Love Means Everything

by Emma Easter

  She glanced at the bed and then blinked in surprise. Nabil was on the bed, looking up at her. Zainah greeted him and then quickly turned to Rania.

  Rania looked at her with gratitude. “You found it. Where did you see it?”

  She handed the card to her boss. “I found it in the dining hall.”

  “Thank you,” Rania said and then turned to her husband. “I’ll see you when I get back.” She left the room and Zainah hurried out behind her.

  Zainah finished cleaning up the house hours later, except for Rania’s room. She’d kept looking out to see if Nabil would exit the room, but for some reason, he didn’t go out today, neither did he leave the room. She put away the cleaning supplies and started to leave the house to go back to her own room when Mira hurried up to her.

  “Master Nabil wants you to come and clean Madam Rania’s room now.”

  “Oh… okay. I didn’t know he had left the room. I would have gone to clean it up if I had known.”

  “He’s still there,” Mira said. “Go now.” She went away before Zainah could say anything more.

  As Zainah climbed up the stairs with the cleaning supplies, she wondered why Nabil would call her to clean the room when he was still in it. Maybe he is preparing to go out now, she thought to herself. For some reason she didn’t understand, she felt nervous.

  She knocked on the door. When she heard him say, “Enter,” she opened the door and entered the room. Her anxiety increased when she saw he was still on the bed. She gave him a nervous smile and then said, “Mira told me you wanted me to clean the room now. But since you are still here, I can come back later.”

  “No, I want you to clean the room now.”

  She pressed her lips together and then decided to start with the en-suite bathroom. She cleaned the bathroom slowly, hoping he would have left by the time she came into the room again. When she couldn’t keep cleaning anymore, she took a deep breath and went back to the bedroom. He was still there, lounging on the bed. She turned her back to him and began to arrange the dresser.

  “What is your name again?” he asked in a deep voice that had inspired awe in her when she’d first started working here, but now scared her.

  “Zainah, sir,” she said, without turning to look at him.

  “Turn around,” he ordered.

  She did, her heart racing.

  She squirmed as his eyes traveled the length of her. “You are beautiful,” he said, in a voice laden with admiration. “I could look at you all day long.”

  She shut her eyes briefly as panic took hold of her. What is happening here, Lord? She opened her eyes to find him still staring intently at her. She wanted to bolt out of the room, but she decided it would not be the best course of action to take. Instead, she stood her ground and asked boldly, “May I leave now? I won’t be able to clean the room properly if you are still here, sir. I can come back later.”

  He narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a few more seconds. And then he nodded. “You may leave and come back later.”

  She hurried out of the room and out of the house. When she got to her room, she finally released her breath. She sat on her bed and looked around the room. Thankfully, Leila had gone out again. She didn’t want to have to explain why she was trembling. Nabil had gazed at her as though he wanted to devour her. She had been so scared that he was going to jump her… or something similar.

  She took in deep breaths until she stopped trembling and her heart rate normalized. She covered her face with her hands and considered quitting the job. But she quickly put the idea out of her mind. She desperately needed this job for her and Leila’s upkeep, and also, she needed this place they lived in for free. Most of all, she needed the weekly money she was paid—and good money for that matter—to find Faizan. Quitting was out of the question.

  I’ll just have to avoid Nabil as best as I can, she thought. She would not go back to the house today, even though he had asked her to return later to clean up Rania’s room. Instead, she would spend the day praying for protection and asking God’s wisdom to know how to keep avoiding Nabil. Soon, with God’s help, she would save enough money to live off of for some time and find Faizan. Then, she would quit.

  Chapter Ten

  Faizan stood at Trisha’s front door and rang the bell. Trisha had called him on the phone the previous day and asked him to come to her house in the morning. When he’d jokingly asked if she was throwing a party, he was surprised when she’d answered, “Something like that.” She had then told him that she had something very important to announce to everyone. Since it was a Saturday, and Audrey and Sienna would be in Rosefield with their spouses, she had said it was the perfect time to share her news with everyone.

