Unedited.

****

Maleekah didn't wait for fajr when she wore her hijab and went to the house facing her house. As she stood by the door, she knocked and knocked but they didn't open the door. She gave up and went back home crying crazily. She couldn't stand loosing her husband when all she had been doing was to keep him with her.

What was this world turning into? Why won't people allow people to rest? Why were people so absorbed in the life of others? Who has Sadiqu offended? Who wanted him killed? Maleekah sobbed until when the call for Fajr was being heard. She managed to perform ablution and began praying.

As she said her salaam, Maaman Aminah and her husband came in supplicating. They all knew what happened but decided to pretend.

"Innalillahi, what happened?" Leek sniffed and showed them Sadiqu who's clothing was completely drenched in blood. She wanted to ignore them but as of now, she needed their help the most.

"Amm...Arm robbers." She stammered. Baban Aminah went out and called other people around. They hurriedly came in and put Sadiqu in a car where he was drove to the hospital together with Leek.

****

The big day for Mimi was here. Since she prayed Fajr, she had been feeling down. It had been a while since she felt something like that. All the vibes she was feeling earlier had slimmed down and disappeared into the thin air.

What's happening?

Mimi checked her baby in her crib and sighed. The baby was fine. She called General. He was also fine. She went to see Maama in her room. She was equally sound.

"Ma'am which type of makeup? Simple glam?" Mimi faintly heard the makeup artist talking. Maama who had been standing by the door finally came in, worries ebbed on her face.

"Excuse us," Maama told the MUA and dragged Mimi to a corner.

"What's happening?" She asked, looking directly into Mimi's orbs. She had noticed the way Mimi was sluggishly dragging her body around his morning. She was also faking smiles and barely talking which was unlike her.

"I don't know Maama. I'm just not hyped anymore." She confessed, with a sad face. She had been constantly checking her phone to see if something went wrong.

"It happens. Just go back in there. Balkis and Najma are already at the event centre." Mimi nodded like a child and went back to the room where she came out from. She looked at herself in the mirror before she sat on a stool. The makeup artist whose name was Beejay, set to her work.

"You're running a high temperature ma'am." She politely quoted out. Mimi touched her forehead and guffawed.

"Don't worry I'm good here." She answered as the woman highlighted her face. At the end, Mimi was satisfied with her look. The makeup artist was one of the best at that time. She was among the youngest and newly emerging MUAS of the year.

****

"We can't admit him without you dropping a deposit." The doctor sternly replied Leek who was almost going on her knees. Her neighbours whom dropped them have left saying that they might be late to work which was a threat to them.

"Can you please lend me your phone to call someone?" The doctor looked at her before he gave her the phone. Leek was loosing her mind each passing second. No sane person would look at Sadiqu without feeling bad.

"Hello Zahrah, Nasarawa Hospital. Come with your ATM card. This is urgent." She cried into the phone and thanked the doctor who looked at her in pity. Looking at Sadiqu laying lifelessly, he decided to admit him even though he has just finished his night duty.

"Let me help." He called his colleagues around and Sadiqu was rushed to the emergency. The doctor wondered if Sadiqu will live.

Minutes later, Zahrah arrived. She even passed Leek who was sitted on the floor without recognizing her. Leek had changed completely to something else on spur of a moment.

Sadiqu was her love and life. Loosing him was equivalent to loosing her life. She loved him with all her might and every portion of hers.

"We were robbed yesternight Zahrah. My husband is dying." She cried, holding on to Zahrah's arms. Zahrah patted her back and assured her that he would be alright before she went to the reception and asked for what to pay.

"His leg has been damaged, you didn't come on time and I doubt if it can be repaired. I'm sorry we have to cut from a place below his knee to his foot. He has also sustained an injury in his head. We will like to see his father or mother to sign this before we operate him." The doctor explained to Leek while Zahrah settled the bills all at once.

Leek suddenly couldn't stand anymore. She wobbly went down like a sack of husk and broke down. Innalillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Which type of life was this? Which type of fate was that? Why will it treat her this way? She has lost her mother not long ago, now it was her husband who has on a track between death and life.

"She's his wife. Let her sign the papers." Zahrah managed to suggest with tears blinding her view. She was always strong when things like those were happening. She was the one who carried Ammi on her arm when she was announced dead. She had a strong heart which everyone in the family lacked.

