A taste to remember

Chapter ten

Ahmad pov

Ten minutes felt like an eternity. Why have I agreed to let her see the doctor alone? I wished I had gone with her.

I paced back and forth, eventually settling into the chair facing the door. The woman beside me caught my attention when her baby started crying. She handed him a biscuit, but he wasn't interested in eating it - he just threw it around, littering the place. After a few minutes, he stopped crying, sat on his mother's lap, and stared at my hands. I looked down, curious, and saw the small teddy bear on my key holder had caught his eye.

"Want this?" I asked, holding out the teddy bear.

The baby reached for it, and I handed it over. Just then, my sister emerged from the office. I said goodbye to the woman and her baby, and we headed to the pharmacy in silence.

As we drove, I broke the silence. "Is everything okay?"

My sister's response was hesitant. "Well, yes... but I'm scared of knives."

I was confused. "What do you mean? The surgery is what will beat the cancer."

She continued, "I wish they could just give me drugs and chemotherapy instead. I don't want surgery."

I kept my eyes on the road, trying to process her words. "You have to take this seriously. It's not just malaria - it's cancer."

My sister turned to face me, a determined smile on her face. "I will have the surgery, don't worry. I'll beat this cancer like John Cena beats his opponents in the ring. I'm strong and active - I'm already beating it."

She tried to sound energetic, but I knew she was scared. "Let's just take it one step at a time, okay? It's not malaria - it's cancer. I don't want to lose you."

She was quiet for a while, her eyes fixed on my face like a portrait. She placed my hands on top of her palm, closing it with the other.

"My little pumpkin, I know you're worried, and you have every reason to be," she said softly. "But stop worrying, okay? I won't lie, I get worried sometimes too. But worrying won't change things. We need to have hope and be positive. With God's will, this will end like it never happened."

She paused, her voice trembling. "I'll be there on your wedding day, in your hands, as you dance on the wedding floor. I'll be there when you send your kids for sleepovers, and I won't complain about them breaking my plates, Insha'Allah. I'll be there all the time."

She turned her eyes back to the road, and I fought back tears. "Let's go to the park, have some ice cream, and go home, okay?"

As we drove, I couldn't hide my emotions. I finally wiped my face with a tissue and continued driving.

When we got home, I helped her out of the car. As we stepped inside, I placed the shopping bags on the sofa, and she walked towards the staircase, insisting on resting in her room. I rushed to help her, placing her bag on my shoulders as we went upstairs.

In her room, I helped her onto the bed, placing the pillow just where she wanted it. I sat on the chair facing the dressing mirror, massaging her feet until she drifted off to sleep. My eyes were fixed on her peaceful face, watching her sleep like a baby. I tiptoed out and went straight to my room.

As I lay there, memories flashed through my mind - almost memorable days and magical moments, moments I wished I could relive. I remembered when I was six, I painted her laptop black and white, and she didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled, kissed my forehead, and gave me a box of chocolates.

When I was 13, I took my dad's favorite car without permission and had an accident, breaking the side mirror. She took the blame, and I felt scared, sad, and devastated.

Now, I felt like an empty shell, lost in the dark. How would I live without her by my side? Where would I begin? She's all I have left.

Just then, my brother called. I cleaned my eyes and cleared my throat.

He asked how she was and that he kept on calling but she didn't pick up.

"She's asleep," I replied. "I'll let her know you called when she wakes up."

We talked about the package he sent, and I didn't mention her cancer. I felt guilty not telling him, but I knew she wouldn't be happy if I did. She didn't want him to worry, with his own responsibilities and family issues in Washington DC.

I kept acting normal, even though I knew she was hiding something. After noticing her frequent hospital visits, I contacted our family doctor, and he revealed everything in detail.

=======

I was in the bathroom when my phone rang. I quickly rushed to pick it up - it was Munira.

"Hey, babe! How are you doing?" she asked immediately after I answered the call.

I smiled, cleaning my face with a small wipe as I prepared to sit by the dressing mirror. "I'm good, thanks. How are you and everyone at home? Hope they're all great."

"Yeah, they are. How's your sister doing? She's getting better, right? And how are you coping, babe? I know it's not easy."

"It's not, but we're trying. She's good, and the surgery will be in a few months, so we have time to prepare."

"Oh, I just pray she gets better soon. I guess you won't be going out today - you'll stay by her side. Now she needs you more than ever."

