Noorur-rahman

Home Again

When Noor reached the airport that morning, her flight ticket were already booked by her abbah the previous night. The driver who picked her from Maman Naana's place was one of the airport workers and in charge of making sure she boarded her flight without any issue. The man told her he used to work for her father before he decided to come back to his hometown to settle there. The middle age man even bought her breakfast, which she of course didn't eat.

She flight was steady, but slept throughout. When they finally landed at Abuja, Isma'il was already waiting for her there.

"Noorie!" He waves at the gloomy looking creature in form of his beloved. True, Noorur-rahman is not always smiling, but he knows a depressed one when he sees one. Seeing her that distraught, Isma'il inwardly pray nothing bad has happened with her.

Very early that morning, his uncle has given him Noor's flight details, for him to pick her. Isma'il could only wonder why that early, and because Noor was supposed to stay with her mother a bit longer than nineteen days. Yes, he's counting, he made a calendar, which is rather funny.  Regardless, he's surprise that she's coming back alone. Indeed, Noor is a big girl and can handle a lot of things by herself. Still, now that she appeared like that, looking as if she hasn't been sleeping for days. His heart weigh over the unknown. Somehow, she agreed to going there after talking with him, he remembered. He loves to believe he have even a bit of influences toward. Though, the image before him is threatening his achievement. 

"Good morning!" He greeted as they come close to each other. He collected the suitcase she's lazily pushing beside her. Noor smiled, greeting him back. She briefly closed her eyes taking in the fresh morning breeze of Abuja. Even her lungs can feel it, she is home! She smiled again following Isma'il to his car.

"No work today?" Noor asked after a long silent, since they left the airport. Isma'il has always been a quiet guy, but now she can't tell something is off with him. But he talks to her even when she doesn't want to.

"There is, but I have to welcome you." She nods and yawned at once. "You must be sleepy."

"Yeah, didn't have much of a good sleep there." She replied, remembering the bed she's glad she left behind. Though, Isma'il wanted to ask what she means by not having good sleep. He let it be when he look to see her eyes already closed.

By the time they finally reached home, Noorur-rahman was fast asleep. She's  looking peaceful which makes Isma'il have hard time waking her up.

"What's it?" The happy face of happy Jamila shows up at the parking lot, when they take too long to come inside the house, after she saw their arrival from her room window. She felt the need to come and check.

"She's sleeping!" He pointed at the passenger's seat smiling.

"Wow, she's looking too peaceful. That's  why you couldn't wake her."

"Yes, and she's looking very tired before she fell asleep."

"Well, she need a bed then." Aunty Jamila smiled gently poking Noor's shoulder to wake her.

"Naana don't do that. " Noor said in her sleep shaving the finger that's poking her.

"Noor!

"Uhhhh, leave me alone!" She groans still sleeping. Her mind was still there in the room she left hours ago, talking to her sister. Perhaps, she brought home a piece of memory from there. And the only good one with a name.

"What are you looking at?" She grimaced,   rubbing her eyes as she examine her surrounding. Their gaze was too much that she couldn't continue to sleep.

Home! Her mind registered. Few days back, somewhere deep inside her heart, she thought she might never be here again. Now that she's staring at the front porch, her heart wants to jump out due to excitement. But then, on both her sides is her abbah's wife and Isma'il and their faces pouring into hers. Noor can't help but wonder what's so special about her sleeping figure that these people are having that wowed face. Or maybe, she was looking that bad to have surprise them.