Motherly

Harper woke up with the sound of crackling fire and sizzling pans. She has no watch nearby but the blinding sunlight from the windows told her it wasn’t long before high noon. To add, the sounds of cars hurrying to their destinations weren’t much of a lullaby either.

“Good, you’re awake.”

A voice of a woman woke her up, together with the gentle pat of her hair. Harper opened her eyes to see Mrs. Keevah smiling down at her. Her hair was pulled up on a bun and she was wearing a red apron. That’s why the pans were noisy, she thought.

“Was I sleeping long?” – she asked, looking at the window and the bright sun outside.

“It’s fine. You needed rest. I apologize for bringing you to the market.”

Harper frowned, recollecting what has happened before she fell asleep. It didn’t take her long to realize that she was indeed sick. She remembered she was waiting for Mrs. Keevah in a chair outside the wet market but her pregnancy got in the way. She felt extra sensitive with the smell and she could