Malaika remembers the date very well: Friday, 4 January 2013. Just four days after the happiest New Year’s Eve she ever spent. Because of Isaac, of course.

Yes, that Friday evening, Isaac came home with a movie for them to watch. Groundhog Day, it was called. He brought some KFC takeaway too. Her favourite!

“Hi sweetheart,” he said. “How about we spend the evening cuddled up on the couch?”

That sounded perfect! Malaika didn’t need nightclubs and wild parties. All she needed was to be close to Isaac. She spread her grandmother’s crocheted blanket over the pair of them. It was pretty chilly for January.

Isaac started up the movie on the TV, fast-forwarding through the adverts and ‘Coming Attractions’. “This Groundhog Day is a comedy, sweetheart. It will be good for us to have a laugh together, right? I love to see you laugh!”

Malaika looked into Isaac’s kind brown eyes and smiled a sad smile. Isaac was always trying to make her laugh, always trying to keep her spirits light.

Often he asked her outright, “What is it, Malaika? What is it that haunts you so? What is that dark shadow that seems to hang over your life? Tell me, sweetheart. Then together we can find a way to fight it.”

But Malaika couldn’t tell him. She had never spoken aloud about the strange curse that blighted her life. Well, except once: back when she was a little five-year-old girl. And she quickly realised that she must never speak about it again. It was too dangerous. It must be kept a secret.

She knew too, that there was no way to fight the curse either. She found that out back when she was eleven. So what was the point of burdening Isaac? It would only hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt him; she loved him so much!

And so the movie started. Malaika tried hard to concentrate. She always found it difficult to concentrate. Especially on make-believe things like movies and soapies.

The movie told a story about a TV weather reporter called Phil. And Phil and his producer, a woman called Rita, went to a small town. They were doing a weather report there about some celebration called ‘Groundhog Day’. Phil was in love with Rita. But Rita didn’t fancy Phil because he was arrogant and full of himself and rude to people.

So, in the movie, Phil ‘the Weatherman’ woke up in this small-town hotel with his radio playing a song: They say we’re young and we don’t know, won’t find out until we grow… And over the top of the song, the local radio DJ was announcing: “Yes people, it’s Groundhog Day!”

Malaika gathered up the KFC boxes and used serviettes. She carried them through to the kitchen. One of the kitchen cupboards was open. Lying at the bottom of the cupboard was a fridge magnet with a short poem on it.

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.

Quickly Malaika slammed the cupboard door closed. She didn’t want to see those words. They were like knives in her heart.

Isaac called, “Quick sweetheart, you’re missing the groundhog. Come and have a look at him.”

So Malaika ran back to the couch to cuddle up under the blanket beside Isaac. On the TV screen, the groundhog looked a little like a honey badger. But it was brown and a lot flatter and shorter.

“See,” explained Isaac, “this groundhog tells the town people if winter is finally over. And oh man, that idiot Phil! He doesn’t realise what a jerk he is. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women!”

Malaika tried to laugh too. She tried to smile and pretend she was enjoying the comedy. Just so that Isaac would feel good. But then, on the screen, something terrible happened.

There was this Phil character, waking up in the morning, the morning after Groundhog Day. Except, next thing, the radio began playing, They say we’re young and we don’t know… Again! Then the radio DJ announced: “Yes people, it’s Groundhog Day.” Once again! How was that supposed to be funny?

Malaika could feel her body begin to shake. And it wasn’t because of the chill in the January air.

Meanwhile Isaac was laughing. “Oh isn’t this crazy, sweetheart? Isn’t this the most ridiculous thing ever?”

On the screen, Phil the Weatherman was going through the same Groundhog Day – a second time over! Looking dazed and confused. “It’s like he’s in a time warp! Like he’s re-living the same day a second time,” said Isaac. “Where do these movie people find such insane story lines?”

But Malaika could no longer bear it. From the TV, for a third time now, Phil the Weatherman was waking up to the song, They say we’re young… And the DJ was repeating: “Yes people, it’s Groundhog Day!”

Malaika rushed to the bathroom and vomited violently. She vomited until her stomach was empty and her whole body felt weak.

Isaac stood holding her, wiping her face with a soft, damp cloth. He was very upset. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. It must have been the chicken. I promise I will never buy from that outlet again.”

But Malaika shook her head. “It’s not the chicken,” she said.

***

Tell us what you think: If it wasn’t the chicken, what could it be that made Malaika nauseous?