  He’d left Audrey and Ken in the house, as Audrey had kept insisting that she didn’t want to go while Ken tried to change her mind. Audrey had told him earlier that she suspected Trisha was planning to marry Stan again, and that she couldn’t attend what she was guessing was their surprise engagement party.

  He smiled as Trisha opened the door for him and stepped in, hoping he wouldn’t find Stan in the house. With all his heart, he prayed that Audrey’s suspicions were unfounded. After all, he’d heard about Stan and how he’d treated Trisha; it would be unthinkable for her to marry him again. He strongly believed in second chances, having been granted that himself, but he wasn’t sure Stan had changed.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he walked into the living room and Stan was nowhere in sight. However, a delicious aroma permeated the air and there were bottles of drinks and glasses on the dining table.

  He sat down on the couch and said to Trisha, “So, what are you celebrating?”

  Trisha looked nervous as she sat facing him. “Umm… you will see. Where are Audrey and Ken?”

  “They are in the house. I’m not sure they are coming.” He leaned forward and searched her eyes. “Audrey thinks that you are planning to remarry…” His brows shot up as Stan walked into the living room holding a spatula in one hand and Ruby in the other. “…Stan!”

  Faizan stared at Stan. He had obviously been in Trisha’s kitchen, cooking. For almost a minute, he and Stan stared at each other, and then Stan looked away.

  “Trisha, please watch Ruby,” Stan said, handing off Ruby to her. “She came into the kitchen while I was cooking and I don’t want her to be hurt.”

  Trisha avoided Faizan’s eyes and lifted Ruby into her arms. Stan left the living room again and Faizan turned to Trisha.

  “Tell me it’s not true, Trish. Tell me you are not planning to remarry that guy!”

  “I am,” Trisha said, and kissed Ruby’s cheeks. She looked at Faizan and said, “Please don’t try to talk me out of it. My mind is already made up.”

  “You can’t be serious, Trisha. And you might alienate Audrey. She is really upset right now at the thought that you want to marry Stan again.”

  “It’s my decision to make. I just want you to support me.”

  Ruby wriggled out of Trisha’s arms and crawled to Faizan. He lifted her up, sat her on his knees, and then looked at Trisha again. He wanted to ask her why she thought this was a good idea, but the look in her eyes stopped him. She was gazing at him with a look that clearly said she was weary. He would only add to her distress if he voiced his concerns right now. Maybe he would let it be for now, and then tell her how he really felt later on. He sighed and said nothing more.

  Five minutes later, the doorbell rang and he told Trisha he would get it. He handed Ruby back to her and went to open the door. He grinned at Sienna and Bryan who stood there, smiling. When they came in, he hugged Bryan and then folded Sienna into his arms.

  She patted his back and then pulled away.

  Bryan and Sienna hugged Trisha. Sienna carried Ruby and went to sit beside Bryan.

  Trisha said, “How are you, Sienna?”

  “Great. Just tired of the constant morning sickness. If I have to puke here later on, please forgive me.” Bryan took her hand and squeezed it. She
smiled sweetly at him and then said to Trisha, “The house smells nice. What are you cooking up and what are we celebrating?”

  Faizan pressed his lips tightly together to keep from blurting out the concerns in his heart.

  Trisha answered, “I want to wait until everyone is here before sharing my news.”

  Sienna looked at Bryan and then faced Trisha again. “We also have news to share with everyone, but it will have to wait until another day. This is a celebration after all, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

  Trisha frowned and Faizan’s heart jumped. “What is it?” he asked Sienna. “Are you okay?”

  “Is the baby fine?” Trisha asked, a worried expression on her face.

  Sienna smiled. “Guys, stop worrying. I’m sorry I scared you. I’m fine, really. It’s not something bad. It’s just… umm… different.” She waved her hand in a dismissive manner, clearly to prevent any more questions. “Where is Audrey, anyway?”

