Fighting Fire With Ice (COMPLETE)

Chapter 35: A brother like mine {Edited}

He left them in the room and met Sambo outside, who was now becoming more acquainted with Abdulmaleek. At exactly around 9 daddy arrived and at exactly 9:30 they made preparations to move Abba to his final abode. Even then the house was already full with people.

Then came the hardest part, the time to say goodbye forever. Daddy came to see his son for the last time and made dua for his son's departed soul.

Daddy was making dua and his voice was shaking. Tahira had never seen her father cry, today she did, his voice shook and so did his hands. Who wouldn't cry to the lost of a brother like mine. She thought to herself, and yet she wasn't crying.

When Salahuddeen was taken a few female relatives began to cry loud and they were cautioned to pray or cry in silence instead. Everybody loved Salahuddeen, he was the families favorite. He was taken to his final resting place and was prayed upon. The whole day was coloured in grief and the house was full of people.

***

3 DAYS LATER

Abdulmaleek called Abdulzahir and requested for Zainab's number, he needed to see Tahira, her phone got lost since in Abuja when she fled Abba's room running probably dropping it on the way.

"erm I'm worried about her, she hardly says anything and no one has seen her cry tun ranan da yaya Abba ya rasu" she was hoping he could help. This is the first time she believed she had seen him actually taking things seriously with Tahira, why did he have to be married first.

"ikon Allah, she's bottled it up inside. You never know how one reacts to these things. Allah ya kyauta. Idan tayi kukan kila ta samu sauki, bari dai ta zo mu gani. Tell her i parked a bakin hanya because ba wurin parking gaban gida"

"okay toh" Zainab informed Tahira Abdulmaleek was outside. When she came, he met her outside his car. He didn't want to do anything inappropriate by asking her to join him in his car which was another reason why he wasn't in a tinted car that day.

She wore a very long hijab, what she was wearing underneath was unclear. Underneath her eyes were dark circles like she hadn't been sleeping "Ya jiki?"

"can we please go somewhere else, there's so many people here"

"okay" not that he thought it was a good idea but they drove with no bearing and nothing but silence. He found a place by the road side in gobarau road and parked "ya hakuri?"

"Alhamdulillah" she replied without looking to him. Zainab had told him that Tahira had still not opened up about what happened the night her brother died, she was the last to see him alive. Mommy had asked several time and all she would do was keep quiet. He didn't want to ask, if she wasn't ready to talk about it he didn't want to push her but he had to ask because he thought keeping it all inside might only result in getting her sick. "we were chatting and you told me he was better, Tahira what happened?"

As usual silence was her answer. He took her hand in his, an attempt to get her to talk, she seem unaware of his attempt. So he decided to talk about Abba "He is such a nice person wallahi, kin san har muna maganan da kamal, kin san Air force sunyi mi shi tribute, he was considered a great asset. That he commanded one of the largest wing in the Air Force.. Yet he was so humble, When i met him, I was like lalle Tahira was not exaggerating"

For the first time she made an actual genuine smile, some comfort in her grief, he was glad he could get her to a happy place where she could at least smile that bright. "you never told me you met"

"we weren't really in a good place then...I prayed 2 people away from your dad, har na mishi gaisuwa, his eyes couldn't stay dry."

shes nods and then she smiled again "who wouldn't cry to the lost of a brother like mine?!"