How Can I Not Love You

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

"MashaAllah! It's so beautiful out there!" Sameera sighed as she peeped through the curtain covering the window of her bedroom. It snowed a little the night before and the lawn looked all white. She checked the time on her study table. It was nearly 7.15 AM. She could hear her cousin, Maryam, preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Then the voice of her cousin's husband, Halim, calling their son to hurry for school. Sameera put on her hijab and left her bedroom to join the little family in the kitchen.

As she closed the door, she saw little Johan leaving his bedroom and running for the stairs. He almost knocked on his chubby cat, Bubble. The poor cat was waiting outside his room probably waiting for its owner to say goodbye before leaving for school. Johan glanced at the cat, "Oops! Sorry, Bubble. See you later, bye!" Upon seeing Sameera, he added before rushing down the stairs, "...morning Auntie Sam!"

"Morning Johan...and you too Bubble!" Sameera picked up the cat. "Today, only you and me at home, huh!" Maryam and Halim had a meeting with some sales reps at 9 AM. The couple was leaving to send Johan to school and get to their bookshop early before the meeting. Since the day was her day off, Sameera had promised her cousin to help with the house chores that morning. It was her third month living with the family since coming to the small town to take a short course at a nearby college. As a free lance journalist she had been to many places in Malaysia. She would have gone abroad as well if not for her parents' request to stay close to home. Being the youngest of three siblings and the only daughter, she did not want to go against them. For this short course they had let her go knowing she would be in good company of her cousin's family who had been living in Carbondale for almost ten years now.

"Sam, we've to go now. You're okay with this, right?"
"Of course! Don't worry Kak Yam. I have Bubble to accompany me." She grinned at her cousin.
"Okay, then. I have to hurry now. You know what to do with the house. Just give me a call if there's anything..."
"Sure, I will....you go ahead. Abang Halim and Johan are waiting!" They heard a honk.
"Thanks, Sam. Bye. Assalamualaikum!"
Sameera was about to close the door when Maryam called her. "Sam, you got another one yesterday. It's on the mantle in the living room. He sure is a persistent type! Bye!"

Sameera locked the door and headed for the kitchen to feed Bubble. She sipped her coffee and waited for her toast to be ready. "Hmm, another letter with dried rose petals? What am I going to do with you!"