Over Again

The basement door opens, and I quickly shut the picture album and slide it under my back, hoping no one saw. I see my youngest sister, Safaa, walking towards me with a tray of food and water.

"Wahliya told me to bring this down to you," she said, setting the tray down beside me.

"I don't want it," I say reluctantly. Safaa shakes her head, leaning against my chest when she sits down next to me.

"Zayn, you haven't eaten for days. You must be the least but hungry." I shake my head, and she sighs. "At least drink something. I don't want you to die from dehydration."

I take the water in my hands and take a small sip, then attempt to put it down. Saf glares at me, so I take a long swig of water, and she smiles, taking the cup from me

"Good job," she says. "Zayn, we miss you, you know. Sagas looks down at her lap. "You haven't been the same since you came back to Bradford. Like...you're a whole new person."

"I know, I'm sorry, Saf. There's just...it's...complicated. Things are just...repeating themselves. It's happening all over again, like I'm back in the same position I was three years ago." I look down at her. She was absorbing all of this into her small mind.

Safaa got up and left the room. I sighed. I pushed away her, too, didn't I?

To my surprise, Safaa came back, holding my old song notebook. I would write songs down when I was younger, still a dreamer.

"You're good at putting your feelings down into words," she said, sitting back down and handing the book to me. "Write what you're feeling down. Turn it into something beautiful; I know you can." Saf smiled at me.

Notes

Maybe another chapter tonight. We'll see!