Authors: Linda Verji
“Mommy, my bacon is finished.” Lily tagged on Zain’s khaki capris, drawing her from her thoughts. She had her plate in hand in her best Oliver Twist impression. “Can I have some more?”
Laughing, Zain put the plate on the counter beside her then lifted Lily up in her arms. She grunted slightly under Lily’s weight, “Baby, I told you if you keep giving Runo your-”
Her words were interrupted by a loud slam of the door. Then she heard that voice that always brought hives up her back and raised her hackles, “Halake, are you home?”
“Nana!” Iris and Maari ran out of the kitchen to meet her but Lily remained in Zain’s arms. Of the three she was the most intuitive. Even at five she knew when their mother was unhappy and she hadn’t missed the fall of Zain’s smile.
“Halake, Halake, Halake!” Nadifa Yasin sang as she made her way into the kitchen.
Lucky caught Zain’s eye roll and shook his head in warning before he shouted out, “Ma, I’m in here!”
When Nadifa finally made her way into the kitchen she was all smiles. It was obvious where Lucky had inherited his height, even fragility and age hadn’t taken from Nadifa’s lithe form. Her hair was arranged in a curly bob to soften the sharp contours of her face and her deep-set eyes. She wore a long-sleeved maxi dress in a soft shade of grey that fell to her feet and was cinched around the waist with a silver belt.
“How was Atlanta, my son?” Nadifa asked as she hugged Lucky.
“It was okay.” Lucky returned her clasp. “We won the game.”
“That’s good.” Nadifa reached for the glass that was on the counter. She sniffed its contents and wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Is this what she’s feeding you? No wonder my boy is getting thinner.” She clucked disapprovingly as she dropped her bag on the counter then snatched the skillet from Zain’s hands to continue the cooking.
Zain was tempted to slap her with that skillet. The woman hadn’t even been in her house for five minutes, hadn’t even bothered to greet her, and was already slinging mean shots. Zain wasn’t the kind of woman to just sit and take it so there had been more than a few yelling matches between them. Today, however, she let it go because the children were in the kitchen and it was only a pan of bacon.
While Nadifa cooked and served Lucky, Zain cleaned the dishes. She was almost done when she glanced at her watch. Frowning slightly, she sidled up to Lucky. “Baby, I gotta get the kids to school.”
The whining immediately began. “Do we have to go to school?”
“Can’t we stay with Daddy for just one day?”
“But it’s cold outside.”
“You know the house rules,” Zain said as she wiped Maari’s milk moustache – or tried to before he ducked out of her reach. “No missing school.”
“Don’t force those children to go to school.” Nadifa waved the skillet up in the air like it was a judge’s gavel. “One day at home won’t kill them.”
Both Zain and Nadifa turned to Lucky. He paused with bacon dangling on his fork, just next to his mouth. His eyes shifted to Nadifa, then to Zain, then back to Nadifa. He licked his lips nervously. “Kids go get ready for school.”
The ensuing moans and groans couldn’t dull the victory Zain felt. She knew it was petty, but it wasn’t often that she won against Nadifa when it came to Lucky so she was milking it for all it was worth. Though she tried to keep the satisfaction from her face, the small smirk was instinctive. Nadifa didn’t miss it. She kissed her teeth before throwing Lucky a narrow eyed look. Zain was sure that the moment they left Lucky would get an earful.
The kids trooped out of the kitchen with lackluster goodbyes to Lucky and Nadifa. Once Zain got them into their jackets, mittens, and scarves, she hurried them outside, through the snow, to the car and strapped them in. Just as she was about to get into the car herself, she remembered that she’d forgotten their lunches on the kitchen counter.
She left them in the car while she ran back into the house. She was just about to get into the kitchen when she heard Nadifa say, “What did the doctor you went to see say?”
Lucky’s words were muffled. “…nothing wrong… just wait...happen in time…”
There was a pause before Nadifa asked, “Obviously there’s something wrong with her. When are you going to get a real woman who can give you your own kids instead of hanging on to your sister’s?”
“Ma, that’s my wife.”
“Boy, don’t Ma me.” Even without seeing her, Zain could imagine Nadifa’s lips curling in derision as she said, “That’s no wife. She’s just an empty shell who’s sucking all your money up into her childless womb.”
“Ma,” Lucky started but then kept quiet.
Zain expected him to come to her defense, maybe say that she was doing everything the fertility specialist had said they should do. He could’ve said that they just needed more time to try, but he said nothing more. Feeling tears gather in her eyes, she turned on her heels and rushed out of the house.
“Ma, you forgot our lunches again!” Maari reminded her as she started the car.
“I’ll buy you something.”
“Burgers?”“Pizza?” She let the kids suggestions eclipse her disappointment in Lucky.