She sighed again and placed the tray of beans on the table and called out her daughter.
“Hikmaaahhhhhh” she called out.
“Hikmaaaahhhhh.” She called
It was after the third call she answered her and joined her in the store where she was two minutes later.
“You this girl, what is wrong with you? So you don’t intend to answer my call right?” She asked.
“Don’t make assumptions, I was in the rest room when you called.” Hikmah said and sat down on a stool looking at her mother.
“Toor, don’t you know you are supposed to come and ask about what to prepare for dinner?” Her mother asked and she swallowed hard.
“You know I have a lot of packing to do… I have to do that all by myself…” She said to her mother and her mother swallowed hard.
“And why is that girl… Ashabi not here? I am sure she is pretending to be sick because of little accident that happened a few days ago, if not, is she not supposed to be here?” She asked her mother and the woman sighed deeper.
“Hikmah, that girl is now at the hospital, your brother called me now and told me Adnan called to tell him , does that look like a mere accident to you?” Her mother said to her.
“You said Ad… bro Adnan called bro Idris… how did he know?” She asked and remember how she had saw them talk together that evening before the accident.
“Ehn , … just leave whatever you are doing and go and make dinner… lazy girl alapa stainless (the one with the hand of stainless)” Her mother said and watched her grumbled as she find her way to the house with the tray of beans.
“I wonder if that is how you would behave in your husband house.” She said after her.


“You are not going back to that place and that is final, I cant believe none of them even make an attempt to call.” Shade said.
“But they don’t have your number Anti mi.” Ashabi said to her sister who swallowed hard, it ‘s been two weeks since her accident and the legs seem to have healed up neatly.
Then they had a knock,
“Who is it?” She asked thinking it was Ismail
“It’s Adnan.” The voice said
The two girls exchanged glances and used their Hijabs before Shade walked to the door and let him in, she wondered what she was looking for at the house as at that time, it was some minutes past eight.
“As salamualykum waramotullah …” He said and that was when they noticed the second person behind him, it was Idris. It was his first visit at the house.
The room was dark except for the light provided by a candle.
The girls chorused the reply and watched the two men still on their feet.
“How is the wound, I am sorry that I am just coming. I was not in town for some weeks.” Idris apologized and watched his friend sat down on the praying mat that was spread in a corner of the room, he know he just had to sit too.
“And Ummu had been busy as well, Hikmah had travelled and thus all work is on her, you know how stressful it is, so I am apologizing on her behalf.” Idris said even though he was not comfortable his mother had not come visiting.
“I hope the pain had subsidized?” He asked her and she nodded.
“Sorry, what can we offer you?” Shade asked the two men and they shook their head.
After a while, the men stood up and make an announcement to leave.
“And how is your neighbor… ismail?” Adnan asked, that was his fifth time in the house and he always bumped into him.
“He should be at the Mosque.” Shade replied and saw the two men out of the room while her sister stayed back.
She return back to the room and showed her sister the money the two men had given them.
“At least one of the family had come, can I …” Ashabi made an attempt to ask her sister.
“No, you are not going back and that is final.” Her sister said to her and she know she does not have to argue with her.






He smiled at her as she walked toward his car to greet him, he had done a lot for them in the past few weeks and just like Ismail, he is Allah sent.
Life had seem so much better for them since she had started working at his company that she wondered would have happened if her sister was not bold to seek for help from him that day.
It still seems like yesterday.
“As salamualykum waramotullah wabarakatuh.” She said her teslim and he responded.
“Yusrah, how are you?” He called her.
“Alihamdulilah sir.” She said looking at him without his walking cane, he had not been with it for some days now, sometimes she do have the urge to ask him about his leg and sometimes she hit herself for being so insensitive.
“You are close for the day?” He asked her and she nodded.
“Okay, let me take you home then, I have the intention in saying my teslim to Yasmina, it is been two weeks I see her.” He said to her and she nodded,
She wish to tell him that he does not have to worry, but she could not. So she just entered his car and watched him start the car. The journey was a quiet one until they got to the supermarket at her junction which was where she had walked before.
