All For What! - Episode 7

After the family members had left for work, Nafisa gave herself a tour around the house. First the living rooms, balconies, garden and bedrooms; except for Saeed and Maryam's room because it was locked. It was the only room in the house that was securely locked.

"I wonder why they locked it up," she mumbled and went back to her room. She lay down on her bed and slept off; totally forgetting she had house chores to do.

~~~

She slept for a very long time and awoke by 2:00pm. She realized she had not washed the dishes, swept or even cooked for Manal and she would be back very soon.

"Oh no!" She quickly got out of bed and went straight to the kitchen.
In thirty minutes, she had finished with the dishes, swept the living room, dusted everywhere and was preparing to make lunch for Manal. She wanted to make rice for her, but later decided otherwise, after she had brought out all of the ingredients she would be needing to prepare the meal. Indomie noodles would be much easier and faster, she thought, bring out few packs of the noodles from the shelf.

She had just mixed the ingredients together, when she heard the doorbell ringing.

"Oh no! If that's Manal's mom, she would definitely be angry I didn't cook lunch for her daughter earlier," Nafisa muttered to herself, panicking. She didn't want to be fired so soon

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/all-for-what

. The doorbell ranged again, making her run towards the door. She breathed deeply before unlocking the door and opening it. She sighed in relief when she saw it was only Manal and the driver.

"Good afternoon," she greeted him, smiling.

"Good afternoon to you too," he greeted back, handling Manal's school bag and lunch box to Nafisa. She collected them from him and he walked away.

Manal walked into the house and ran straight to her room. Nafisa sighed and followed her. The little girl was back to give her headache.

She entered her room and met her playing game on her iPad, with her school uniform still on.

"What a spoilt brat!" She muttered, through gritted teeth.

"Manal, change out of your uniform right now, before continuing with that game," she commanded and surprisingly for her, Manal obeyed immediately, without complaining. Nafisa's first impression of Manal was spoilt brat.

"Are you hungry?" Nafisa asked.

"Yes," Manal replied, not looking up from what she was doing after she had changed her clothes and gone back to playing temple run on her iPad.

Nafisa collected the iPad from her and set it down on the table, while Manal glared at her, but kept quiet.

"Come downstairs, the food is ready," Nafisa said and sashayed downstairs to the kitchen.

Entering inside the kitchen, Nafisa smelt the food already burning. She quickly turned the gas cooker off and poured more than half of the Noddles into a plate for herself and the remaining in another plate for Manal.

Nafisa emerged from the kitchen and saw Manal already seated in the dining room, waiting to be served her lunch. She placed her food in front of her and also sat down on one of the chairs and started devouring her meal hungrily, making Manal stare at her for a long time. She noticed that and narrowed her eyes at the little girl.

"What?" She snapped. "Why are you staring at me like that? Didn't your parents teach you not to stare at someone for too long?" She asked, with her mouth full of food.

Manal started laughing at how funny her voiced sounded with her mouth full of food.

"If you don't eat your food up now, I'm going to take it away from you. It seems you're not hungry at all, I still am," Nafisa hissed, standing up from the chair and picking up Manal's lunch box to the kitchen.

Opening the lunch box, Nafisa gasped at what she saw. The fried plantains was untouched. She instantly became angry and shouted her name.

"Manal!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Manal came running to the kitchen, few seconds later.

"What?" She asked.

"Come closer you little..." She was quick to control herself before she could insult Manal.

Seeing her that angry, Manal was terrified to move an inch, so she remained where she was standing.

Nafisa mistook her fear for disobedience and asked, "I told you to come closer, didn't I?"

Manal's eyes welled up in tears. She was not used to people yelling to her, especially strangers.

Nafisa went closer to her instead and held her by the ear.

"You're such a disrespectful little thing! I have siblings your age at home and they don't dare to disobey a word I say, who the...who do you think you are to disrespect me? Ehn?" She released her ear and brought her food flask to her front. "Why didn't you eat your food? Many people out there are not privileged to eat even once a day and some that are, do not get to eat to their fill and here you are wasting food, you...If your parents failed to teach you some manners, then I will happily do that for them, " She yelled, remembering how her family had to beg for food one time in the village in other to survive and not die in starvation. It angered her when she saw the food Manal had wasted and wondered if her little siblings at home had had anything to eat that afternoon.

Manal couldn't take the yelling and started crying. "I will tell abee and ummi when they return," Manal cried.

Nafisa's eyes widened as realization hit her. She had made the "precious child" cry again. If Manal happened to tell her parents about what transpired between them, Maryam might not take it seriously, but she was sure Saeed would. He might even fire her instantly.

"You will tell her what exactly?" Nafisa asked, softly.

"Everything you just said," Manal replied, wiping her tears with her dress.

"And what did I say?" Nafisa asked. She wanted to know what was playing in the little girl's mind.

"You said I'm very disrespectful and stupid, you also said you'd beat me up," Manal said and started crying again.

Nafisa knelt down in front of her and wiped her tears.

"You know that's not true Manal, my sweet baby! You're very obedient. I said all that to make you understand that it's very bad to waste food," she explained, hoping to have convinced her into not telling her parents.

"And if you tell your ummi and abee, they will be very angry and disappointed at you. Do you want that sweetheart?" She asked.

Manal shook her head sideways.

"Then don't tell them anything that happened just now," Nafisa said, totally  convincing Manal.

"Okay," she answered.

"Have you finished your meal?" She asked.

Manal shook her head.

"No," she answered.

"Go ahead and do, before your parents come back," Nafisa pushed her out of the kitchen, gently.

Manal went back to the dinning and resumed eating, when Nafisa emerged from the kitchen and found the dinning room all messed up.

"What am I going to do with this foolish girl," she muttered, through gritted teeth.
She went into the kitchen and came back with a broom in her hand. She handed it to Manal and ordered her to start sweeping.

"Your ummi will be verrrrrry angry at you when she returns and sees the mess you've created, so take this broom and clear it up," she said.

The broom was in Manal's hand and she was about to start sweeping, when Saeed walked in and witnessed the last scene unfolding.

"Manal?"

~~~~~
AssalamuAlaykum all!

How are you all doing?