Instead of taking the bus I decided to walk to chacha's place. While walking I asked myself so many questions. The more questions I asked myself a lump in my throat kept growing. I felt like something was stabbing my chest repeatedly. I thought about all the times I was with my grandfather and the times I was with Ami. If I had known the truth about the story behind everything it wouldn't have felt as painful as it was feeling like right now. With each step I took towards my uncle each breath felt like my last. It was a long walk but just as a I got there chacha seemed super nervous

"Calm down Aziza. I know you might be upset over hearing this over the phone but please don't cry on me I can't deal with tears." Chacha started off once I got inside the place he was staying
"I didn't come here to cry nor did I come here to breakdown. I came here to know why you and Baba have been keeping all this information from me. Why would you do that to me?"
"Not everything is the world is black and white."
"What do you mean black and white no one is talking about whether the world is black and white what I'm asking is why didn't you tell me this
"It wasn't my place to tell you about this."
"It wasn't you place? So does that mean that I shouldn't know about what happens in my family or am I not part of the family chacha."
"What do you mean by that you are my one and only niece if you aren't family who would be?"
"If I am then tell me with Allah as Your witness Is there something else I should know about? Is there anything else I don't know about."
"Allah as my witness? Tell me what you want to hear."
"I'm sick of being kept in the dark so tell me what else I don't know about. If not say wallahi you got nothing else to hide from me." I demanded staring him down
"Your mom. As in you real mom comes from a loaded family. At least that is what she told me and Kareem and I think that's why Jumana wants you to marry into her family so her family can have control over you and your non existing assets. From what you mother told me she was disowned, disinherited and kicked out the day her parents found out that she converted to Islam."
There was a moment of silence. For a moment I wasn't sure what to feel at this point but the idea. I wasn't sure if I was not allowed to feel amused but for some odd reason it was amusing.
"... That's sick." I responded at last failing in trying my best to keep a straight face.
"I know." He laughed "Your step mom is crazy Scheming. Never thought she'd go that low."
"Hey watch it she's still my mom." I warned him. Because even after everything I found out she still deserves my respect. I mean how many people you know would raise the kid of the woman who stole your ex fiancé/now husband as their own. Ami might have her flaws but she's admirable to me.
"Okay okay don't need to get sensitive." He held up his hands in surrender looking a bit taken back that I was taking her side. "So we're cool now aren't we?"
"You and me? Yeah chacha we are. I guess I don't know much about my parents there's a side to them I never knew about, but there is something indeed you to do for me first
"Anything for my one and only niece
" I need you to help me talk to Daada about something real important"
"Your moving in with me and we get out of this town"
"No I'm not running away I've got to face it head on chacha remember that guy I told you about last time."
"What guy?" He asked sounding a bit alarmed
"The one I was on a date with and you called." I said trying to jog his memory
"I thought you were kidding with that you actually went out with a guy?"
"You're being over dramatic I wasn't alone and nothing happened for all the times I did go out with him except he proposed to me and I accepted."
"Hold up, Hold up, who is this guy? And who else was with you"
" his name is Daniel..."
"Is he Muslim?"
"Yeah he is a convert. You can meet him tonight he's coming over to meet the family I need you to talk to Daada for me about this."
"I don't even know the guy how would I talk to pa about you getting married to the guy
"How about this you can meet him tonight and be my moral support and backup when I talk Daada before I introduced them both."
"Okay I've got tot meet the guy first then we can talk about other things."
"Deal I'm sure you two will get a long"
"We'll see about that"
"Anyways I'm going to visit baba now can you drop me off and cancel your trip back."
" I already did."
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When we got theater I asked chacha I wanted to be alone with my dad so he left the room. Looking at my dad I tried to be strong and not break down
"Baba how are you?" I started out and waited as if I was going to get a reply back  "Baba I don't know if you can hear me probably not but its worth a try I just wanted to tell you that I miss you so much...I miss you..."  I went on telling him about the day I was having trying my best to hold back tears that kept falling " ... I wish you were here and be my guid and advisor like you've always been Baba. Baba I miss you." I sobbed out the last part before jumping up when someone put their comforting hand on my shoulder. It was chacha

"I miss him too Aziza. I miss him too." 
We stayed at the hospital all after noon I stayed in the room with my dad most of the time last I saw of chacha he was hitting on a female nurses there. Which was amusing at first then it got weird when they responded back and I left him there with them. Called Daniel and told him my plans in him meeting my uncle and grandparents and he was cool with it.

