The morning sun lights up Maryam’s face through the gap in the curtains. She lies there with her eyes closed, enjoying the gentle heat. She knows she should get up, but her blanket hugs her whole body with kindness and forbids her from leaving the warm bed. It is a rare comfort: most days she has to wake before sunrise to get ready for work.
Work! The word gives her an electric shock. Suddenly she is sitting upright in bed, pulling her hair tightly back with one hand as she reaches to find an elastic band with the other. Oh, no, I’m late, she thinks. I’ve missed the office shuttle. Her husband turns to her and asks what’s happened.
‘I’m late. I won’t make it to work on time.’
Mohammad chuckles and says ‘Go back to sleep, it’s Friday.’ Maryam laughs. How could she forget it was the weekend?
Her husband tugs at her hand, asks to hold her, saying, come back and sleep. But she resists, she has a lot to do on Fridays – as she told him already a few days ago.
‘At least try to sleep on Fridays,’ Mohammad protests.
‘I’ve many things to do and one day off in the whole week,’ Maryam repeats, up and dressing now. ‘I have to do the laundry, some shopping, and clean the house.’ Mohammad is frustrated he can’t go back to sleep with his arms around her. He pulls the blanket over his face and drifts off.
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