She sighed as she entered the room and watched her sister who seem to be looking through he bag and she wondered what she was looking for.
“Anti mi, is anything the problem?” she asked her sister who looked at her and shook her head innocently.
“Nothing .” She replied her sister and Ashabi sighed and sank in the bed looking at her sister.
“Bro Ismail returned from the camp today, and you could not even greet him properly when he was greeting you.” She said to her sister who shrugged.
“How do you want me to greet him?” Shade asked with exasperation.
“Is everything okay at ... Your work place?” Ashabi could not help asking.
“Did I tell you anything is the problem?” Shade snapped at her sister who looked surprise at her sister’s question.
“Hmmmm, okay, I am not going to say anything more... “Ashabi said with a sigh and truthfully, she didn’t have any interaction with her sister all through the night.





Her heart was beating faster as she entered the office wondering why she was being called to his office , it was her first time of entering his office even though she had spent four weeks at work of which he was absent from work for two and half weeks, he returned back to work with a walking cane and she could not help but wondered what happened to him and it look like no one cares about it... Everyone just ignored his condition and she wondered why.
“OH, Yusrah... Come in please.” He said and told her to seat.
“Yes sir... As salamualykum.” She greeted and he responded to her teslim.
“Wa alaykumsalam waramotullah wabarakatuh.”
“Hmmm, I just look through your first month report and Alihamduliah, the reports are commendable and you are the staff of the month ... Your punctuality is worth emulating and I am proud of you.” He said to her.
“How ever, I was told you have no means of communication , who won’t have a phone at this century?” He asked her and she stared at the floor and he noticed how comfortable she was
“I am sorry, I hope I haven’t say anything wrong...?” He said to her and she shook her head.
“No sir... I just didn’t have a phone ... Because I could not afford it.” Shade explained and he sighed, he wonder how life must have been for the girls.
“Anyways, it look like you are the only one without a phone, the gift for the staff of the month is half your salary but I will be giving you a mobile phone instead.” He said to her and watched her smiled.
“This will allow us to reach you anytime.” He said to her and she smiled the more, she showed her appreciation and could not hide her excitement.
“You can leave ... Regards to Yasmina.” He said to her and she smiled the more and left the office while he returned his attention to the file he was looking at.
Shade got home beaming with smiles, and she would not even stop smiling until they return from the Masjid where they had gone to observe their Salatul Ishai.
It was a surprise to her younger sister who haven’t seen her sister smiled that broadly a week and half.
“Anti, are you sure you are okay?” She was forced to her.
“Yes, I am ... “ Shade said smiling the more and before any word from her sister, she brought out her cell phone and showed her sister.
“A phone?” Ashabi asked with surprise and her sister nodded and told her all that transpired between her sister and her boss..
“Wow! So you have a phone now...” Ashabi asked and her sister nodded.
“That is wonderful... “ she said and examined her sister’s phone with excitement.







“Yasmina, is that you?” she asked his familiar voice as soon as he struggled to get out of the car and she wondered what was wrong with him and then she saw his cane.
What is wrong with him?
Could it be that he has an accident?
She said her teslim all the same and he replied.
“Thanks for the other time ...” He heard her say as he relaxed his back on the car.
“Alihamdulilah and I must say, I am proud to have your sister work with us.” He said to her and she smiled.
“Thank you sir... I hope you are fine?” she asked looking at his walking cane and he nodded.
“Oh, this?” He asked pointing to the cane and she nodded.
“Don’t mind me, I use it some time ... “ He said.
“For support.” He added and she nodded, no need of asking too much questions.
“Alright , let me see those who are inside .. I was around the neighbourhood.” He said to her and she nodded and watched walked slowly with his cane into the building while she went through the back door to the kitchen to continue with the food. She heard him drove out of the compound a minute later as she rushed to the pot and realised it was a bit burnt, and she swallowed hard, it was the first time it would happen since her several months in that house. She just hope she would be forgiven... perhaps she could tidy up without being told.
