𝔻𝔸𝕃𝕀𝔸ℍ

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦 𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

"Good bye Layla". I entered the car and the driver drove off.

He dropped me off at halima's house. I hadn't seen much of her since we came. She came to check on me twice.

"Afreen, look who came to see you". She cooed at her baby who was turning into her mother more.

I leaned down and gently picked her up. She screeched excitedly and I smiled.

"How are you?". She asked.

"I'm fine". She nodded.

I spent the whole day there and fell more in love with afreen, also she didn't want to leave my arms. Hashim came later to get me. He insisted that afreen looked like her uncle, but she didn't even let him hold her. We left after dinner.

"How was the meeting?". He asked me when we were in the car.

"Uh, it was fine". He glanced at me then back at the road.

"Let's go back home tomorrow". I told him.

"Are you tired of Abuja already?". He teased and I shook my head.

"I just... I don't know". We were both quiet for sometime.

"Won't you go and see him again?". I looked at him.

"Not you too".

"No, I'm just asking". He said with a small laugh.

"I don't want to".

"Okay". He nodded.

"Well, I think we should stay a little longer in Abuja. I need a break from work".

"You really don't like going to work". I looked at him and he smiled.

"Adnan will take care of it before he leaves and I want to spend time with you". I nodded and turned to look out of the window.

When we got back home, I didn't have the energy to climb all those steps, so we went to Hashim's room downstairs instead. I wore his shirt and shorts as pajamas, which was too big, so I folded the waist of the shorts to keep it in place but it was still loose, so I held it and walked to the bed.

"Don't you look stunning". He teased with a smile and I shook my head. I stood in front of the bed and let go of the waist of the shorts and it slipped down my legs.

"It's too big and I can't use a pin, it might prick me".

"You look even better". He reached his hand out for me and I joined him on the bed.

"You'll look even more better without the shirt". I looked at him and laughed.

"I think you'll look better without your shirt". I said straddling him and then wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Let's find out". His voice dropped and he reached out and switched off the lights.

**********

A week later, Baba said he got a call from layla's mother that her dad had passed, I nodded and left after Baba told me. I didn't want it to affect me, I tried to not let it bother me but who was I kidding, this was someone I had looked up to, loved and cherished all my life, well until two weeks ago. So, despite myself, I remembered what Layla said to me and I decided to visit them.

Baba got their address and we went together with Hashim and batool. The house was somewhat full with people going in and out. It wasn't cheerful like the a wedding or naming or birthday as I had attended before, a funeral is different. As I looked at the house, I thought 'he got good money from selling us'.

We made our way inside the house, which was somewhat quiet. I saw Layla and her mother knelt beside his corpse. The mother saw us first, then Layla turned. She stood up and rushed to me, she wrapped her arms around me sobbing and in that moment I forgot the fact that I decided not to have a relationship with them but I already felt a sister bond forming since that day at the café.

I held her in my arms, patting her back as she cried. After a few minutes, I walked to kneel beside his corpse.

"I wonder if you'll get to meet mama at all. But if you do, go down on your knees and seek her forgiveness. I have fasted three because I swore not to forgive you but somehow I have forgiven you, not because of you but because of myself". I said on him and stood up.

Layla glued herself to me throughout our stay there and made me promise I'd visit her before I left for Kaduna. I got her phone number and then we left.

"Are you okay?". Hashim asked me when we walked out.

"I'll be fine". He nodded and kissed my head.

We went back home after and started getting ready to leave. Apparently, Hashim didn't want us to leave yet because he felt like I would prefer to see him one last time and I actually did and I was grateful for him.

////////////

Well, there goes. No more Ibrahim. But as he passed, daliah formed a new relationship with her half sister.

Please vote and tell me what you think. See you later!

Three updates in one night?! I need an applause.