Two weeks later,
She smiled at her sister as soon as the door opened and she entered the room. She had just returned from her UME examination center.
“How was your paper?” Ashabi asked her and watched her sank on the bed.
“Alihamdulilah, please get me some water.” She said to her.
“Okay…” She said and watched her younger sister walked to the fridge that Adnan got for them some weeks before he travelled to India.
She returned with a cup of water.
She gulped it all at once.
“You didn’t attend the Islamic class today?” Her sister asked,
“I did, I returned home an hour before you returned.” Ashabi announced.
“Okay, Alihamdulilah… the examination was not bad.” Shade explained to her sister.
“There are a lot older people too, some have been writing the examination for a long time.” She said to her sister.
“Are you sure that I am not going to be the oldest during my time?” Ashabi asked.
“No ooo, you can’t, there are a lot of older people. Just take your studies seriously.” She said to her and said to her sister how she cannot wait to get to the university.
“Me too… but I am sure that you would come out in flying colors, you prepare so much for the examinations and beside, you always pass all your examination.” Ashabi said.
“Hmm,.” Shade said
“Did Uncle Adnan tell you when he will be back, it is been two weeks?” Shade said, sometimes she felt he talks to her sister more than he does to her.
“Yes, he will be back by the fourth of next month ins sha Allah, I talked to him this morning.” She said to her sister.
“Okay.” Shade said.
“And how is he?” She asked her.
“He said he is fine but he sound cold and sound like he is in pain.” She said to her sister.
“How do you know about this?” Shade asked with surprise.
“I can feel it.” Ashabi said.
“Feel what? You are not just serious.” Shade said laughing.
“I can feel it… and I missed him.” Ashabi said to her sister and she watched her laughed the more.
“You are not serious.” Shade said to her younger sister.
“Of course, we all missed him.” Shade said looking at her sister
“I think I love him.” Ashabi finally said out her mind and her sister stopped laughing.
“Now stop that. Stop that… he is Allah sent oo.” Shade said to her sister.
“I don’t mean to … it just happened, I don’t mind getting married to him, at least I am AA.” She said to her sister.
“He is a lot older than you Ashabi and I think that should not be on your mind right now.” Shade replied.
“I don’t care, it would not stop my school will it?” Ashabi said to her
Shade sighed and moved closer to her sister.
“Don’t even try to think toward that direction okay, that Uncle only see us as his younger sisters and hence why he is helping us so much despite not knowing us from anywhere, don’t try to act too close to him, please I beg you.” Shade said to her sister, her heart was beating faster.
“You know even more about the religion than I do at this moment, always continue to observe your proper hijab around him just like we usually do with him and Ismail... They are non mahram, no matter how much we see them as family they aren’t.” Shade explained to her sister.
“You don’t have to get worked on ...Anti mi... “ Ashabi said to her sister calmly.
“You can just get married to Bro Ismail and I to uncle Adnan and that will make each of them Mahram to each of us.” Ashabi asked half teasing.
“Now, I understand that something is wrong with you? If you are a fool , I am not , none of them deserved women like us ...they just want to help us and that is all... What parents would want their sons get married to girls like us?” Shade asked and swallowed hard.
“Can you count how many men you slept with at the village ? What man would want to have something to do with a woman like that? I was once pregnant too? Just ignore any other things and let us accept whatever help they are doing, that is all we need.
Don’t ever expect more.” Shade said to her sister and this hit Ashabi strongly as she just didn’t utter any word again. She was just quiet with tears stayed on her face.
“Just face your studies and come out with flying colors and stop expecting more.” Her sister voice came again .
One year later...
It was the sound from the opening of the door that woke him up, he opened his eyes and saw the figure sat down staring at him. The figure became clearer. She was in her regular black abaya that she do use immediately after school, she conceal her school uniform with the black robe after school.
“Yasmina, ...” He said softly and she nodded.
“How are you ... I was here in the morning on my way to school, you were sleeping and the nurse said I should not disturb you.” She said to him.
“Okay, how was school today? And thanks for visiting.” He said to her.
“How are you feeling?” She asked her.
“Alihamdulilah, as you can see?” He said and try not to groan in pain as he felt the pain in his bones.
“Sorry...” She said to him.
“Have you eaten?” She asked him.
“The nurse told me you brought some food again in the morning, I told you yesterday that you don’t have to do that.” He said.
“There are a lot of people for me you know ...” He said to her.
“All you need is to face your studies ...” He said to her trying to hide the pains he was feeling.
“Stop talking, Do I have to call the doctor?” She cautioned him and he could not help laughing despites himself and let the tears fell down his eyes.
“Sorry... “ She said looking at him as he turned his head to the other side to hide his tears.
That was when the door opened and Idris entered the room, he exchanged Teslim with Ashabi and took his seat. And tapped the bed to announced his friend whose was still turning to the other side of his presence. .
“Is he sleeping?” He asked Ashabi who shook her head.
“Okay.” Idris nodded and looked at his friend whose back was still turned to them.
“How was school today?” Idris asked Ashabi and she nodded fine.
Few minutes later, Adnan’s parents entered the room and Yasmina sat up sharply from her chair , it was her first time seeing them and she didn’t even know what to do.
“As salamualykum waramotullah wabarakatuh....” Idris greeted and the older couple replied while their gaze was still on Ashabi whose eyes was on the floor. Adnan had turned towards them now and he was also looking at his parents then he gave his friend a glanced and with his eyes , Idris knows what he was suppose to do.
“How about we step out a bit, Yasmina.” He said nodding to Ashabi who glanced at Adnan before she made an attempt to leave the ward.
“I have never met them before?” She said to Idris as soon as they were out of the ward.
“They are his parents.” He said to her .
“And you need to go home, it is almost time for Maghreb.” He suggested and she shook her head.
“No, I am not... I have the intention of spending the night here.” She said.
“Tomorrow is Saturday anyways.” She said to him and he sighed.
“Have you done that before? I mean spend the night by his side since he has been on admission?” He asked her and she shook her head. For the five days that he has been on admission, it was his eldest sister that stayed with him the first night, his mother stayed with him the second night, the third night and fourth night were done by his younger siblings. It was his turn that night.
“You don’t have to do that ..., I will be spending the night here with him.” He said to her and she sighed.
“There are so many people for him.” He explained to her.
“You can go home and let me do that or we do that together, but I am not going.” She said to him and he saw determination in her eyes.
“You don’t like to listen to anyone do you ?” He asked her.
Idris watched her walked a bit away from him and stayed staring at the space and he sighed.
This cant go on for long ....
I need to sort this out asap.
“You don’t have to stay all night... You need to go home.” Adnan said to her when she entered the ward after Ishai.
“No, I am not.” She said to him.
“You have to and you will...” Adnan said to her sternly and she swallowed hard while Idris watched them both.
“You think I will allow you to stay out of your house all night? You are joking.” He asked
“But you are sick ....” She said to him.
“I don’t need you here.” He said to her again.
“Come back here during the day and after your Islamic class... If you come here before that, I will send you away.” He said to her.
“Hian.... You are wicked.” She said to him.
“And you ... Take her home.” Adnan said to Idris who was enjoying the drama
“Oh... Ma sha Allah, now I know who you listen to.” He teased her as soon as he followed her out of the ward.