She took the warmer and transfer the rice into it slowly.
“Where were you to have burnt the food this much?” She heard Hikmah’s voice behind her and her heart missed a beat. She turned and saw her staring hard at her at the kitchen entrance with her arm on an akimbo
“No sis, it was not intentional, I went to to open the door for Uncle (she tries to recall his name) ... And it is not like it was deeply burnt.” She explained and Hikmah moved closer to her.
“And the burnt smile seem to be this thick?” Hikmah asked
“Just say, you just decided to do as you wish today and it is not your fault, had it been you know how difficult it is to get money, you would not be wasting food.” She said to her and this caught Ashabi by surprise, even though she know Hikmah does not like her, she didn’t expect her to say those insult words to her and she felt deeply disappointed.
“Ha ha Anti, that is too much, see, the food was not that burnt.” Ashabi replied to her.
“You are such a stupid girl?” Hikmah said turning her ear and Ashabi struggled to get freed from her and stepped back, she was a bit closer than usual for the table where the hot rice was and it fell...
On her legs and Hikmah was lucky to have stepped back, she would have get hurt too.
Ashabi screaming alert the others in the house, tears were in her eyes as she struggled with the pain of the hot rice on her two legs, Hikmah was lost on what to do.
“Subuanallah! What is this ? (Faces Hikmah) and why are you here clueless... What happened?” Her mother moved closer to Ashbai and helped her up, She was crying in pain.
“I can’t walk...” Ashabi said crying the more...
“Sorry... I think we need to take this girl to the hospital.” Ibrahim suggested.
“No need for that ... As soon as you use Honey, it would be fine... She is just pretending.” Hikmah said,
“The rice was not that hot.” Hikmah said to them.
“Will you keep quiet stupid girl alakoba...” Her mother cautioned her and she sighed,
“Get Honey and let us administer it on her legs and Ibrahim , you will take her home.” Hikmah’s mother said.
“Are you sure we should not take this girl to the hospital?” Ibrahim asked and their mother shook her head.
“When it is not Pap , she will be fine in a few days... You can take few days off and she (she faced Hikmah) will take your place.” Hikmah’s mother threatened.
“I am going to Abuja in four days.” Hikmah said, she cannot wait to leave the house and go for her NYSC.
“Just get out of here... You are such a stupid girl...” Her mother threatened and helped Ashabi walked out of the house to Ibrahim’s car and she was taken home.
Shade was out of the house when they got to her apartment. And Ibrahim panicked for he didn’t want to touch her being non Mahram and he wondered if she could walked by herself.
“Can you walk by yourself or would you tell me your room number so that I can go call your sis?” He asked her and she shook her head.
“Don’t worry ... I can manage.” Ashabi said and slowly got out of the car and leaped as she walked slowly.
Two female students who were sitting and discussing saw her and moved closer to her.
“Sorry, what happened?” One of them asked.
“Pele (sorry).” Another one said and supported her as they led her in to her apartment. Only then could ibrahim drove away.
Her sister got back later in the evening, she had branched to the market to go get some food stuffs. And she was surprised to see her sister in pain when she got back. She moved closer to her and saw her legs swollen.
“Ashabi, what is this? What happened to your legs?” She asked her sounding worried, and listened to her sister tell her story about what happened.
“Madam said I can stay at home for a few days.” Ashabi said and forced out a smile, to tell her sister that she would be fine.
“Are you sure?” Her sister asked her and she nodded.
“let me go see that chemist outside the house and get you some drugs... They should have at least give you some pain killers , would she not have taken her daughter to the hospital if she were to be the one?” Shade said to her sister and stood up.
“Dont talk that way Anti mi, let us just say it was a mistake... Anti Hikmah and I hardly have our path crossed in the house... Today I guessed something was wrong with her hence why she came for me.” Ashabi explained to her elder sister.
“But she should have go harm herself instead of you, let me quickly get some drugs and come back quickly, it is time for Maghreb.” Her sister said and left for the Chemist.