The most beautiful pair of eyes stared back at me. It was a rare kind. Almost grayish with some brown. There was nothing special about the man in particular, but his eyes were something else.

He was tall and kind of slim but not lanky. His hair was bushy and so was his beard but it complemented with his look. Even with the way he was dressed,he looked sophisticated like he wasn't meant to be that way. I found myself involuntarily drawn to him. It was admiration at first sight.

I realized I was staring too much so I cleared my throat. "Thank you for helping us."

He shrugged. "It's fine. It wasn't something serious."

I didn't know why I felt like I should continue talking to him. Normally, I didn't even give guys like this a second glance. I'm not being a bitch or anything but I only hung around with people that were in the same social ladder as me.

"You live around here?" I asked merely out of curiosity.

"No. I live in the city. Came around here to look for some work. Heading back home now." He said. He was looking at me like why was I wasting my time talking to someone like him.

"We're headed torwards the city too. Need a ride?"  I mentally slapped myself. What was I doing?

He gave me a suspicious look. "Uhm..I don't think that's necessary. I'd get get a taxi or something."

"Oh come on. I just want to show my appreciation for helping us." I really needed to stop talking. I couldn't even recognize my voice.

He looked down,hands in pocket. "Okay then. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." I said as I got into the back seat and he sat in passenger's seat.

The driver got in and off we went. The ride was very quiet. I noticed how the young man was very conscious. He wasn't even seated comfortably. I think he was just scared he'd ruin something if he made himself comfortable.

I found myself talking again. "Please make yourself comfortable...ehrm..?"

"Yazeed. The name's Yazeed." He said

"Yes Yazeed. Please make yourself comfortable. You're sitting as if there are needles stuck on the chair."

He chuckled and I found myself loving the sound. What was I thinking?

He adjusted his sitting position and we fell into another bout of silence.

I felt the need to talk again. "So Yazeed,what did you study? And what kind of work are you looking for? No offence,but your English is so fluent and you look like an educated young man but I'm curious as to find you...ehrm...how should I put it..?"

"You mean find me dressed in tattered clothes? None taken. I studied architecture. I graduated a year ago but finding a job these days is hard when you don't know anyone or have connections. Your high gpa's won't do you any good. And right now,honestly,any job I get is good for me. My degree is useless so I'm just looking for odd jobs just to keep some food on my family's table."

I was quiet for a while. Here was someone well educated but you'd never guess. Sometimes life was unfair. I thought of how I had everything landed to me in a platter of gold. I never had to lift a finger to do anything because I was fortunate to be born with a silver spoon. I knew nothing about the suffering of other people from the lower social class. It made feel disturbed and guilty even though nothing was my fault.

"That sucks. What about your dad? What type of work does he do?"

He stiffened at the mention of his dad. I think I might have gone too far. Maybe his dad was late? That's why things were difficult for him? I felt this urge to help. To do something.

"My dad isn't around." He said his voice monotone.

"Ohh. I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries."

My sorry and please were almost non-existent. So I was surprised I was saying it too much. I didn't like this at all. Maybe I was just feeling sorry for him.

"It's nothing."

"So.. I'm opening this new boutique for my new fashion line. I was wondering if you'd like to work with me. It's just my way of saying thank you for helping us out."

"I'm not some charity case you know? You don't have to feel obliged to help me in anyway. Hopefully,I'll find something to do soon enough."

I was dumbfounded that he had the nerve to refuse my offer. This was something I didn't do often. He should be thankful that I even offered to help him.

I was about to reply when the driver spoke. "We're in the city,where do you want us to drop you off?"

"Just drop me at area 1. I'll find my way home from there."

"We can drop you off at home you know?"

"I appreciate the offer alot but I don't want to waste much of your time."

I kept quiet. This guy was something else. I just didn't understand him. And the more he rejected my offers, the more I felt like I should offer them. There was something broken about him and I liked fixing things. I found myself wanting to know about him but he was being difficult.

The car came to a halt. We had already arrived at area 1. That was too soon.

"Thank you so much for the ride. I really appreciate. You saved me a whole lot of transport money." He said as he got out.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could be of help."

He waved at the driver and was about to go when I stopped him. He turned.

I shuffled through my bag and brought out a pencil and paper. I wrote down my number and address and gave it to him.

"Just in case you change your mind. The offer is still open. I'd love to help you in any way I can."

He nodded and left and we proceeded for home.

♠

Immediately I set foot inside the house, I didn't even get to take one breath when my siblings attacked me with a bone crushing hug. It was torture.

