Aunt Kaula asked if there's anything Juhaif might help with as a doctor even though that ain't his field.
He had no idea a hennah could pain one's skin in the first place. He doesn't even know how the hennah is being done in the first place. Suddenly an idea clicked in his brain.
"I'm coming." He said.
He grabbed his phone outta his pocket and started checking online. Luckily salt and water was a remedy he found. He quickly asked panicked Husna to bring over a solution of salt.
Islam's eyes were swollen from all the cries; nose no different from tomatoes and lips so red from all the foldings and pressings.
Husna brought the salt solution for Islam to put her hands inside. After what seemed like five minutes Islam looked over at her hands that were in the salt solution and then uttered "But it really looks pretty." She grinned widely at everyone.
Right there they knew she must have felt good, since she had already started fancying her hennah. They both bursted out laughing.
"Okay you need to wash that black and red face." Husna said in annoyance and moved back to her room.
Islam followed suit, still holding the solution in hand. She salamed and she thought Husna would be mad at her but to her surprise she smiled widely at her. "No black hennah for you next time." Husna said sternly as Islam smiled, giving her the 'okay' sign.
After Islam bathed she came out and saw no any sign of Husna in the room. She moved on to start rolling up her hair with rollers when she realised her fingers were still slightly paining. She gave up and left her hair like that. She dressed up in night wears and sat on the bed with her legs tucked below her.
She looked at her fingers and smiled widely. Totally worth it. She thought. She grinned before taking her phone and clicking away her hands. At least some memory!
Suddenly Husnah entered and handed her a white mug. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Sorry Husnah I should have listened to you." She replied tearing up a bit.
"It's okay. It's destined to be. So instead why not say Alhamdulillah." Husnah smiled at her a bit as she did same.
Holding the mug firmly with two hands with her three right fingers behind it's handle and her thumb caressing it's top she inhaled the scents of the green tea that made to her nostrils from centimetres apart, she didn't put her nose to smell it as she knew how unislamic smelling food is.
It was the black handwritten cursive of "be well" on the mug that caught her attention. It made her look up to Husnah dashing her a great smile, for it made her day, making her forgetting all the cries she did earlier and feeling all her problems gone. Especially the mess with her father, because she's like at the middle of a triangle in that, it involves choosing a father or mother, but she choose to view it from a different perspective that will allow justice to be served, from a point of victim and culprit. That way she will be able to ensure justice is served, even when the victim is no longer on earth to witness the justice of an injustice act! A terrifying act!
"Thanks so much Husna. How did you know green tea is fav?" Asked Islam.
"Well you are welcome. But I didn't make it. Bro did. The newly certified chef made it himself."
Islam couldn't utter a thing. She could only come up with "oh!"
She heard Husnah whispered "Let's pray he didn't poison it. Since he's an enemy." the way she furrowed her brows saying it made Islam chuckled, shaking her head at Husna's bad attempt to joke.
Suddenly Islam's phone rang. An unknown number? Again? Nigerian code? Her forehead creased. What is it this time around?
She picked as the person from the other line salamed which she answered.
"So how are you feeling? A little better?" Came a voice from the other line.
"Tell me you are not some sorta serial killer! Who are you and why do you know I'm sick?" She bellowed.
"It's simple. I'm not a serial killer, because when I delivered something earlier would have poison it if I want." The person replied.
She sensed arrogance from his voice and realised it must be him right away.
"So now feeling healthy like Cinderella?" She heard him say.
What sorta question was that? And who said Cinderella is always healthy when she's all the time suffering from her prince's instantaneous attraction. But she's not to tell him that right?
She looked over to Husnah who was by the time concentrating on her laptop watching film.
"Yeah. The ailing had varnish."
"Good night." He just said out of nowhere.
Guess he has a special way of making call. So weird she thought!
"Night." She replied. And flung the phone beside her.
After a minute she saw an unknown number calling again. Once she looked at the number she knew who that person was. She didn't have to save his number but one thing that always surprise her was the fact that she always grab numbers on first look regardless of scoring F minuses in Math.
"I think you might need to put that solution again. Maybe you should come to the parlor?" His last sentence came more of a question.
"Well guess my feet is paining me." She replied sarcastically as she hold the phone with her right hand.
"Okay. Good night. Will get the maid deliver it to you. Be a good girl and brush your teeth before sleeping okay?"
She rolled her eyes at that and she could hear him chuckled from the other side. She ended the call and was about to toss the phone yet again but didn't do so. She instead saved his number as grumpy and dropped the phone, even when she didn't have to save it, who will need it anyway?
She got off the bed and took a sip of her almost cold green tea from bedside table, and headed to where Husnah was. She looked to the screen and saw Mr. Peabody. She didn't know when she started dancing rigling her hips wrigglessly, and that's how the tea spilled on the floor followed by Islam's gasp and Husna asking her if she's okay followed by some series of be careful and sorry. Then Husna assigned a task to robot to mop the spilled tea.
After Mr. Peabody finished playing, Husna began watching another movie while Islam got back to bed and began messaging Selena.
She messaged Selena the picture of her hands on Instagram.
Wow it looks cool. Replied Selena
Yeah right? But it pains madly.
Why so?
No idea. I got sick from it though. Even right now I'm feeling more sick from being sick. Have gotten myself a critical headache from all the cries. It's so hard for your nails and the whole fingers to pain. Even my eyes are in pain.
So sorry boo. But it really looks great. So totally worth it at least😘
Yeah maybe!
And that's how they kept on chatting till when Islam heard the door creaked ajar, revealing the maid with her salt solution.
All Islam could say was she finally understood the reason behind writer's still writing even while sick. As they would just be able to describe the whole ailments situation since they are the one feeling and paining over their ailing.
Finally she yawned and drifted to sleep. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow. They'll finally be saying good bye to this gorgeous town she grew to start liking. A town she fell in love with. It rained twice ever since they came. But it's been really hot at the same time, yet she loved it! A town that gave her the most pain and of course the most beautiful henna!
And Abuja will be calling.
At exactly seven O'Clock Islam came out to the living room. And surprisingly she saw Aunt Kaula awake. Wow that's a surprise, looking at the fact that she only shows up around twelve in the house, that's her usual waking up time.
Islam moved over to greet her.
"Good morning Aunt."
She answered and enquired about her nails which she replied with okay. She had forgotten the pain from last evening had it been Aunt Kaula reminded her of it.
"Mom?"
They both turned to where the voice came from. That was Juhaif looking very surprised.
He moved over to his mom's place holding unto a smile. He didn't even notice Islam was in there.
"What made you wake up this early?" He smiled genuinely at her.
"Okay early bird stop making a ruckus and you both go and get ready. We have to leave by nine."
It's after she said that, that Juhaif took a glance of the room and realised there was a soul standing. And that's soul was none other than Islam.
Looking as to how she kept smiling he knew she must be feeling alright and really no need of him to ask about her health again.
"I thought we were leaving in the evening?" Juhaif enquired, seeing there flight was scheduled to leave in the evening.
"Well change of plans. I hate to be saying this but it seems they might be a pandemic. And obviously travelling on flight doesn't sounds normal to me. We are leaving by car. And you know how the road isn't safe either. We have to leave early."