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“He is.”
Her mother sighed. “Just behave yourself and be careful. If you get fired again, I’m sure this time will be the last. There won’t be any rehiring,” she said.
“I agree. Alright, Ma, I’m in bed now. I’ll speak to you later.”
“Okay, baby girl.”
Janet hung up the phone and put it on the nightstand. She switched the lights off and then went to bed.
***
Later that week, on Friday, Janet went to pick up Sanaa after a half-day at school. Janet was waiting for Sanaa in the car when she saw her walking out of the building. She paused at the school gates and looked at the other kids running into their parents’ arms. She looked a little bit sad. Janet got out of the car.
“Sanaa!” she called out. Sanaa turned her head when she heard Janet calling her name. Janet smiled and waved at her. Sanaa held onto her bag straps and walked towards Janet.
“Hi.” Janet stroked Sanaa’s head and touched her shoulders. “How was your day?” she asked.
Sanaa shrugged her shoulders. She walked around Janet and opened the car door and hopped into the backseat. Janet got into the car after her.
“Let’s go,” Janet said to the driver.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. He started the car engine and drove off. Sanaa didn’t say anything on the way home. She just sat there quietly, staring out of the window.
They arrived back at the sheikh’s house not too long after. Sanaa and Janet got out of the car and headed into the house. Sanaa went upstairs to get changed, and Janet went to the kitchen to fetch her lunch. She brought her plate into the dining room and prepared the table. When she was finished setting the table, Sanaa walked in. She had changed into a yellow summer dress.
“Perfect timing,” Janet said to her.
Sanaa hopped into one of the chairs. She picked up her spoon and started eating her lunch. Janet joined Sanaa at the table and just watched her eating. She was playing with her food and eating slowly.
“What’s wrong?” Janet asked Sanaa. Her mood had been off since Janet had picked her up from school. Sanaa shrugged her shoulders and put her fork down. She got off the chair and ran out of the room.
“Sanaa!” Janet called out after her. She stood up and followed her out.
Janet found Sanaa in her room, sitting on her bed, playing with her fingers. She looked so sad; it broke Janet’s heart.
“Can I have a seat?” Janet asked her. Sanaa just shrugged her shoulders. Janet sat down next to Sanaa. “I noticed you’ve been a bit sad since after school. Was it because of the other kids hugging their parents? Do you miss your mom?” she asked.
“Yes,” Sanaa said quietly. Janet’s eyes flew wide open as she heard Sanaa speak for the first time. Her voice was so soft.
“Did you just speak? You did, didn’t you?” Janet gasped. Sanaa looked at her and shook her head. Janet held Sanaa’s little face in her hands. “It’s okay; you can talk to me,” she said gently. Tears streamed down Sanaa’s face. Janet pulled Sanaa into her arms and wrapped her arms around her. She rubbed her back as she cried in her arms.
Sanaa cried for a while. It was obvious to Janet that she had been holding back for so long. It wasn’t good for a child to suppress feelings like that. Janet rubbed her back and just let Sanaa cry it out.
Sanaa pulled out of Janet’s embrace and looked up at her. “I miss mama,” she said.
“I bet you do, sweetheart.” Janet wiped the tears off her face. Sanaa sniffed a few times. With each sniff, her shoulders hunched up. “What happened that day?” Janet asked softly. Sanaa shook her head. It was clear that she wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“It’s okay; we don’t have to talk about it.” Janet hugged Sanaa. She wasn’t surprised that Sanaa didn’t tell her about what happened the day her mother died. She hadn’t spoken to her father about it. Obviously, she wouldn’t talk to Janet about it.
After a while, Sanaa fell asleep. Janet laid her down on the bed and covered her with the duvet. She walked out of the room and went downstairs. She busied herself with ironing Sanaa’s clothes. As she was folding and organizing the clothes, she thought about Sanaa. It was great that she had decided to speak. It showed that she was starting to heal.
When Janet was finished ironing, she took the clothes upstairs to Sanaa’s bedroom. When she walked in, Sanaa was still sleeping. It had been an hour and a half since she fell asleep. Janet didn’t want to wake her up, so she put the clothes in the closet quietly and then left quickly. She closed the door quietly and then headed downstairs.
Janet saw Ruth coming from the dining room with a jar of water and a glass on a small tray. Janet looked at the tray and then raised an eyebrow.
“It’s for the sheikh,” she said. Janet’s eyes widened.
“He’s here?” she asked. He was early, she thought to herself. It was almost five o’clock, and he usually came home around 8 p.m.
