Fighting Fire With Ice (COMPLETE)

Chapter 35: A brother like mine {Edited}

'The next few minutes are gold, don't waste it being angry with your ill brother'

She woke up abruptly, like she had done for the third time after fainting for that exact number of times.
She was in a hospital and it was morning, Anty Salaha was with her in the hospital "Yaya Abba?" as usual the first words out of her mouth

Anty Salaha who was sitting close to her so she won't attempt to rip open another cannula "haba Tahira sai kace ba musulma ba, wani hali kike so ki sa iyayen ki? Ki rika tawakkali mana, ba Salati sai yaya Abba? Kabarin ku daya ne?"

It was nothing she hadn't heard before, but she didn't know how to control the blackouts maybe it was hospitals that were depressing her. Abdulmaleek went to the station to refuel and came to the hospital to check on Tahira, Salahuddeen would be buried by 10am and it was just 7am. He knocked on the door and came in, he greeted Anty Salaha and asked how Tahira was feeling. She didn't really know who he was but she had been seeing him since in Abuja, she was relieved to see him because she needed to be excused but there was no way she could leave Tahira Alone.

As awkward as it was for him to be around her family he just kept telling himself if he had to explain, he'll just pose as Salahuddeen's friend.

Tahira just laid there, she didn't even notice his presence let alone acknowledge it, she wasn't crying, she just looked so ..sad.

Sitting next to her, he attempts to hold her hand and she flinched immediately looking at him like she was only just realizing she wasn't alone. "heyy! I'm sorry i didn't mean to startle you"

She didn't move, or attempt to reply him she just watched him in full concentration.

"I want to go home,i want to see him kafin a kai shi" she finally muttered.

"I don't think its such a good idea"

"I'm alright.." she said plainly like she wasn't in a hospital "please I would regret it for the rest of my life if I don't"

Zainab came in, after they greeted she confirmed that she was just coming from Tahira's house where she was directed there. Zainab's eyes were swollen from crying the night before.

"she wants to go back before a kai shi ne. Amma kuma i met her Aunt here"  he told Zainab

"naje ana mishi wanka kam, toh muje mana kawai mu kai ta, naga kaman she's better" she went to stand in Tahira's front "Tee? Ya jiki"

Tahira made a very very short smile for the first time. Not a smile that said 'I'm better' but it was a start.

After Zainab called mommy, mommy called Anty Salaha and told her, they took her back home to see her brother

When they entered where Abba was, Uncle Moh was inside, Mommy, and two other men all making dua. They all seem to have cried at some point, but a young gentle man by the side was still crying. Zainab and Abdulmaleek greeted the people they met. Tahira sat next to Mommy who was making dua for Abba. He was wrapped in clean white cloth only his face was left open. His face was smiling, he looked so much fairer than he was, even though there were bruises from the accident on his face but he looked like someone who was just sleeping. Which made Tahira to call out his name "yaya Abba"

Everybody looked at her but nobody said a word.

Zainab began to tear up seeing him like that and eventually left unable to sit there and watch his dead body. Mommy was also wiping off her tear with a tissue from time to time. Abdulmaleek noticed that maybe the only people who didn't cry in that room were him, probably because it takes more than a lot to get him to cry, not to mention he wasn't that close to Abba and then Tahira who hadn't shed a single tear since the lost of her brother.