Story chapter 3

"Hey girls, it's Mother's Day on Thursday. Shall we arrange a mother-daughter party at school?"

"Hmmm... not a bad idea..."

Sabiha sat at a corner, away from the crowd, munching on a Kitkat bar. She kept braiding and opening a strand of her hair. A pink Hibiscus plant swayed with the wind just outside the classroom.

"Hey Sabiha, if we really arrange a party, who are you coming with?

"Hahaha... who will she bring? She's got no mother."

"All she has, is a bossy big sister..."

Sabiha glared at her peers. "I don't go around talking about your families that way, so why mine?" She demanded, stomping her feet.

Just then, the bell rang. The teacher banged the duster twice on the podium; a sign that class should begin.

"I scream...you scream... we scream for ice cream!" The mouth-watering smell of caramel and strawberry didn't make Sabiha jump up. Nabila put the ice cream tub in front of the TV. Mr. Haque licked his lips, his eyes shone:

"I'm gonna eat it all if kitten doesn't want it."

"Keep some for me, Papa!" Nabila chimed.

"Hey kitten, what's up?" Mr. Haque cupped Sabiha's chin in his hands. She looked as if someone had painted her eyes bright red. Her usually tidy hair was a messy tangle now:

"People make fun of me in class, they say Apu's bad, Papa's busy and I have no mother! I want my Ma!"

"Sabiha..." Nabila had an arm around her sister's shoulder. "Kitten, Ma went to be with Allah. Even I want Ma at times but..."

"I've had enough of you lecturing me!" Sabiha blurted out. "You had Ma for some years, I didn't..."

The tiled floor squeaked as Nabila ran to her room. BANG! The door slammed shut. Sabiha went to the other room, sobbing her eye sockets out.

Mr. Haque just sat there, frozen. That day still remained fresh in his memory:

"Parveen, wanna go for some Phuchka and Lassi?"

"That sounds yum! But what about the girls?"

"We can take Nabila along. Sabiha's sleeping, so she can be with Amma."

So, off they went, leaving two-year-old Sabiha behind. On the way back, a huge truck collided with their car. Parveen Haque never liked wearing seat belts. Mr. Haque remembered seeing her face down, in a pool of blood, before he blacked out. Nabila had injured her left knee, Mr. Haque had injuries too. Parveen slipped into a coma, she never woke up.

"Nabila...open up little lady." Parvez Haque tapped on his daughter's door.

"Gimme a minute, Papa." A faint stammer came behind the closed door.

"Nabila... you're not a child anymore...come out! NOW!" Mr. Haque almost barked.

"Why me, Papa? You never shout at Sabiha the way you shout at me. As if I don't do anything for this house? Study... chores... tutoring... Sabiha... gimme a break!" Nabila's whole body shook. She grabbed her left knee with both hands. Tapping her feet loud on the ground, she stormed out of the door.