Noor's POV

I have been staring at the beautiful garden for more than an hour now. The beautiful sun, moving slowly towards the west, causing shadows of the trees. The butterflies hovering around the flowers.

I had so many childhood memories attached to this garden. But now, it looks unkempt, the beautiful short trees now have big branches. Our small play house now breeds rats and lizards.

"Hey Sa'ad" I said nudging his shoulders. We have been sitting on a carpet spread outside, under the tree shade. "Sa'ad! Listen" I grabbed the phone he was typing on and he looked up. "Come with me...I want to show you something" I pulled him with me.

We walked past the coconut trees, and the small play house and we finally stopped at the big avocado tree.

"What?" He asked bored.

"Look here" I pointed at the tree where we engraved our names.

S AA D
🖤
N OO R ~A~

I looked at the tree in amazement. I couldn't remember in details when we had done this, but from the cute grin on Sa'ad's face, I knew he clearly remembered.

"It was on my seventh birthday... you were angry at me for not giving you any gift." He said laughing. "I also got angry that you didn't wish me happy birthday... then we played here and forgot we were angry at each other, and I taught you how to spell your name"

I couldn't help but smile at the memory. I wanted to snap a picture of it with my phone. "Sa'ad, where's my phone?" I asked

"You didn't bring it with you yesterday"

I never remember to take my phone along with me. It must be laying somewhere around in my room, the the battery fully drained.

Suddenly, a nice aroma of pasta filled the air and I grabbed Sa'ad's hand yet again, and ran to the kitchen through the back door.

"Yay! Yummy pasta for my tummy" I said rubbing my tummy dramatically, just the way I used to when I was a child.

I took a big plate of hot pasta and walked carefully outside, and sat on the carpet, with the cool evening air blowing my hair.

Sa'ad came a minute later with water and a huge ice cream container. I smiled instantly.

We ate and drank to our full then laid down and watched the sky. I sat up looking at the beautiful butterflies roaming around the garden. So lovely. I wish I could hold one. I didn't even notice Sa'ad getting up from beside me.

I felt him tap me by the shoulder, took my hand and placed a beautiful butterfly. Wow.

"How did you catch it?" I asked him still looking at the butterfly waggling its feathers. He just shrugged. After a while the butterfly flew away.

I was so engrossed looking at the butterflies that I didn't notice something pass through the carpet. I turned my head slowly and met a yellow-headed big agama lizard, looking at me in the eye as if it wanted to swallow me up completely. I didn't know when I held Sa'ad tightly and screamed.

"Take this thing away!" I screamed.

""It's gone Noorie..your loud scream shooed it away"

It was then I realized, My hands were around his neck, and my face buried in his shirt. I quickly moved away. Mama's voice rang through my brain, and her frequent advise of us being too touchy.

I remember my eleventh birthday, when she told me or rather broadly explained to me, that Sa'ad was my cousin, not my brother and that islamically, he's not my muharram and marriage was acceptable between us.

At first, I thought it was only mama that thinks we hugging is unacceptable, but gradually, I noticed auntie Luba glaring at Sa'ad every time I hug him. So I started to keep as much distance from him as possible.

Sa'ad knows me so well. As much as he knows the back of his hand. He gets to know what I'm thinking, what I'm doing, or what I'm about to do. He can even complete my sentences. Even right now, he knows I felt really awkward when I hugged him, so he stood up and sat on a plastic chair.

There was an awkward silence in the air before Sa'ad broke it. "You know we're moving by January right" I felt the pain in my chest as I nodded.

I wanted to scream 'please don't go' but instead I smiled and said " don't forget me as soon as you see those fair Arab maidens"

"How can I fall in love when my heart is with someone else" I heard him murmur to his self.

"What?"

"Nothing...I said I have to go to Malaysia first, then come back and marry you" I felt my heart clench at his statement.

He then laughed heartily "You need to see your face Noorey" and then I joined him in laughing too. "Don't worry...I've chosen my friend Abdullahi for you" and I frowned. Out of all Sa'ad's friends or minions as I call them. Abdullahi was the one I hated most. He's voice is so funny and so is his face. And the way he looks at me makes me want to gouge his eyes out.

I heard the adhan for magrib salat and I quickly covered my head with my scarf. Mama always warns me against opening my hair during Magrib.

Oh no! Mama said I should be back after Zuhr...and now, it's time for Magrib. Ya Allah. How did I forget.

I packed the things from our mini picnic and headed inside as Sa'ad and uncle Alee rushed to the Masjid.

"Don't worry, I'll drop you home personally" Auntie Luba said and I felt the knot in my stomach loosen a bit.

We ate dinner like a happy family. I was always welcome here it felt as if I was a part of them every time I come. Uncle Alee was jovial, he always tells us stories of when he was in the military, back at the 90's. And how he resigned because auntie Luba clearly refused to marry him because he was a solider. She had such great hatred for soldiers then. She thought soldiers were strict and they treat their wives badly. They had such a happy love story.

I thought of how my mom and dad's love story was. How did they meet? Mama never tells me anything about her life, and Baba, well I never see him anymore to ask.

After we finished eating, Uncle Alee, Auntie Luba, and Sa'ad all came along to drop me home.

I just hope mama's in a good mood today

*********

Ta-daaaa! Double update today thanks to the amazing sister of mine that keep threatening me. huraaairah we're even now koh?

Who wants to know what happened to Noor's mother, halima back in the 90's. You want find out the story of a woman's struggles. Of her endless agony. Of how her life changed completely. Of her battled storms.

The untamed storms.

Okay, Noor's mother's story is up, you can check it out. The updates will be really slow, but have patience, it'll be really good.

Soooo...anyone in love with Sa'ad?😂 Okay! Lemme stop before I spill out a spoiler...lol.

Have a nice day💞