Saving Abba

Chapter 32

  I woke up in a familiar bed, I frowned looking around the room. The blue walls? The Messi signed Barcelona shirt hanging on the wall? What was I doing in England? The townhouse my parents rented whenever they were coming to see me, to be precise. My hand drifted down my body and I sat up instantly when I realised there were no stab wounds. I pulled the shirt up and the skin was smooth, no blood, nothing. I stumbled out of bed towards the mirror, nothing... even the head injury was gone. Nothing was making sense. I looked out the window, when the door opened. I whirled around to see mama walking in with a smile on her face

"What's wrong Abubakar, you look like you've seen a ghost?" She joked

"Am I dead?" I asked her, my voice shaking.

she frowned sitting on the bed, patting the space near her. I approached her cautiously, my mind going to the last time I saw her.

"I'm not going to hurt you Abubakar, besides I am not upset with you anymore. Sit, let's have a little chat" she assured me. I nodded and sat near her. I suddenly felt like a little boy under her gaze. She had a sad smile on her face as she cupped my cheek.

"You've grown so much" she whispered. "I miss you mama" I whispered back as the tears filled my eyes. "We miss you too". I couldn't help but scoff at her words. "Maybe you do but not baba, he hates me." I murmured.

"Now he puts words in my mouth" my head shot up and I gaped at my father who was seated on a chair facing us. "Where did you come from?" I asked. He shrugged "Does it really matter?"

I sighed, my shoulders falling. "It doesn't. Nothing matters anymore. I failed and I'm dead" I muttered looking away. "And who said you failed?" Mama asked. "The judge rejected my application. Yasmin isn't going to be with me. If that isn't failure then I don't know what is."

"What do you think would have happened if you didn't take her home that night?" Baba asked. I frowned shrugging "she would have died or something as bad would have happened to her." "And now what's going to happen to her?" He asked. "She'll get adopted by a family" I replied. "So tell me Abubakar how did you fail? He asked "You saved her from what would have been a miserable existence, that's not a failure, that's far from it."

"let's not forget she also saved you. You were going down the wrong path and she helped you. Just look at you, you've changed so much. You've become the man we always dreamed and prayed you'd become." Mama added smiling.

I thought of all what they said and I still couldn't help the sadness and pain I felt.

"But I wanted her with me."

"Abubakar not everybody who comes into your life is meant to stay, some are just there long enough to teach you the lessons you needed and when they are done, they leave." Mama explained, her hands covering mine. I blinked back the tears not wanting to accept it.

"So I should let her go? I should forget her?" I asked my voice choking up at the end. "Never, never forget her but yes you have to let her go Abubakar." She replied wiping the tear as it fell down my cheek. I looked at baba's hand on her shoulder.

"I miss you two so much" I said staring at them. "We miss you too Abba na" she moved closer me, pulling me into her body. I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her familiar scent of oud and vanilla. "It's time to go back now" she said. I nodded pulling away. Baba placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "I'm... we are proud of you Abubakar. May Allah protect you from all ills."

The room filled with light then everything went dark.

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