Omg, guys, hello. I hope I've been missed. I swear I had  some kind of writer's block for this story. It was so bad that I was stuck on this one chapter for almost a month. Sha Sha, today, I've finally updated. I pray you all will read it , vote and leave a comment. I'll be very grateful if you did. Honestly.

This one is for Maman Nour; thank you. ❣️

"Did they really fight?"

I stopped in the motions of laying out another skirt, adjusting my phone so Rabiah can hear me. "Wallah, they nearly fought. Falmata eventually told me they've been that way for nearly twenty years. Even before she was born, my uncle told my aunt not to marry her husband, she, being strong headed went ahead and married him, I don't see a problem in what has happened but my uncle has never forgiven her for not doing what he wanted."

Rabiah laughed long and hard, making me chuckle too. I really don't see the problem in marrying who she married, she made good on her life goals from what I heard. I stan women who make their life dreams come true.

"Sha, when are the pictures coming out? Are you going to post them?" She asked me and i moved from the wardrobe where I was picking clothes to pick my iPad where Falmata sent the photos to.

"The pictures are beautiful, but I'm wondering, would it be somehow insensitive to post the pictures before my siblings?" I asked her instead. She tutted and asked me why I was worried.

" I heard their mom has been taken to a mental institution in Turkey. The news came out after Baaba's birthday three days ago so, I'm sorta worried about being the insensitive person." Rabiah's hiss reached me from the phone and I withheld what I was about to say.

"I don't know why you're becoming so soft, that woman turned the wheels of your life around, stalked you, tried to kill you and you're worried about children that are not so worried about her? Give yourself a break Beebah. You deserve a break. Stop worrying about it and just do what you want." I nodded even though she couldn't see me and asked her about her fertility clinic program.

"Guy, this thing is hard as nails. I have to get hormone injections twice a week, then monitor Hakeem and I's conjugal relations like it's the clock. I'm sure I'm going to go mad soon." I said a Dua for strength for Rabiah and she said Ameen with a sigh.

"It's all going to turn out the way you want it. In Sha Allah. It's going to be good news in the end. Don't worry too much okay?" Rabiah hummed and we talked about several other things, including my impromptu trip to Kano.

A few hours later, Iyamé helped me pack my bag and I left Abuja around four pm. I got into my aunt's house, just as the adhaan for Magrib prayers was being called. When I rang the door bell, my aunt's maid told me my aunt was praying in the back room,  so I set down my bag and went to perform ablution.

When I reached the backroom, Kawu was about to start leading prayers, he looked lethargic so I quickly joined the prayers. Just as we finished the last sujood, Kawu collapsed on his praying mat. I don't think I know the definition of what I felt in that moment, I was just rising from my own sujood when I heard Ma's scream.

She rushed to him and while I ran back to get my phone, I heard her continuously shouting No. When I reached, I saw him smile at my aunt, raise a weak arm to pat her face and begin to say the shahada. His arm that was patting her face dropped, and a tear slid down his wizened face.

The chaos that followed it, a blur.

*****

The loud whirr of the outside air-conditioner was the only thing that broke the silence in the house. Everything else was quiet, as though they knew a life had just left the world and they all had to mourn, even standing fan that used to creak after being used for quite a while, quietly blew air into the jam-packed room like it knew that it needed to be quiet.

"Assalamualaikum." Everyone in the room roused themselves from the quiet disbelief they seemed to be shrouded in and greeted the one who was greeting them. Labeebah looked up and from the hazy vision that was her black veil, she saw Falmata at the door in a blue khimaar, her light blue BTS pyjamas peeking from her ankles.

She got up and went to her sister, pulling her into her room. "I'm so sorry for your loss Yaya. I really am." Labeebah nodded, walking to the bed and sinking into the soft matress. She had nothing to say other than thanks. Falmata sat at the edge of the bed and told her that their father had gotten a message from Kaka that Ma's husband had passed away just after Subh and he decided he was coming to Kano after his morning meeting, she and her brothers decided to tag along, though she was a little late and had to come in her pyjamas.

