All For What! - Episode 3

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"I'm going back to work tomorrow," Maryam informed her husband. Her maternity leave was over.

"Habibty, don't you think it'd be better if you stopped working? You have a baby to take care of now and that should be your main priority," Saeed said in an attempt to convince her to quit working and be a housewife only.

"You know I can't do that habibi, I love working and it has been my dream ever since I was a child to become a nurse and now that it has become a reality, you want me to quit? We've talked about all these before,"

"But now it's different, I don't want you to neglect our baby because of your work," he voiced out.

"I'd never do that. Don't make me quit please," she pleaded.

"What happens when you are on night shifts?" He questioned.

"I...Sa'adatu is here, she will take very good care of Manal in my absence," she replied . She depended on their house help to take care of their 14 weeks old baby. Saeed still wasn't happy with her reply. It'd have been much more better if she did that instead.

"I still-" he didn't get to finish what he was about to say, because his wife interrupted.

"I promise not to neglect Manal," she promised, looking into his eyes. He could have easily commanded her to stop working and she would unwillingly, but he didn't want to force her into quitting  her job, he wanted her to do it on her own free will.

He hesitated before muttering, "alright."

"Thank you habibi," she said, hugging him and all of a sudden, Manal's cries could be heard

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. She had woken up.

"I will go get her," Saeed said and went into Manal's nursery and took her in his arms, close to his heart, swaying her soothingly until her cries completely stopped and she started smiling. He made funny faces and she continued giggling.
~~~

Years passed with Manal in the house bringing happiness to her parents. Maryam abided by her promise and tried her best never to neglect Manal whenever she needed her. She was thankful to Sa'adatu because she helped a lot in taking care of her baby girl. When Sa'adatu told her and Saeed she was quitting her job as their maid, she became disheartened. It'd be hard to cope with work and Manal at the same time without her.

Saeed came back home early, while Maryam was on nightshift.

"Why do you want to quit Sa'adatu?" Maryam asked.

"I really don't want to go, you two are good people and treat me like family, but I have to, because my son recently got an average paying job and he is insisting  I quit working here given my age," she explained.

"I understand. Manal will miss you a lot," Maryam said. She would miss her also.

"I will miss that little girl a lot too," she said, wiping a lone tear from her cheek.

Saeed who was just seated, looking at them, brought out some money from his wallet and handed it to his wife to give to Sa'adatu. She collected it happily and thanked them repeatedly.

"Thank you for your services over the years, we really appreciate," Saeed said. Sa'adatu had been with them for seven years.

"Working for such nice people is a pleasure to me," she said and stood up to leave. Maryam gave her a hug and told her to leave before the driver comes back with Manal from school and she would stop her from leaving with her tears. She smiled and nodded, before exiting the house for good.

"Now that she's gone, will you quit working now?" Saeed asked. He was still very persistent about her quitting. She sighed and shook her head.

"I can't habibi, you know that," she replied.

"Who is going to get her ready for school everyday and prepare her breakfast?" Saeed asked.

"I will manage and you're here to help me right?" She asked.

"Of course, but what happens when I leave for work very early and you aren't at home or you left for work early too?, he asked. She knew he had a point.

"I think we need a new maid," she said

"Where are you going to find one?" He asked.

"I will look and ask around and hire anyone willing to take up the job," she said, nonchalantly.

Saeed was about to reply, when he heard his phone vibrating with an incoming call. It was his mom calling. Immediately he was about to receive the call, it stopped ringing. He called back and apologized to her for not picking up her calls.

"I called to inform you I will be coming to visit you and Maryam and stay for two days," she said and Saeed smiled.

"When will you come to visit?" He asked, eagerly. The last time he saw her was a month ago.

"Tomorrow, in sha Allah," she replied.

"We will be expecting you. Maryam wants to talk to you," he said and passed the phone to Maryam and they talked for minutes. Unlike many mother in laws, Saeed's mother was different. She loved Maryam genuinely and Maryam loved and respected her a lot in return.

When they were finally done talking, she handed the phone back to Saeed and he ended the call with wa alaykum salam.

~~~

The driver finally came back home with Manal from school, she opened the car door and ran into the house, shouting, "ummi, abee," as she ran straight to their bedroom and barged in. She ran to her dad first and he lifted her up.

"How was school today, baby?" He asked.

"Fine," she answered. "-drop me down abee, I'm not a kid anymore," she frowned, making Saeed chuckle.

"Is it?" He asked.

"Of course abee, I didn't allow aunty  Sa'adatu bath me today, I did it myself, because I'm a big girl now" she grinned.

"Really? My baby is all grown up now," he said.

Maryam was seated, watching her husband and daughter converse and smiled, but she was a bit hurt her daughter didn't seem to notice her presence in the room.

