“How are you?” Ismail asked as soon as he enter the one bedroom apartment and saw her sitting with her legs stretched out. She was still waiting for her sister who had gone to get her some drugs from the chemist.
“Who told you about it?” She asked him and she listened to how he got to know about it from Juliet who lives two rooms before his.
“She and her room mate helped me in ...” she said to him.
“How will I observe my Salah?” She asked him
“I mean the ablution?” She asked him
“It is called wudhu Jabira , all you need is to perform wudhu in the best way you can, if you can wipe the surface with water briefly ...” He explained and stared at her legs which was quiet swollen.
If there is a wound in any part of the body, then this wound is either uncovered or it is covered with a dressing or bandage.
If it is covered with a dressing or bandage, then he should wash the healthy parts of the body, then he should wet his hand with water and wipe over the dressing. If he does this then he does not need to do tayammum.
There are hadith which speak about wiping over splints, but they are all da’eef (weak), but that has been proven from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him).
Al-Bayhaqi said:
Nothing has been proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on this topic… rather this is the view of the fuqaha’ among the Taabi’een and those who came after them, as well as what we have narrated from Ibn ‘Umar. He mentioned with his isnaad that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) did wudoo’ when his hand was bandaged, and he wiped over it and over the dressing, and he washed everything else. He said: This is saheeh from Ibn Umar.
But if the wound is uncovered, then it must be washed with water if possible, but if washing it will harm it, and he can wipe it then he should wipe it. If that is not possible, then the wound should be left without washing or wiping, then when the person has finished doing wudoo’, he should do tayammum.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/169)
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) said: Wounds and the like are either uncovered or covered.
If the wound is uncovered then it must be washed with water. If it is not possible to wash it with water then it should be wiped over. If it is not possible to wipe over it then he should do tayammum. This is in order of preference.
“I can wipe it.” She said to him and he nodded.
“Let me get you a bowl from the rest room so that you can perform the wudhu, Maghreb time is almost gone.” He said to her and went in to the rest room, he returned with a bucket where she observed her wudhu slowly and she struggled to sit on the Prayer rug and observed her Salah while sitting, she was half down by the time her sister returned from the Chemist store with some drugs. She ignored Ismail completely
As soon as her sister was done with the Salah, she moved closer to her , and urged her to take her drugs.
“Are you not praying?” Ismail asked her and she shook her head without a word
“I think she should eat first before taking her drugs.” Ismail pointed out.
“What do you have? I just prepared Semo and Ogbono, would Yasmina prefer that?” He asked looking at Yasmina who nodded eagerly.
“I will make some food in a bit ..”Shade said shunning Ismail.
“But...” Ismail wanted to say something.
“Good night Ismail, I will take it up from here.” Shade said in a tone of she is my sister.
He looked at Ashabi for a while, said his Teslim and left.
“Let me make dinner, it will be ready in no time.” Shade said to her sister, she stood up and went to the kitchen to start Dinner, the dinner got served by eight and that was after she has observed her Salah.
Ismail came again to check on her after Ishai and left a few minutes later.
“Is something wrong between you two?” Ashabi could not help asking.
“Just eat your food and take your drugs.” Shade snapped.
“I am done.” She said pointing to the plates of half finished food.
“I think I have a low appetite.” Ashabi said to her and her sister swallowed hard.
She gave her some drugs to use and watched her sister took the pain in slowly trying not to show it on her face.
“It is painful abi... How hot was the rice?” She asked her younger sister who explained the incidence in details to her sister.
“You are not going there again.” Her sister said with an air of finality.
“What will I be doing? You know how difficult it is to get Job these days.” Ashabi said.
“I can’t risk this again, see your legs ... The two legs and they just brought you home without even applying any first aid.” Shade explained close to tears.
“If this were to happen to her daughter , would she have apply only Honey?” She said.
“It is ... not really painful, I think it would be better by tomorrow ins Sha Allah.” Ashabi said and urged her sister to go sleep early because of her work.
“I am not going to work tomorrow, I will call the manager...how can I leave you like this and go to work? How will you move around the house?” Shade said.
“No anti me, don’t do that, you ...” She wanted to say something but her sister cut in.
“Don’t tell anything , just sleep when you can, I am not going to work.” She said with an air of finality and Ashabi know it is better not to argue further.
The Next morning came so slow for the pains during the night were unbearable as she cried all through, placing some clothes in her mouth to prevent the cries from waking up her sister who slept on the floor so that she could have the bed all to herself and she looked so tired for she didn’t wake up at all during the night.
“How is the pain?” Her sister asked her after the Fajr prayer and all she could do was just to nod.
“Alihamdulilah, pele.” Shade said, Ismail came over that morning by nine to check on her too.
“It is still painful isn’t it ... Don’t you think we should take her to the hospital?” Ismail asked Shade.
“I don’t subscribe to self medication.” He said to her.
“Just leave us alone ... She will be fine, I can take care of her myself.” Shade said to him and he swallowed hard.
