The sound of the rain mixed with the wind caused her to wake up abruptly. Frightened, she huddled at the edge of the bed and sighed deeply. The terrible nightmare she had returned vividly, like a mirror reflecting one's true image. She burst into laughter, remembering their plan, but quickly stifled it as she heard her bedroom door being pushed open.
"Ninaah! Why are you laughing like that? And wait! Why didn't you close the door with all this rain pouring?"
"Umma, I fell asleep right after prayer, but I'll close it now," she said, looking guilty. Her mother's accusing gaze made her uneasy. Realizing her mother might start probing, she quickly changed the topic. "Umma, has Abba returned?"
"No, he's still waiting for you," Umma replied as she left the room.
Ninaah smiled again, picked up her phone, and stealthily moved. Hearing her mother retreat to her room gave her the chance to enter her father's room, where he kept money. She took the amount she needed.
The sound of a message on her phone startled her, and she quickly checked the screen. "Time is ticking, make sure you are ready," the message read. She laughed, hugged her phone, and quietly returned to her room, starting to pack her things while humming Umar M Sharif's song "Gamu Nan Dai."
Calmly, she lowered the phone from her ear, looking at the window that the wind had flung open. A flash of lightning made her duck in fear, whispering her mother's name. She stayed down for a few seconds before rising, anxious, as she was terribly afraid of rain. Ninaah's call came through, and she answered hurriedly.
"I'm ready now, but this rain is delaying me. You know we can’t leave until Hajiya is asleep," Ninaah said.
"I don’t understand, what do you mean we can’t leave until they are asleep?" Her mother’s voice cut in, finishing the question as she entered the room, fixing Zainabu (as she called her) with a piercing stare.
Zuzuuh, as her friends called her, stammered, "Hajiya, I was just about to check if you were asleep."
"Don’t treat me like a fool. Where were you planning to go that made you say we need to sleep first?" Hajiya asked, her face stern.
"I... I just meant to tell you that we are attending a friend’s wedding tomorrow morning, so I thought I should inform you now since you were asleep," Zuzuuh said, her voice wavering. Hajiya wasn’t convinced and gave her a skeptical look before leaving the room.
"Come on, Hajiya! By the time morning comes, you'll realize I was lying," Zuzuuh muttered, opening her box of clothes. Scattered money was among the things she had managed to take from her mother’s room.
The notification of a message drew her attention. "Come out now, we're waiting," it read. She glanced at the door, saw that the rain was subsiding, grabbed her suitcase, and sneaked out of the house without anyone noticing.
"May Allah calm your heart, Hajiya. Let me open it," he said nervously as he approached the small door. He unlocked it, gave me a dirty look, and I left. I made sure I was out before throwing his walking stick back at him and moving on. I looked down the long street with a healthy road. I had no idea which neighborhood I was in, so I became anxious. But I didn’t feel disheartened and kept walking briskly despite feeling weak. I was praying for a napep (tricycle) or even a car to ask for help. I walked some distance, looking over my shoulder because I felt like the schemer might follow me. I was very dizzy, and my head was throbbing. I paused, holding my head and invoking God's name. At that moment, a white car that had passed me reversed.
"Sister, are you okay?"
A young woman's voice hit my ears. I removed my hand from my head. Struggling to focus on her blurry image, I replied, "It's nothing, ma'am."
"How can you say it's nothing? It looks like you're about to faint," she said, getting out of the car. She held me as I was about to collapse. Her voice filled with concern, she said, "Let's get you into the car. Then you can tell me where you need to go."
Seeing it was a woman and needing help, I didn’t hesitate. With her assistance, I got into the car. As soon as I sat down, I closed my eyes, and my headache intensified. When she got in and asked where to take me, I couldn’t answer immediately, so she gave me a moment to compose myself before asking again. Struggling, I managed to say, "Yakasai."
"Okay, no problem. But I think we should first go to a clinic. You need medical attention. I am a doctor."
"Don’t worry, just take me home. Thank you," I said, barely able to speak.
"I can’t let you do that. Please, let me help you for God's sake."
Her mention of God silenced me, and after that, I lost consciousness.
In a state of panic, the guard ran into the house. At the entrance to the living room, he found Maash standing. The guard was frantic, especially seeing Maash's stern face, dark as a thundercloud. He fell to his knees, swearing, "I swear by Allah, it's not my fault. She said if I didn’t open the door, she'd break my head."
Maash remained silent. The guard grew more frantic, repeating his oaths and pleas in one breath. Finally, Maash spoke softly, "Go back to your post."
Although Maash's tone was calm, the guard's mind was not at ease. He felt something might happen. He wanted to continue apologizing until he understood his master's true feelings but saw no opportunity. So, he quietly returned to his post, heart pounding. Ten minutes later, a car horn startled him. He quickly went to see who it was. After opening the small gate and seeing the car owner, he opened the main gate fully. Respectfully, he greeted Hayatu, who entered. Hayatu waved and proceeded into the house. Laalah rushed towards him as if she recognized him, making him smile and pat her head, saying, "Laalah, how are you?" Then he continued inside.
When he greeted at the door, it took nearly a minute for a response and permission to enter. Sarakin was sitting as if nothing bothered him, fully engrossed in his phone. Even when Hayatu entered, he didn’t look up. He acknowledged Hayatu’s greeting without looking away from his phone. Knowing his mood, Hayatu wasn't bothered and continued, "Sir, Alhamdulillah, she's with her now. But there's a problem. She fainted in the car, and they're at the clinic. They've confirmed her blood pressure is dangerously high, requiring urgent care to avoid heart issues. I permitted them to do whatever was necessary."
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