Hajiya Kaltumi helped Tehzeeb up from the bed, and they walked out of the hospital to the car while Khady held their bags before they entered the car and Hajiya Kaltumi drive straight to there Tehzeeb house

Upon their arrival, Tehzeeb ambled inside the compound and went straight to where she saw her Umma seating down and embrace her tightly before the water works begins "shhhh, it's okay daughter, cry no more. Let's pray for him. That's what he needs from us now, not our tears, " Mrs Habiba said, petting her daughter's back to calm her down

"But"

"No, but dear. It's okay. Let's just be prayerful. Allah won't forsake us and he will always watch over us" Umma said soothing her daughter, she knows what she's going through but they have no other option, rather than to let Allah do things his way.

"Thank you so much, Hajiya. I don't know how to repay you, but I pray the Almighty Allah continues to bless you and your family abundantly. "

"Haba(why), we have passed the stage of thanking each other now. May Allah give you the fortitude to endure the loss"

"Ameen. Thank you so much, " Umma said. Hajiya Kaltumi stayed with Umma and Tehzeeb before she bid them farewell

"I will be taking my leave now, but promised to check on you,"

"It's okay. You should at least rest for a while before coming back to check on us. You need to rest with all the stress, " Mrs Habiba said

"It's okay. Let me take my leave since Gogo will be here for some days, " Hajiya Kaltumi said and got up to leave while Gogo escorted her to her car." Until I come back again"

"Okay, Hajiya, my regards to Nawal and others,"

"In Sha Allah, I will," and she drove off. Khady helped Tehzeeb to go to the bathroom and bath since it's been like ages that she bathed. Tehzeeb reluctantly follows Khady to the toilet to bathe

It's been a week now that Hajiya Kaltumi visited Tehzeeb, but she do communicate with them since she have been down, so she dressed up and walked to the parlour .marmie where are you going?" Hadiza asked immediately she saw her mother dressed up

"Am going to check on Tehzeeb and her mother. Is there a problem?" Hajiya Kaltumi asked

"Hummm,no marmie. It's just that you're recovering. " Hadiza tried to make her mother reason

"Am okay now,"Hajiya Kaltumi said about walking out of the parlour when Ashafa walked in

"Babe, where are you going to?" Ashafa asked immediately he came out of his room

"To check on Tehzeeb"

"You're just recovering. You need to rest.you heard what the doctor said, right?" Ashafa asked her mother

"Yes, I know, but have rest enough."

"No, you're going nowhere. It's for the same Tehzeeb that you were sick and asked to rest, just because you stressed yourself so much without having proper rest. Marmie, what did you think you're doing? You have done enough for her, and I am not stopping you, but you need to rest just like the doctor said, " Ashafa said, finally

"Well done, since you're my husband, you can stop me from going out."

"Marmie, it's not like that, but you're going nowhere, at least rest for another week before going out,"

"Don't tell me what to do,"

"Marmie, listen to him. It's your health we're talking and worried about," Hadiza said, trying to make her mother see reason

"Are you the ones that give birth to me? Or are you the ones that normally tell me what to do with my health?"

"No, we are not. But right now we are here, and you're going nowhere, " Ashafa said, already pissed off with his mother stubbornness

"Well done to you both. Now let me make things clear for you both. Hadiza you pack your things and go and meet your husband, you have over stayed your welcomed"Hajiya Kaltumi said and turn to her son"and you" she point to Ashafa "I think you should go back to your duty post. Thank you both for coming, but you can all go back now. "

"You don't mean it, marmie?" Hadiza asked, surprised of her mother outburst

"Oh, try me and see,"

"We're going no where marmie and you're going no where to. Haba, every day, everything Tehzeeb Tehzeeb is tired of hearing that name already. "

"If you're then get yourself a wife and go to your own house, Cox, this is my house, and I have the right over it."

"We know, and we're not arguing, but we're going no where," Ashafa said with finality. Hajiya Kaltumi was about to talk when Hajiya Kande walked in

"Why are you all shouting?" Hajiya Kande asked immediately she set her feet in the parlour because she had been hearing their voices since she entered the compound

"Asked your children," Hajiya Kaltumi said

"What happened, Hadiza, Ashafa?" Hajiya Kande asked, and Hadiza told her everything tears in her eyes

"Haba Hajiya, it's have not gotten to that, and moreover they're worried about your health that why. You should've rested just as the doctor said, " Hajiya Kande said

"I know you will support them since they're your children,"

"It's not like that. Just rest for some days and after that you can go and check on them and I promised to escort you" Hajiya Kande said to convince Hajiya Kaltumi which she sighed in defeated and decided not to go again. Ashafa left the parlour angrily while Hadiza walked back to her room with tears on her face. Hajiya Kande follows her inside