"Exactly," I replied. "I'll stay at home with her - that's what she needs now."

Just then, I heard a knock on my door. "I have to go now - I'll call you back later," I said before ending the call.

After getting the door, I realized it was the maid, who came to inform me that Small Mommy was calling me. I quickly dressed up and went straight to her room. She wanted us to play a game, so I found a box of Scrabble, which she kept on her shelf. We used to play that a lot, especially when there was no light. We'd play with our parents sometimes, and they'd sit and watch us. As we played, we'd argue, and it was all part of the fun. Our reward was always a treat for the winner, and Small Mommy always won.

As we played, we reminisced about our childhood. She made me feel like kids again. The came back this time around, she came to let us know that we had a guest. She said she knew who it was but didn't know the name. She tried describing the lady, but it was kind of sketchy. I decided to go and confirm if it was who I thought it was.

To my surprise, it was Munira! I was shocked and glad to see her at the same time. It felt like a hugging her but I withhold myself.

"Wow, you came to see me!" I exclaimed, trying to compose myself. I told the maid to bring some drinks and snacks.

"This is the second time I've had a surprise visit this week. First, it was Zaid and Fara and now you."

"Was that why you asked if I was going out?" I asked. She smiled displaying her nicely lined teeth and nodding her head.

"You could have told me - I could have picked you up. You didn't have to stress yourself," I added.

"No, I wanted to come see you and check up on Small Mommy. Where is she?" she asked.

I led her upstairs and took her to the bedroom. Small Mommy was also surprised and happy to see her. She made an attempt to get up, but I rushed and placed her back onto the pillow. I knew how weak she was, even though she kept acting all strong.

"The drugs make you weak and dizzy, I have forgotten that," I said.

"You see, he acts as if he is the father now, and I'm the child," she teased.

"A stubborn child," I added, repaying the tease, and we both burst into laughter.

"Did you eat? Did she get you something to eat? Did she get you something to drink?" My sister kept asking Munnira, concern etched on her face.

"Yes, yes, it's all taken care of. You can come down," I replied, and later left them to themselves.

Thirty minutes later, I spotted Munira coming down the stairs with a huge black leather bag in her hands. When she got to me, she showed me the leather and said, "I feel somehow collecting all this from her. She said they gave her a complete makeup kit as a gift a long time ago, but she's never used it. She wants you to make use of it. I just feel is too much"

"She loves giving - it's her way of appreciating people. You stop collecting, you might join the blacklist," I joked, and continued getting my car keys from the table.

"I'm kidding, but hold it tight, then," I added

I notified the maid that I was going to drop her off, in case my sister looks for me.

"You're sure your sister is stronger than she looks. She looks slimmer than the last time I saw her, I just really hope she gets better," said Munnira as I drove.

"She fainted last week while trying to cook, despite her condition. We have a cook, three maids - I don't get why she didn't tell any of them to make her something. The more she falls ill, the more she needs rest. All she needs is rest," I complained.

"It's okay, it's not easy for her sometimes. When you get to eat something, only you can get the exact taste you want. But you're right, in her condition, she needs rest," Munira said, and continued scanning my face with her eyes as if looking for something.

"My brother will be coming back to Nigeria next week. I didn't tell him - I want him to find out about her sickness himself, At least she won't get angry that I told him."

"Yeah, he has the right to know" Munira responded.

She continued, "How about you? How are you coping? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm fine," I lied.

"I don't think so. You look so pale and worn out,"

I took a deep breath, my eyes still on the road. "To be honest, I find it difficult to sleep. I spend hours not being able to wink, I just don't get sleepy. The next thing I know, I have to go to the pharmacy to get some strong sleeping pills. That's the only way I can get some rest. But I'm good, I'm surviving."

"SLeeping pills isn't good for you, babe. Just try to sleep naturally," Munira said, concerned. "It's not good for you, especially when you're taking them frequently. Don't think much, just concentrate and sleep. Promise me you'll do that."

"I promise," I replied.

That night, I did as she said - think less, concentrate, and sleep. But it just didn't work. I checked my phone; it was already 1:50 a.m., and I had been in bed since 9:00 p.m. I eventually had to take the sleeping pills. The first time I used them, they took a while to kick in, but it worked like magic. The next day, I had to add a single dose for it to work, and that night, I had to take seven for it to finally do the job.