Part 70- Old times are the best times:)

As narrated by Maariah

“Ya Allah! whose luggage is this?”,Aunty Sawleha exclaimed shocked and unusually loudy. We had reached East London and were booked into a guest house for the night, and everyone gathered at the side of the RV to take their bags. Six pink suitcases was the cause for concern for Aunty Sawleha and because they were identical it meant only one thing- it belonged to one person.

“Which one of you brought your entire wardrobe along with you?”,she asked again.
Zainab looked down nervously. Those bags belonged to her but no one answered, ℓ☺ℓ,not even Zainab!

“Err they are mines Aunty Sawleha”,Laeeka said, “actually I didn’t have much time to pack so I packed everything”

“Well bachoo that’s very inconsiderate of you, you must think about everyone else also”,Aunty Sawleha said. Now Aunty Sawleha was not a mean person,and she wasn’t being mean now either but she said it like she saw it.

Laeeka: (side hugging Aunty Sawleha) I’m so sorry I’ll never do it again I promise

Aunty Sawleha laughed and said ” Riza, you’re going to have your hands full!”

We couldn’t help but grin because it was actually her and Arshad who were going to have their hands full!

Zainab was quiet all along…

After a yummy supper, Aunty Sawleha and Uncle Irshaad retreated to their room, leaving the 8 of us in the living room of the guest house. We sat on the carpet in a circle. Riza and Laeeka next to each other, Arshad and Zainab next to each other, Nemo and Zoheb next to each other and Aara and I next to each other.

Zoheb: I would like to say something please

Riza: go ahead boet

Zoheb: when I first met you guys…I was such a jerk..actually I had my own personal crap going on hence the attitude…I know I probably offended more than one of you..I’d just like to say that I am very sorry for the beginning..its the time I’ve spent with you all (and he glanced at Aara for a few seconds) that has brought me back to who I was…and thank you for accepting me as a part of your family

Arshad: you’ve earned it Zoheb…its a pleasure for us as well

Zoheb: thanks Arshad…now I’m curious..I mean I saw the video Reez made but how did this group come to be this group and how did you guys get to know each other?

And suddenly everyone was filled with excitement reminiscing about the past.

Laeeka: Riza and I are together from first year at campus..together 6 years now. Zainab and Maariah I know from grade 11, we were in school together. Arshoo,Aara and Nemo we met on campus

Zai: almost the same story as Laeeka…I met Aara,Nemo and Reez on campus…I met Arshad two years ago through them

Riza: I met all of them on campus! I know you the longest Zoheb…ℓ☺ℓ I’ll never forget the day I met Nemo though! Aara and I had two classes together and we were paired for a project, that’s how Aara got to know Laeeka,Zai and Mari.anyway…Nemo was running away from someone..Aara,Laeeka and I were sitting and chilling on the grass having our own little picnic when Nemo came running to Aara,put his head on her lap and yelled “cover me!” He pulled one of his pranks and this really huge guy was after him. (And he laughed) and since then he’s been a part of our group

Zai: yeah but during campus its not like he was ALWAYS with us he was too busy doing his own thing!

Zoheb: aah Nemo (nudging Nemo) I take it you were quite the ladies man?

Nemo: (looking at Aara) more like the biggest fool ever…but that was the past

Riza: and as for Arshoo here…well a friend of ours from med school told us about a bunch of first years who were going to dissect their first “body” and it normally is quite hillarious..so Nemo and I waited outside the room, camera in hand to see if we would be lucky enough to see anyone running out and… (He burst out laughing)

Nemo: (laughing also) so that’s how Arshoo RAN into our lives!

Riza: the next few years were our bonding years and now here we are 🙂

Zoheb: you guys have lots of memories to look back on

Me: plenty! And Aara and Nemo here well they were just the pits honestly..always upto something or the other…Nemo was crazzzzyyyy!

Laeeka: ℓ☺ℓ he still is!

Riza: the good old days…

Arshad: you sound like an old man when you say that Reez :-p

Nemo: Aara remember the time you did the fake vomit thing in class? We were in grade 11 and Aara being Aara had bought this horribly ugly rubber vomit and acted as though she wasn’t feeling well…and she woke up and coughed her way from the back of the class to the front where our english teacher was sitting and she coughed and coughed and suddenly put her hands to her mouth and that fake vomit was already in her hands…and she made as though she just puked into her hands and then looked at her hands in horror…(Torn with laughter)..and then put her hands forward to show it to the teacher! That lady jumped back so fast she fell off her chair!!

