Ziyad
"Ameen Ameen. Let me know idan kun iso and I will come get you."
My eyes sting as I open my eyes slowly adjusting to the bright light shining on my face. I look to my side and see Mubarak putting down his phone. He was the one talking.
"What's going on?" I grunt trying to sit up.
"Lay back down." He orders relaxing into the chair.
"Shut up." I say laying back with my hand on my head. That was when I noticed the IV tube on my hand connected to a drip above me.
I faintly hear a salaam and I look towards the voice, it was Amma and from the looks of it she had just finished praying. I didn't even know she was here.
"Bro what happened?" I look at Mubarak again.
"You blacked out and I had to bring your dumb ass to the hospital." He says smacking the back of my head.
"Ayo! My head still hurts. What's wrong with you?" I push my back against the pillow sitting up.
"Muhammad mai ya same ka?" Amma gets up folding the salah mat.
"Daman I was waiting for you to finish praying Amma, bismillah." Mubarak gives his seat to her and he stands by the end of the bed.
"Apparently this fool has not been eating for like a week and his glucose level dropped dangerously low. And to top it all Amma he was working out, without eating!" He emphasizes looking back and forth between Amma and I.
"Amma it's not true, I have been eating protein bars and even fruits." I protest but before I could say anything else, she smacks the back of my head too even harder than Mubarak did.
"You think because you're a grown up now I won't hit you? Is that why you've been avoiding me?" She asks but I groan in response "answer me" she raises her hand again.
"Okay okay! He was not lying am sorry." I hold her hand trying to calm her down. "I was....uhm....dieting."
"You're all skin and bones and you want to diet?" Her eye widened.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I hold her hand even tighter so she doesn't hit me again.
"When will he get discharged?" She asks Mubarak who was evidently enjoying watching me getting hit.
"As soon as this bag finished insha Allah." He walks to where the the fluid bag is and checks it.
"In that case let me get the food. You will finish all this before the fluid finishes or else you will not leave this hospital." I look behind her and see about 4 food flasks.
"Amma four food fl...." She glared at me "....I can't wait." I smile with fake excitement.
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Hidaya
As a graduation gift, yaya decided to give me some money to spend but I couldn't think of a better way to spend it than a family night out. The intention was that all of us go out to a restaurant to eat dinner but mama was hosting a little dinner party for her old friends and Adda was also advised by the doctor not to go out a lot so our only other option was to buy the food and turn it into a movie night. We decided to sleep over at Yaya's house and then return home the following afternoon.
"I think we should do this pink one instead." Yusra points at a picture on my phone. We were deciding on what makeup and hairstyle to do for the sleepover and I showed her different pictures to choose from. Just then I see yaya come out of the pizza place talking on the phone.
"Oya put your seatbelt back on, we will choose more a gida okay?" She does as I say and Yaya comes in.
"Allah yasa kaffara. Insha Allah I'll call you when we get there. Thank you." He says a bit worried bed or ending the call.
"Is everything okay?" I ask as he hands me the pizza boxes.
"Eh Toh Alhamdulillah, A friend of mine was asking me about where to get some of his farming trucks and all that so I remembered that's part of what Ziyad's company does."
I feel my heart sink at the mention of his name.
"...so I called him but someone answers, by the name Mubarak? Said he's his cousin." He narrates.
"Yeah Mubarak is his cousin, what happened?" I ask unable to stay as calm as I wanted to.
"Well he said Ziyad collapsed earlier, I think he was sick or something and they're at the hospital dai as we speak." He checks his phone scrolling.
He collapsed? Ziyad collapsed? Is he okay? What happened to him?
I feel my eyes sting with tears forming but I blink it away.
"Allah ya bashi lafiya." I make a dua.
"Ameen Ameen, he's at the Arowa hospital just down the road from here. I asked if we could come check in and he said okay so we're just gonna stop by the store to get some fruits and then we'll go there. Are you guys okay with that?" He looks at me then at Yusra.
"I like Ziyad, I wanna go see him too." Yusra agrees.
"And you?" He turns to me.
"Uhm...I'm not sure I'm well dressed." I lie, I was in fact okay. I was wearing a grey hoodie over a black skirt and a simple black jersey hijab. I just didn't know how to go in there to see him.
"You look okay to me but if you're not comfortable kawai you can stay in the car, we won't be long." Yaya starts the car.
Oh God.....
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Both Yaya and Yusra get out of the car after we got to the hospital. Yaya made a call to Mubarak to come get them, i on the other hand was still inside the car contemplating whether to go in or not. I ended up following my heart and getting out of the car.
