*****
Life is indeed not a bed of roses, neither it is a cup of tea. Precisely, life is a bunch of nightmare, which she desperately wants to wake up from. She just wish she could open her eyes and find out her whole life is a dream. She wish she has a button she could press to erase all the terrible things she'd gone through. But sadly there isn't, this is how her life is destined to be. This is how Allah had planned her life and nothing or no one could change it.
Maryam I know I'm leaving, and by Allah it hurts me to leave you in this cruel and timorous dunya. But I want you to know that life isn't something I plan, you plan or anyone plans but something that Allah plans.
Her mother's voice echoed in her head. She winced at it, like it had slap her.
Life is so unfair! Taking the only one person you have is unfair!!
She looked at the door motionless, the old rusty and almost out of place door of her room. Another round of five minutes pass with her looking at the door emotionless and thinking about how terribly messed up her life is. Finally composing herself, she went for the door. She effortly opened it using the logic she had which is placing one hand on the lower part and the other on the higher to push it backward at the same time. She opened it with it yielding a kiiiiiiiiiiiiii sound.
She pushed it wide revealing the room, nothing changed. From the little black viva bag which has her little pairs of clothes at the farrest corner,to the worn out mat that is folded and placed neatly on the door, to the piece of broken furniture that were once her mother's chair.
She salamed and entered the room and closed back the door with great difficulty. She moved to the farrest corner right beside her bag of clothes and sat down, she brought her legs and held them firmly against her chest.
Resting her chin on her knees, she began to think about life. It is so confusing the way someone gets tortured without knowing the reason. She had never knew the reason why Inna Saude despises her and her mother, to the extent that she wants them dead. She kept searching her brain for anything, any answers at all to her questions, but her brain didn't come up with any, the frustration was making her insane.
She tugged her curls aggressively removing her headgear in the process. She kept tugging as if it will distinguish her answers . But it didn't and it's all making her mad, angry, depressed and frustrated.
She turned to the wall behind her and started hitting her forehead on it unceasingly . She ignored the pain that resonates her head, life was really making her mad.
Have faith in Allah because that is the only thing that could lead you to a good ending.
She remembered her mother's words. They were just like a guide to her, calling to her whenever she's following the wrong path. She stopped to massage her aching temple.
.. Allah (SWT) himself says 'Ask me and I shall answer you ', and this is one of the times when Allah is the only one that could help her. She went out and performed wuduu, she spread some of her clothes on the floor facing the qibla as the praying mat.
Then she prayed, she purred her heart out to As-sami'u (the all hearing), she prayed in her sujood, asking Allah to guide her through the right path, to unveal the reason behind every torture and misery she went through, to bring an end to it. She prayed for her mother, her father, she prayed for everything and nothing.
After then, she sat down motionless looking in space, the emptiness was overwhelming, she couldn't think straight any more...
*****
'Mairo!'. A distanced voice called as she tried to make out where it was coming and who it belonged to.
'Mairo!!!!'. This voice was louder this time making her flinch and open her eyes abruptly. She rubbed them lazily, trying to clear the blurry vision. She finally lifted her head to come in sight with Inna Saude, she was calmly waiting for her to wake up.
Maryam observed both her hands, 'No water today?'. She mentally asked herself. Why is Inna Saude waking her up like a normal human today?. It was supposed to make her relived but for a reason she felt waves of anxiousness rising in her. What is she's planning something?.
'I tald you, you aff bako yau'(I told you, you havd a visitor today). Inna Saude said, her eyes narrowing at a particular thing. Maryam nodded absentmindedly, visitor?
That was when it clicked on her head that Inna Saude said something right after she left her at the door, she was too confused and empty to make out what she said.' Who could it be?'. She mentally asked herself.
'Who___?'. Maryam started, trying to voice out her question when Inna Saude sliced it with another question.
