#FewWords
Don’t let anyone belittle your efforts, no matter how small. If you’re doing your best, that’s all that matters. The Almighty has brought you this far. Look at where you are today. Quit overthinking. If you ever doubt yourself, remember how you started and how far you’ve come!

Hello there, I'm back with a new chapter.

Recap

"I'm going to play like a mad football player today, it has been a while I played" Ham and Jack looked at me and smiled

"I know you love football but is it to that extent?" Hammad asked

"Yes Ham, yes" I said to him closing my eyes.

"On then, let's go guys" Jack said running to the field, it's a nearby football field.

Nasir's POV
It's close to 2 hours that we've been playing football, it was so much fun, Jack and Ham are really blessed, they play football very well but I'm far from telling them that.

"Ham and Jack you guys suck at playing football u know" I shouted while washing my body at a tap in the field.

They looked at each other and burst out laughing "look who's telling us we suck at football" Ham shouted back

We all picked our belongings and were heading to the gate of the field, on our way out, Ham said he hasn't had much fun in a while, finals were just in three months.

"You know what guys, why don't we study together, we'll make schedules to study at each others houses, there's nothing much to do in school so we can just study together and put Nas through how things are done since he's new here, what do you think?" Jack suggested

"It's  a nice idea but..." Ham stopped, then chuckled
"But  wat...?" I asked

He laughed and brushed it off "I'm cool with it" he said

We all agreed to meet at my house for the first three days of the week, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, we meet at Jack's house on Wednesday and Thursday while we meet at Ham's on Friday and Saturday.
.

It was such a nice idea. We all went our different ways, I took a taxi home while Jack will drop Ham and go home too. Jack and Ham both drive, they just started driving few months back, it's so strange how I got to know a lot about them in few hours. Although, we had a lot of free periods.

I'll get my own driver's license in five months, that's after our finals. I'm a lil away from being an 18 year old young man.

Getting home I went straight to my room, took a bath.
"I've got to take a nap" I said looking at myself in the mirror while drying my hair.

Salma's POV
All these books need to be rearranged, I thought to myself. Today was a good day, it's past 10pm already. No drama happened today apart from the early morning one. My dad came early from work today, we talked a lot, he told me how his business is doing good these days. Maryam is an Art student so she had an after school class that made her come home late.

We had dinner together, it was a nice thing although it doesn't happen all the time.

Well, I had to get an outfit for the next day, tomorrow being Thursday, I decided to wear a black maxi skirt, a red long sleeve shirt topped with a lighter shade of red Chiffon Scarf.

I've already prayed Isha, I checked the time, it was already 11:12pm, the time is fast, let me just sleep early today.

Third person's POV.
Salma has already covered herself in a blanket when she remembered she had to check her WhatsApp messages, she replied all messages and decided to sleep after about 25 minutes later.

Nasir was also about to sleep when he received a message from Hammad, telling him to please come online on WhatsApp.

"Hey Ham, 'Sup" he texted, after few seconds, a message popped in.

"Nassssss, what are you still doing awake, go to sleep baby boy"

"You are funny you know, I'm just about to sleep, goodnight" he replied and picked up a book with a dark blue cover that has a sky blue hand made calligraphy which reads Adkhar(Invocations and supplications for a Muslim)
He dropped the book gently on the table beside his king sized bed whose right side is a big dress mirror that contains different perfumes of the same brand, cuff links in a transparent container.

His room is a large one, with a changing room that has clothes he hasn't even used yet, being the son of his father, he always attends business parties which always need a new attire. Being the first and only son he is the heir to the the business, he needs to  get used to how things are done. Although Nasir has never had the intention of going into business, he has always being the aspiring surgeon kid, he always dreamt of studying Medicine and Surgery and his parents totally support him.

Beside the changing room is a shoe rack that contains a large collection of sneakers and different shoes.
The room is of Dark blue and grey. Four black soft leather pouches immediately you open the door to his room, in the middle is a round glass table with artificial flowers in a transparent glass vase, opposite is a TV set on the grey painted side of the room.

Close to the door size window with a nice view of the neighborhood is two blue beanbags and a soft high foot pillow.
In a corner of the room is a desk and chair with shelves above the desk area, a couple of books and a cup filled with different types of pens.

The room was arranged in its best way by the staff of the house, everything was put in its rightful place.

It was already morning, Nasir has already woken up, he'd performed his obligatory morning prayer, he wore a
Nice black pants with a white shirt topped with a black leather jacket, black wristwatch and white Sneakers.
His dark hair, combed too, he picked up his backpack and hung it on his shoulder, he took a one last look and sprayed a lil finishing perfume.

"I'm off, Malam Dauda" he shouted while walking very fast to the gate
He heard Malam Dauda say something but he couldn't hear it clearly,
"I'm sure he's talking about breakfast, I don't want to take breakfast today" he murmured

"Just bring an apple please, I don't really want to take anything" he shouted while walking closer to call Baba Liman, he needed to call Baba Liman from the staff quarters, he (Nasir) was a lil earlier than usual today, Nasir had few things to put together in School before classes will start.

"Good morning baba Liman, can you b a lil fast, I have something to do before classes start today" he spoke gently to the old man

"Ok, Nasir, 2 minutes please" Baba Liman responded.

Baba Liman, as usual was listening to Qur'anic Recitation while driving in a very low volume.

