Funny chappy name huh?😹

Ghost readers,
Passerbys at least vote when you read na.😩💔

Unedited.

****

"Bareerah please do help me, please." Inna rolled her eyes at Sa'ade. The woman whom she regarded as friend was among the people who pointed fingers at her especially when she renovated her house. It had became the talk of the village that Bareerah was becoming something else.

"What will you do with Haram money?" Inna asked as she pounded something in mortar.

"Please forget about that. Ko jaka biyar ce ki taimakan even it's a thousand naira please give me." Sa'ade was planning on holding Inna's leg in beseech.

"Jaka biyar a wannan marrar? One thousand naira in this era?" Inna shook her head and dropped the pestle in her hand. She fried the oil in her pot and added the pounded pepper to it.

"I'm taking Shafaa to the chemist. She's your daughter too." Inna hummed and stirred her stew.

"What happened to her?" She asked, less concerned.

"We went begging yesterday and a car hit her. She's always been a burden." Sa'ade wiped her tears. Inna's jaw cringed.

"Sa'ade what are you saying? This girl is barely five years all in all and you're calling her a burden. What has she done to deserve this from you? No, wait, you said begging? I heard that you go out to beg everyday but I never knew it was with her. What kind of woman are you turning into, Sa'ade?" Inna soliloquized.

"You know she has been a burden right from her pregnancy. I was divorced because of her pregnancy. I suffered while I was carrying her. She has to pay for it." Inna dropped the stirring stick she was holding earlier. What was Sa'ade saying?

"I think it's you that's needed to be taken to the chemist not her. How is it her fault Sa'ade? Does she even know the crime of her father? Does she even understand your pain? Haba Sa'ade Shafaa is too young to understand that you're punishing her for the crime she knew not of. If you want to vent your anger on someone I think you still know the way to your ex husband's house. Why don't you go and give him some hot slaps and sharp blows?" Sa'ade laughed.

"It's not a matter of laughing. What you're doing is inhumane. Have you ever thought about this? That the girl will grow up to hate you?" This being said, Inna's blood thinned. She remembered what Jameel said to her. She remembered the look on his face. She wondered when he would forgive her. Inna swallowed hard. She was also in a state of dilemma.

"I didn't came here for preaching. I only came for help." Sa'ade stood to leave. Inna pitied the young girl. She brought a thousand note from her underneath her wrapper and unfolded the squeezed note.

"Sa'ade I plead to you. Please don't go begging again. At least not with Shafaa. Look for something to do. Even if it's hair braiding, do it. For that, you don't need any capital. Stop begging whilst you're healthy enough to strive. Begging is haram; believe it or not." Inna put the money in Sa'ade's palm.

"There are cases where it's allowed. I'm in need don't you see?" Sa'ade began to think of what to do with the thousand note. She was going to Iro mai tsire and buy two hundred naira suya and she would eat at in the centre of their compound where everyone will watch her eat it and she would throw lick her fingers at their faces. She was also going to buy some satchets of milk and few cubes of sugar. Well, the people on their house would be surprised.

"What are you thinking of?" Inna's voice interrupted her mind ongoing plan.

Seeing that Sa'ade's attention is on her her, Inna continued. "Begging is allowed only one is desperate..." Sa'ade raised her hand.

"Excuse me Baree, let me get going. Thanks." She exited the house still planning on how to spend the money. She was going to take Shafaa to Laure the herbalist to treat her wound. It would cost less.

*****

Dr Muhseen smiled vaguely.

"Fatimah I want you to please understand me. The other day I was so confused. I didn't know what to do that's why I shouted at you and said you're lying. Weigh it up and down and see. Put me in your own shoes please. It's really hard to cope with the pain especially when it has to do with your father. I was so mad, like how could my father stoop so low? How will my mother feel once she learnt about it? That's why I shouted at you and blocked you away so that you won't dare tell anyone." Muhseen was sweating when he reached a stop.

"Also put yourself in my situation. You were the only person I trusted at that time. I took all courage to tell you thinking that you will stand up for me but you rubbed my face with dust. I was seriously hurting at the time. Tell me who on this earth will not despise someone who did the same thing you did to me?"

She took a sharp breath.

"I thought I was dreaming. I tried yet again but you shunned me away. You even said I was a cheater, you said you can't marry a fornicator. Do you remember? You said a lot of dirty things to my face Dr. You can't remember anymore, huh?" Fatimah's voice was going up and down.

Dr Muhseen was tongueless. Fatimah still continued talking.

"Then I realised I made a big mistake in my life. The mistake of trusting you. After I left, I learnt to live with the pain, later I learnt the process of healing myself. And guess what? It's the best form of healing. Self healing is the best because I learnt to find happiness within me." She dropped the wool which she was knitting earlier on.

"Then again, the tragic incidence made me closer to my rabb. Isn't that amazing? I now believe, there's always an unknown blessing in whatever happens to man. One may not know or realise until later. I'm done with you Muhseen. Thank you for all you did to me, may Allah reward you. There will never be Fatimah and Muhseen moment again. Ever, a.g.a.i.n." Fatimah croaked. And, smile.

"You're a saviour, a strong lady with a strong heart. I'm impressed with the way you came this far, all alone. But I will love to beg for a second chance." Dr Muhseen joined his hands together in plead.

"Don't even try it. I've talked for the final time. Don't this sound off to you? This?" She gestured at both of them.

"I get what you mean. But it's not haram." Fatimah guffawed.

"I know it malam. It just won't work okay? I don't get being humiliated twice." She stood up.

"I will come back another day." He told her, with hint of hope in his voice. Fatimah's sight lingered on his back till his shadow faded away. She hissed. She thought he came to say he would help her fight for justice but sadly he came for his own purpose.

To hell with him!