"Kaka and your cousins should have been here, it's raining heavily in Lagos, so the weather is bad." Labeebah flicked her sister a glance in askance and Falmata smiled sadly. "I was the one who picked Baaba's phone when the call came in, that's how I know."

"How do you feel?" Falmata asked after a spell of silence, Labeebah had sprawled out on her bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling, she sighed when she heard Falmata's question. Tears didn't spring to her eyes or anything, she just didn't know what sort of emotions she felt.

"Bad? I don't know. Wallah, I have no idea. I just can't feel a part of my heart." She raised her head to meet Falmata's briefly. "I can't seem to feel a part of my heart and an ache is there. This man who is about to be laid to rest was my father, he raised me just as I hot into the peak of my life, taught me verses of the Qur'an. He used to carry me in his tricycle every evening after school, come rain, come shine until I graduated from Islamyiyya. He would explain Ayah by Ayah, Hadith by Hadith, He was close to my heart and now he's gone, how can I feel Falmata, please tell me how I should feel?" At this point, tears had sprung to her eyes, she blinked them back and went back to rocking herself slowly. The comfortable silence returned until it was broken by Rabiah and Huda.

Labeebah greeted them indifferently and went back to staring at the ceiling, she slowly dozed off in that state. Huda and Rabiah got up and began to straighten the house with the help of Falmata. Falmata made some tea for Ma, who took a few sips and shook her head, and returned the cup back to Falmata. Kaka had arrived so she persuaded Ma to take a few more sips of chocolate brew, Ma aquiced and took a bit more, sighing when she finished.

Just as they put dirty clothes in the laundry, Cars that had taken the men to the cemetery returned in their droves. At the head of them, Bashir Bakura and his sons, Sa'ad Lamido and Kawu's brothers.

"Get out. Kabir, out! I don't want to see you. If not for your useless busniess idea, my husband would still be here. Get out of my house." Ma shouted shrilly at Kawu's youngest brother who pursed his lips and sneered at Ma. "I don't know who let women who can't do the very thing they were married for talk around here, humph!" Labeebah who was finally awake frowned when Ma had started shouting, but she got a burst of rage when Kawu's brother spoke.

"Say it again! Say that rubbish again!" Kabir laughed at Labeebah and in a split second, Labeebah leapt on him and began to beat and scratch his face. It took the joint effort of Baaba and Munir to get her off Kabir.

"You bastard! You and your cohorts absconded with fifty million naira. My father's whole life savings and you're here trying to be defensive? May God punish you!" Baaba put a hand around Labeebah's mouth and took her out of the house, leaving everyone gaping.

"Why did you not let me beat him to death, let him go and answer to Allah's judgment. Useless tool of the devil." Baaba didn't answer, he just waited for her to finish ranting.

"What happened? I heard this story at the cemetery when that boy, what's his name? Wanted to help put the body in the grave, he was shooed away." Labeebah just turned around, looking for something to let out her rage at.

"Would you imagine? Kawu sent him to transfer money at the bank, he transferred the money to his account and told Kawu he was using it to start a quick business idea. The 'quick' idea backfired and he lost out. Money all gone." Baaba was shocked, he looked at the house in deep thought.

"I'll get to the bottom of this. Okay? Don't fight with him anymore, ignore him when you see him. Okay?" Labeebah nodded reluctantly and patted her shoulder. She released a harsh breath and just let herself relax slowly, slowly until she felt like herself again. Her father patted her shoulder again and left her standing there.

"Assalamualaikum." She turned to Sa'ad who had been waiting by the side all the while. She sighed, and wiped her face before turning to him and replying his greeting.

He itched to pull her into his arms and tell her that he was here for her, he wanted to be the one to say all the calming words, it was in that moment that he knew he wanted to protect and care for this woman for the rest of his life. He didn't care if she didn't feel the same intensity of emotions as he felt, he just wanted to be a strong source of support to her. He didn't start talking, he just let the silence reign between them.

******

Who saw Sa'ad? 🤧🤧

I hope you commented? I really hope even further that you'll vote, my prayer is that you share it to your friends. I'll be grateful and very happy.

See y'all soon. God bless you all.

TheOmoope 💙💛