Huda and Me by H. Hayek (readict txt) 📕

long yellow dress, with an orange hijab tied loosely around her head. Her ponytail stuck out the back of her scarf and bits of hair poked out of the front, across her forehead. As she hugged Mum, our eyes met. I couldn’t help but quickly look at the floor. She gave Mum a kiss on both cheeks and then licked her lips. Gross. She was smiling so much I thought her face might crack.

‘Salam, Akeal. Come give me a hug.’ As she held out her arms, all her bracelets and jewellery clinked and jingled.

I walked over to her slowly and put my hand out, hoping I could get away with a handshake, but Aunt Amel pulled me into her. She smelled funny. Like onions. And the way she had me wrapped in her arms, it was pitch-black. Her hijab was over my head, and bits of my hair caught in her dangly necklace. I held my breath until she let me go, but just before she did, she whispered in my ear, ‘We’re going to have a wonderful time together.’

I turned around and saw my brothers and sisters watching in sympathy. Mum gestured for them to all go over and say their salam too. Huda hung back, though.

‘No way I’m gonna give her a cuddle. I’d rather eat a dead chicken,’ she said from the side of her mouth. I hoped she’d stop talking, worried Aunt Amel might hear, but she kept going. ‘You looked like you were gonna suffocate. We thought you were done for.’

Mum glared at Huda, and Huda pretended not to notice. Then in the middle of all the hellos and forced hugs, we heard the sound of another car in the driveway and the beep of a horn. This was the car we’d dreaded even more than Aunt Amel’s – it was Mum and Dad’s taxi to the airport.

Aunt Amel had been late, and the taxi was early. I’d thought we’d have more time; that we could’ve sat down together and had tea and some of Mum’s sweet biscuits with the sesame seeds on top. But now they were going.

Omar wheeled the first of the two big suitcases to the front door while Dad took the other. Mum was fast-talking to Aunt Amel, trying to fill her in on all the important things, like bedtimes, and where the money was if we needed it, and what to do if Huda refused to take a bath. Then in a matter of seconds, the taxi-driver beeped the horn again and it was time to say goodbye.

Dad quickly gave each of us a peck on the forehead, trying not to show that he was sad, but I could tell he was from the way his hazel eyes drooped. He was in the taxi before I had a chance to tell him a joke to make him feel better.

Next it was time to say goodbye to Mum. As much as I wanted to be strong, I just couldn’t be. There’s no one in the world like my mum – no one who can cheer me up on a bad day, or make me feel special and happy and safe all at the same time. That’s why I bawled like a baby when she gave me that final long, soft hug.

I breathed my mum in and didn’t want to pull away. But the taxi beeped again. She pulled away and held me by the shoulders. I couldn’t look at her because I felt so weak for my tears, but then I realised everyone was crying. I looked into Mum’s eyes and I felt pain in the middle part of my chest.

Mum forced herself away and spent a few more moments giving my brothers and sisters hugs and saying her goodbyes. And then she slowly walked out the door.

There was silence except for Huda’s sobs. Kholoud held Raheed tight, to stop him crawling after Mum. Omar stared at the door, his arms around Suha and Layla’s shoulders. I stood there just hoping Mum would come back.

Aunt Amel walked over to the front door and slammed it shut dramatically. The crash made me jump, and a family photo almost leapt off the wall, then tilted off-centre.

‘Tears, tears, tears! Nothing will bring them back! Let’s just look forward to two glorious weeks together, children!’

Aunt Amel started gliding around the family room, like one of the Polish dancers on the video from the other night. The bottom of her yellow dress was stained brown, like she’d walked through mud. Huda’s sobs grew louder, and the sound made Aunt Amel stop floating around and rush over to my sister. She pulled her grubby dress up to Huda’s face and began to wipe away her tears. Then she used it to wipe Huda’s nose.

‘Oh, Hoodie Boodie! Don’t be sad! Mum and Dad will be back soon. You know what always made me feel better when I was unhappy as a child?’

She looked around at all of us with her mouth open and her eyes sparkling expectantly, clearly hoping we’d guess the right answer.

The twins opened their mouths to take a shot, but before they could say anything Aunt Amel cut them off. ‘Sleep. Sleep always made me feel better!’

Layla and Suha looked at each other, then back at Aunt Amel.

She pointed her longest finger up to the ceiling, almost like we were part of a marching band. ‘Off to bed, now. All of you. Never mind about teeth and flossing and all of that – straight to bed.’

None of us moved. Our bedtime wasn’t for another hour.

‘Off you go, children! You will be fresh and happy in the morning!’

I wasn’t sure that was true, and I could tell my brothers and sisters didn’t think so either.

Omar shifted his feet. ‘C’mon, let’s just get an early night. It will make time go quicker anyway,’ he said, shrugging his shoulders.

‘Good lad! The voice of reason!’ Aunt Amel’s voice was high-pitched and loud. ‘But before you hop into bed, give