MANCHESTER EPIPHANY CHAPTER 2: TALL-DARK-AND-HANDSOME STRANGER

Eiyo Fadneiras,

Welcome back to F.Mooneira's Bookshelf. Manchester Epiphany Chapter 2 is here ^_^ 

Something unexpected happened in this chapter. Yasmeen and her mother are rescued by a tall-dark-and-handsome gentleman. This chapter also takes you to explore Rusholme, an area located on the south side of Manchester. Rusholme is also known as the Curry Mile by the local people. And to Muslim travelers, Rusholme is the halal food heaven in Manchester.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy your binge reading ^_^

Salam Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim friends. Wish you guys a good celebration with family and loved ones ^_^

XoXo,

Fadima Mooneira ^_^

(Author of Manchester Epiphany)

MANCHESTER AIRPORT TERMINAL 1 

“HONEY, MEEN …” calls Ibu. “You guys are not in a hurry, right? Can we have brunch first?” asks Ibu before we leave Manchester Airport.

Thankfully, our business with the security and immigration officers went smoothly just now. All the officers were professional and friendly to us. We received our baggage safely.

“Sure, Ibu,” I respond and continue, “I’m hungry too. The food on the plane was not that good.” Umm … airline food hardly tastes good. Among all the airline food I’ve tasted, only Nasi Lemak Pak Nasir on Air Asia satisfies me.

“Okay … You two choose …” Ayah gives us his green light.

“Let’s check out Pret A Manger.” Ibu points to the help-yourself service café.

“The ambiance looks cosy. Let’s go there.” I agree with Ibu’s suggestion. Pret A Manger does look cosy and comfortable. Ayah, Ibu, and I need a cosy and comfortable place to rest after the 13-hour flight.

“Sure. You two pick your meals first. I’ll go find a seat for us,” suggests Ayah. Ibu and I nod.

Pret A Manger is a good place to dine. This café provides its customers with delicious fusion meals. They also offer vegetarian meals.

Ibu and I pick our meals from the refrigerated food shelf. Ibu chooses Miso Salmon and Ginger Kombucha sparkling drink, while I choose a bottle of Vitamin Volcano smoothie, Petite Crayfish and Avo Salad, and Blueberry Balance Bowl.

After we’re done picking our meals, we approach the counter to make the payment. Gladly, the queue isn’t that long. Five minutes later, we are already standing right in front of the counter.

“Is this all, ma’am?” A British-Indian dude asks Ibu.

“Hello …” responds Ibu with a smile. “Yes, this is all.” The British-Indian dude nods.

“That will be thirty-six pounds and thirty-four pence, ma’am.” The dude at the cashier counter informs us in a nonchalant tone.

Ibu takes out her red Bonia wallet and opens it. She takes out a 100-pound sterling note and passes it to the cashier boy. But surprisingly, he rejects the note.

“Sorry, ma’am … do you have smaller notes. We don’t have the exact change,” says the cashier boy.

“Alamak … I don’t have small notes. I only have 100 pounds. ” Ibu sighs.

“Don’t worry, Ibu. Allow me.” I unzip my mint Christy Ng sling bag and take out an emerald green Charles & Keith wallet. I open the wallet, but alas …

“Alamak … I got no small notes too, Ibu.” Ceh! I feel disappointed that I’m not able to help Ibu.

“Let’s see if Ayah has any …” I say to Ibu, and she nods with a smile.

“It’s ok, allow me,” says a tall-dark-and-handsome young man standing behind us. There’s a bottle of Pret Still Water in his hands. Oh wow! Where does he come from? Is he behind us all this time? How come I do not notice him? I stare at our saviour. And so does Ibu.

Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome smiles at us as he approaches the cashier counter. “Together.” He puts his drink on the counter. “How much does it cost again?” He asks the cashier boy.

“Thirty-nine pounds and thirty-three pence,” answers the moodyfaced cashier boy.

“Here you go.” The handsome guy gives two pieces of blueish-purple notes to the moody-faced dude. “Keep the change,” adds the handsome guy.

