BORNO EMIRATE COUNCIL.

Dadda'u Garbai El-Kanemi stared at his phone for a long time while trying to see what is going on there. His friend just posted something about his wife been sick and needing help with prayers or even renowned doctors that can cure her cancer. Well, not exactly his friend but someone close to him which means the situation is grievous, he wish he can help but he can't. Not when this person is way more influential than he can ever be. He also don't like interfering in personal matters that he is not officially invited into, he likes to keep his space to himself known as the Shehu of Borno State.

The great royal consort of Egypt is sick.

It is not in his personality to do that so he won't talk about it. The Pharaoh of Egypt, Sheikh Muhammad Aaliy, is undergoing all that alone but since he has two wives, the country won't be as shocked as they should be. Anyone fighting cancer is eating up his day, especially cancer like hers, she most probably won't be able to survive it. They have already started the chemotherapy and if that doesn't work, there is no option out there left for them except prayers and waiting for miracle. It is hard knowing you are counting down your days but you are also not supposed to take off good expectations from Allah in your heart which is probably what they are doing now.

What struck the Shehu of Borno more about the new information he is trying to gouge out from the picture his chief in waiting sent him is of the woman. She looks ridiculously like his new granddaughter in-law that he saw just few days ago. He can't say that this is old age and that he is seeing things, this is real because the chief wouldn't have given him the photo to see had it been he didn't also see the absurd recognition between the two of them. Even the blind could feel this type of resemblance, he isn't that old too.

You can't miss it out, as soon as you stare at the photo, you'd see the little difference they have and multitude of resemblance which he is still trying to come off with something to name it. Something is definitely fishy here and he wants to unravel it himself, he will still need his wife for her idea about everything is what matters to him most. He can step down the throne if she will say it is not good for him, he knows she always means good even though with so much pampering, everybody loves and respect her. She's spoiled everyone around her, the people she loves and once she abhors you, you are done for.

When he met her years ago, she was simply the strongest woman he has ever come across. Her parents were both fight cancer then, there was no therapy to help them except for local herbs that they think will help. Even going through so much, she smiles and talks to him like nothing is happening back in her home, like her stepmother is not making her eat sand for dinner when the visitors leave the house. She's gone through a lot, he took an oath to make her happy even though he won't be able to rinse her past but he created loving ones. He created a lot of more beautiful ones that has probably erased the horrible past.

"Get me her royal majesty now." He said to the guards beside him in the throne room, this needs to be act upon immediately before it deteriorates which is something far from his nature. He likes keeping everything under control, it comes with the royal blood.

"Your Majesty, you request my presence?" Her royal majesty exclaimed in a voice that sounds teasing even to her ears but that is what she intend to do, tease her handsome olé husband.

"Areedah, I have something for you." He called out from his modern century sofa that is by the far end of the throne room, where he relaxes after reading and going through so many subjects of his people, it's so tiring. He could detect backache, he might as well soak in bath after this.

"Oh, what could that be, dear husband?" She sat down close to him, crossing her legs aristocratically like those etiquette and protocols taught to her many years ago, she hasn't forgotten none.

"Here, check this out and let me know what you think of it." He pushed the phone given to him, showing her the clear photo of the person he has been staring at for more than ten minutes to make sure his eyesight is not slaying.

"Wow, this is Suhayr's mother huh? They look so alike that they could be twins in everyone's eyes. May her soul rest in peace." The Queen whispered but her husband is still hearing as she continue to stare at the photo in amazement.

The woman clearly is the one who gave birth to Suhayr and would've been her older sister if not that this one looks older and sick in the picture. Her face is pale, she has nasal tubes around her nose with so many machines beside her. She is either in a hospital room or the room setup is made for hospitals when she was sick before she died, she knew about her mother's death. Amongst the days they were talking, Suhayr slipped it out of her mouth and Hajiya Fareedah had never seen someone as strong. She didn't cry at the thought but kept telling her about the memories they shared, you could see how fond of her mother she is.

"What are you talking about? Is she dead or something?" His brows furrowed in question, he didn't know she knows about Suhayr's background of being Royal princess in Egypt and she didn't tell him about it. And from the picture, she is not dead in his sources.

