Chapter 18

Hawa’s POV

When I started cooking, Aunt Oumou came to join me.

“You should rest, Auntie,” I said.

“No, I’m much better today,” she replied.

“Alhamdulillah,” I said.

“I’ll be fine. Tomorrow, I’ll go back to work,” she explained.

“Isn’t it too early?” I asked.

“Not at all,” she said.

“I’m going to make the breakup dishes for Uncle’s family tomorrow,” I said.

“Oh, okay, I’ll help you then,” Aunt Oumou replied.

“Okay, thanks,” I agreed.

***

We finished preparing all the dishes, arranging them on oval plates and covering them with aluminum foil. Each plate had skewers of meat, chicken, and shrimp. On the side, we included salads, peas, pickles, corn mixed with mayonnaise, grated carrots, and French fries. I added a bit of onion sauce and some olives to complete the presentation.

I texted my uncle and went to my room. I quickly took a bath, prayed, changed, and waited for him. He arrived an hour later, al