Another update.
Don't forget to recite suratul Khaf.

"Ammi, what's going on? The atmosphere itself seems to be mourning." Maleekah was heeled for the worst of information. She was ready to hear whatever it was as long as they were ready to bring her out of the unknown situation.

Her step sister drew her close, to sit on the cushion. "Father, is marrying again." She told her.

"So why are you guys mourning over it? It's not a new thing, is it? I'm still stuck in darkness." She sank more on the cushion and remained as calm as she could.

"It is not. The thing is..." Ammi stopped Leek's sister from saying it.

"I don't know whatever happens this time around and I don't want to know. Whatever it is I know the marriage won't last the same way others didn't. It might also be a image cover, who knows? As long as she isn't chasing you out of the house I think there's nothing to be alarmed with." Leek said with nonchalance in her voice although curiousity was eating her up from the inside at the same time she's hurting.

Ammi shook her head in a way that says Maleekah you're a still a child. She swallowed her tears and managed to talk.

"A'ishah go and have some rest." She smiled. Leek returned it and faltered to her room. When she was out of sight, Zee turned to look at Ammi for a second before she also left the parlour.

"Ammi, how can we tell Leek that he divorced you because you're sick?" Her eldest son asked Ammi. His heart was breaking into fragments as he watched his mother suck up her pains at one a go.

"She will see it." She shortly replied.

"You're not going anywhere Ammi. We're going to stand up for you. By the way what did the doctor said? Which type of sickness is it to make Abba take such a rough decision?" He queried. It all came as a surprise to the family especially due to the fact that they hardly see their father around. He was always not around for one business trip or the other.

Now that he made his presence and divorce their mother, they felt jittery about the whole situation.

"Stop talking a lot. I need some rest now." She dismissed him. He nodded and left to offer her the space she begged for. Ammi failed to stop her tears. How could he do that to her after so many years?

How will she tell Maleekah about what happened? She knew Leek was a jitterbug. She must have been lost in thought in her room at that moment.

She just hoped Leek will be alright after hearing the sour news. She heaved a sigh, with her face covered in dourness.

****

Mimi turned the knob of the door to walk out when Maama stopped her from doing so. She mentally hissed and drag her heels to where Maama was sitting.

"Up to where?" She questioned.

Mimi took a grape from Maama's plate and chewed it. "Leek's." She whispered.

"With whose permission? I don't know which kind of madness is wrong with you. Yesterday you went out I kept quiet, in the afternoon you went out I didn't say anything. And now too, you want to go out because you're insane right?" Mimi groaned.

"Get out of my sight. I'm tired of seeing you, let your father comes." Maama bellowed. It had started to worry her. Mimi doesn't have a responsible suitor up to now. It was getting alarming by the days.

"May Allah cool down your heart." She mumbled and left. Over the years, that's the only thing she learnt to say whenever Maama was angry with her. To her, at least she tried. It had always been her policy not to apologize just like that.

"Get out." Maama whisper yelled. Mimi turned on her heels and get back to her room as if nothing mattered to her in this world.

When she sprawled on her bed, she decided to text Sadiqu. It had been days since they talked last and she wondered why he hasn't call yet to hear the reason. Anyway, she's always the one that called him not the other way round. Maybe that's his own style of love. She thought.

Hmmm.

After five minutes, his call came through the phone. She was more than elated when she picked the call. They spent almost thirty minutes chattering about nothing and everything.

****

"Where did they posted you to?" Mimi asked him. Sadiqu came over to their house a week after. After she had requested for his presence. The love she had for him intensified considering how humble and simple he was. She loved the way he respond to her calls whenever she needed him.

They were just meant to be.

"They posted me to Benue. You?" A maid came in and dropped a plate of desserts and drinks.

"Same!" She clapped.

"I'm equally happy at least I have someone to keep me company." Mimi smiled shyly.

"Serve your self." She shoved the tray closer to him. Sadiqu looked at the way she all changed from that arrogant girl he knew few years back. All he was seeing that moment was a young shy beautiful lady.

"I'm fasting." He told her.

"Fasting?" She raised an eyebrow in surprise. Was it Ramadhan yet? She cracked her brain although she knee it wasn't.