"Yes, she died a year ago due to an intensive uncured malaria. Where did you find her photograph?" This is her turn to ask him, he sat down more straight to get everything clear, this is getting interesting.

This is taking a turn he didn't know about and would want to find out what is going on!

"This woman here is not dead and is currently in Egypt undergoing chemotherapy hoping it will cure her leukemia cancer." He explained then move the photograph up to show her what is written under the it.

'Prayers needed for the great royal consort, nothing seems to be working.'

"What?! Then this woman can't be Sumara's mother since she told me the woman died a year ago. Maybe they just look ridiculously alike with this one?" Hajiya Fareedah is now confused about the matter again, she can't place where everything is leading to.

Somehow and in some way, she trusted Suhayr's words about her mother dying for no mother would let her daughter marry a total stranger and leave her hometown to come stay married to another man in an entirely foreign country. And Urshia is also her mother's best friend which means the mother would have been with them or most likely, stopped the marriage from happening if she were alive but no, Suhayr is in their castle married to her grandson and are probably doing something she won't want to know at the moment not that she has any hope on their relationship building soon, she could dream.

This woman can't be Suhayr's mother at all, she is not Egyptian but Chadian since that is what she speaks and in everything they talked about, she didn't mention a thing about Egyptians. If she had relatives there, she would have mistakenly talked about them as Suhayr don't look like the type to hide thing to herself. She talks and brags a lot, being related to Egypt would be something she would want to brag about but she didn't. So the question here is, what is the relation between her and the woman?

She has trusted Suhayr's words, this won't change her believe too.

"I don't think so, Areedah. The way they look alike is too much for us to just turn blind eye to. Or maybe she don't know about her family that live there? It is possible for that to happen, you know." He tried explaining, he don't want to back down from what he believes, this time, he will stand for what he think is right. His wife has always been right but she could also be wrong about this.

"Why are you being so persistent over this? You normally would have brushed it off as resemblance but you are so adamant. Tell me why." She crossed her arms over her bosom, her eyes showing the defiance that snatch away his heart every time, if only they were much more younger.

"This woman is dying and if Sumara is her daughter or niece, she would want to know about her right? Even Suhayr would want to know if she has another family somewhere different so I'm just trying to reunite the family." He confessed with a small shrug, he strongly believes that there is something between them.

"But I already told you, she don't have any family because her mother was an only child who never got to stay married to have more family. They were all alone except for Urshia and the two young ladies." She explain her view again, she don't want to put Suhayr in the spotlight and give her false hopes.

She knows what false hopes do to someone, she has been through so much to understand that it is not trivial. Hearing people saying her parents are going to stand up on their feet in no time when she was just fourteen but they never did, they died on that same mattress. None of those local herbals were able to help them, they kept giving her false hopes, feeding her lies so she won't think that they don't know how to do their jobs which they didn't. They only make her consume so much of lies that left her shattered with their unexpected death hanging on her young head and stomach filled with nothing but sand.

She was holding onto those hopes of her parents waking up to help her through that phase where her stepmother is dancing to her joy but they never did. People were saying they are strong, they will make it through but it never happened and after that experience, even her enemies, she wouldn't want them to go through the same. Especially not Suhayr, she looks to have been through a lot in her life and all the superfluous, needless stress to weigh her down and cool down her spirit which will drastically change the meaning of her nickname.

She likes the zeal, passion and enthusiasm the girl has, nothing should matte that energy.

"Why don't we call him and ask about his past, I can't just let this rest when I have this strong guts feeling." He also crossed his arms underneath his chest, he is dead into helping his friend and granddaughter in-law even if he has to go against his wife.

"Since you are being impenetrable hard, do as you wish but I am definitely going to stuck out my tongue at you if you are wrong." She warned, she gets really annoying if you are placed in the wrong spot so he'd better be warned of the consequences.

"And I will mimic you if you are wrong." He stuck his hand out, wanting to finish off the deal just to show how serious he is about the matter.

"Deal." She shook his hand and gave him his personal phone from beside her so he can call Sheikh Muhammad Aaliy and find out the truth.

"Hello, old friend! How have you been?" He put the phone on speaker mode for his wife to listen to the conversation according to their deal. He is not at all alarmed for he has the feeling that he is the right one this time around.

