As-salamu alaikum, how are you doing?
Hope you guys are doing just fine.

Recap

Her mother gave her a blank look and said...
My day can never be gud till u die sweetie, Maryam was giggling.

It's normal, it wasn't something new to her, this is always her reply anytime Salma greets her.

For the fact that she was used to it, Salma still felt pain in her chest, she felt a lump in her throat, this was almost normal, the phases where she comes back from school.
Trekking home, waiting beneath the tree, greeting her mom when she's back from picking up the queen 🙄🙄
with her mum's same answer, her chest tightening, a lump in her throat, tears threatening to fall and many more.

Salma couldn't let the tears fall, she wouldn't, she is strong.

She went inside, straight to her room, which, thanks to her Dad, was awesome, if left to her mom, she would have been using a corner of the house as her room.

Her room was coloured gray, a medium sized bed in the middle of the bed, a small dress mirror that was just there for the sake of being there cause there was only two cups of a body lotion and a hair cream,no perfume, no hair shampoo, no girlie stuff, even if she wanted to use it, a table and a chair by the corner of the room, near the chair and table is a collection of all her books right from primary school till now, been a science student on scholarship, she has different books that the NGO sponsoring her always send to her. In the middle of the room is a center table that has a copy of the Holy Qur'an on it, and a Musallah (prayer mat), a shoe rack beside the medium sized cupboard.

Entering her room, she felt an amazing oud scents, her Dad always does this before going to work, he uses Dukh- Khan (I don't know the name with English 😄, but if u are Shuwa Arab from Sudan, Chad, Nigeria etc or an Arab from UAE you'd know what I'm talking about. Few Hausas in West Africa know it too there's a pic above,if you wanna see how it looks)
She dropped her backpack, straight to the bathroom, she loosened her hair that was very dark, shiny, and very long too, after taking her bath, she performed ablution and prayed Asr and Maghrib since she spent all the time waiting for her mother outside, she prayed, after praying, Salma made Dua for her parents, her sister and the entire Muslim ummah.

****
Nasiru was sleeping in his room when he heard a knock on the door, he went to answer it, but, it was their chef, he came to ask him what he will intend to eat as dinner cause his parent had travelled to his hometown for a family meeting. The chef Mallam Dauda(Mallam is a word in Hausa language that's used to address the male with respect) is a very nice man, who is very quiet, his service is needed only when Nasir's parent had travelled, so he could help Nasir cook, but on a normal basis, he just stays in the workers quarters, and sometimes, he cleans the kitchen to help, Hajiya(used to address a lady, with respect, in Hausa language, most times, ladies who have done pilgrimage to Makkah, in Saudi Arabia) Fatima, Nasir's mother.
Mr Nasir, what would you like to eat for dinner? Mallam Dauda asked

Nasir said "oooohhh Mallam Dauda, why do u always call me Mr, Just call me with my name, I'll answer you, I've told you this, times without number"

Mallam Dauda just smiled and was waiting for his reply.
'Just do something light, I don't want to eat much" was Nasir's reply.

After his dinner, Nasir prayed Isha and went to sleep straight.

****
It was almost 8pm when she left her room to take a look at what her mother and sister were doing downstairs, she met them sleeping in the middle of newly bought gowns, normally she always prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner before going to school.
This is how she was instructed to do it by her mother, after preparing breakfast, she'll prepare lunch and dinner, put it inside the freezer, before she goes anywhere. She is like a machine that doesn't have rest, she sweeps and mops all the rooms before going to school, every inch of work was done by her, from the smallest to the biggest thing in the house.

She shook her head and went to the kitchen to warm dinner. After setting the table, she heard the bell ringing at exactly 9pm, she knew it was her dad, he was on a business trip, he told her earlier that he will be home by 9pm, her dad being the man that goes by whatever he says. She ran to the door, after greeting her dad, she took his suitcase, telling her dad everything that happened in his absence, everything about her classes.

When they reached the parlor, her dad  was looking at his daughter and her mother sleeping carelessly, they'll never change, subhan-Allah. Salma is an ideal daughter while Maryam is the direct opposite of her.

After taking her dad's suitcase to his room, she went to wake her mum and sister up, to get ready for dinner.

In her mind "I'm sure they have not prayed"
 

Her Mom was like what's the time, when Salma told her what the time was, she almost slapped Salma, she was barking at her like a dog (totally sorry it isn't appropriate).
Shouting at her and asking why she didn't wake them earlier.
Salma knew better than to respond to her, she just kept quiet, her mom was a woman who complains abt everything.
Salma remembered when she was 9 years old, she got the beating of her life when she woke her up for salah.