"Today is Monday. I do fast Mondays and Thursdays." He checked his wristwatch to check if it was time for him to go home so that he will reach before Maghreb.

"That's nice." She managed to say.

"It's highly recommended. I urge you to start too."

"I will try too." Mimi knew it was a very difficult thing for her to do but for his sake, she was willing to do it.

As if he knew what was going on in her mind he decided to add something. "Note that, Innamal a'amal binniyaat wa inna ma li kulli-mri'n ma nawa." Mimi ducked her head low. For the first time in years, she decided to let her arrogance and pride aside.

She stammered. "What...is that?" She later realised how shameful it was to ask a question that way. But, she had already said it.

"It's a hadith about intention. It says 'every action is base on intention.' It occurs when the prophet (S.A.W) wanted to migrate to Madinah. Do you know this part of the history?" He asked, albeit he knew she didn't.

"I don't." She felt really uncomfortable.

"Seems like I have a lot to do. Anyways let me brief you on why I said what I said earlier." Sadiqu watched her became comfortable each passing second. Her eyes were a shade of calm greyish green now in contrast with the green light in the parlour.

"So, when the prophet migrated from Makkah to Madinah, a man among the immigrants migrated for the sake of marrying a woman not for Islam. So the prophet said in the hadith. "Actions are judge based on intentions. So each man will have what he intended. Thus, whose migration was for Allah and His messenger, his migration is to Allah and His messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated." Mimi stared at him bewilderment when he reached a fullstop.

"Wondering why I'm quoting this? Umm?" He smiled. Mimi noticed it, he loved smiling. After all smile is Sunnah.

"I'm waiting for more elaboration." She smiled too.

"This hadith is to make us know that whatever we do, I mean before we do something either in action or in our mind, we have to evaluate and judge our intentions. For example, if you're to fast because I asked you to, then you might just suffer in vain without getting any reward. But when you do it for Allah's sake, with a keen and earnest heart, you will enjoy it better and you will be fully rewarded. May Allah help us and grant us a good ending." He rose to his feet.

"Ameen, thank you so much." She rose too.

"I will love it better when you say JazakAllah khair. It's better off than thank you. It means 'May Allah reward you.' Isn't it better?"

"It is. May Allah reward you." Sadiqu smiled.

"Ameen, and you too."

"Thank you. Maama is back I guess. I heard a car parking earlier let's go and greet her." Sadiqu nodded and followed her to her mother's part.

When he squatted before Maama, Maama was impressed. She developed a liking for Sadiqu at that instant.

"He says he's fasting. I asked him to go with some dessert but he refused. Please Maama talk to him." Mimi whined.

"Haba my son. Mimi go and get them packaged. He's taking it with him." Mimi sped out.

"I want to ask for a favour from you son." Sadiqu's heart throbbed in his chest.

"I hope I will be able to grant you that favour." He replied with his eyes looking at the carpet as if he was calculating how much wool and fabric was used to make the carpet.

"Mimi likes you so much. Please do help me in changing her. I heard you earlier on telling her about an hadith. I must commend you for that. May Allah increase you more in knowledge."

"Ameen. And I will try my best Maama."

"Thank you son."

"Mention not Maama. It's my pleasure."

"Maama and we are even going to serve in the same state." Mimi made her presence. Maama noticed the way she was all breezy that day. The chill in her voice was so vibrant and loud.

"That's good. I will book for flight for the both of you then." Sadiqu opened his mouth to talk but was stopped with Maama's motherly daring look.

"Thank you so much. I will take my leave." He rose and then Maama noticed his leg. She noticed the way it twisted at the end. The way it looked unpresentable.

What?

Was Mimi turning to a blind woman?

"My regards to your mother." She guffawed.

"In sha Allah." He replied. Maama's lips itched to talk.

She gulped down her questions until when Sadiqu was out of sight. She eagerly waited for Mimi to come back.

"Thank you for today I really appreciate you." Mimi waved at him.

"You're welcome." He waved back and went out to catch a cab home.

Immediately he was out, Leek's car parked.

––––––––––

Hihihihi. Dan Dan Dan. *rubs palms together and seep my orange juice.*

What's Maama thinking?

Are we welcomed kuwa?🤔🤔

See you in decades.