Endless Summer🌞

31: The trip to Makkah.

After the seven tawafs around ka'abah, the two raka'ats near Maqam-I-Ibrahim, drinking of zamzam water, Sa'iy or the seven runs between safa and marwa and finally the hair cut, the family decided to busy themselves in the masjid until after isha prayer before heading out to their intended businesses.

Habib and Hameeda after hearing about the family trip also took the earliest flight to Saudi even though Hanan and Hanifa had to bug Maama to call Hameeda's parents and ask for their permission to let Hameeda be part of the trip.

After isha, the elders headed back to the hotel to rest since they were staying for about a week unlike Muhsin and the rest that were flying to Bali the day after. The men and women separated as well, with the women going to the mall while the men found it necessary to fill their tummies first.

"Do you think Ummi will like this?" Hanan asked Huda, pulling a V-necked black abaya with pearls around the neckline and the edge of the sleeves.

Huda scanned the abaya for a short while, before she shook her head. "Ummi doesn't like V-necks and she'd prefer ash to black. I think you should change that." She responded and Hanan nodded, muttering a thanks.

She hung back the abaya, going through the gazillions placed on the rail. A minute later, she found one that fitted Huda's description on Ummi's preference. She took it along with the black one which she intended to give to Maama and two other ones for herself before advancing to the kids section. There, she got a few items for Iman and Aiman, then proceeded to the men section to buy thawbs for Abi and Muhsin.

Minutes later, she stood on the payment queue with her basket stuffed with items. The other girls were all done shopping and were waiting for her and Hanifa to round up before they head out to their next stop.

"Hanan Shafiq" Hanifa called from behind her. She twirled around only to see Hanifa pushing two carts crammed with items in which most of them looked superfluous to Hanan.

"What the tomatoes Hanifa! What are all that?" Hanan asked, her jaw dropping.

Hanifa gave her a toothy grin, adjusting the veil of her black abaya. "Exactly what you are seeing. Hanan, I am so stressed, I didn't know what to get for Maama and Janan. And him too, so I picked a few things for them. Help me check them out, I mean if they will like it." Her lips pressed into a thin line. She was damn serious and hell bent at gifting the Shafiqs all that.

Hanan buried her mouth in her palm to minimize the sound of her laughter. She didn't want to draw people's attention to her and her crazy best friend.

"Wallahi Hany something is wrong with you up there. I mean how on earth will you buy all that for Maama and Janan? And if you were referring to Ya Sameer by him, then oh Lord, Hanifa you are officially a savage." Hanan's hand rose back to her mouth, trying her hardest to swallow back her laughter.

Hanifa rolled her eyes at that. "Hanan do you know that sometimes you are annoying and mean and wicked and irritating and.."

"And stupid and silly and useless. I know, I know. You told me that countless of times that the line is already stuck in my brain." Hanan chuckled.

"Thank goodness you are that smart." Hanifa nodded. "Now can we be serious for a minute?" Hanifa uttered with a small pout.

Hanan bit the inner flesh of her cheeks to restrain her laughter. She cleared her throat, veiling a giggle that threatened to stumble out of her mouth.