“How about we stop at the supermarket?” He asked her and her heart missed a beat.
“We can get something you need here.” He said and parked infront of the supermarket and got out only to see Shade still sitting in the car.
“What is it? Are you not coming?” He asked, she hesitated then scratch her head for a while before she got out of the car and slowly, they walked into the supermarket, she was feeling so awkward and pray she didn’t see the manager.
Shopping at the supermarket was her first since she left the place and it was so easy shopping for she know where all they need is kept.
“Pick anything you want.” He said to her and follow her around, she could feel some gaze of her former colleagues on her as Adnan followed her round and even pick some things for her and her sister as they went about shopping.
The cashier smiled at Shade as she walked to the counter with they had brought.
“It’s twelve thousand Naira sir.” The cashier said.
That is a lot of money, oh I should not have pick a lot.
A voice said in her and watched Adnan, paid.
“Can we get someone to help with these to the car?” He asked.
Then suddenly the Manager showed up behind Shade.
“Ehn, why are you here? Didn’t I warn you? Don’t tell me you are here to beg… get out of here this minutes, I have told you that you would not get a job here.” He said to her, Adnan, turned and saw Shade shivering and without being told, he know that the Manager was addressing her.
“Mr man, what is it?” He asked.
“Is this how you embarrassed everyone who come in here for shopping?” He asked him and the Manager starred at Adnan.
“And how dare you talk to a woman like that?” Adnan challenged him and watched Shade walked slowly out of the Supermarket.
“And … do you know what she did?” The manager asked.
“Sir, they came together.” The Cashier whispered to the manager.
“Hem….” The manager suddenly start stammering…
Without any other word, Adnan went out closely followed by a young man who had all what they had gotten in a trolley. The items were off loaded into the car and Adnan got back into the car and Shade who had been standing with her back rested on the car got in and he sighed.
“Yusrah… what is with you and that rude man?” He asked her and suddenly she broke into tears and this got him by surprise.
“I…. what is it?” He asked her clueless and she cried all that she wanted to, he waited for her for sometimes before she finally got hold of herself and suddenly start apologizing.
“I am sorry.” She said.
“Now, will you answer my question?” He asked her calmly and she sighed.
“You don’t have to worry about him.” She said and he shook his head.
“I am listening.” He said to her and she know she had no choice than to let her know what happened, and he listen to her calmly.
“He is crazy then… I mean all of them are scams, and you should not have fall into such cheap scams.” He said and started the car, now he understood why she didn’t want to come out of the car when they got there and he regretted letting her go through that.
“I am sorry.” He finally said.
They got to the house and met Yasmina sitting outside, listening to some group of female students, she stood up as soon as the car parked in front of the building and walked to them.
The legs had healed up.
Five minutes later, they were in the apartment.
“You aren’t with your cane anymore?” Yasmina asked as she served him water, he collected the cup of water and without drinking, he place the cup beside him.
“Alihamdulilah, the cane is now on break.” He said to her.
“Did you have an accident?” Yasminah asked him.
‘Will you stop that? You talk too much.” Her sister who was in the kitchen cautioned and Adnan smiled, he like listening to her.
“I was only asking question, Uncle are you offended at my question.” She asked and Adnan shook his head.
“Of course, I am not. I was sick for a while and I had to use a cane to aid my movement.” He explained to her and she nodded.
“Oh, … and is that why you don’t drink the water I gave you… since you have been coming here, you hardly touched the water I do serve you.” Yasminah asked further and his heart missed a beat, she was the first person that would notice that.
“Could it be you don’t take untreated water? And was that why you always get Purewater from me each time you come to the village?” She asked further and Adnan laughed.
“I guess I don’t have to answer anymore, you just answered all the question yourself.” He said and watched Shade gave her a bad look as she returned to the room.
“You talk too much.” She scolded her and Adnan could not help smiling.
He always feel two things each time he is with them;
At home.
At ease
And most times, he always cautioned himself that he is non mahram to them and he should not feel any of these two feelings… but he just could not help it.