"Daughter," she said, which Hadiza hugged her and started to cry "shhh it's okay dear, you know how marmie is. She gets emotional easily, and when she does, she tends to get angry and say what she doesn't mean. "

"But Mummy, why will she ask me to leave and go back to my husband's house? Is she that tired of me?" Hadiza asked, crying more

"It's okay dear,she's not tired of you, try to understand her, don't take what she said to heart" Hajiya Kande makes sure Hadiza was back to her normal self before she left which Hajiya Kaltumi immediately left the door step because was there all along. She knows she have hurt her children's feeling, but they should understand Tehzeeb and her Umma need a shoulder to cry on just like they did when they lost there father, she didn't mean to hurt them. Hajiya Kande walked to Marmie room because she knew she would be crying now since she had misunderstanding with her children. "I just hope you're not crying?" Hajiya Kande said immediately she saw her

"Am not. I know I hurt their feelings, but I want them to understand"

"I know, but still yet you shouldn't have insisted, you know our children they will think you love outsider more than them"

"Hummm, I love them too, but I just want to be there for them,"

"I know, but you should think about your health and that of your children first. You know they love you so much, and seeing you stressing yourself out like this will hurt not only you but them too. "

"I know hope you have talked to Deedee?"

"Yes, I have, but you know that your son is tough headed just like you," Hajiya Kande said, smiling

"I know,I will give him some time before I check on him,"

"That's will be better,"

"So where are you coming from?"

"Deedee called me yesterday that you're sick, so I decided to come check on you."

"Oh, this children. Just a little sickness they have informed you. "

"They care about you so much that why" and they both continue to talk for a while before Hajiya Kande left and Marmie walk to the kitchen to cook by herself so she could cook there best food for them which she did and went in to change before dinner time.

Ashafa and Deedee were sitting on the dining waiting for their mother to come. Immediately, they saw her, and they kept mute. She sat down, and they had great her before they started serving there self since Nawal followed Hajiya Kande home

"Son" she called which AA just hummed in response "daughter" she did same just like her brother "I know you both are mad at me because of what I said, am sorry I didn't mean to. But you both know what it's feels like to lose a father, " Hajiya Kaltumi said

"We know marmie, but we didn't stop you all this while, but the doctor gave us a strict introduction. He said you need to rest. We were just watching out for you health nothing else, " Hadiza said, tears already streaming down her face. Deedee gets emotional easily

"Am sorry daughter for hurting your feelings," Hajiya Kaltumi said, which Hadiza went to hug her. " Son,"she said, and before she could say more AA hug her to

"It's okay, babe. But please always think about yourself first before anything else. If you're sick, how will you have the strength to help others? "

"I know and am sorry, it's won't happen again. I love you both, "

"We love you too," they respond before they go to their various seat to eat

"Son, come out already. We're going to be late, and your mummy has been calling me since, " Hajiya Kaltumi said, waiting for her son to come out of his room, which AA comes out

"But Babe, I thought the driver will be taking you there?" AA asked his mom

"Change of decisions, you will take us there and great Tehzeeb and Mrs Habiba"

AA groaned. " Not again, marmie. I told you I am not going to just keep this aside already. " he tries to plead but falls on deaf ears

"Deedee, if you don't come out now, find your way out," Hajiya Kaltumi said, walking out to the car. AA has no other choice than to follow suit since marmie have insisted. The three of them hopped in the car, and AA drove to their Ibrahim's house to pick Hajiya Kande and Nawal. He parked, and Marmie called Hajiya Kande , and she walked out with Nawal in her

"Took you long enough," mummy said

"It's your children that waste my time,"Marmie replied

"I can see you force son to drive you here without his concert."

"You know your son, he don't like mingling with others, since he can't do that himself, I will help him out" which AA groaned from the driver side taking direction from marmie to Tehzeeb house.

Ashafa parked in front of there Tehzeeb house and everyone gets out, he was about to start the car when Hajiya Kaltumi knock on the window which he wined down "don't stress yourself just come down already, great them and leave or I asked you to stay till we're ready to leave. Choose one?" Hajiya Kaltumi said without any trace of laughter on her face, which made Deedee and Hajiya Kande stiffned there laughter because of the way Ashafa face was. He reluctantly come down defeated because he will rather great them and leave than to wait for them when they have no time to come back yet. They said Salam and entered, Tehzeeb and her mother were sitting in front of their room together with Gogo Ramatu. Immediately, Nawal saw Tehzeeb she removed her hand from Ashafa hold and ran to hug Tehzeeb.