Arshad: No ways!!! (Bust)

Well everyone was torn…our stomachs actually hurt!

Nemo: and I even got involved for detention for her as well!

Riza: I’m scared to ask the reason :-p

Nemo: she had forced me to forge a note for her…and both of us ended up experiencing the first detention of our lives!
You were really something in school you know that

Zoheb: and where did the whole “reading the palm” thing come about?(Grinning)

Nemo: oh that was also school days…whenever she wasn’t eating something with a seed in it…she would spit into the persons palm!

Zoheb: ℓ☺ℓ Aara!

Aara: whaaat…I was like what…16…and I was mischievous! And do you guys want to know what Nemo used to do when we were younger than that…when we were around maybe 8 years old

Laeeka: tell tell

Nemo: refresh my memory as well?

And Aara made this motion with her hand..as though she were….cooking!

Zai: oh gosh don’t tell me he used to play with your tea sets!

Aara was finished!

Aara: YES! He used to play “house house” with me…I was the “mother” and he was the maid!

We were torn kassum like really really torn with laughter!

Aara: (wiping the tears of her face) wait I’ve got a pic.. I took a pic of it from my album on our last trip home…(And she pulled out her phone)

Nemo jumped across from Zoheb and grabbed Aara’s phone with one hand and held her with the other

Nemo: I’ll tell you if its safe to show to everyone else…(And he went through her pictures while she tried to free herself from his grip)stop wriggling like a fish woman!

Aara: give me my phone! I’ll bite you!

Arshad: ℓ☺ℓ ! Then you might need a tetanus shot Aara! (And he burst out laughing)

Nemo: very funny Arshoo!

Aara: Nemo let go…Uncle Irshaad is watching us! (She whispered…and Nemo let go of her with a shock)

Aara: gotcha! ( And she grabbed her phone out of his hand and threw it to Riza)

Nemo: mean!

Aara: (sticking her tongue out at Nemo)

Riza burst out laughing and passed the phone around…lo and behold…little Nemo with a doekie on his head…a housecoat and apron..broom in hand…full make up on his face and little girls slippers on his feet!

Aara: Reez upload it onto Facebook quickly!

Nemo: no man Riza don’t do that!

Aara: riiiight then say sorry for grabbing my phone!

Nemo: okay sorry for grabbing your phone

Aara: and sorry for hurting my hand

Nemo: I hurt your hand?…sorry for hurting your hand

Aara: good

Nemo: good

Aara: (clicking her tongue)shut up

Nemo: (clicking his tongue) shut up

Aara: don’t tell me to shut up!

Nemo: don’t tell me to shut up!

Aara: ay man!

Nemo: what amen? Are you going to church now?

And they started fighting again *sigh*

Riza: you know what…pick a place..all of you…this doesn’t end here..Cape Town is just my choice so now to the rest of you…at the top of your head, the place you’d love to visit no matter how far fetched…even if its something you want to see and not particularly the country.. or something you really want to do

Arshad: Zanzibar

Me: Drakensburg

Aara: Niagara Falls

Laeeka: Morroco!

Nemo: any Desert…I just want to experience it

Zainab: Ushaka Marine World!

And everyone looked at Zai with raised eyebrows…ℓ☺ℓ!

Zoheb: I want to climb a snow covered mountain!

Aara: actually bungee jumping is the next on my mental list after that AND there is a spot on route! Bloukrans Bridge-216m drop-highest commercial bungee jump in the world!

Nemo: done! Let’s do it tomorrow!

And Nemo and Aara high fived each other.

Nemo: who else is game for it?

Arshad: never!

Zai: me neither

Me: I wouldn’t mind…

Zoheb: neither would I *wink*

Riza and Laeeka : me too! (Then looking at each other and laughing)

Aara: oh come on you two…once in a lifetime don’t miss this chance!

Arshad: naauh what if I break my shoulders?

Nemo: what if you don’t break anything?

Zai: I can’t..I mean..

Riza: please Zai I know you got the whole “impress the inlaws”thing going on but don’t be someone you’re not…do this..for yourself

Zai looked at Arshad..

Zai: okay!

Arshad: okay??

Zai: that’s an ok for me and Arshad:)

Riza: right…get some sleep now…I have plans..come Laeeka *and he winked at the rest of us*

Laeeka: what plans?

Riza: shhh…we are going for a walk…