Sadiya |✓

Chapter Thirty-Six

Enjoy!

KANO, NIGERIA.

"Doctor, how is he?"

He shook his head, "For now, we can't say. It turns out the stage of his Coronary artery disease is chronic; that is, it's more serious than we had thought. He had a heart attack from the shock and that caused him to pass out because his heart couldn't take it." The doctor sighed, "For that, we have to keep him under admission for some time to monitor his health. But there's something that you'd want to know. I'm sorry to say but he doesn't have much time."

Omais sharply inhaled, it took everything in him not to breakdown. "You mean... he does not have much time to live?" Of course he knew that was what had been said.

The Doctor nodded, "Yes. Am sorry. I have to go now, another patient of mine needs to undergo surgery," he sympathetically patted him on the shoulder then left.

Omais was still shocked. It wasn't long he forgave his father and now, this? Was it all a test from Allah? Wait... should he tell Sadiya, or...

To hell with grudges, he was going to inform her whether or not she liked because she had the right to know. He was still their father despite the circumstances. He picked his phone and sat in the waiting room. Nur was probably outside, he wasn't sure. "Hello?" She finally picked.

"Assalam Alaikum, Yaya?" Came her tired voice.

"Sadiya. Ya kike? [how are you?]" He needed to get this over and done with.

She answered positively before returning the question. "Am fine?" It was more of a question. "Are you okay?" Sadiya asked from the other side because she noticed her brother's tone was not one to call happy or normal. Omais sighed. "To be honest, am not." Now she was worried.

"Why? What happened? Don't tell me Safeenah broke up with you." She was literally yelling.

He winced. "God, No. Why would you say that? Allah Ya raba [God forbid]!" She massaged her temple in relief. "Then what happened?"

***
After hours of convincing and explaining everything to his strong-headed sister, she said, "Am only doing this for you," sharply.

Omais groaned, "you've repeated this line for the past two hours and am beginning to think that that's the only thing you learnt in school." He taunted her jokingly.

"Oh come on. It's only been... forty-three minutes and not two hours, PLEASE! And by the way, am going to have to think about it before giving you a feedback cause I'm not taking anymore chances. He has done enough and maybe that's just him paying for all he's done. TO THE THREE OF US, INCLUDING YOU!" She emphasized on the last part.

'What's with this girl and yelling, today?' He wondered in his mind.

"Fine. Take all the time you need, or maybe not all. Just don't take too long to 'think'." They talked some more before she hung up with the excuse of the need to get ready for work. Night-shifts were just not for her!

Omais called Nur and explained everything to him too before the brothers headed to the hospital's Mosque to pray Isha. Nur insisted on staying with Alhaji Muhammad for the night while Omais went home after a lot of convincement.

As soon as he entered the large living-room -uncoincidentally- the sight that caught his vision was that of his father's wife; Nailah, on one of the couches, legs crossed with a remote control beside her. A fashion magazine was in her hold and the only sound that could be heard was that of the television.