"Okay." Leek tried to hold the pen but she couldn't. Talkless of signing the papers.

"Please calm down Hajiya. He will be fine. Stop worrying please it's risky for you especially to a woman like you." Zahrah looked at the doctor in question.

"It's not good to have high blood pressure during pregnancy. Please help in calming her down." He referred to Zahrah. Zahrah looked at Leek in confusion. This wasn't the right time if not she would have started ranting about it. Leek didn't tell her that she was preg.

"Have tawakkul Maleekah. He will be alright." She held Leek's shoulder and patted her as the doctor gathered the papers with him and left. It was obvious he wasn't among the surgery team.

"We need to call his mother." Leek shook her head in negative. Not yet. Inna won't love to see him that way. Perhaps after the surgery, she will call her.

As the light went red, Leek performed ablution and began praying to Allah. She was ready to do anything in bid of her husband's life.

****

Loud music was blaring off the speakers when Mimi began to look around; searching for Maleekah. She had invited her even though Leek didn't replied her message.

Sitting pretty on a cushion with her baby on her lap, Mimi doesn't feel alright. She decided to call Maleekah but her line wasn't going through.

"Maama, please take the baby. I will be right back." She handed Maama her child and sauntered out. Maama looked at Mimi until when her shadow faded away. It was totally unlike her that day. She had been faking smiles and nods. Maama hoped it wasn't something big before she whisked herself into the crowd and continued snapping pictures.

Mimi distanced herself from the crowd before she started calling Leek's sister, Zahrah. On the third ring, Zahrah picked up.

"Hey Zahrah."

"Sis Mimi, Leek needs you here. She just fainted." Zahrah cried.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un. What happened?" Mimi's heart palpitated. She knew it something was wrong somewhere. She can't be feeling sickish with no valid reason.

"Armed robbers invade into her house yesternight. They beat her husband and now doctors said they had to cut his leg. Plus he's unconscious uptil now." Zahrah briefly explained.

"No wait, I will be right there." Mimi cut the call suppressing the urge to cry. Taking the next step, she remembered what Leek and Sadiqu did to her. Do they deserve her kindness after all they did to her? Mimi felt like she was going insane if she didn't go and see how those two were faring.

Without seeking for anyone's advice, she got under her wheel and started driving. Where was she going? She has even forgotten to ask of the hospital. She called Zahrah and inquired. On dropping the call, she called their family doctor and told him to meet her at the hospital.

Mimi arrived at the hospital ten minutes later. She drove really fast and luckily there wasn't a hold up.

"There will be no need to cut his leg but it will take a lot of time before it heals." Mimi let out a deep sigh of relieve as the doctor explains.

"So, we're going to stitch up here and there and fix the broken pieces. He will be in the ICU after that." Mimi nodded.

"Thank you doctor Jikamshi." He smiled at her and left.

Mimi's phone rang, it was Maama. She contemplated on picking the call.

"Maama Sadiqu and Leek have been admitted. No, I called Dr Jikamshi. Yes, Maleekah did not see me yet but her sister, Zahrah had." She talked into the phone with a few seconds pauses on each sentence.

"Come back now now." Maama's voice was coated with anger. Mimi wondered what happened all of a sudden.

"But Maama..."

"I don't want any of your explanations. What has gotten into you? You're a married woman..." Mimi cut her.

"Maama I didn't see anyone." By anyone she meant Sadiqu.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Mimi shook her head and started heeling out of the hospital premises.

"What type of heart do you have in there? Those two have shown you that they don't want you involved in their lives anymore. Why can't you just move on? That's why they will keep on using you." Maama hissed and cut the call.

Mimi spied through her watch before she unlocked her car and entered. Instead of starting the car, she stayed still trying to review what Maama said. Mimi scratched her eyes, and closed them.

Maama was right. Neither Leek nor Sadiqu deserved her kindness. Why can't she let them be? Why won't she just put them in the trash bin? Mimi put the car to ignition and drove with an emotional dew-ed heart.

It was just that she was naturally attracted to those two.

****

Hey everyone.
Okay I want to finish this book as soon as possible. How about updating shorter chapters everyday?

Or should we stick to our long chappies which normally comes in five days/week?