"Put me down abee," she said, reminding  her dad he still hadn't dropped her. He dropped her down and saw Maryam looking at them and whispered to Manal to go to her mother and she did.

"Why did you come in without knocking? Didn't I tell you it's very wrong to barge into people's room without knocking?" She asked, calmly.

"I'm sorry ummi, I won't do it again," she apologized and Maryam smiled.

"How was school mimi ," she asked, kissing her forehead.

"Fine," she answered curtly and ran back to her dad.

"I have a homework abee," she pulled out a book from her bag and handed it to her dad to help her out.

"Alright baby, go to your room, ummi and I will follow soon and help you out with the assignment," Saeed said and she ran off.

He observed Maryam's mood and went closer to her. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up.

"What's wrong habibty?" He asked.

"It's nothing, just stressed from work," she replied, but he knew there was something more.

"We don't hide anything from each other, yes? I know there is something else bothering you," he pushed and she opened up.

"Its about Manal," she said.

"What about her?" He asked.

"Haven't you noticed how she is around me? It's as if I'm a stranger to her. She isn't as free with me as she is when she's with you," she complained.

"That doesn't mean she loves you less. She's like that right now because you're not always home and when you are, you scold her for every little thing," Saeed explained to her.

"But you're not always home as well and I scold her for every little thing to make her a good person in future," she defended.

"I'm not always at home, but I make sure to tuck her in bed every single night and I think you should start making efforts to do that as well. Manal is a very sensitive girl, but don't worry habibty, I will have to talk to her regarding this matter," he held her hand in his, as they walked out of the room to their daughter's.

Manal was seated in bed, trying to do her homework by herself, when her parents cane into the room.

"I told you to wait for us baby, but it's a good thing you've started doing it yourself," Saeed said.

"I'm almost done abee," she said, showing her book to her dad.

"Very good baby," he raised a thumb.

"Ummi where is aunt Sa'adatu? I haven't seen her since I came back from school," She suddenly asked.

"She's no longer living in this house anymore," Maryam said and Manal began to tear up.

"She left because I refused to allow her bath me right?" She asked, with teary eyes.

"Of course not baby! She was really proud of you when you offered to do it yourself," Saeed said, making her sit on his laps as she began to cry.

"Then why did she leave?" She cried.

"She went back to her village," Maryam said.

"Did you scold her?" Manal asked, innocently. She thought her mom scolded their former maid and she decided to leave afterwards, the way she always scolded her.

"Manal! Why are you been persistent about the whole thing? She left and that's it. I don't want to hear anything else from you," she scolded, angrily, before leaving the room and Manal was in tears.

"I thought you said you are a big girl now, don't you know that big girls don't cry?" He asked and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand immediately.

"Have you ever seen your ummi scolding aunty Sa'adatu before?" Saeed asked and she shook her head vigorously.

"No."

"Then why did you think she did it this time?" He asked.

"Because she always scolds me," she replied.

"And do you know why she always scold you?" she shook her head. "-she wants you to grow up to be a very good person and avoid mistakes as much as possible. She loves you so much and that's why she always scold you, is that clear?" He asked, remembering the look on his wife's face when she held her daughter for the first time.

"Yes abee," she answered.

"She knows you more than everyone else in this world, though she doesn't show it. Don't say such things to her again, okay?" He said.

"Yes abee,"

"You made ummi angry, what are you suppose to do?" He asked.

"Apologize," she answered.

"That's right baby," Saeed kissed her head and she jumped off his laps and running towards the door

"Where are you going?" He asked, before she could leave her room.

"I want to go apologize to ummi," she said and turned to leave.

"Wait, you should put off your school uniform first," he said.

"Alright abee, but you will have to leave first," she said.

"Why?" He asked, clueless.

"I want to remove my uniform," she said and Saeed chuckled.

"Alright baby. Go to your mom as soon as you're done, okay?" He said.

"Okay abee," she said and he left her room to give her the privacy she requested for. His baby girl was really growing up fast.

Manal finished changing her clothes and went to her parent's room. She was about to push the door open, but stopped, remembering how she got scolded for not knocking. She didn't want to be scolded by her mother again, so she knocked, before entering the room.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"What was that?" Maryam asked. She heard what her daughter said, but she wanted her to say it louder and clearly.

"Sorry ummi," she repeated, but a bit louder than before.

"Come here Mimi," she said, patting the space next to her. Manal went closer to her and sat down next to her.

"Do you know why I always scold you?" She asked and to her surprise, she nodded.

"You do?" Maryam asked.

"Abee told me," the little girl answered.

"And what did abee tell you?" Maryam asked and Manal told her everything had father had told her. She snuggled closer to her daughter and kissed her head.