"Ah, you finally remember about me, what a memorable day. I am fine, how about you and her Majesty?" Muhammad Aaliy's voice came through the phone, the once strong, powerful voice that has always been filled with mastery isn't as strong as it was before.

It lacked everything, the vigor and every other authority has vanished into air, you can clearly hear the fatigue and exhaustion in the tone. This means the sickness of his first wife is clearly taking a toll on her, he has slacked on his position. This will be a taboo to the people of Egypt even though they are going to also mourn for their Queen's sickness, but they won't want their Pharaoh being feeble, they want to know who would protect them if their Pharaoh is slacking on his throne. Poor man, this will be the hardest phase in his life and Shehu strongly hopes he comes out unscathed.

"Oh, you have always been in my heart." They laughed at that before they continue to exchange more pleasantries asking about their families and ruling the throne then came the time for the deal question.

"So, how about the great royal consort? I heard the treatment is not working as the doctors expected. Any other option?" The Shehu of Borno questioned, his words were laced with concern and fastidiousness to find out about more. He is miraculously wishing to hear good news but unfortunately, there wasn't one.

"Unfortunately, no! She don't want any other treatment to be done on her anymore, she has given up." Hajiya Fareedah could hear the tears, deject and gloominess in his words, her heart ached at the thought. It was too forlorn hearing the man that has the most authority and mastery in his voice once upon a time but it yawed wavey.

Losing a loved one is never easy no matter how much you can see it coming closer. Even though you know about the death, that there is nothing that can ever stop it, you still feel the depression. You'd be aghast and spooked, it is never easy, she has been there. Cancer is more like saying countdown to the world but when that time arrives, you had still be as shattered as when you don't know about it. She can only feel his pain a little, hers has been long ago and this is his wife, the woman he never failed to show the world how much he loves and adore her. Their love story is everywhere, inspiration to young lovers out there.

"Subhan' Allah, that is sad to hear. I have been meaning to ask you this and I hope you won't be offended." He held his wife's hand at this, he is not used to getting so personal with everyone but this man has been a great friend right from the beginning, an excellent alley too.

"No, you are free to say everything, don't be so formal." The lighthearted voice of replied, all those fatigue vanished, replaced with inquisitive fastidiousness dripping down the line.

"So, I don't know if you will find this weird but do you have any other family member that is not in Egypt with you? Precisely, someone who lives in Chad now?" He asked, taking the safe side of it first, he shouldn't drop the bomb just at once when he is not completely sure.

"No, I don't think so. Why are you asking? Can you be more specific about it?" Even Sheikh Muhammad Aaliy is so curious about it now, he can't wait to find out what that is all about, he has a hunch.

"Well, my new granddaughter in-law looks exactly like your wife and it's uncanny so I called to ask. I can forward her own photograph now if you want?" The Shehu is now nervous, he don't want to be proven wrong about this. It means he's poked his nose in something that isn't his business and got his hands folded.

"What?! Yes, please do that right away." And he hung up the phone, his voice was impatient and he sounds shocked so the Shehu stared at his wife for help but she only shrugged at him in I won't help you with this.

"Where can I even get her photo? I didn't think about it at all..." He trailed off, his wife is not trying to help him at this but he needs to coax her.

"Let me ask her aunt to send it to me, I hope she has her most recent one so you can get off your high horse after seeing that you are wrong about this entirely." She gave him a disapproving glare and took her phone to get the photo ready and in no time, she sent it to him.

"Who is she and what is her name?!" Came Pharaoh Muhammad Aaliy's voice from the phone again because he called him as soon as he saw the message, it didn't take few seconds.

"She is my granddaughter in-law from Chad and her name is Suhayr Imraan Khalid." He explained in details about Suhayr, well, everything he knows about her that is.

"My wife is trying to recognise her..." The Pharaoh gulped in a thick gob for he knows who she is, she is related to them in some way only few would know about.

"She is my daughter, Aaliy!" Muhammad Aaliy didn't finish off his sentence when his wife's frail voice took over from the background, he knows the answer already. He has a lot to explain to his dying wife about who she, she is not who she thought she is.

Oh well, that means Suhayr Imraan Khalid is related to Egypt after all, huh-uh?