As I walk into the kitchen, I feel the baby kicking again. Papa is making dinner, since I’m craving something meaty and spicy. A pot of mutton curry is simmering on the stove and Omar will be home soon. It smells delicious. There is music coming from Papa’s study, and the evening light casts shadows on the wall. I take a sip from the cup of tea left on the kitchen counter. My handphone rings; it’s Marina.

“Hi darls, how are you?” She sounds cheery.

“I’m good. Just waiting for Omar so we can have dinner,” I reply.

“Who cooked?”

“Papa.”

“Lucky you!” she laughs.

“Yeah, can’t wait. Smells amazing.”

“Ready for court tomorrow?”

“Uh huh,” I say. “Are you ready?”

“Of course! So excited!”

“We need to set a precedent. If you can change it, it will be such a…a triumph for us all.”

“Yeah. Marina binti Rashid. Perempuan. Female. That’s it,” Marina says firmly.

“And Sumi is really pumped about this. She’s worked so hard.”

“I can finally be the daughter my mother always wanted,” Marina says, getting choked up.

“Will you go home to see her?”

“With my new IC!”

I take another sip of tea and hear the sound of tires squeaking in the driveway. “Hey, Omar is home, he’s been at the orphanage today… Have to go now.”

“Okay, darls. Have a good dinner!”

“See you tomorrow.” I hang up.

I hear the front door open, the sound of keys clattering onto the wooden dresser in the hallway, shoes kicked off and quick steps into the kitchen. Omar reaches out for me and I’m enveloped in his arms; then a kiss on the lips, a beaming smile.

“How are you, my darlings?” He leans down and kisses my belly.

“We’re fine. Really fine,” I say. He smells of sweat and wood shavings and I see flecks of sawdust in his hair.

“I showed the kids how to use chisels today; it got a little messy,” he laughs.

“What did you make?”

“It’s a work in progress, you’ll see.” He grins boyishly.

I take his hand and lead him out to the garden. The evening light is dipping and there is a hint of sunset in the sky.

“Look,” I say, pointing to the row of thriving strelitzia. “Alba’s flowers, they’re blooming.”

Acknowledgements