ALONE✅

2

I walked into the house saying my supplication and realized it was quiet. No, scratch that, deadly quiet.

Why is it quiet? I thought.

Our house isn't used to be buzzling with people in and out as we are the only four living here, apart from the house helps. My parent and I and our aunt who moved in with us when she got divorced.

I walked further into the house wondering why it is so quiet.

"Aunt' I called out heading straight to her room

"Aunt" i called out again this time louder but it was still quiet. Where are the house help then?

I quickly looked for my phone in my bag to call my aunt. I brought it out and realized it was turned off. I forgot to turn it on after school.

After turning it on, my phone started beeping with load and loads of messages and all from two people my aunt and father.

I opened the first message from my aunt which reads "Yusrah darling we are at NISA hospital please come fast and don't panic"

"Ohh well Aunt, you don't tell someone you're in the hospital if you don't want him to panic" I spoke out my thoughts as I headed downstairs.

My phone immediately rang and I looked at the caller ID before picking

"Minal"

"Yusyus, how are you? "

"I am fine but I'm afraid this is not the right time to have our long conversations. I am going to the hospital, I will talk to you later"

"Hospital? Hope all is well? Minal asked

"Yes all is well hopefully. I will call you later"

"Alright then. Be safe"

I quickly walk out of the house and called our driver mallam bilya. We hopped into the car and he started the ignition before we drove off .

I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat until Mallam bilya said "We are here"

"Thank you" I quickly said and went out not waiting for his reply. I rushed into the hospital and saw my aunt sitting down with her head in her hands. I ran to her and side hug her

"Aunt is everything okay? When I pulled away, I saw her red and puffy eyes

"What i...sss it ? I asked moving back

"Please tell me" I asked again as she regarded me with sympathy

"Aunt say something, talk to me"

"Where is Baba? I questioned looking around

"Princess" Our eyes met and he spread his arms

"Baba"  I ran to him and hugged him.

"Baba you got me worried sick" I said now on the verge of tears

"It's okay.I am here now"

I looked up to him "But baba if you are okay then why are you both in the hosp-

"Mr Saif" The doctor said coming out of from the operation unit and cutting my sentence.

"We lost her" He had said in a broken voice to my father and turned to me" I am so sorry for your loss" He hesitated a bit before finally muttering another sorry and walked away.

Loss? What loss? I turned to ask my father what loss only to find him on the floor weeping.

I quickly knelt to his side and held him by the side "Baba what's wrong? Who died?

Instead of answering me he kept saying
"Innalillahi wa'innailaihir rajiun. May Allah forgive you Halima, May Allah forgive you"

"Halima? I questioned aloud "Halima?

I stood up from the kneeling position I was in and looked over to my aunt who was down from the chair she was sitting to wailing on the floor.

Are they crying for my mom? Is she dead? Is she not breathing? Or is it a joke?

I looked back to the room the doctor initially came out of, waiting for him to tell us he's joking or he made a mistake or he mistook my mother for someone else.

But the door was still, the hallway was quiet except for my families cries and my mother was laying somewhere, with her eyes closed and her heart stopped.

Everything rushed back to me and I was staggering back. I remembered how one of my classmate lost her mom and everything hasn't been easy for her from that day. Does it mean my life would be miserable too? I only had the two of them and now she's gone.

My mother, my sweet sweet mother. With her kind heart and beautiful smile, with her softness, gentleness and beauty. My sweet mother who's now dead, who's now gone.

There are moments in our lives that only feels surreal to us. Moments that we couldn't believe what we are hearing about others is what is happening to us. Moments that stays firm, imprint itself on our hearts even when all we want is to scrape it off.

Moments when even if all your life you've spent it chasing the light, you finally succumb to darkness.