That night we met Daniel at the Italian restaurant I first had a meal with him and I expected chacha and him hit it off well and to be honest I didn't understand half the things they were laughing at
"I like you Daniel. You are nothing like I pictured you to be." My uncle told him as we were about to part ways
"Thank you. Sir."
I think we are past that you can just call me... Chacha like Aziza does."
"It means uncle." I translated not sure if he knew what that meant
"Okay thank you chacha."
"Damn that makes me feel old." He laughed out before saying Salam. When we got home chacha decided on talking to Daada by himself. And I got the death stares from Ami as chacha and Daada left the room to talk to each other. I was glade she could do or say anything to me because my grandmother was still there. Once both of them returned Daada called me into the room he was staying at to speak to him privately.
"So this guy Daniel are you sure you want to marry him? I know that me and you haven't ever had a heart to heart discussion and I know that from what Bilal told me if him that even though he is blind he has the means of talking care of you but what I want to know before I meet him is that are you sure you are okay with all this."
" yes Daada."
"I'm glad you didn't run away and that you were with your uncle the whole time." He said as he's upraised me with a hug and I awkwardly hugged him back
"Who told you I ran away?" I asked him as we broke off
"It doesn't matter now I'm happy and relieved it's not true."

I stayed awake that night wondering if all this is what I wanted in life. After hours of staring at the ceiling I got up remembering I read somewhere if I needed to make a decision I should pray an istikarah prayer
"O Allah, You have power (control) and I have no control and You know and I do not know, and You know the condition of the Unseen. Thus if You see (deem fit) that Daniel is good for me concerning my Deen, world and Akhirah then grant me him control and make it possible that do him to marry me and if besides him there is another man better for me concerning Deen and Akhirah then oh Allah you know best and nothing happens if you don't will it to happen.

March 25th 1996

'The sky that was once wide doesn't seem so wide anymore since you died. Nothing will ever taste the same to me anymore. Everything reminds me of you even though you are gone now it's still hard for me to believe it because it still seems like you are still here. I forget at times that you're gone when I call out your name everyday when I came home from work. I think now I'm starting to accept it but it hurts so much I don't know how I would be able to raise our daughter alone without you. I know that Allah doesn't burden a soul more than it can bare but I feel as though I can't bare living life without you but I have to for our daughter and I can't put my parents through that kinda pain again... This void I feel will stay with me all my life. You know I've never been the patient kind of person everything seems so colorless and the world feels so suffocating..."
As I kept reading the page it was so full of raw emotions it was like he was talking to my dead mother through writing I turn the page something fell out and dropped into my lap. I picked it up it was a necklace with a locket one side had G.A.E Vivian I graves on it and as I flipped it it there was a weird looking flower craved on it as I looked closer it looked somewhat like a bird with its wings flared out. I decided that to put the locket on with so many other questions floating in my head could G.A.V be my real moms initials I mean it had to be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As morning came my grandmother went full on out in the kitchen and made ami due loads of grocery shopping and my sister start deep cleaning the apartment.it was amusing seeing Baheera clean. Baheera never cleans.  She kept shooting me killer looks whenever I walked passed her.
Time passed on super fast I changed my outfit just before they came.
"They are here." Baheeja informed me excitedly
"They?" I asked
"Yeah he didn't come alone. Aziza oh my Allah I didn't know you were and Daadi were talking about That Daniel. This is epic I can't believe  you managed to get Daniel Morton. Baheera is just fuming. I didn't even know you knew Daniel Morton."
" you should have he came here one day with a group of my friends."
"Are you for real? Like for real for real?!?!"
"Yeah he did come."
"this is just mind blowing. Come they are waiting." Curious as to who she was referring to as they I followed her out

Sitting on the long coach was not only Daniel but there he was with three men and a women the oldest looking among the three men looked old enough to be his father but looked nothing like him non of them looked like him.
"There is my granddaughter Aziza."Daada introduced as he saw me
"As salami Aliekum sister." The older guy greeted me first. With out butchering it confirming my suspicion that he wasn't his father
"Wa Aliekum Salam" I greeted him back.
"That guy that just talked to Ismail Malik who is like a uncle to him  and the guy sitting with Daada is the imam at the masjid near by he helped Daniel take his Shahadah and she is Yessica Daniels cousin and the on the right of her is her husband Leonardo. I can't believe this is happening." Baheeja whispered in my ear. Guy she referred to as Leonardo kept staring at me as if he was trying to figure me out.
The night went well better than I expected and even though it was obvious that Ami didn't like it she didn't vocalize any objections. Which made my day even though Daniel and I didn't have a chance to speak to each other I did get to talk to Jessica and her husband for some odd reason I wasn't uncomfortable with intense stares once I talked to him. I understood why he kept looking at me he told me I reminded him of his sister who he hasn't seem for a long time. Not wanting to be intrusive I didn't ask him why. But he gave me his card it could have been a coincidence that his lasts name is Vivian or I'm just over thinking it like I usually am. Which is the reason why I didn't voice my discoveries to him or any that might be somehow related to my mom especially when the ring he had on is right middle ringer had the same bird like carving on it. This is one of the times when I wish I had Maria's researching skills since it was too late or go over to her place and ask her for help.

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