"Dude, it takes you forever to invite me here. Did you tell them I'm sleeping over?" Nadia asked with poker face, then her brows rose questioninly.
"You're sleeping here?" And Noor was surprise but glad. Maybe she needs someone to talk to.
"Yes dude, I was literally dying of loneliness in that house!" She added dramatically removing her scarlet red abaya which reveals the faded jean and white top she wore beneath it.
"Woo! What happened to your dozen siblings?"
"Ask about me it! They don't have a minutes to spare for me, it is like they all conspired to stay away from me. I thinking they don't like me, Noor." She said dejected, throwing herself on the bed and Noor sat next to her, analyzing her claim.
"Maybe they do." Noor said, mimicking her earliest poker face. "Things like that takes time, you came from another continent, so it's new to them."
"I missed my mom!" Nadia cries.
"Buy a ticket and go home."
"I thought so too, but school is resuming next week. I came here for my dad but I only saw him thrice since this break started. Mom already told me that he is a busy man, and I won't get what I want." The bubbly Nadia look like a sad little girl and it's making Noor concern, its worries her how simple things as talking to a parent becomes this hard. Wasn't it supposed to be easy between parents and children? Noor wonders.
"What's it that you want?" Noorur-rahman asked curiously after a while, now wondering maybe she had wanted the same thing from her birth mother when she went to meet her.
"I just want to spend some time with him, but he is never around, the only thing I get is more zeroes to my bank balance, as if I'm so poor and I came for the money. I missed those moments he comes to visit me back at home, at least then we spent some days together." Noor only smiled finding no relation to her own case, her birth mother paid zero attention, she never visit or care. It's a lost case. She's given up on her.
"Well, there you have it, girl. Your dad cares about you, at least he remembers you, even sent you money, and you said he used to visit you in the Britain. If I were you I will enjoy those zeroes in my bank balance and wait for him to come around. The man is a busy man, my dear." Noorur-rahman concluded making Nadia to scowl at her.
"It's so easy for you to said because you don't know how it feels like. You have grow up with your parents, your dad even drop you to school, my dad never did that for me." Yes, abbah dropping her to school used to be part of their daily routine. Perhaps, to Noorur-rahman, that's nothing out of the ordinary.
"You sound like an elementary school girl, Nad. Look, life isn't always sun and rainbow. Don't expect your dad to stay at home for you, just because you came from across the globe
"Oh dear, your mom is all over you and your dad is giving you the egg treatment. Noor, I'm just telling my problem and I just need someone to understand me." She added sadly feeling as if Noor doesn't care about her problem and she's her closest friend at the moment, not even her half siblings are giving her the time of day."
"Let go outside, the garden is pleasant." Noor suggested with smile
"Huh, I want everything pleasant right now." The two exit the room with Nadia holding her abaya in her arms, in case she needs to cover up. She's telling Noor how depressing it's to live in her father's house when they collided with Aunt Jamila in hallway.
"Is that your friend, Noorur-rahman?"
"Yes, Nadia." She simply replied as Nadia goes for a handshake with Jamila.
"Have a good evening, dear!" Aunty Jamila said after they exchanged pleasantries.
"Thank you, ma'am."
"I will be in the kitchen, if you need anything." Noor only nodded with a smile.
"I like your mom!"
"She's not my mom, Nadia." Noor corrected. "Welcome to my personal space. I spent most of my evenings here."
"The nice lady?" She asked with her brows almost touching each other and not paying much attention to what Noor is showing her. The beautiful scenery of the background that she turned into a beautiful garden. It's always been the best place to relax. They both sat on the swing as Nadia finally grasp her surrounding. "It beautiful, Noor! And don't tell me it's your handy work."
"It is, I used to be alone most of the time, so I took interest in growing plant." The slanting rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tinge to the sky. The flowing breeze caressing their tender skin was enough to make them let go, but some emotion are just too thick to let them flow with the air.
"She's not your mom?"
"Yes, she's abbah's wife. They got married a year ago, I was not happy but it happened."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know she isn't your mom!"
"It's okay, I didn't tell you. Neither of your parents abandoned you, Nads. My birth mother did, she never cares or visit. And for seventeen years I didn't know what she looks like. Few month back, I went to visit because I have always been so curious, but nothing came out of it. So I'm not a lucky girl that has it all, Nadia. I only have a father."
Nadia engulfed her into a hug, "forgive me please, roomie." And she's sorry, because even though she hardly sees her father, he manage to stay in touch with her, she have known her father all her life.
"I don't want pity, Nad!" Noor warned with a scowl as she struggle to free herself from her friend clutches.
"I know, I'm not taking pity on you, friend. I was rude to you."
"You're talking to a rude person, Nadia." She had a smirk on her face while Nadia gives a knowing look.