'Maye a wuyan ki ?'.(what's that on your neck?'. She asked her eyes still observing the piece of jewelry. Maryam followed Inna saude's gaze to where it lingered on her mother's gold neckless. Her heart beat quickened as she stared at Inna Saude unable to answer her question. What would she say?
'Oh it's just my mother's gold neckless, please don't snatch and go and sell it '. Definitely no.
'Its just a piece of trash neckless probably not even worth a kobo, hahaha'. She's still gonna collect it anyways.
She opened and closed her mouth like a lizard, utterly out of words.
'Inna!!!'. Zee baby exclaimed from outside, her voice booming the house. 'Where is my shoes?!'. She asked from wherever she is, her voice loud enough for someone in the neighbourhood to hear. Her mother hissed looking at the pair of shoes in her legs before sauntering out to return them to her daughter. Maryam calmed her racing heart finding a safe spot to hide the necklace, it definitely won't be safe with her at the moment.
Maryam had just finished her chores when a boy come into the house. She was in her room whilst Inna Saude was in the compound counting changes of 5 and 10 naira.
'Someone is looking for Maryam outside '. The boy told Inna Saude. Could it be the visitor? Maryam thought. Inna Saude nodded at the boy and a few seconds later she went out too. Several minutes later Inna Saude did not come back and Maryam felt uneasy about it, carefully she tip toed to the door and got a glimpse of Inna Saude and the visitor. Her jaw almost hit the floor when she saw the same man with sliver Sienna who threatened to buy her buns with 1 million naira the other day. What caught her attention more was that he's handling some bundles of money to Inna Saude who's mouth are stretched to her ears. She went back to her room when Inna Saude had turned to go inside the house and pretented like she's engrossed in folding her clothes.
'Bakon yazo '. (The visitor is here). Inna Saude mumbled. 'Ki saurareni! Ki shiga hankalinki, zo kije yana jiranki '(listen to me, be in your right sense, go now he's waiting for you). She stood there and waited for Maryam to wear a hijab and made sure she went.
Maryam awkwardly greeted the man and he answered emotionless opening the car's door for her, to her utmost suprise she sighted the same dark skinned chubby lady smiling warmly at her from the passenger's seat. She felt a little ease. She muttered some quick du'as before getting inside the car. For all she knew they could be serial killers.
"I'm Bilki and this is my brother Dawood!" She beamed at Maryam to which she greeted her in return. The rest of the ride pass by with Hajiya Bilki talking endlessly about nothing and everything, Maryam couldn't listen to what she's saying and kept glancing through the window constantly, she felt uneasy for they've been driving for almost an hour.
Served great!. Was written boldly at the top of an unfamiliar building with different pictures of food. A restaurant? She mentally asked, she couldn't believe they'd driver for an hour just to come to a restaurant.
'Atleast they didn't bring you to an underground building to kill you '. Her subconscious muttered. Yayyy.
'Now who's hungry?'. Hajiya Bilki chirped happily, obviously her.
The lunch was eerily silent till Hajiya Bilki decided to make it a little lively by her blabbering. This time Maryam listened to her enthusiastically to avoid the tense atmosphere.
'Lets snap a pic '. Hajiya Bilki brought out her phone as they exited the restaurant. Maryam awkwardly smiled at the camera whilst they took a selfie together.
'How bout I snap you alone'. She said leaving no room for protest.
'Mom and dad and everyone is gonna love you!'. What's that supposed to mean?
After a few more selfies, they hit the road back to Maryam's house, she couldn't help but conclude that for the first time she actually ate food in a fancy and high-classed restaurant, for the first time she entered a big fancy car, for the first time she snapped pictures and she was so happy about the little adventure she had, she was happy she got a glimpse of other peoples life.
If only, if only she knew what it was going to lead to...
*****
Assalamu Alaikum all!.
I hope y'all doing great?.
I hope this chapter's long enough, abiiii I tried ehhh 🙄 . Please overlook the errors.
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Aeeeshatuhxx