"My aunty," Nawal jumped up and down in Tehzeeb hand that picked her up, smiling at her. They all were surprised because she have not been here even once, so they all wandered how she knows Tehzeeb "Grandma, mummy this my aunty I was telling you about in Grandpa's office" Nawal said happily which down on them all where she could have seen Tehzeeb because she was once in the company. That's when Hajiya Kande recognized her to "Tehzeeb," she said, looking at her because she had not seen her in Hajiya Kaltumi house before

"Good afternoon, Mummy." Tehzeeb greated

"Afternoon dear, oh ya Allah am so sorry for the lost, I never knew it's was your father because Ibrahim never mentioned anything to me" Hajiya Kande said sympathizing with her which left Asahaf and the rest stunned again because it's was new to them too. So she briefly told them how she knew her. Hajiya Kaltumi nodded Ashafa a little bit a gesture for him to great them, which he did and left telling them to call him when they're ready to leave. He was about to step out of the compound when Nawal decided to stop him in his track "Uncle bring my clothes for me when you're coming to pick grandma's and mummy. Am sleeping with my aunty, " she said childishly, which made all of them stare at her mouth agape. Ashafa shakes his head and leaves. He can't believe that girl with her small mouth, she get easily attached to people.

Hajiya Kaltumi, Hajiya Kande, and Deedee greated them once again before Tehzeeb led Deedee to her room with clingy Nawal by her side. They both were mute for a while because they didn't know what to say until Hadiza Ladan decided to speak up. "I am sorry for your loss, dear. I know how it feels because if I said I don't, then I lied. I practically undergo this phase in December 2012 when I lost my own father, but my dear, it wasn't easy. But have trust in your Allah and believe me you will get there, even though at times you will cry when you remember him and the things that are happening. Am sorry once again, " Hadiza Ladan said, cleaning the lone tear that escaped from her eyes. She quickly used her hand to wipe it off

"Thank you," Tehzeeb said faintly because she's still yet to believe that Baba is no more. They discuss a lot mostly about school where Hadiza told Tehzeeb she's a lawyer. After magrib, they bid them goodbye, but Nawal held unto Tehzeeb neck tightly, not leaving her

"Nawal come let's go and I will bring you back," Ashafa said

"Hun hun. Am going to sleep with my aunty, " Nawal said(in Akeela's voice). All of them tried there possible best, but Nawal was adamant not to follow them. Ashafa was about to collect her even if she refused, but Tehzeeb shook her head, a gesture for him to wait, which he in return scoffed and stopped because of marmie pier

"Nawal baby," Tehzeeb said sing song, which Nawal did not answer. " If you don't answer me, I am not going to buy chocolate for you," and she immediately open her eyes "good girl. Did you want chocolate?" Tehzeeb asked which Nawal nodded her head."Good girl. Then you will follow mummy and grandma and I will bring it for you when I bought it" Tehzeeb said but Nawal shake her head not agreeing to her terms"fine since you don't want to follow them, I will not play with you or buy chocolate for you" Tehzeeb said frowning her face which Nawal reluctantly release her grip on Tehzeeb neck

"Am sorry, my aunty. If i follow them, will you play with me?" Nawal asked

"Yes, I will and promised to be a good girl." She nodded her head before Tehzeeb put her down, which she was about to leave but turned to hug her again. The rest were just looking at the drama unfolding in their presence. They all left, Gogo Ramatu following them home, since Hajiya Kaltumi said she should follow them to give the mother and daughter time to bond and cope with what's going on in their life

It's been weeks now after Mallam Audu death, but Tehzeeb and her Umma are still mourning him even though it's not like before, but they still feel the empty void in there heart. "Daughter, when are you going back to work?" Umma asked

"I don't think I need to go anymore," Tehzeeb replies

"But why?. Are you through already or what?" Umma asked

"It's just one week that's left, and I don't think it's necessary for me to go. And moreover, I don't have the strength for that now, "

"I know it's hard,but try and go,"

"But Umma"

"No, but dear, just go, and you will be through before you know." Tehzeeb was about to talk when some one barge into their compound

"Toh uwar agola da agola na xo(don't really know how to translate this agola but some says it means step, so any one that know the meaning drop ur comment in d comment box) the person said

"Welcomed Ka..." Before Tehzeeb could finish her statement, he raised his hand up

"Drop the formalities. I have no business with you both. As you can see, what is keeping you both in this house is no longer alive, so I think it's high time you both leave or face the consequences. I give you two weeks from now to pack and leave. " With that being said, the person left, which Tehzeeb begins to cry. Which kind of world is this? It's not uptil forty days that she lost her father, and things have started to change. Umma did not say or do anything, infact her face was void of any emotion

**************
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