she has decided,"
Haifa said with a sigh. "If I need to convince her, I need to give a solid
reason."
"How about this? You go to
Vavathi, let your mom settle in, and then slowly start showing her that it's
not the life you want. Live there for a while and make her think you really
tried but realized it's not for you. Convince her you were miserable."
Haifa lifted her head, a glimmer of
hope in her eyes. She tilted her head and chimed in, "Live there for a
bit, show her I made an effort, and then let her see that I don't belong. Act
like I'm struggling, and she'll see how much I don't fit in." It was like
she could read Aish's thoughts before she spoke them.
Aish clapped her hands, excitement
in her voice. "Yes, yes, yes, yes! Your mother loves you too much to see
you unhappy. You can tough it out for a year or so, and then finally act like
you're desperate to come back!"
Haifa sat up, her eyes sparkling
with newfound determination, and faced Aish. Both friends were fully immersed
in their scheming. "But that's not enough. I need to find ways to make her
realize that coming back is the better option," Haifa declared, her mind
spinning with possibilities. "I have to make her see that returning here
is the right choice."
"Exactly!" Aish exclaimed,
her excitement contagious. "You can point out all the issues there, stir
up some family dramas. Remember how she once told you that your aunts and
uncles wanted her to come back after your dad passed, but they refused to help
out if she stayed here?" A mischievous glint danced in Aish's eyes.
"Bring up those times, ruffle some feathers. Once you plant the seed, keep
watering it until she can't ignore it anymore."
Haifa nodded eagerly, a grin forming
on her lips. "You're a genius, Aish!”
"It's a pretty elaborate plan.
Should I be concerned that you're this skilled at coming up with mystery plots
so quickly? Is that your secret all-day activity?" Haifa quirked an
eyebrow, giving Aish an assessing look. "What's brewing in that brain of
yours?"
Aish waved off the question with a
casual gesture. "Oh, you wouldn't want to know what's happening up
here," she said, tapping her temple with her fingertip. "So, spill
the tea! What did Aseel have to say about all this?"
Haifa let out a sigh, her expression
trying to mask her disappointment. "He didn't answer my call, probably
caught up in something," she replied, attempting to appear unfazed.
"Oh my gosh, seriously? You're
way too good for him," Aish declared with a dramatic eye roll. Haifa held
up her hand, "Please not you too, I think Mamma wants to take me to
Vavathi thinking I would forget him." She shook her head, "He is the
love of my life," she said.
"Because he sucks and you can't
see it," Aish said pointedly. "You just think you are in love with
him, but that's not love."
Haifa gave out a snort, "It's
not huh, so tell me, love guru, what is love?"
"Remember all those romantic
movies with the so cheesy cliches? When it starts to happen in real life, you
know it's love," Aish said smoothly.
"Sure, and you know this from
all the many boys you have dated?" Haifa asked, her tone teasing.
"How many was that again? Two?" she asked mockingly.
“Yes, just because I don’t have a long list doesn’t mean I don’t know what I
want,” Aish explained. “And my first big no-no is when a person doesn’t give
enough time. If he truly cared, he would make time.”
Just then, Haifa’s phone beeped.
Aseel: Busy, can’t talk. Dinner? 9?
Her face broke into a big smile and
her heart fluttered, making her happy.
Ifa: OK. I love you.
She added a few emojis of hearts and
kisses. Haifa knew he cared about her; he wasn't very romantic in a traditional
sense, but she felt special whenever she was with him.
“Aseel?” Aish asked. “Yeah, he's
taking me for dinner,” Haifa said.
“Hmm mm,” Aish replied without
showing much enthusiasm.
“I know you don’t like him, but he
has changed. And I love him,” Haifa said softly.
“All right,” with an unconvinced
glance, Aish stood up, “Here, open these and try the tops so I can tell which
one looks the cutest for tonight’s date.” She said.
Haifa gave her a quizzical look,
“Just because I don’t like him doesn’t mean I would let you go out without
looking fabulous.” Aish said breezily.
Did you love the chapter, please let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Have a wonderful day!
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