They finally released me and I looked at them my face with a wide grin. Five long years I hadn't seen any of them. I watched them grow through pictures and face time.

The twins looked more alike than ever. Amir and Amira. I knew Amir was tall but I didn't know he was this tall. He had a beard growing and I couldn't believe my little brother was all grown up.

They were both average in height. Their skin complexion was like light chocolate. They both had thin pointed noses and small lips that can talk for Africa. Mostly in twins,you have the quiet/reserved one and then the loud and outgoing one but that was not the case with Amir and Amirah. They were all loud and outgoing and you can imagine how I grew up with two stubborn twins.

"Wow. You guys have grown so much. I wouldn't have recognised you from afar." I said as I looked at them.

Amirah rolled her eyes. "Were you expecting to find us the way you left us?"

I rolled my eyes back. "Still with that sarcastic attitude huh?"

She smiled and we all went inside. They were filling me in with everything that had been happening as we went to the dining room. I was literally starving. I realised I hadn't seen Afrah our last born.

"Where's Afrah? The last time I saw her she was just a year old. Apart from the pictures you guys sent to me." I asked as I began to serve my food.

There were different varieties of food but I settled on fried rice assorted with chicken and coleslaw.

They were both quiet. I gave them questioning looks.

Finally Amir sighed and spoke. "She's up in her room with Anty Hafsa. She's not been feeling too well lately. Her condition is deteriorating."

My heart fell and I immediately lost my appetite. I pushed the food away.

My innocent baby sister. She had some birth defect before she was born resulting to a congenital heart defect. In other words, she had a hole in her heart. She was just six years old. .

I could feel tears brimming. "I want to see her." I said my voice shaky as I stood up.

They led me up the stairs to her room without a word. The house hadn't changed a bit except for some change in furnitures here and there.

We arrived at the room and I walked in while Amir and Amirah stood by the door. The room was painted yellow with stickers of hearts and animals all around. The furniture of the room was a light shade of pink mixed with some yellow.

A typical child's room.

There on the bed I saw my baby sister. Her face very pale and there was a drip attached to her arm. Anty Hafsa was seated by her side trying to feed her.

"Yasmeen. Welcome home. When did you get back?" Anty Hafsa asked as she stood up and gave me a hug.

Anty Hafsa was Mama's elder sister. She was like a second mother to us. She made the pain of losing mama a little bearable. She was a widow as she lost her husband almost the same time we lost mama. It was a really rough phase for her but even then, she hid her grief and took care of us. She didn't have any kids so she treated us as her own.

I relished in her warmth as I hugged her. I imagined it was my Mama I was holding.

"Thank you Anty Hafsa. I just got in. How's Afrah's health?" I said as I released her.

She shook her head sadly. "There's nothing much to say. They give her drugs and all. They still can't perform surgery on her because she's too young and it's too much risk."

I nodded my head blank as I went over to Afrah's side. I kneeled down next to her and held her hand giving her a big smile.

"Remember me?"

She tried to smile but it came off as a grimace. "Yashmeen. Ya yashmeen."

I smiled at the way she pronounced the name. "Yes it's your Ya yashmeen. I promise never to leave you again okay? You have to get better and be very strong for all of us."

She nodded and gave me a toothy grin. "Jid you buy my pwincess dwess?" She asked

I poked her her cheeks. "Yes I bought your princess dress. I even bought you a crown and a magic wand. Just get on your feet and you'll wear it."

She looked happy. She tried standing up but I stopped her. "What are you trying to do?"

"You said to get on my feet." She answered innocently and we all smiled.

"I meant it like, you should get well very soon so you can wear it." She nodded but looked disappointed.

"But can my magic wand do weal magic like Barbie? So that I can do magic and get well vewy fast."

"Your magic wand has no power to get you better but Allah can if you pray to him."

"Mama ish with Him right? Anty hafsa said mama ish with Him."

I nodded fighting back tears. "Yes. That's why you should pray to him. He'll always take care of you."

She smiled contented and closed her eyes. She fell asleep within minutes.

I stood up and adjusted the blanket over her fragile body and turned to Anty Hafsa. "I'll be in my room if you need anything."

She nodded and I left. Amir and Amirah trailing behind me.

I turned. "Where's Baba?"

Amirah shrugged. "Where else do you think?"

"What time does he come back?"

"Don't just wait up for him." Amir jumped in.

I sighed. I loved being back home but I was already stressed. From my encounter with yazeed to seeing my sick sister and now my distant father.

"I need to be alone. I'll talk to you guys later." I didn't wait for their reply as I entered my room and closed the door.

***