  “She hasn’t come yet,” Trisha quickly said.

  “So, Trish, won’t you tell us what you are celebrating today?” Bryan asked. “I know it’s not your birthday.”

  The doorbell rang and Sienna jumped up before Faizan could stand. “I’ll answer it. It’s probably Audrey.” Seconds later, she came back to the living room.

  Faizan lifted his brows when he saw Lauren trailing behind Sienna. He stifled a desire to groan and then smiled back when Lauren smiled sweetly at him. She hugged Trisha and greeted Bryan. When she came to sit beside him, Faizan forced himself not to shift away.

  Many of Trisha’s friends arrived after that, but Audrey and Ken were still absent.

  The living room bustled with people. A few minutes later, when Stan came out into the living room, the place immediately fell silent. And then, a few people began to whisper amongst themselves.

  Faizan sighed sadly as Trisha went to stand beside Stan. He looked at Sienna. She was staring at Trisha and Stan in disbelief. She had probably guessed by now what this surprise party was about. A few of Trisha’s friends had their mouths open in obvious shock. Clearly, no one had thought that Trisha would ever take Stan back; not after what he did to her.

  Trisha said, “Everyone, thanks for coming.” She looked around the living room, her eyes searching for something or someone. Faizan guessed she was looking for Audrey. She sighed and then continued. “I called you all here to share my happy news.” She shook her head and then took Stan’s hand. “No, our happy news. Stan and I are getting married again and I would appreciate everyone’s support.”

  The room began to buzz. Trisha’s best friend, Paula, said loudly, “Trish! No. You can’t be serious!”

  Trisha ignored her.

  Sienna walked up to Trisha and took her hand. She whispered something to her and Trisha shook her head vigorously. Sienna looked disappointed as she walked back to stand at Bryan’s side.

  The buzz grew louder until Trisha began to tap her glass with a spoon to get everyone’s attention. When silence reigned again, she said, “Please, I know most people don’t understand my decision, but at least celebrate with me as my friends. And if you’ve ever trusted my judgment, then please trust that my decision wasn’t made lightly. All I want is everyone’s support.”

  She went in with Stan after that and came out minutes later with the refreshments. Everyone soon separated into pairs and groups around the living room, with drinks and snacks in their hands.

  Lauren came to stand beside Faizan as he poured himself a glass of limeade. He turned to her and offered to pour her a drink. She accepted and he handed her a glassful.

  Lauren said to him, “I understand the shock everyone felt just now when Trisha announced her engagement. It’s almost like me announcing to my friends and family that I wanted to marry my ex-husband again.” Her eyes suddenly filled with a deep fear, and Faizan blinked.

  “Your ex-husband cheated on you?”

  She laughed harshly. “No… he never did. He just used to physically abuse me. He got angry at almost everything I did and beat me up every chance he got.”

  Faizan’s heart went out to her. He was surprised at the anger he felt toward her ex. He had been a violent man in his past life but he’d never hit a woman. “Ken told me you came from an abusive marriage, but I didn’t know it was that serious.”

  She sighed wearily and then began to narrate her story to him. He listened with growing dismay and anger. When she finished, he felt like taking her in his arms and comforting her. She had tears in her eyes as she said, “I vowed I would never give my heart away to any man after the divorce.” She looked at him and smiled. “At least, until I met you.”

  He looked away from her and raked his fingers through his hair, completely lost for words. Finally, he turned back to her and said, “Lauren, you are a really nice girl. And you are very pretty. But, my heart already belongs to someone else. I’m so sorry.”

  She looked away, and for a full minute she didn’t respond. At last, she faced him and smiled sadly. “I understand. I think you are a great guy, and that someone, whoever she is, is a very lucky girl. I truly envy her.”

  He put his hand on her arm and said softly, “You’ll meet a great guy soon. Someone who will love you and treat you well… not like your ex did.”

