No, I don’t check your things. If Allah spares us till tomorrow, we’ll count them to see how much they are.”
“Okay. Sleep.” He shifted closer. She lay down, smiling.
“Sayyid… if Habu doesn’t appear, I think we’ll go to Niger ourselves and look for your family.”
He said nothing. She touched him — he had already slept.
---
Jamila had no choice but to relax. Her body was stronger now; the horrible pain had stopped. But deep in her chest, she felt an explosion of fear and trauma. What happened wouldn’t leave her mind. She went to the bathroom and cried. A jinn had lain with her — she had been violated horribly from both sides.
While lying under the blanket, Hajiya Sa’a left in her carefree manner. Jamila’s phone rang. She pulled it closer and answered. It was Abba’s voice:
“My sister, I didn’t hear from you today — are you okay?”
A sharp pain rose inside her and crushed her heart. Her voice shook. “Yaya Abba… I’m not well.”
“Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un! What happened to you?”
She didn’t know what to say. She only began crying. He panicked and began comforting her.
After much persuasion, she said her stomach was hurting.
“Where is your mother? Hasn’t she taken you to the hospital?”
“She did. They gave me medicine. Please don’t tell her. She tried her best. Please don’t tell her.”
“No, I won’t tell her. She doesn’t even know I have your number. Rest well, my sister.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, and hung up, tears flowing again.
---
He was in the car, trying to start it, when his phone vibrated. He looked at the screen — an unknown number. He answered.
“Hello.”
Her voice struck his ear. He opened his eyes wider and straightened himself.
“Who is this?” he asked.
In a hurt tone she said, “Beb, so it has reached the point that you don’t even remember my voice? Alright. Thank you.” She hung up.
He quickly redialed, but her phone refused to connect. He tried several times. Nothing. He gave up and drove off.
Shukura watched him curiously from the window, wondering why he had been sitting there so long. She saw him finally drive away.
A video call from Hajiya Amina came in. Shukura answered cheerfully. “Hajiya Mummy, how is the worship going?”
“Alhamdulillah. Shukura, why don’t you listen? I’m supposed to be focusing on worship, but you’ve caused me sadness and worry.”
Shukura frowned. “Me? What did I do?”
“Your father called me. He’s still in Abuja. He complained that you don’t understand destiny. Doctor Sharif called him, upset, saying you accused him in front of people of killing patients. Is that how someone who lost a child behaves? Why won’t you grow up, Shukura?”
“Mummy… you can hear me, right? Your network is strong?”
“Yes, I hear you and I’m seeing you.”
“When you stand before the Kaaba, pray for me. If I’m standing on truth, may Allah strengthen me. And if I’m wrong, may Allah remove me from this path. May He give me patience and relieve my heart. But when you return… know that there is a problem.”
“What kind of problem stops a Muslim from relying on Allah?”
“You’ll understand when you return.”
“Alright. But your father is angry. He didn’t like what you did at all.”
Shukura calmed her down and ended the call.
---
