Sara Zoul

I never know what to expect from her. She amazes me every single day with the things that she does. It’s hilarious really-seeing this little girl acting all grown up.

She speaks Spanish berabuk-abuk. (Even her English is Spanish-sounding)

She would ask me to go in a straight line with her for my turn going to the loo and daddy would be last in line

She recites before her meals Bismillahir rahmanir rahim (the only doa in Arabic she knows)

Thank you God for the food we eat.

Thank you God for the cat that mioew. (her pet)

She practices her concert pieces in the shower. (It is her kindy's’ playgroup class concert in two days and I am meeting her mom)

She knows exactly what she wants.

She loves dancing - with music or without in front of the telly, on the sidewalks, just about everywhere.

"Look, Nina. I dance!” she would say.

She knows her ABCs and 123s. She loves her stickers.

She loves to dress up and accessorizing. (she loves high heel shoes}

(That was what I wrote on the 6^th December in my old diary. I was with Sara and her daddy for a good two weeks of getting along together)

It was like only yesterday………..

Me: Sara is fast growing up. Maybe I should start planning for her wedding now…

Zoul: She is only 13

Hahahahaha……..

Happy Birthday Sara.

I love you……….

An old diary

I had this old leather bound diary which is quite in a sorry state, most treasured archive of old stories and events of years gone by. It was a freebie from an airline given away to their first class passengers and I got mine from one of those privileged ones on my first flight with Zoul to Spain……

I flipped thoroughly through the pages, highlighted phone numbers and names carelessly scribbled in places they shouldn’t be. There were calculations in pencils, email addresses boldly written in eyeliners/lipliners and cryptic messages that defy logic and common sense. Reading them again years after, it baffles me especially looking back at those numbers written in columns that say finance.

But that shows how organised I was……..

(Am still)

It is my 2006 diary – a year after graduation.

I was on a flight bound for Barcelona to meet Sara Zoul for the first time.