Lutfiyah's friends had always called her their mother. Without realising it, she would clean up after them, shout at them when they got out of hand, force them to take their medication when they got sick and make sure that they ate and slept on time too. It was somehow woven in her DNA to be like that so when she had given birth, it had been nothing shocking for her that she had to suddenly look after another human being.
The only time that this quality was really a hindrance was when it would bug her to look after everyone around her, whether her attentions were welcome or not; hence the baking sent to the Malone household and always making sure that the two varsity girls on first floor had at least one good meal a week.
The urge had hit again after seeing the state that her new neighbour, Jaafar as he had said his name was, was in. She had the disturbing urge to go and give his flat a good spring-clean and worse, cook for him!
Lutfiyah caught herself staring off into space again and shook herself out of her revere. It was only some chicken and rice. It wouldn't hurt to send some over. Allah knew when last the man had had a proper meal and with the way he had looked the last time that she had seen him, a proper shower and good night of sleep too.
Making up her mind, she dished the food out into a container and contemplated how to send the food. Deciding that going herself would be a disaster, she called for her daughter.
"May!"
The girl hummed in acknowledgement before leaving her blocks and hurrying over to her mother, looking up expectantly with her giant blue eyes.
"We're going to leave this food by Uncle Jaafar, okay? I'm going to leave it down by the door and you must knock until he answers. When he does, you give this to him and then you come back here immediately, understood?"
May looked at her in puzzlement before nodding. "I muz knock and knock?"
Lutfiyah nodded and smiled. "Yes, sweetheart. Knock and knock until the door opens. I'll be right here, watching you and waiting for you to come back."
She grabbed a post-it and hurriedly scribbled a note before sticking it to the container and taking her child to the opposite flat. Placing the food on the ground, she knocked on the door then went back inside her flat, leaving the door a little open to observe the proceedings. She watched in amusement as her daughter lifted up her tiny fist and began knocking without pause.
Not a few minutes later the door swung open to reveal a very grumpy, somewhat scary looking man.
"What?" Jaafar snarled, clearly annoyed at the constant knocking.
May jerked back in surprise and Lutfiyah couldn't help but smile in amusement as she watched a look of utter confusion cross Jaafar's face before he looked down. Then he jerked back in surprise.
"Assalamualaikum Unca Jaafi." Lutfiyah smiled proudly as May finally said the greeting correctly.
The man looked torn between scowling and trying not to be affected by the utter adorableness of her daughter so he smoothed out his expression and crouched down to the level of the tiny girl.
"Wa alaikumus salaam Maysura. How can I help you today?"
It seemed that the man, despite his natural surly nature, couldn't help but be charmed by little girls.
"Mama sent food for you coz its suppa time and you dint eated yet and Mama says that no gummies until you eated so if you want gummies, you have to eat, Unca Jaafi."
Lutfiyah had to control her giggles at the perplexed expression that crossed the man's face. He looked down at the food in puzzlement then caught sight of the note. He picked it up and sighed before his gaze flickered to the door. Thank goodness for the way he was crouching because he couldn't see her from his position.
"Okay Maysura, I will eat my supper. Is that okay?"
The girl nodded happily before lifting her hand and brushing a lock of hair from where it had fallen onto his forehead. Frowning, she looked up at him and said, "Did you brush your hair today, Unca Jaafi?"
The man shook his head in bewilderment, running his fingers through his thick messy locks, suddenly speechless at the little girl who had no censor due to her innocence.
"Your mummy is going to be cross, Unca Jaafi. Go brush your hair then wash your hands and eat. I have to go now. I'm hungry. Assalamualaikum."
With that, she turned away, waving a small hand behind her as she bounded into the flat, yelling for her mother.
Lutfiyah quickly closed the flat, not catching the look of pain that crossed the man's face before he too stood up and closed his flat door.
# # #
A few days passed before Lutfiyah sent May with another container of food and soon it became a habit for Lutfiyah to cook for three instead of two. It gave her a sense of contentment that she hadn't known she had been missing before.
She would always find the containers washed and waiting for her outside her door the next morning and sometimes there would be gifts for May inside. One day it was a lollipop, another it was a toy car and May would squeal with excitement no matter what the gift was.
To everyone's surprise, May was charmed by their neighbour. She would tell stories about him as if she spent quality time with the man and her imagination would run wild making everyone in the vicinity laugh.
One day, May came to her with absolute seriousness just as Lutfiyah was packing supper for him.
"Mama, I don't think Unca Jaafi has someone to look after him. Not like how Mister Malone and Unca Jelly does."
Lutfiyah smiled at May's reference to Jane's brother, Jerry, who would often come to leave his washing or come to pick up food from Jane. Her little girl noticed everything.
She looked down at her daughter solemnly. "Okay. Well sometimes people don't want others to look after them, sweetheart. Not everyone needs someone."
May shook her head in denial. "No no. It's not nice to be alone. Aunty Jan said so."
Lutfiyah sighed. "Maybe Uncle Jaafar is different. He chose this, my dolly, so we have to let him be. Now go knock on his door. I made your favourite today so hurry back okay?"
Lutfiyah should have realised that her daughter would not let the situation be. She choked in horror as she heard her daughter asking the man, quite innocently, if he liked to be alone. The silence that passed was frightening and Lutfiyah hurried to the door to go and stop her child from being strangled.
The man's head snapped in her direction as she rushed out, sending him an apologetic smile before she hurriedly picked up her daughter. It was the first time that they had come face to face since the time she had given him the baking.
"Mr Abdullah, I am so sorry for this. May has a way of just asking what's on her mind and I'm really sorry about that."
The man stood up from his crouched position, gaze locked on the containers in his hand.
"What is it today?" he asked, after a tense silence.
She floundered in confusion for a second before she realised that he was asking about the food.
"Kebab tarkari and puri. May loves kebabs."
He nodded and she was about to turn away when he looked up and caught her eyes in a piercing gaze. It was at that moment that she noticed his eyes. The most piercing blue, just a shade lighter than May's with a dark ring of black around the iris. Perhaps it was because of that that she'd always assumed he'd had dark brown or even black eyes.
He stared at her so intently that blood rushed to her face and she quickly looked down. "I better get going. Enjoy your supper."
She turned and took a step towards her door before his voice stopped her again.
"Jazakillah. For the food. You...really don't have to but it's highly appreciated."
She nodded without looking back and hurried into her flat.
If her heart was beating at a faster pace than normal, no one would ever know.