This is the second chapter in the story of Noor, Koether and Selwa. They are all cousins living in separate spots in Denmark and Sweden. The most developed character is Koether (even though the story starts off focused on Noor). But i think it would all work out better if i had more things going on in Noor and Selwa's lives, but i didn't come up with anything when i planned everything out. that is something i've been trying to figure out the past few days.
Finally, Mariam appeared around the corner of the house, some dirt on her hands.
“Hey, you! Salam,” called Noor.
“Salam, Noor!” said Mariam, running for a hug, then remembering her hands.
“Is anyone home?” Noor asked.
“Only Bibi. I was in the backyard and didn’t hear you ring the bell till she called me.”
“Is the front door open?”
“Nope. I wanted to let you know first that I was coming, and now I’ll go back around and open the door for you.”
That was Mariam’s way, Noor knew. Hearing that Noor was waiting at the door, ringing the bell, she would rush from the backyard and let her know help was incoming rather than have her older cousin stay alone the few extra seconds it would have taken to navigate through the house doors and change her shoes at the kitchen step; Noor ought to be assured immediately that deliverance was nigh. Now, she rushed back around the house, opened the back door, ran through the rooms, likely stumbling some in her haste, and finally opened the front door to give Noor a hearty welcome.
Had Mariam’s older brother been with Noor, he would have been impatient at all the delay, and rolled his eyes at Mariam’s assumption that Noor had been waiting scared and helpless, deserted on the porch. Noor thought it sweet and took the extra minutes’ wait cordially. She had just come on the train from Sweden; it was the last week before her courses opened again at Stockholm University; school had opened for her little sister, Sara, the previous week, so this was a solo trip.
It was a fine family for visiting. First, Noor’s grandmother, who they called Bibi, but was really named Betool. Then Majeda, who was married to Noor’s maternal uncle, Hussain. And their children: first Selwa, the oldest daughter and just a few years younger than Noor; then Amer, an adjusting teenager hawking his new store of “muscle” and hair in various areas; Mariam, a gentle ten-year-old; and ZeeZee, the youngest and most hyper of the bunch.
They lived near the end of one of the train lines leaving Copenhagen and headed for her outskirts.
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