Chapter 19

"Assalamualaikum sister-in-law." Samirah's voice came through as though she had a smirk plastered to her face at that moment.

The tone of Samirah's voice made Umaymah chuckle before responding to her greeting.

"Are you home? Mama and I are on our way to your place and we've also got company." A horn was blurted from the other end.

"Salam dear."Zeinab's faint voice said.

"Walaikumu salam aunty," Umaymah paused for a bit. "Is everything fine?"

There was a slight break in the transmission before Samirah spoke again.

"I hope everything is when we arrive, because Ali hasn't stopped crying he wants to see his favourite aunty Umaymah since we left home." Samirah smacked her tongue at the end of her sentence.

"Really?" Umaymah giggled this time around as she shifted the phone to her other ear while searching through her handbag. "We're on our way home at the moment."

Samirah heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank Goodness!"

"Umaymah..." A tiny voice came from the receiver which shortly followed Samirah's low voice muttering "What are we supposed to call her?"

There was a second of silence before the voice came again.

"Aunty Umaymah..."

"Hello Uncle Ali," A smile spread across her face as she returned her handbag to the backseat. "How are you doing today?"

A sniffle came. "I'm not doing good because I want to see you and Daddy is driving really slow." His cute voice complained earning everyone's laughter.

"Aunty Umaymah-" Two little girls voices echoed in unison.

"Hello Aunties." She chuckled lightly.

"It's Aliyah and..."

"Amina!" Zeinab's little daughter completed.

"You didn't allow me to finish talking." Ali's voice mumbled in the background before tiny cries followed.

"What did we say about taking turns Aliyah?" Samirah  looked over her shoulder at her daughter who slowly docked her head down.

A low sorry was mumbled before Ali's voice came again.

After they trio had taken their turns to speak, Samirah ended the call with a "See in twenty minutes." 

Immediately she heard the engine of an affluent bloodred car pullover, she pulled her scarf over her head and headed out.

That must be them.

"Aunty Umaymah!" The three kids who were running, were now hugging tight to her legs in a matter of seconds.

"How are we all doing today?" She brought herself to their heights and hugged all three of them together.

"I missed you so much!" Ali admitted squeezing her tighter.

"I missed you all too." She smiled.

"He kept crying like a baby all the way here." Aliyah laughed as she whispered to Umaymah.

"Aliyah!" Samirah's stern voice called as she took in a large foil bowl containing fried snacks inside the house.

Umaymah assisted in getting the other things from the car.

"Assalamualaikum," She greeted as she passed the driver's window with her arms wrapped around a large round watermelon. "Yusuf." She added.

He responded her tasleem with a small nod accompanying a smile.

Zeinab and Samirah prepared different homemade snacks, dishes and also brought along various fruits for Umaymah and Salman because Zeinab insisted that they needed it at such a dire time like this even though she had sent a couple of flasks containing locally cooked dishes few days back.

"Sorry Ali." she told her twin.

Once everything that needed to be brought down was taken inside, Yusuf drove out and disappeared behind the large mountains, leaving nothing but tire prints on the smoothly tar road before everyone entered the house.

Salman had been in the bathroom taking a shower when his family arrived.

"Why didn't you just live in there forever?" Samirah popped her head out of the kitchen as he walked through the hallway.

"Because I prefer a cozier place," he answered sarcastically. "Not that in there wasn't cozy." He added.

Samirah rolled her eyes and docked her head back inside the kitchen.

"Finally! I'm not the only one that says he takes forever to shower." Umaymah's voice followed.

The young ladies were organizing the items in their respective places.

"I'll be back soon." Salman's faint but deep voice reached their ears even though he was already in the living room.

"Why is your brother always this annoying?" Umaymah sliced open the green backed fruit with black drops scattered on the red succulent inners.

Samirah picked out some samosas and placed them on plates for the kids.

"Why is your husband always bent on getting on my nerves?" Samirah replied.

A loud laugh escaped Umaymah as she popped a slice of juicy watermelon into her mouth.

"So what part of the gossip did I miss?"

Samirah and Umaymah turned around only to find Salman leaning by the door frame.

Samirah rolled her eyes.

Umaymah nearly choked on the piece of fruit in her mouth.

He walked into the kitchen with his hands inside his pockets of his joggers.

"Come on, tell me." He shot his eyebrow up in Samirah's direction as he rested his bare arm on Umaymah's shoulder.

He was in a sleeveless vest.

"You could have found a better way to flex them." Samirah pointed a Samosa at his biceps before passing it to Umaymah.

Umaymah was still under his hold.

Was he now using her height to his own advantage?

Slip from under him Umaymah.

The tiny voice she usually had secret conversations with whispered to her.

The whole time Samirah and Salman had been teasing each other, she was deep in her head.

What is he falls? And gets hurt?

"Urm... Salman," Samirah's voice brought Umaymah back to the kitchen. "I think you're hurting my best friend,right Ummi?"  Samirah threw his arm off Umaymah's shoulder and began examining her low shoulder for any bruise with her usual smirk on her face.

Salman cleared his throat.

"Hey Mrs, no one calls her that but me." Salman took the samosa from his wife's hand then threw it into his mouth. "Ummi tell your bestfriend she's exaggerating, it's not like I sat on your shoulder with my entire weight." He stole a kiss from Umaymah's forehead.

"I told you I was going to be back." He winked at Umaymah who turned to look at Samirah who was trying her best not to burst into laughter.

"Your husband sure likes you, Ummi." Samirah approached the kitchen door with the plate of samosas in her hands.

"Okay, it sounds weird when you say it like that." Umaymah held her stomach as she laughed.

"No one calls her that but me, U-mmiii, tell your bestfriend she's exaggerating." Samirah tried impersonating Salman.

"Oh please Samirah." Umaymah and Samirah bursted into a fist of laughter in unison.

Samirah made her feel peace.

Salman's family made her happy whenever they were around.

From their warm complements to their funny inside jokes and lastly, the hyperactive toddlers.