"We spent the last three months together, Noor. So I know how rude you are."
"Girls, I made popcorn, do you want some?" Aunty Jamila asked, poking her head from the kitchen back door with a smile on her face.
"It will be our pleasure, Ma'am. I will come and get it." Nadia reply almost quickly with the same enthusiast as Jamila. And the next minutes she's running to the kitchen. "Hey your stepmom is nice!" She reassured her again after coming back from the kitchen with big bowl of popcorn coated in powdered milk.
"Do you want her to adopt you."
"C'mon Noor, I'm just saying what I saw. I have two stepmoms at home that I always remind of my name. They all assumed I'm here for the money."
Noor smiled putting a popcorn in her mouth, Nadia's family seems interested to her. "You just have to bear with them, Nad. Changes like that are hard to grasp, especially when wealth is at the center. That's why I said you should enjoy your father's money. If your dad is not retiring anytime soon, forget about spending time with him."
"That's not helping, Noorie!" She grimaced munching on her popcorn.
"But that's the truth, I used to be so mean, but now I'm being frank. Nadia, the big part of growing up is accepting the reality and what it entails. We can't assumed things and expect to have them as we have plan." They drop the family drama and talk about random stuff and making jokes. The two are therapeutic to another and becomes another joyful evening for Noorur-rahman after her journey from Kaduna. Ikhlas wedding will stay in her mind for years to comes.
.....
The day after Nadia has left, she left Noor thinking too much about her and her strong desire to have time with her father. Noor briefly stares at her father next to her on the living room sofa and led her head on his shoulder. That's something Nadia desperately want that she crossed continent for, only to have her bubbles shattered.
"Abbah!"
"My kitten." He smile as he briefly stare at her.
"I love you soo much!"
"Oh kitty, you're my precious one." He smiled patting her head, this is one of those days that neither Aunt Jamila nor Isma'il stays in the living room with them. The two have learned to give the father and daughter their personal space, they after all have each other for the longest and neither of them is ready to change that.
"Abbah, I love you more!" She declared once again as she smooth his hand at the same moment he feels wetness of her eyes on his shoulder."
"What's it, dear." He asked raising her head from where it lays, the concern was evident in eyes. Too many unspoken emotion apparent in her eyes. He wish she could tell him event the things that'll make him sad.
"Nothing, I just love you for being the coolest dad ever."
He chuckles, "then what is making you cry?"
"I'm not sad," she smile and place her head back on his shoulder. "Abbah, you're a very busy man too, but at the end of the day you always have time for me. Thank you, abbah. Thank you for being my parent!" She's overwhelming him too, so without any word abbah only stroke her head gently.
"I'm glad you're my daughter."
"Abbah, some relationship are hard to maintain, right?"
"Exactly, my dear. Why do you asked?"
"My friend, Nadia.... "
"The one that's here?" He interrupted, already finding interest in what his daughter is about to tell him.
"Yes, her. She can from London just to have some moment with her father. But he's too busy. She said that she eagerly wanted for her secondary school days to be over just to be here. It's her biggest dream, paapi." Noor added sadly.
"Everyone in this life will have their own share of challenge. Parents are human too, while doing what they thought is best for their kids, they make some mistake in the process. Nadia's father might be so busy because he want to give his family the best of everything. Your friend just came, so she will get used to the idea and one day she may have her dreams come true, it will be a glad tiding for her hopely." Abbah concluded with a sigh.
"In sha Allah, and I told her to enjoy what have at the moment."
"You did well, Noorur-rahman."
"Thank you!" She smiled like a child before her asked a question that makes her giggling.
"Tell me, what's your own big dream." And he prays it has nothing to do with her mother, because that will break his heart all over again, because it's obvious to him that Nafisa doesn't care about their daughter.
"It's not what you are thinking about, abbah." She said knowingly, she'd never had a dream that has to do with her birth mother. "My biggest dream has been fulfilled by The Almighty Allah, Himself. He knew my biggest dream was to be your daughter, so He made me one. I just want to be your daughter, paapi!" And she wasn't joking about any of that. Ever since she was a child she want nothing more than being her father's daughter. Noor knew she's lying to herself, she will always look for happiness through the eyes of her beloved father.
Abbah laughs, though his laughter was only to do away with his tears. He's so afraid for the day he will leave Noor to go back to His Lord. What if that day come too soon, what will become of his strong yet very fragile daughter? He have always thought about that. He knew his daughter and he knew he is her dream, but now that she has said, it scares him a lot.
"Noorie.... "
"Abbah, don't say anything, okay." She interrupted, because the last things she needed is to spoil her night.
"I named you Noorur-rahman, because you're my biggest dream, Noor. I asked Allah to give me a beautiful dream, and he gave me you."
"Abbah!"
"Yes, so it's not your dream alone. It's our dream."