a young woman smiles at her baby as she pushed him through the mall. she was drawing glances from the shoppers but she was used to it. at first, it was hard to ignore and she used to avoid crowds. then, she got over it and threw caution to the wind. she did no wrong, afterall. nobody remarked about her baby or smiled, worried and afraid that they might say the wrong things and insult her. an old woman trailed after them, obviously a family member. people looked at her too, wondering, thinking.
the young woman plays little games to keep her baby entertained. talks to him as she surveys the cookies shelves at the supermarket. nodding her head as her baby inputs his suggestions. all under the view of the public.


everybody thinks you're the mother of ayman when we go out. i fed-up already.
i know, nenek. what to do. kan, ayman?