The Other Side Of An Unbroken Mirror

The New CEO - Khalid Foundation

To prepare himself, Jamaal had started a business of his own back in Saudi immediately after his graduation from Almadinah University five years back. Now a consultant in Islamic finance and a tycoon in the business world, he had been contemplating his return to Nigeria when his dad had informed him of his appointment as the new CEO of Khalid Foundation, and that he was to round up everything and return immediately.

But standing there, side-by-side Khalid, watching the hundreds of people whose lives would be shaped by Allah through his every decision, Jamaal cringed in fear, remembering a quote he had once seen somewhere;

“Leadership is a great burden for the one who lives with the knowledge of meeting Allah.”

Na'am, but it was also a means of earning lots of reward, bi-ithniLlah, he debated with a surge of mental boost.

“I think it's beautiful. You have done a great job, dad.” he answered cheerfully despite himself.

Just then, a man approached them. He was an astute looking elderly man with good strides - only few years younger than Khalid. There was a ring of weariness around his eyes that spoke volume of the pressure he was going through but an easy smile that said he didn’t care. Jamaal liked him immediately.

“As-salaam alaykum, the Khalids” he said with a contagious burst of vigour, reaching out for a handshake.

“Wa alaykum salaam wa rahmatullah wa barakaatuh. You must be Mr. Taariq Garuba, the GM of the foundation.” smiled Jamaal, as he shook the hand offered.

“Yes, that me, AlhamduliLlah. You are welcome to Khalid Foundation!”

“He has been given a skeletal briefing. I will trust you to handle the rest from here, in shaa Allah.” informed Khalid as he exchanged handshake with Mr. Taariq.

“Alhamdulillah. I will do just that, in shaa Allah.” Mr. Taariq replied cheerfully and added, “I see it runs in the family. Your son is an impressive young man, sir.”

Khalid laughed heartily, trying hard to hide his weariness, “It is the Rahmah of Allah, Maa shaa Allah. Could you show him around please? I..err have an appointment to keep to.”

“Sure.” Mr. Taariq replied over creased brows that reflected the worry on Jamaal's face.

"I will leave you two then.” Khalid turned towards the car.

“Are you okay, dad? You don't look good?”

“He is right. Perhaps you should differ your appointment to later. I will just call...” Mr. Taariq reached for his phone, scrolling through his contact for Khalid's secretary's number but the man placed a hand on his to stop him.

“I just need a little rest.” Khalid said wearily.

Something about his manner got Jamaal suspicious and worried.

"Okay, please go on, I will take care of him.” Mr. Taariq said.

He smiled thankfully, rushed into the back seat and ordered Umar, the family driver to start the car.

As Jamaal watched the car disappear, a nagging feeling that something was wrong gnawed at him, but the voice of Mr. Taariq interrupted him before he could analyse further.

Jamaal listened attentively to the man’s highlighted overview of the company’s goals, objectives and modus operandi. He allowed himself to be shown around, nodding in acknowledgement and sometimes in greetings to the very busy employees. The news of his arrival must have reached the subsidiaries, for the entire foundation was set in a frenzy of activities, he thought.

As he patiently followed Mr. Taariq around the different sections of the farms, warehouses, the school premises and finally, the administrative buildings, he found himself appreciating his father more. The entire foundation was the size of a small village. It took almost the entire day - excluding prayer times - to complete the survey. It was almost salaatul-magrib when they were done. He was too exhausted to think straight. He scheduled a meeting with the department heads for 10am the following day before heading home.

Home...

He marveled at how different and strange it felt to be in Nigeria again. As much as he had anticipated returning to his homeland, he had felt momentary reluctance at the prospect of leaving Saudi; 12 years was a long time.

Yet the moment he had stepped into Nigeria soil, a surging sense of belonging had overwhelmed him. He hadn’t realized how much he missed his homeland until then. His journey home had been a refreshing one; almost like a tour in a strange land.

Uniting with his family again after so long, especially his cute talkative sister had been the most pleasurable of his experiences. He felt strangely excited, looking eagerly forward to what ever Allah threw his way.

It was simply good to be back and he couldn't help but wonder why his heart kept racing in anticipation...

Glossary of New Arabic words

Ahadith - plural form of hadith

sadaqat-ul-jaariya - the reward of a charity that continued to read even after one's death.
Na'm - yes/okay
Bi-ithniLlah - if Allah permits
AlhamduliLlah - All praises belongs to Allah
Maa shaa Allah - Allah has willed it
Rahmah - Mercy
Salaatul-magrib - the forth daily prayers of the Muslim.

Author's Note

Beloved readers, how are you finding the story? Are you excited, bored, indifferent? Please leave your comments on the most exciting or boring parts so as to help me work better. Don't forget to vote, comment and share!

BarakaAllahu feekum.