When we were just teenagers, we'd pray to Allah so our parents can let us be, so we can have our freedom and live life on our own terms. We were eager to go to university and be away from home, do what we like and not have to bother about our parents reprimanding us on our behavior. As we get older in life, we begin to miss them, we begin to regret why we wanted them out at some point in our life...when this feeling gets terrible is when they get older, and of course you also get older and probably get married. You begin to see a new phase of your life and so many things your parents always tell you about come into play, of course back then, we were fed up with their daily nagging and lectures, now we crave them.

This is exactly how i feel right now everyday as i watch my mother on her sick bed, she looks so hopeless and tired. Sometimes she'd tell me, she might not be with me for much longer, I'd always keep hope alive and be positive but to be honest, sometimes even i lose up and think I'll lose her sooner than I expected. Her sickness just came out of the blue, though i know age is on her side as well. Maa is already 59, so you can imagine.

Whenever i sit by her side, and i have a chat with her, i miss baba more than ever now...i wish i had him by me during these tough times. He'd have done a better job at keeping hopes alive than the emotional freak i am.
Let me give you a bit insight of who my dad was really like.

Alhaji Yusuf Buhari, as you might all know, was renowned business man and very humble. All his employees praised and prayed for him always. He was the type of man that never differentiated between the rich and poor, in his words: 'We're all equal in the eyes of the lord, we're just blessed in different proportions'. Those were his words.
Though he has a lot of positive attributes, he also had some flaws, after-all he's only human. My father had a temper to be fair, well not all the time, only when things didn't go as they were meant to. He was very protective of us, more than Maa was infact, it almost seemed like he was overprotective.

We loved and cherished our father with all our heart. Always eagerly waiting to see him once more after his long business trips abroad, until he came back from Italy, that was the last time we saw baba. The driver went to pick him up from the airport that night and on their way back, they had a terrible accident...kullu nafsin za'ikatul maut. I remember before he left for his trip, i kept telling him not to go, I didn't have a good feeling but by the time he landed in Nigeria i felt at ease but my instincts were still drawing back to an image...Allah gave me the gut feeling I might never see my father again.

I really miss baba...

——————

"Babe! Please can you make a cup of green tea for me...I'm so exhausted," Khalid called out from the living room and i was in the kitchen. I quickly made his green tea and took it to him in the living room. His right arm was over his eyes and his tie undone. He was clearly very tired. We barely got any sleep yesterday because we had to finish packing for our trip which was in just two days.

"Here you go," i handed him the cup and sat beside him. He wrapped his left arm around me as he sipped on his hot tea.

"How was work...erh I'm sure you had a stressful day," i said as i bent down to remove his shoes and socks. I put them away i their respective spots. By the time i came back he'd finished his tea already.

"Uh come upstairs, you should freshen up, then come eat," I instructed. We both went upstairs.

"You know the hot bath I'm about to take would be much better with you," He smirked. "Is this the person that's so tired...hmm, you're not serious," I chuckled and turned away to put his clothes away when i felt his arms around my waist.

"I'm sure you know I'm serious," he whispered in my ears and his deep voice sent shivers down my spine. I grasped the clothes on me tightly to neutralize what i was feeling. His hands reached for my zipper and he began to unzip my dress slowly.

"Uhh..."I twitched and that made him pause and gave me the opportunity to run out of the room.

"You should never resist your husband's urge!!" I had him yell and I couldn't help but smile uncontrollably.

I put his clothes in the laundry and headed to the dining to set the table. I thought since he was feeling a bit romantic even at his tired self, i burnt some bukhoor, lit some candles and dimmed the lights. By the time i was done, he sauntered his way down the stairs and towards the dining.

"Oh wow, so you decided to reciprocate eh?" He chuckled. He had his grey adidas shorts and a plain white shirt.

"Come and eat," i gestured to his sit.

We literally ate in silence until I broke the silence.

"Tomorrow maa is coming here you know," i said as i drank my zobo (hibiscus) drink.

"Yeah I remember...we'll go pick her up together, then we'll go say our goodbyes to mama and the rest," He said too.

"Yeah, I'm so going to miss everyone, especially Mama and Amira. Ya Sadiq, Adda Rahma and my sweet baby Afnan..." I said in a sad tone.

"Don't worry babe, we'll always be able to FaceTime them!"

We finished our dinner, did the dishes together and cleared the kitchen. I didn't want to have to start cleaning the kitchen tomorrow when I'd be busy so i decided to do it this night. After all tomorrow is Thursday and we decided to fast.