Her mum would complain if she doesn't wake her up, then she would complain if she wakes her up.

She just listened to her mom's complaint, with her up on her before she stomped upstairs to her room. Sometimes she wonders why she was born by this type of woman, but then she remembers how the Qur'an emphasizes on the respect to ones parent even if they were non-muslim.
She just kept quiet.

After dinner, she prayed Isha, read a few books. She slept and then woke up at 4am to start doing her daily chores.

By 6:45am, she has already finished all her chores, she went to her room, she sighed and then decided to just lay down for few minutes, but she's a human, she slept, then something just clicked and she checked the time, subhan-Allah, she hasn't prayed Fajr salah(Dawn prayer, in Islam), she immediately performed ablution(wudu with Arabic), prayed raka'ataynil fajr(the two raka'ahs before the main prayer;it optional though)

At 7:15am, she was ready, but she hasn't taken breakfast, so she decided to take her breakfast to school.
She was leaving the house when she heard her mother calling her.

Hey Professor, where do you think you are going to, have you cleaned Maryam's bathroom?

"Yes mum, I have" Salma said

On Rukayyah's face, looking at her with one glance, you'd know that she was looking for what to use to delay Salma.
She then thought of something, "Salma, I want to go out today, so I need you to stay at...!

She was cut short when her dad, Ahmad said, she has done all the necessary chores, so let her go to school now, she's running late. Salma, you can go now, may Allah have Barakah (mercy, blessings: the word is an Arabic word) on you.
He stretched his hand giving her a few notes. "I'm sure you are late, take a taxi, okay" was what her dad suggested.

Salma was just saying alhamdulillah ( in Arabic: it simply means, all thanks is due to Allah).
For, if not for her dad, she would have had to do what her mum would have Suggested.

It was already 7:25am, and her school is a-20-to-30 minute walk. She'd be late today, if she had known, she wouldn't have slept after doing all her chores.

She decided to go to the nearest bus stop, if she could get a taxi.
After reaching the bus stop, waiting for 5 minutes. There was still no sign of any taxi.

****
Nasir was all set, his driver baba Liman is ready to take him to school.
He greeted the old man saying
"As-salamu alaikum (may peace be upon you: it's in Arabic), good morning, hope you slept well baba Liman?

Yes...yes my son, I slept well by Allah's mercy. Baba Liman replied to Nasir.

The drive to school was a-10-15-minute drive.
Nasir was looking outside, through the car window, he missed his former school, the way he was always left alone, with no one disturbing him, telling him what to do, his mum and dad, then, were leaving in this country while he stayed there alone, in the name of schooling, but he alone knew the main reason.

There were driving past a junction when he saw a familiar lady standing.

Nasir, as to his predictions, this lady must be from his school and then his subconscious was against him

The school bus picks everyone in your school, man, how dumb are you?
He just smiled.

As Baba Liman was driving, he was nodding his head and tapping his leg to a  traditional music's orchestra, the orchestra was very peaceful, he was nodding his head slowly, you wouldn't know he was, if you weren't looking at him. Then, he abruptly stopped driving and said; Nasir, my son, can I give that girl a lift, she's the only girl I've seen that treks to and fro to school, the amazing thing is that she attends your school.

Nasir was mocking his subconscious mind, saying I was right after all.
He then said, baba Liman, how are you sure, she wouldn't reject the offer.
Baba Liman then said，this isn't the first time I've given her lift, one time, Hajiya Fatima sent me to that supermarket...infact, this girl has helped Hajiya one time when she misplaced her inhaler, the girl was the one who had to run to the pharmacy nearby to get one.

Baba Liman, you can give her a lift, stop the car. Let her come in. Nasir said.

Baba Liman stopped the car and called her name Salma...Salma...Salma, come in my dear, come on.

****
Salma was so happy when she saw Baba Liman, she just ran to the car thanking Allah once again. After greeting him, she entered the front seat. She went on ranting about how she couldn't get a taxi.
She didn't know that Nasir was at the back of the car.

On the other hand, Nasir was stunned, so, she was a talkative. He smiled and then frowned, was he invisible.
He decided to clear his throat.

Salma immediately turned her head and alas! the person she just met this week, the person that wanted to be friend, the person that made her leave the school so early, the person that made her skip her chemistry class was at the back of the same car she was in.

Her subconscious mind made everything worse by saying
Oooohhh dummy salmy, why didn't you look back, such a dumb girl.

When Nasiru made direct eye contact with Salma, he was praising himself, she can't walk away now.

━─━────༺༻────━─━

End of Chapter 3, thank you so much for your reads and don't forget to vote, comment and share.

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