The moody-faced dude takes the notes and continues his work. “Here,” he hands the handsome guy a receipt. Umm … I mean, our receipt supposedly.

“Here, ma’am.” The handsome guy passes the receipt to Ibu.

“Th … tha … thank you, young man.” I hear Ibu stammers. But she has sparkles in her eyes. Hehehe …

“You’re very kind. How can we repay you?” I hear Ibu asks Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome. Her tone sounds stable. No more stammering. Hehehe …

“No worries, ma’am. The meal is on me,” answers Mr. Tall-DarkAnd-Handsome with a smile before taking his drink and walking away with his silver Rimowa suitcase.

Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome is not just a man with a handsome face. But he seems like a good and kind-hearted person as well. We do not know him. But he helps us with no strings attached. Seriously, I have not met any man who is good-looking, kindhearted, and well-mannered at the same time. If there are more men like Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome, I am very sure the world will become a beautiful place. Auuuwww …

Our saviour also looks charismatic. The way he speaks sounds suave, charming, and polite. Wow! That dude is classy! He is also well-dressed and looks totally elegant in a CK stone-washed denim jacket and pants.

Arban Ai fan art

“Something miraculous just happened,” says Ibu after taking her seat next to Ayah. I hear Ibu relates to Ayah what just happened at the cashier counter. Ibu even compliments the handsome guy who saves us. Like me and Kak Maya, Ibu is also into handsome hunks. Well, the apple won’t fall far from the tree. Hehehe …

“You mean the dude right behind you?” asks Ayah. Ibu and I nod at the same time.

“I saw him when we were at the immigration,” says Ayah. “He was gazing at our Yasmeen,” continues Ayah in a cynical manner.

“Huh? He gazed at me.” I show Ayah a surprised look and point at myself. “Really, Ayah?” I ask again. My cheeks suddenly feel warm. Oh blimey! Am I blushing? Fuh… luckily, my skin is tanned. So the pink on my cheeks does not look that obvious. Luckily, my skin is not as fair as Kak Maya’s. Or else I can never hide my blush.

“He gazed at our daughter, honey?” asks Ibu with an excited tone. She also flashes me a cheeky grin. Aduhai … Ibu is teasing me as usual. Ummm …

“Umm … I think so …” answers Ayah in a laid-back tone. “He was not that far from us when we were at the immigration counter,” adds Ayah.

“Ha’ah … Meen … who knows, you might meet him again. And if you do meet him … don’t forget to ask him his name. Also, don’t forget to ask for his phone number.” Hahaha … Ibu teases me again and again.

“Ish … ibu …” I feel abashed. “I don’t want to. I’m shy.” I cover my face with my hands.

“Hahaha … I know you’re not interested. You only want Ricardo Alonso. That’s why you come to Manchester.” Ayah teases me, too.

“Ayah!” I pinch Ayah’s shoulder. Ibu and Ayah laugh at me.

“Okay … time for me to get my food.” Ayah rises from his chair and walks towards the cashier counter.

“Meen …” calls Ibu. I turn to her.

“That hunk just now is such a gentleman. Ibu likes that kind of boy. Handsome, kind, and polite.” Haish … is Ibu teasing me again? I look at Ibu. Ibu looks calm. She does not wear a cheeky grin on her face. Umm … is Ibu hinting at me about her dream son-in-law? Huh? Son-in-law? Haish … it is too early to think about that. No way!

While enjoying my meal, my thought suddenly returns to Mr. TallDark-And-Handsome. Who is he? He appears like an angel and suddenly becomes our saviour. Oh wow! I am awed.