It was already 10:00pm and we decided to  watch channels TV. We listened to the newscaster as we pondered on the situation in Nigeria.

"I don't know when Nigerians will start to behave responsible and start taking responsibility for their stupid actions, don't you think this country is in shambles?" I asked but Khalid was quiet. I turned to my left to look at him and he was already in La La Land. He looked so cute with his plump pink lips slightly opened and his light snores. I got up to wake him up but tripped on the throw blanket on the floor and i fell right on top of him which made him jerk up.

I tried getting up but he wrapped his biceps around me.

"Oh I see you still haven't zipped your dress from earlier on," he said in a husky, sleepy voice and i could see the smile on the corner of his lips.

He continued to zip it down with one hand and caressing my bare back with the other.
"Uhh Kha-lid...umm—uhh," The feeling...I couldn't even tell him to stop as i was enjoying his touch on my back.

"Aren't you s-sleepy?" I stuttered.

"Not now that you're hear, the sleep is gone," He replied.
By now he had completely unzipped the dress. I slowly slid to lay on the carpet and he came down as well. His palms were near my ears on the carpet as he lowered his body to kiss me, I could feel his warmth, breath and heartbeat. I put my fingers around his neck and he pulled my dress down to my waist. He caressed my tits, down to my waist. Repeat mode.

I felt an arm around me when i woke up around 3am. I blinked several times before realizing we were on the floor in the living room. That was when I remembered what had happened few hours ago. I chuckled.

"Khalid...Khalid," i shook his arm severally before he finally woke up.

"What is it?" He asked in s sleepy voice.

"Wake up!" I shook him again. He got up and rested against the couch. He blinked severally before he held my hand in his, smiling.

"No, that's enough...you need to get up and perform ghusl fah, and suhur us in about an hour so get up," I withdrew my hand and got up as i headed upstairs.

"But we only made love...not the main," He called out.

"Still! Come on, stop throwing tantrums," I replied to him.

I heard him get up and followed me upstairs. I went in first and by the time i was done, he went in. I decided to go prepare our suhur. I opened the fridge and brought out two apples and heated up the leftover pasta from yesterday's dinner.

I heard Khalid saunter downstairs to the kitchen. He sat on the kitchen Island and i immediately served him his food and i sat to eat mine as well.

________

"Mama I'll miss you so much walahi...i wish i didn't have to go," I hugged my mother in law.

"And then if you stay, you'll keep crying everyday that you miss your king koh?" Amira Intervened.

"Oh shut up please," I scolded her and everyone laughed at us.

"Promise to call me all the time okay? Take very good care of yourself and my son because i know how he gets when his away,"

"InshaAllah mama, i will, you can trust me on that. We went over to Baba to also bid him him farewell and he hugged both of us.

"May Allah protect you and always keep you together and happy," He prayed.

"Ameen Baba," we said simultaneously.

"Mummy, see you soon," i said with a smile on my face.

"Mhm," she said and rolled her eyes then turned to leave.

"Did you have to talk to her?" Khalid said as he kept his arms akimbo.

"But..." i was going to answer him but decided against it because i knew he wouldn't listen.

After a series of emotional goodbyes at my in laws house, we drove down to my parents house. Adda Rahma was also there as she knew i was coming.

Again, another emotional scene played out among us.

"I'll miss you My baby Afnan," i picked her up and kissed her on her forehead, i hugged Ya Sadiq and Adda Rahma before we finally left with mama after Mal. Auwal had helped us load her bags in the trunk.

We drove home as we had some conversations here and there. I knew Maa was sad to be going away but it was for her own good. Immediately we got hime, i helped her out and walked her into the house. Khalid and Haliru the Security man, helped bring the boxes in.

Few hours later, I went to check on Maa who fell asleep after having her lunch and drugs. She was still asleep so i only took her plates to the kitchen. Khalid had gone out for some work but states he'd be back in time for iftar. By the time it was 5:30pm, I started frying the chips I'd sliced earlier. In no time i was done for Iftar and it was maghreb time. Khalid stopped in a mosque opposite our house to pray while I went upstairs to pray.

______

Later that night, we had a chat with Maa and I told her all the arrangements done for our stay in London.

She fell into a slumber in her room before I and Khalid also retired to bed as we had an early flight of 9:30am to catch.

Long juicy chapter yeah ? Hope you enjoyed it tho. Please and please leave comments down below and tell me your suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Also, don't forget to vote and share the story!

Asmaa Out💗