Jidderh (On Going)

chapter 25

"Who could that be? I just want to be alone," I managed to say as I looked up, and to my surprise, it was ya Umar...

I was shocked and surprised when he suddenly knew I was here. I quickly stood up and wiped away my tears with the back of my palm.

"Good evening, sir," I managed to utter.

"You don't have to pretend you weren't crying. I've been here for over 5 minutes, watching you cry," Umar said as he sat on the chair in the backyard.

"I'm not crying, sir," I said with my head bowed...

"Please, stop calling me sir. Just call me Umar," he said, his gaze fixed on me.

"Okay," I uttered, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Sit down, please," he said, pointing to the space next to him.

I sat down, still feeling slightly uncomfortable, hoping that no one would see us.

"Jidderh, I know the way Nafeesa spoke to you was so embarrassing, and I genuinely felt sorry about it. That's why I had to come look for you. But please, I wouldn't want you to feel bad or take Nafeesa's words to heart. Just see it as her behavior, okay?" he confessed....

"Okay, no problem," I said, feeling a bit relieved.

"And I don't want you to think I'm begging on Nafeesa's behalf. No way. I just don't want you to take her words too seriously," he said, giving me a smile.

"Okay," I replied, managing a smile.

"Wow, you have a cute smile," he said.

I couldn't help but blush at his compliment.

"If you don't mind, can we be friends?" he asked, staring deeply into my eyes.

I squeezed my lips, smiling at the thought of him being so nice....

Umar is different from all of them, not like Mr. Arrogant. They are all different from each other, although they may look like twins.

"Are we good?" he said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, my bad. Yeah, we can be friends," I said, appreciating his kindness.

"Okay, so tell me more about you," he stated.

"I don't think it's necessary, ya Umar," I blurted out.

"What are friends for? Friends can't hide things from each other. Friends deserve to know more about each other," he confessed...

Feeling a pang of embarrassment for the way I had initially spoken to him,

I turned to face him and began to open up about everything I had been through – the loss of my family, my struggles with Aunty Maryam, and the events that had brought me to this moment. Finished, tears welled in my eyes.

I could see sympathy in his gaze. "You've been through a lot at such a young age. I'm truly sorry for everything you've endured. But remember, where there's life, there's hope. Endure, and one day this will all be a distant memory," he reassured me.

"Yes, you're right," I said, wiping away my tears with my thumb.

"I lost my parents when I was six. baba took me in and treated me like his own son, but the pain of losing them still lingers. I miss them every day," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I pray that Allah grants them Jannatul Firdaus," I offered.

"If you want to move forward, don't dwell in the past, okay?" he advised kindly.

"Insha Allah, I will," I replied.

"Stay happy, and don't mind Nafeesa," he interjected.

And so, we continued in lively conversation, discussing everything and anything. I got to know more about him, and I told him about my dreams and everything else. I felt safe being with him, and before we knew it, we had exchanged numbers.....