Is he a local? He has a British accent, but he looks more Asian than Caucasian. What is his name? And will I see him again? Haish … why do I have so many questions about Mr. Tall-Dark-AndHandsome in my head? Wow! Is Yasmeen Aizura awestruck by a complete stranger?

~~~

RUSHOLME, MANCHESTER 

“WAH … so this is Rusholme. Nice! What a beautiful place!” I feel excited when our taxi enters Rusholme. Rusholme is an area located on the south side of Manchester. The area looks lively with a row of shop houses in different colours. Rusholme is not far from Manchester City Centre.

Rusholme is also known as the Curry Mile by the local people. Most people who live in this area are British-Indian. At Rusholme, there are many Indian and Middle Eastern shops. Rusholme also offers various halal food outlets and eateries. Alhamdulillah. Finding halal food won’t be hard for me in Manchester.

Ayah, Ibu, and I are on our way to Wilmslow Park from Manchester Airport. Wilmslow Park is going to be my home in Manchester. Wilmslow Park is a well-established student residence in Rusholme. There are many students from Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University staying here.

Oh wow! Al Jazeera! My eyes gleam when the taxi passes by a halal restaurant named Al Jazeera. Zasss! I always want to dine here!

Al Jazeera is a famous halal restaurant among Muslim travel vloggers. According to those vloggers, Al Jazeera is a must-visit restaurant for Muslim travellers who visit Manchester. This restaurant serves its customers delicious Kurdish and Afghan cuisine such as kabuli palaw, chicken Al Faham, kobeda kebab, and lamb chops.

Other than Al Jazeera, I see other halal eateries mentioned by Muslim travel vloggers, such as Jaffa Restaurant, Red Marrakech, The Corner Plaice, Rusholme Chippy, Saajan, Al Jumeirah, Kobeda Place, La Tagine, Al Bilal, Lahori Dera, Relish’d, Habesha, Chai Latte, and Khan’s Kebab House. Fuh … Rusholme is really a halal food haven in Manchester! Oops! ... control Yasmeen. You are here for a Bachelor’s Degree. You are not here to bring home loads of spare tyres. Hahaha …

“We’re here,” informs the taxi driver as he stops his vehicle right in front of a tall building situated on Hathersage Road, Rusholme. Alhamdulillah. We arrive safely at our destination. Wilmslow Park … here I come!

“Whoa!” That is my expression when I see a tall, majestic building painted in brick-red. On the left side of the building, there is a sign that reads ‘Wilmslow Park’. Wow … I love it! Ayah and Ibu pick the best place for me!

Me in front of Wilmslow Park. That's where I used to live when I was studying in Manchester. And this is where Yasmeen will be living in Manchester.

Wilmslow Park looks different from all the student homes back in Malaysia. This apartment has a Soho living concept. There is a row of shop houses on the ground floor. Some of the shops include Coffee Nero, Tesco Express, Lidl Supermarket, Londis Convenience Store, and a pharmacy called Superdrug. Wow … there are so many facilities here.

“Meen … let’s go, sayang.” Ibu’s voice brings me back to reality. “What were you daydreaming of just now?” teases Ibu.

“Hahaha … I was admiring the place, Ibu. Looks nice. With all the shops here, I’m game.”

Ibu smiles at my answer.

We enter Wilmslow Park and approach the reception counter. A local woman with dark hair greets us.

“Follow me.” The British woman with dark hair takes us to our unit. According to the email I received from iQ Students, my flatmates will be three female students from three different countries. Whoa! I am so excited to meet them. I’m sure they are all interesting people.

Ayah and Ibu have rented a Premium En-Suite Gold Plus kind of room for me. The Premium En-Suite Gold Plus rooms are the biggest and most expensive type of rooms at Wilmslow Park. The room offers its tenant one large comfy bed, a study desk and chair, plenty of storage, and an en-suite bathroom.

“Ayah … Ibu … thank you!” I pull my parents into an embrace.

“What’s this for?” asks Ayah while stroking my dark hair.

“Understand lah, honey … our youngest princess …” Ibu explains to Ayah.

“For all these,” I answer. I am so touched.

“You’re welcome. Anything for my little girl,” responds Ayah before kissing my forehead.

I feel grateful to be the youngest daughter of Mr. Habibullah and Prof. Meriam. They are concerned about their children’s needs. Not all parents are like mine. Abang Taufik, Kak Maya, and I are so very lucky.

“Jom… let’s make a list of things to buy for the room,” suggests Ibu. She is always the planning captain.

-TO BE CONTINUED-

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