* Amina was relentless. "I want to go home this instant," she said, while Ibrahim kept his hands on her shoulder with a solemn look in his eyes. "You cannot leave just yet," Afrah said, sitting at the foot of the bed. "The doctor says you aren't ready." "Why should I care what some amateur doctor thinks?" she spat, glaring at the IV hooked up to her. "I'm leaving, and all of you are welcome to try and stop me." "Amina," their mother said from the chair by the window, "if you move an inch from that bed, you'll have to answer to me." Amina narrowed her eyes defiantly as she looked up at her, meeting her mother's hardened gaze head on. Her adamance remained for only a few seconds however, as she finally bowed her head in defeat. "Isn't that better?" Ibrahim sighed, keeping his hands on her as she leaned back onto the propped up pillow behind her. "Don't start with me," she glowered at him. "I wouldn't dream of it," he said, a grin spreading across his lips. Amina bit her lip as
*According to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, butterflies are defined as a nectar-feeding insect with two pairs of large, typically brightly coloured wings that are covered with microscopic scales. The definition was standard across most modern day dictionaries. For Afrah however, butterflies could be defined as the ghostly entities which fluttered within the confines of her stomach whenever she looked up to find Adnan staring at her. During such an occurrence, she would clamp down on her spoon and refuse to stare at him. The man was just too beautiful for his own well-being. The unease spread all the way to the tips of her fingers, and she desperately sought something - anything - to hide herself behind. "You're unusually quiet today," he said, lifting his spoon to his lips. Afrah tried not to notice the way they tugged into a lopsided grin. She tried, also, not to notice how pink they were. Or the way they moved from side to side after each spoonful. When he bit a piec
*720 hours later, Afrah had drawn up a schedule which detailed every single detail of how Adnan spent his day. 4:50am - Wakes up from sleep. 4:55am - Slides off the bed after staring at the wall for five minutes straight. 5:00am - Sneaks into Afrah's room and wakes her up for Fajr. 5:00:44am - Kisses Afrah on the forehead. 5:10am - Prays Fajr with Afrah behind him. 5:20am - Showers and gets ready for work.5:30am - Sits on the balcony and reads until the sun rises. 6:30am - Has breakfast with Afrah while holding her hand 7:00am - Stands on porch and kisses Afrah on the forehead again. Waves goodbye before leaving. 1:00pm - Calls Afrah to ask what she's up to. 4:00pm - Calls Afrah to ask if she wants him to get anything on his way back. 4:01pm - Asks if she's sure she doesn't want anything. 5:30pm - Drives into the house. 5:31pm - Opens the front door, says "Assalamu alaikum" before yelling "Marco!" 5:31:23pm - Smiles when Afrah replies "Polo!"5:32pm - Follows the sound
*Afrah almost moved into the new painting room. Almost. If it weren't for the fact that it was too far away from Adnan's room, she would have done so. But for now, her choice of where to sleep remained unchanged. Most days however, she would sit in the room, occasionally staring at the backyard for hours on end. It soon became her dining room/study/sanctuary. She had brought a few books into the room, and she read them usually with a cup of coffee beside her and a bowl of noodles. The view was great, and Adnan had started a small garden beside the wall, where he kept several potted plants whose names Afrah didn't know. He watered them everyday before leaving for work, and he instructed Aliyu - the new security guard they'd hired - to water them in the afternoons. Mostly though, Afrah stared at the blank canvases and the paint brushes. The first day after Adnan showed her the room, she had spent hours running her fingers over the brushes and smiling like a little girl. She picked
*They left on a Sunday, buoyant smiles on their faces and fingers interlaced throughout. Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was fairly busy that day, and in the sea of ordinary humans, the two were soon lost. With the prospect of over twenty hours together, the journey seemed like it would be an aggravating one. But they enjoyed each other's company, and they had a four-hour layover in Istanbul so at least they wouldn't be crammed in the plane too long. "It's going to be cold in New York this time of year," Adnan told her the night before. "Keep a sweater at hand."Their packing had been minimal. Seeing as they would be spending the next few weeks traveling all around the world, it didn't make sense to pack so many clothes. Besides, the climates were much different and what might be perfect for one would become absolutely horrendous for another. Imagine wearing a coat in the Mediterranean. They would buy their clothes along the way. The decision had been made unanimously. Th
*Their suite was on the fifth floor, with a large living area and a small bar off to the right. The sight baffled Afrah, until a closer look revealed that all the drinks were nonalcoholic. Adnan had called ahead to request that the room be 'sanitized'. Their room was airier than Afrah had imagined it would be. It was off in the hallway to the left, with tall windows which afforded an alluring view of 57th street below. The bed was king-sized, gigantic and right in the middle of the room. There was a private terrace, with an indoor jacuzzi, an en-suite bathroom and a plush grey rug which covered the length of the room. A faint scent of pine hung over the room, its source untraceable. "That is the most beautiful sight in all of existence," Adnan sighed behind her."I know you're not talking about me," she laughed. "Would you please move?" He playfully shoved her aside. "You're blocking the love of my life."Afrah clutched her sight, laughing at the sight of Adnan as he ran into the
*They headed to the McDonald's on 3rd Avenue, just two blocks away. Adnan ordered a 'Double Pounder with Cheese Deluxe', while Afrah ordered the 'Quarter Pounder'. They also got 'Hot Caramel Sundaes' to go with the burgers, and a side of fries. "You should have gone for a 'Big Mac'," he said, eyeing her 'Quarter Pounder' with a look of disdain. "Don't trash-talk my burger," Afrah said as she took a bite. "You and I have very different stomachs."Adnan turned his nose up as he took a bite from his own burger. "Anyway," he said, "I was hoping we could take a tour of Fifth Avenue today. If there's still time, we can head over to Central Park afterwards. We can go to the zoo, the lake, or Strawberry Fields. I'm sure you'd love them.""What about Chris?" Afrah raised an eyebrow, trying to hide her irritation at the thought of him butting in on their honeymoon. "Don't worry about him," Adnan waved dismissively. "We'll be done with him in a short while. Then you and I can spend the entir
*Afrah had never been a nag.Throughout her childhood, she'd seen her mother constantly become the stereotypical nagging housewife. There was always something to complain about. It was either the fact that their father came home an hour too late, or he had forgotten to buy something she'd told him about in the past. Sometimes she even nagged over trivial matters, like the way their father chewed his food, or the way he couldn't seem to drink water silently. Either way, she had witnessed firsthand just how much her mother's nagging had ruined her relationship with their father, effectively pushing him away and putting a damp on their marriage. She had sworn an oath one day, in the confines of her bedroom, that she would never become a wife that nagged. No matter how bad things got, or how awful she felt, she would never complain about something indirectly rather than confronting the problem head-on. She had always been proud of that particular decision, and throughout the years, she'