****

"What do you think was what you did the other day?" Sadiqu questioned.

"The right thing." Mimi shrugged. She didn't regretted what she did the other day. It was one of the most fulfilling things she had done in her life, in fact.

"I'm still confused." Sadiqu shook his head while he removed his cap which had the NYSC badge on it.

"Why the confusion? You love her she loves you, what then?" She loose the veil of her Abaya such that it flowed on her shoulder.

"Do you know what I feel?"

"How will I know?"

"I do love Maleekah and even proposed but I don't feel satisfied. A nagging feeling lies underneath my chest. It felt like I am wrong to say I love her. You understand?" Naomi, their co corper came and sat beside them.

"How far na?" Mimi highfived her.

"Ismaayil weldone oo. U no go talk to someone abi? Ko see wahala." She fanned her face feigning to be hurt. They all laughed. Naomi was so comic.

"No Naomi, we're talking about something very important here that's why." Sadiqu smiled.

"Ahh, Something important nko?"

"Miss Bakare, will you offer your advise, or you're just here to distract me? Mimi hit her playfully.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's about this confused young man. He is in love with someone but he doesn't feel comfortable with the love. Like it's as if the love didn't finish settling in his heart. What do you think is that?" Naomi remained attentive while Mimi was talking. Immediately the question popped, she smiled.

"That means he's in love with someone else. And that person is me." She squealed clapping her hands.

"Oh Lord. Naoooomi!" Mimi slapped her face in annoyance.

"We are being serious here." She yelled.

"I'm being serious too," she laughed and added. "Ismaayil will you marry me?" She knelt before Sadiqu. Mimi kicked her at the back. They began to play around, laughing, beating each other until they felt like they were getting out of breath. Sadiqu just watched them heaving after the little race.

Although what Naomi said was a joke, it came back to his mind. Was he really in love with someone else? If yes who could it be? Zuzu? No. Then it means he doesn't love anyone else. But why does he feel something? Leek was so perfect in her own way.

"So?" Mimi came back to the bench they were sitting on earlier. Naomi cleared her voice.

"I'm serious. It might be he's just fond of her. Like maybe there's something about her that impresses him. Perhaps they have something in common. Love tends to be confusing at times. Ismaayil, I don't even think you love her. You're just fond of her." Mimi looked at Sadiqu, their sight remained on hold for a few seconds before they broke the gaze.

"Has she been ever so kind to you?" Sadiqu looked at Mimi before he nodded.

"Eh ehn, this one that you're looking at Mimi before you answer me what does it mean. Is it her I am asking?" She glared at him.

"Tell him." Mimi chided.

"It's not like you're not also looking at him too." Naomi sarcastically twisted her lips at them.

"Do you have something in common? Like some likeness?" Sadiqu nodded.

Naomi began to wave her hand in the air as though she was pressing a calculator. "According to Naomi Bakare's love calculator, Ismaayil is not in love. Thank you." She said in a robotic voice that made them laughed once again.

"Now you have your answer." Mimi looked at him waiting for him to talk.

"Gotta see Caro, I will be back. But before I come back Ismaayil, make sure you confess to Mimi about your feelings for her." She walked as fast she could giggling, to dodge Mimi's blow.

They remained stilled and quiet for the next minute. Each of them having a different thought running in their minds.

"Don't mind Naomi. You love Maleekah and that's final. Okay?" Mimi assured him. Sadiqu nodded like a child. He had never been this confused in his life. And the worst feeling was that he didn't know the reason of his confusion.

"Do you think I am in love with someone else?" He sounded stupid, he knew it.

"How will I know? Am I you?" Mimi's heart skipped a beat when she said that. She wondered why her heart was palpitating.

"Okay then. I think I love her I'm just being naive. Let's go and pray." He concluded getting up.

Mimi smiled at him before she stood on her feet feeling a bit dizzy. They began to walk down to front of where Mimi stays. That's where he always lead them in prayer. Sometimes other ladies join them and some other days it was just the two of them.

Once in sujood, Sadiqu prayed for guidance. When they were done, Mimi saw him raised his hands in Takbeer again. He performed two unit prayer and stayed longer than usual praying.

"Which prayer did you do? We've prayed the nawafil before asr. Which one did you do again?" For the past four weeks, she became so free to ask him whatever she wanted to ask him. She doesn't feel arrogant or shy to ask him. And Sadiqu usually take his time to explain to her. If it was something he didn't know or he wasn't sure of, he would tell her that he will ask of it later.

"I prayed istikharah a salaah for guidance. I prayed to Allah to choose the best for me between..." He stopped when he realised what he was about to say to her face.

"Wallahi you must say it. You keep putting me on edgy cliffs since we came here." She laughed.

Sadiqu laughed with her. He was the smiley type. But now, with Mimi he had no reason not to laugh too often.

"I am confused of who's gonna be my real madam M so I pray to Allah for guidance." He dodged her question.

"You're only repeating your words fool!" She smacked him with her face cap.

"Whatever." He gave in.

"You're not escaping though. What do you mean by real madam M?" When she asked, it rang a bell and she remembered that letter. It wasn't for her in the first place. It was for Leek, how did they met? She had no idea. Mimi just shrugged and wondered when this mystery between them was going to end.

It was funny how love steered upon them despite their differences.

"Don't know if it's going to be MiSad or MaSad. Allah knows. That's why I leave and rest my case to Him." He quickly dashed into the crowd. Mimi called after him but he was long gone.

"MiSad?"

"MaSad?" She asked simultaneously trying to understand what that meant.

————

So...?
I just love writing about them.😻😻

So, Muhseen, Fatimah ta sallameka.😢 sympathetic!

I leave the rest to you to chew.

Don't forget to

VOTE,
COMMENT,
SHARE,
FOLLOW.

Aesha❤