"Let me hold the fruit basket." I take it from Yaya.
"Ko ke fa, it's sunnah to visit the sick you know." He encourages me and I just smile.
"Assalam alaykum!" Mubarak says as he and yaya greet each other.
"Ah, I know you Ai! You came with him to the house last month right?" Yaya asks him.
"Yeah that was me." He laughs.
"Masha Allah, I forgot the name but now that I see you I remember." They greet a bit more.
"Hidaya, how are you?" He asks.
"Alhamdulillah I'm good, ya mai jiki? How is he?" I ask out of courtesy.
"He's doing well alhamdulillah, let's go up." He gestures "Yusra, how are you my dear?" He offers her a handshake and she blushes shyly making us all laugh.
Upon reaching the room, They all go in leaving me outside. The room is filled with greetings everywhere, I hesitate going in until I hear
"Tana Ina?"
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Ziyad
I was almost done with my second plate of food when Amma brought out a big jug of Zobo from the fridge.
"Ahh...Amma hada zobo?" I stare as she pours some into a cup.
"Ziyad kenan. I've noticed how malnourished you have been lately so the second I heard you collapsed I knew it was hunger." She hands it to me and just then, my phone rings but Mubarak answers.
"Bro what are you doing with my phone?" I squint my eyes at him.
"Okay I'm coming now." He hangs up.
I knew it wasn't Noor because she called about five minutes ago asking how I was doing and i couldn't think of anyone else.
"It's Hafiz, he called when you were knocked out and I told him so he said he was nearby and he'd come see you." He stated.
"Ayyah that's very kind of him wallah, Amma he's the person I was telling you about." I smile as Amma made a dua for him blessing him and we all replied with 'Ameen'.
"I'm gonna go get him now, and oh..." he stops with his hand on the door knob "he's not alone." He smiles evilly before walking out.
I stop chewing with my mouth almost full. Please don't tell me he's here with Hidaya. I drop the plate and look at myself. I did look like crap.
I quickly grab a bunch of tissues, cleaning up my face and adjusting my posture while Amma watched with amusement in silence.
A knock came on the door and my heartbeat sped up. Mubarak walks in with Hafiz and Yusra, my face instantly lights up with a smile upon seeing her. We all exchange pleasantries as she sits on the bed by my feet.
"I got this for you." She hands me an orange and Amma goes "Awwww" making me laugh.
"Thank you Yusra, that's so very kind of you." I take it from her tiny hand.
"Hidaya is also here." Mubarak says grabbing my attention and Hafiz asks "Ah, Tana Ina? Why didn't she come in?"
All of our attention goes to the door as she gently walks in with a salaam and we all answer in unison. She kneels to greet Amma but she invites her to sit beside her on the carpet and she does shyly. I found myself also shy looking at the orange in my hand. The room goes silent.
"Hidaya bakiyi ma Ziyad Sannu ba." Hafiz says and I guess it must have been him saying both our names in the same sentence that made our eyes, like magnets, pull towards each other and Wallahi it was as though my heart stopped beating for a moment looking into her eyes.
"Ya jiki? I hope you're feeling better?" She asked, her tone flat making me look down at my hand. It broke my heart.
"Da sauqi alhamdulillah...i.. it wasn't that big of a deal anyway...I mean...yes I didn't eat my and glucose level was a bit low which was kinda dangerous..."
"Ahem." Mubarak nudges me and that was what made me realize how much I was rambling.
"....but I'm okay alhamdulillah." I give a tight lipped smile.
"Masha Allah, Allah ya qara sauqi." She simply says.
"Tohm Mama, we are going to get going insha Allah." Hafiz says getting up.
"Allah sarki Mungode sosai. May Allah reward you for the visit." Amma replies and everyone mutters an 'Ameen'.
"Amma Sai da safe." Hidaya looks to Amma.
"Allah ya miki albarka." Amma puts a hand on her head and she blushes a bit.
"What about me?" Yusra chirps from beside me making everyone laugh.
"Zo mama na..." Amma taps beside her and she quickly occupies the space "...kema Allah ya miki albarka. May he bless all of you." She pinches her cheek and her face lights up with a cute grin.
"Toh let's get going ko?" Hafiz calls and they both stand up.
Mubarak stands up to escort them as we exchange goodbyes and i thank them, Hafiz Yusra and Mubarak were already outside and just before Hidaya stepped out she glanced at me again.
'Thank you' I say softly the words bare audible but she doesn't do anything, not even a smile. She just nods and leaves.