“I am not disputing that ... But this girl had to be taken to the hospital and that is final.” He said to Shade and without a glimpse at her, he faced Ashabi who was busy watching the drama between the two despite the pain she was experiencing.
“Get Ready, let me go get Keke (tricycle).” He said to her and went out of the room.
“What is wrong with you two?” She asked again.
“Why does it look like you have some pending issues?” She asked her again.
“Just let it be...since he said you are going to the hospital, would you change your dress?” Her sister asked her.
“As if I can’t take care of my sister myself.” She said to her sister.
“He is just trying to help.” She said.
Ismail returned back to the room, half an hour later, unknown to the girls, he had rushed to the ATM to withdraw all the money he has in his account to take with him, not sure of what the bills will be like.


It is been two days at the hospital , she frown as soon as he joined her along the walkway and he need no one to tell him that she was extremely angry, since his proposal to her some weeks before, he was aware that she was avoiding him terribly and he just decided to let her be ...and he even restrict his presence in their lives...
His only wish is that they are safe and that is all that he wanted ...
He likes her, no doubt but he felt she was not ready for marriage and he isn’t too but if getting married to her would make him be able to protect her and her sister, he know he would like to take the chance.
He loved her that much ... And Ashabi is just like a younger sister and from the first day he had known them and their story, his only desire is to step in as a man in their life... They need one.
Sometimes he would feel like he is probably interested in Shade because he felt pity for them and sometimes he just think it is something more.
“Why do you have to pay for the hospital bills?” She asked him and he sighed.
“And what is wrong with that? I did it because I want to ... You heard the doctor said she is lucky we came here earlier , the wound is infected...” He said to her calmly.
“You don’t have to do that .. we can take care of ourselves, stop behaving like you care.” She said to him.
“Can we not do this here please.... We are in public ... You can’t stop me from coming to check on her.” He said to her more calmly.
“I...” She tried to say
“Yusrah...” She heard a familiar voice behind and she turned to see Adnan walking slowly to them, with his walking cane.
She sighed.
“That is my boss.” She whispered to him as Adnan joined them. He exchanged Teslim with Ismail.
“He is our next door neighbour.” She introduced.
“Mr Kamal told me you called to say you would not be coming to work for some few days, he said something about Yasmina being sick.” He said to her.
“Yes sir.” She said and told him about how her younger sister came by the accident.
“Okay, is her boss aware, have they call you or come check on her?” He asked her and she shook her head.
“Okay, that aside, how is she? And can I see the doctor in charge?” He asked her.
“Okay sir.” Shade said to him and led him to the doctor’s office while Ismail retuned to the ward where Yasmina was sleeping peacefully.
Shade and the Boss join them later with the doctor.
“She will be transferred to the Private Ward for intensive care.” The doctor explained.
“Private ward ke?” Ismail asked and looked at Adnan who nodded.
“Ins Sha Allah, she is a young friend of mine, she deserve it.” He said to Ismail who sighed deeply and nodded.
After then he went to appreciate him.
Adnan stayed for a while before he left with a promise of coming again to see them.




“Are you aware that Ashabi is currently at the hospital?” Idris asked his mother over the phone.
“Hospital ke?” She asked with surprise.
“Yes, Adnan called me some minutes ago, he was talking about her being hospitalized for scald or something." Idris explained to his mother.
“It was just a mere accident, how come she have landed at the hospital, it was only hot rice.” His mother said.
“Hot Rice? And you could not even apply first aid or take her to the clinic… he told me she is currently being treated for infection.” He explained.
“I think you should go see her…” He said.
“That would be next weekend… you know now that she is not here, I have a lot of work to do and Hikmah is travelling tomorrow to Abuja and even when she is around, what is she doing?” She asked her and her son sighed.
“But I think you need to go see her, the accident happened at the house.” He said.
“Okay, I will try but how come it is Adnan calling you? Did they know each other?” His mother asked.
“Oh, they are from the same village and he told me he know her from the village somehow… and then her elder sister now works with him.” Idris said.
“Okay ooo, thanks , I will try to see if I will go see her this coming weekend ins Sha Allah. She might probably have been discharged from the hospital by then. What hospital is she?” She asked her son.
“She is at the hospital by the junction, the LRM.” Her son explained.
“Oh, Oh, Okay.” She said to him and the call got disconnected.
With a deep sigh, she dropped her phone and concentrated on the beans she was picking silently. She wonder how her daughter would be a good house wife with her disinterest in housekeeping. Sometimes she wonder if she had not failed as a mother.
Yes, they have trained their children on the path of the Deen but none of them seem comfortable with housekeeping and general house chores and she just hope the men would find time to assist their wives with the little they can do and not be like their father who seem not to have interest with things like that.
Her heart skipped when she remember her daughter almost got married to Adnan and she wonder how she would have cope of she were to get married to him or to anyone as that.
To think of her daughter getting married to men like the ones she have is something that keep bothering her.
She was amazed at how hardworking Ashabi was when she started working for her and wonder if her daughter would ever do that.
She sighed again and placed the tray of beans on the table and called out her daughter.
“Hikmaaahhhhhh” she called out.