  She nodded.

  He smiled widely to lift the tension in the air and said, “I hope you will come to our welfare meeting on Thursday.”

  She returned his smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for all the world.”

  *****

  Zainah looked up excitedly as Leila walked into their room. She clapped her hands. “Leila, guess what? I have almost saved enough money to pay that investigator Fatima told me about. After I’m paid for this week, I’ll finally have enough money to hire the man and then soon, by God’s grace, Faizan will be found and we will be reunited.”

  Leila gave her a small smile, not the grin she had expected.

  Zainah frowned as Leila took off her clothes without saying a word and changed into her nightdress. She lay down on the bed and covered her face with the pillow.

  “What’s wrong, Leila?” Zainah asked, worried about her friend and feeling a little guilty. Since she’d started working for the Rahmanis, she’d become so busy and preoccupied that she’d stopped checking in on Leila. They hadn’t even had a full conversation for over two weeks.

  Leila lifted her head briefly and said, “Nothing. Please switch off the light as soon as you can.” She lay back down and covered her head with the pillow again.

  Zainah shook her head. “Something is wrong, Leila.” She put her hand on Leila’s shoulder. “I won’t let you rest until you tell me what it is.”

  Leila sighed loudly and sat up. “Ibrahim and I broke up yesterday.”

  “Ibrahim… who is Ibrahim? Oh! The man you’ve been seeing for some time now.” Zainah hid her relief and asked, “What happened?”

  “He tried to get me to… umm… sleep with him. When I refused, he said I was useless to him and that he wasn’t interested in a relationship with me anymore.”

  “I’m so sorry, Leila.”

  Leila bit her lip. “I was beginning to fall for him.” Tears slipped down her cheeks and she wiped them off quickly. “I guess I have to keep looking.”

  Zainah took Leila’s hands. “You know, you really don’t. Why don’t you commit your desire into the Lord’s hands? Remember, He said that if we delight ourselves in Him, He would give us the desires of our hearts.”

  “You think I haven’t?” Leila stared at her. “I’m thirty-one, Zainah. I’ve been a Christian since I was a teenager. You think I haven’t tried to delight myself in the Lord while waiting patiently for Him to answer my prayer? I have, but it hasn’t worked. Perhaps the Lord isn’t particularly interested in handing out life partners, especially to people like me.”

  “What do you mean, to people like you? You are His child and He cares about you.”

  “I know all that. I just think God isn’t interested in giving me a husba
nd, and so I have to look for one myself.”

  “And what if the one you find is an awful person? Maybe he hides his real character until you get married and then you see his true colors. What will you do then? I think you should just leave it all to the Lord.”

  “It’s easier said than done, Zainah. I’m running out of time. Soon, I won’t be able to have children and what I want most is to be a mother.”

  Zainah pressed her lips together. She didn’t know what to tell Leila anymore.

  Leila lay back down and turned her back to Zainah. “Please turn off the light when you are ready to go to sleep.”

  Zainah sighed, turned off the light, lay down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

  The next day, she got ready and went to work while Leila was still sleeping. The moon was still in the sky when she stepped out of her room. She walked briskly and reached the Rahmani mansion moments later. Only two of the household staff, one being Mira, were up and about.

  Since the incident with Nabil, Zainah had started coming to work very early. By the time her employers woke up, she was already through with the house, except for their rooms. She usually made herself scarce so she wouldn’t run into Nabil. Once he and Rania left the house, she then went to clean their rooms.

  She went into the storeroom where the household cleaning supplies and equipment were kept. Gathering the ones she needed, she took them out of the store and went to the kitchen to start working.

  Four hours later, at about nine o’clock, she had cleaned the entire house except for her bosses’ rooms. She carried her cleaning gear up the stairs and went into the family gym where she usually stayed to wait for her employers to leave the house. Standing behind the curtain so she would not be seen, she looked out the window, watching and waiting for when Rania and Nabil would come out of the house.