LOST IDENTITY

Chapter One

Tasneem

I woke up to the sound of  rain falling on the roofs and pelting the windows. I was having a very beautiful dream before the sound woke me up.  I muttered some du'as,   drawing the bedsheet I used as a duvet high up my torso before going back to sleep.  'Tomorrow  is going to be a great day in shaa Allah'.  I mumbled inwardly. Wishing  that for once my wish will be fulfilled.

Umma woke me up to pray subh as early as 5:15am immediately  after the first call for  prayer had been made by the mu'adhin.

"Tasneem wake up!  It's  time  for salah and don't forget to make breakfast for your siblings. " she said tapping me.
I'm the exact replica of my momma's features.  You can mistaken us for twins if not because of  the age barrier  and height.  My mom is a great woman.  Dark in complexion with a raven black hair cascading down her shoulders. She is kind and very strict  when it comes to disciplining us according to the dictates of islam.  Umma  and Abba  often fight over the way she handles us with an iron fist.  I don't blame her though, it's  better this way. I only wish that she treats me differently  with love and appreciate me whenever  I do something  good.  She's the third among  8 children and the best of them all according to my grandpa who never cease to praise her.  She was named after her maternal grandma Fatima but everyone  call her Binta. 

"Tasneem are you awake?  Do you want me to pour a bucket  full of water on you before you wake up? " Umma shouted from the living room.  She probably  had finished saying her raka'atanul fajr while am still stretching  on bed thinking about her.

" Yes ma " I called out getting  out of bed.  I could  swear that I heard her mumbling something about me being  a heavy sleeper with no regards for the importance  of praying  on time.  She always complain about everything  I do no matter how perfect I did it.  It still hurts me but I'm  used to  the pain.

After saying  my prayer  and azhkar I went to Abba's room  to greet him.

"Assalamu alaikum.  Good morning  Abba " I squatted by the side of the bed where  he laid his prayer carpet with prayer  beads in his hands probably  saying the istighfar.

He smiled warmly at  me " Morning Tasneem.  How was your night? " he asked adjusting his eye glasses.

"I am fine Abba.  Hope your headache have subsided? " I enquired looking at him with so much love and adoration in my eyes.  He is a very hardworking  man with heart of gold. My knight in shining Babban riga.  He has always been there to comfort me whenever Umma makes me cry.  He gives  selflessly and is always available  to serve humanity.  He is Alhaji Marwan Abdulmajid.  An only child to my late grandparents  who passed away in a tragic car accident.  He takes care of his relatives like his blood  siblings which makes him dear to them. He is a business man.
"I'm  much better Tasneem.  When are  you resuming school? " he replied with another infectious smile.  I'd  love to nickname my father a smiler if only Umma will let me.

"In two weeks Abba" I replied  and he nodded which  brought  an end to our usual morning conversation before sauntering off to the kitchen to prepare  breakfast  and lunch for  my  three siblings Adeel who's in Jss2 and my immediate,  Zaheera who's in Primary 6 and our last born  Nawal who is in Nursery one. I am not much of a talker, you can call me an introvert so I hardly associate  with my siblings. They are afraid  to ask me for help with their assignment.

My name is Tasneem Marwan.  I am 14years old and in Ss1. My mother insisted that I should go to a boarding school. After my junior NECO,  I got admission in FGGC Bauchi. I learnt how to cook since when I was eleven years old and I can now call myself a professional  when it comes to making delicious meals both local and foreign all thanks to my very strict mother.