"Haneefah!"
"Haneefah!" Mother repeats for the second time.
"Yes mother!" I hastily responded back so as to not get on her temper.
"We all know what happens then' I tell myself.
"Come down here to the kitchen and help me out!" She orders.
'Is it already that late?' I question as I peer out the curtains. It appeared to be midday.
'So… my assumptions were correct' I groaned.
I quickly changed out of my night dress and freshened up before heading down.
As I'm making my way down, I remember my shawl!
I quell in squeals of frustration as I rush back up to my bedroom to fetch it. Whenever it came to food prep, my mother was insistent on having a shawl on. She claims that it is to ensure no hairs slip into the food accidentally from the head so I never argued with her about it.
'I mean, it makes sense!'
I grab the first shawl I can spot and hurry down so as to upset her. As I am making my way down, I wrap it around my head and securely tuck it in so as to ensure that it doesn't come loose or fall off since my hands won't really be free in the kitchen for me to adjust it again. Plus, if I do not put it on properly, it will give my mother just that much more reason to scold on later!
Also I like putting on a shawl, purely because it saves me time I would have otherwise used on hair maintenance which can really get tedious on long hair!
It embellishes my beauty as it is without much effort required. It's a win-win situation if you ask me.
'Which girl would miss such a maintenance-free glow up, right?'
By the time I arrive, mother is already at the stove, busy with work. I do not dilly-dally and quickly make my way to the ingredients so that I may treat them before they can actually be cooked.
'I'm surprised she didn't say anything to me for coming so late.'
'It is probably because she is too focused on her work at hand and hasn't noticed me.'
'Now, do not misinterpret me!'
'I don't like to be told off but I suppose, I'm just so used to it so when she doesn't tell me off for my shortcomings, it feels weirder so I prefer her to tell me off.'
'If that makes any sense!'
'The only thing we have in common is our passion for our food!'
"We take pride in our work so give the utmost attention when we are in the kitchen.'
The way I like to think about it is that it is a product of our hard work and expertise which we have acquired over years of perfecting the art.
'So when I finally get to dig in, it is all worth it!'
I do not dilly-dally any further and quickly make my way to the ingredients so that I may treat them before they can actually be cooked.
'Fun fact: the term 'treat' is a broad term in the kitchen actually, which consists of a few stages depending on what the treated item in question is!'
'The first thing depends on what we are preparing. If it is poultry, then we must clean it from anything unwanted like blood or dirt. The blood needs to be drained out by soaking it in water for a while. Then, we deskin it and remove the excess animal fat as that is harmful to the body. If the skin is desired, then any bits on it must be scraped or plucked off depending on what it is! After that, it can either be used separately for instance in the case of leather or be left to relish with the meat as in the case of chicken. If we are talking about more seafood, then it needs to be phased out. After that, its intestines ought to be removed and it be cleaned of all the excess blood. Once all the blood has drained out, it is to be seasoned per one's own taste and then cooked however one wishes to consume it either cooked, steamed, boiled, grilled etc. Vegetables or fruits are easy to prepare. All that needs doing is that it needs to be washed and peeled or cut depending on what we are talking about.'
After I get everything ready, I collate it all in different containers so as to not cross-contaminate them and their different flavours. I take it over to the stove and peer over other's shoulders to see what she was up to.
She seemed to be making some form of stew so I asked her as to what she was making.
"I'm glad you asked," she boastfully says, "It's a new eastern dish I have seen around so I thought I would try it out myself to see how it goes!"
"May I sample some?" I cautiously ask.
"Sure!" She said with a smile.
'This was amongst the only times we actually got along in the day as we each presented our own food!'
'It was a good change from the constant scolding and bickering that would have happened any other time!'
I decided to seize this opportunity to inquire about my request.
You see, I had expressed my wishes to study for white the while now however my parents always seemed so opposed to the idea.
They would always tell me how it wasn't a lady's place to be in school; rather, she ought to be at home tending to the domestic affairs.
My mother would always protest saying,
"Where do we get off asking for schooling when we already have so much to tend to as is already?"
"It is not even possible for a grown lady like yourself to even take time out for that!"
…and every time I tried to squeeze in a word, she would cut me off!
She further goes on to tell me that girls stay at home as it is safe and men go outside as they aren't as weak or vulnerable. Men are the ones who had too much extra time on their hands so they ought to utilise it well to build a name for themselves therefore they are entitled to an education. They need it to conduct work and support a family.
When I asked my father, he would brush it off as being too masculine a trait for a woman to possess and that I should focus on building myself to be a better lady than a man or none will ever marry me.
'…but, I had a good feeling about today.'
'So may as well give it a shot!'
I motivate myself.
'What is the worst that could happen?'
I had already met countless times and they had remained indifferent so what would cause a sudden change other than to accept my proposal.
"Have you considered my schooling, please!" I plead.
"Look, I can do my chores and manage my studies, all I need is for you to just give me a chance!"
"I will have no more of this nonsense!" She sharply rebukes as she walks off in a sour mood, having finished her cooking.
I settle down by the stove and put the food in to prepare.
While I wait for it to finish cooking a thought emerges in my mind.
'Sometimes, I get the feeling that all I am useful for is to just be shut in at home and cook.'
'I mean; it isn't like I do much else.'
'It is at times like this I contemplate the purpose I have even been sent to this world.'
'Where women truly just made to cook and clean away the rest of their lives like live-in workers, toiling away.'
'If that was the case, why were we given a similar brain that can learn so much just like that of a man's. We retain and make dishes, which takes a certain level of intellect….'
'…so why can't both get equal opportunities in life!'
A tear escapes my eye as I am lost in my thoughts as the reality of life sets back in.
'Why make so many women if all you need are workers?'
'Wouldn't it have been easier to just make a few girls and have them carry on the human population and have the men in positions of work from a tender age since they are so much more physically capable.'
I shed tears of sorrow as I once sealed the wound, and had again reopened.
'Why pick on us when we already have nothing to us?' I cry as I watch the pot froth, absent-minded.