"Baba Liman, when will I meet ur kids pls? I'd love to meet them" Nasir asked

Baba Liman chuckled and said "I don't think they can all come over at the same time, who will help Asabé if they are all here, when your parents are back, we'll talk"

"Is Asabé ur wife's name?" Nasir asked him while staring outside the car's window, it seems he was looking for something.

"Yes, Asabé is my wife, she always nags, always disturbing me, you don't know my kids cos you never stayed here, you were always at..." He then kept quiet immediately as if the next words threatening to come out of his mouth were never spoken of, never talked about, it was a taboo.

"It's alright" Nasir said in a low voice, a voice whose tone was never down but it goes down when this topic is brought up, a topic never talked about, a topic that brought horrible memories, memories that were carved like the carvings on woods in his life.

Salma's POV
"Morning mum, good morning Abba" I greeted my Mum and Dad, they were both in the parlor, Abba was holding the morning paper while mum was holding a magazine.

"Morning Salma, how are you my dear? My dad asked

"I'm fine, Abba" I replied

"Salma, did you make fresh orange juice for me this morning, I always have to remind you of everything" my mum said, irritation clear in her voice.

"Yes mum, I did, it's in the fridge"

"Salma, come here habibty"(my love in Arabic, feminine) my dad called me

I walked to where he was sitting and he also stood up, he hugged me side ways and said "you look beautiful my dear, Masha Allah"

He was talking about my finals when Maryam walked downstairs in her pajamas, I don't think she has even prayed, her hair was all over her face.

My dad turned to look at her and he said "Ammi Maryam..." My dad calls her Ammi because she's his mother's namesake.

"...come dear, won't you go to school today" he asked.

"Yes Dad, I'm feeling sick, I have a terrible headache" she said while walking towards Abba.

"Hope u both are preparing well for your finals" my dad asked while holding me by his right hand side and stretching his left hand so Maryam could stand on his left hand side.

"Yes Abba" I replied "...but we always need your Duas Abba" I said

"Yes Daaaddd" Maryam said while looking at me.

Mum raised her head from the book and looked at our direction, she murmured something and looked back down.

"I'll be on my way, Abba" I said while walking to the door to pick my bag from the table beside the door.

"Maryam, pass me my car keys, I'll take you to school today, I won't go to work early so let me just drop you" my dad said.

I was really happy, I could remember those days when dad took us to school early in the morning, he always drops Maryam at her school before he takes me to my own school, Maryam and I loved each other then, we were always together in Islamiyyah but things changed after I won a scholarship into my present school, only Allah knows why though.

"Hop in dear" my dad said

My dad is actually the opposite of me although even if I don't really look like him nor mum, I'm just different in facials apart from the similarity in body stature, I was tall and slim just like dad. Maryam was more like mum, beautiful and average height, with a nice weight too, not slim like me and not fat too, let's say a lil chubby.

Abba always made his presence count, he always makes me laugh while you won't even know I existed if I'm at home or in school.

Abba's younger sister always says I have Abba's patience and tolerance, the way he approaches things was just the way I did, I really miss Aunt Zainab, she is such a bubbly woman although she has no kids after five years of marriage, she's content and always says the almighty is in control of everything. Anytime she visits, I was not allowed to do a thing in the house, she always stays with me in my room anytime she visits. I can remember the last time she visited, about four months ago, her husband too came. They bought a lotta gifts for me and Maryam.

Uncle Zayn was also like Aunt Zee, straightforward and very nice. Uncle Zayn is a Civil Engineer, he always talks about how cool he loves his job while Aunt Zee is a Hijbi Model, the last time she saw my closet, she laughed saying I didn't know how to dress as a teen, I don't know color combinations.
She has already started ordering clothes to change my closet when her husband was called in his work place and he said he couldn't live without his wife. So they went together but she promised she'd change it when she's back to our State.

She doesn't know I don't really care about my clothes, anything goes for me as far it was simple and decent, covered all my body. Most of my clothes are peach and all shades of blue colored.
Mostly trousers and skirts, I don't really like gowns.

They are the only ones among my dad's family who show care and love to me while mum never allows me visit her family. I got to know few of them when we had a family get together last year but as the introvert I was, I didn't really mingle with them.

I smiled recalling all the memories I had with Maryam while growing up,
Aunt Zee and Uncle Zayn took us out anytime they visited but things changed when Maryam showed she wasn't interested in our boring lives, Aunt Zee was really hurt when Maryam continuously showed she wasn't interested in spending time with me one time they visited.

Mum never really liked me so most of my time was spent with my dad, the reason why I behaved so much like dad apart from the easy going part.
Maryam also showed me her other side after primary school. Allah knows why though.

"Salma dear..." Abba called me while driving

"Why are you smiling, tell me the good news" he said while giving me a funny face

"Abba, I just remembered old times" I said while opening my bag to check the time on my phone.

"Oohh, Salma, never think hard about the past my dear, it brings tears" he said while parking in front of the school gate.

I kept quiet for few seconds to think about what he said.

I looked at him and said "I love you Dad, thank you" I said while dragging the you in a teasing manner.

I'm always a different person when I'm with my dad.

"Have a great day dear" my dad said while starting the car to go home.

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End of Chapter 5, thank you so much for your reads and don't forget to vote, comment and share.

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