Zainab looked puzzled as she held his face. She couldn't help but wonder why Hadee didn't recognize her.
'Or maybe it's because it's their first meeting.' she thought.

"You don't want to speak with Anty Zainab, right?" she cupped his face and joked.

"Come on Zee, let's go home," Humaira muttered.

"Is she your sister? The one we've been hearing about all these while?" Star asked

"Yes of course. Besties, meet Zainab. Zainab, meet my friends." She introduced.

"Oh, my world. You girls look so much alike, someone can easily mistake you for twins." Star joked, giving Zainab a welcome hug.

"Yes... They look so cute together unlike me and my sister that looks so different." Theodora contributed to the talk, already looking jealous.

"You are both funny. C'mon, let's go." Humaira stuttered, handing some of her gifts to Star and carrying others into her Jeep.

"But seriously, you girls look so much alike except for the fact that Zainab is prettier." Gift added while helping her carry the gifts into the boot.

"Seriously, I can't argue with that. At least, I don't have dimples." She smirked at Gift's talk as everyone got into her Jeep.

"Madam graduant, why don't I drive you home today?" Star suggested.

"No... I'll drive." Humaira shrugged and entered the driver's seat.

"Okay..." Star sat with others at the back while Zainab sat right next to her sister.

She turned on the radio and they played popular Nigerian hip-hop. Humaira had forgotten so that noise disturbs Hadee. She quickly turned down the volume but Hadee started crying again as usual.

"Shhhh!!! It's okay my love. Mummy is sorry." She pleaded with him but he didn't stop. Instead, his crying increased and his pitch went louder and louder. Humaira just had to turn off the radio and start the car.

Zainab who was carrying him on her lap wondered why he wouldn't stop. His nose was so disturbing but, she didn't say anything.

***

Minutes Later...

They got home. Zainab was surprised to see how beautiful the mansion was. The mansion where Humaira had been living all these years- Star's house. She was so excited even though she was a bit scared at first.

"Come in, Zee. Come and see my room!" Humaira dragged scared Zainab upstairs. She was staring at almost everything in the house and that was the first time she ever stepped into a building so beautiful.

"Wow!!! What is that?" She pointed at something glittering from the ceiling.

"It's called a chan-de-lier." She expatiated.

"Chan- what?"

"Yeah, that's a chandelier." Humaira nodded her head as if she was trying to mimic Zainab.
She couldn't help but remember the first day she stepped into Star's house too. She's acted even worse.

"C'mon, let's go to my room." Humaira held her hand and took her in.

"Masha Allah, only you sleep here?"

"Yes, me and Hadee."

"Wow! It's beautiful!!" she jumped on the bed excitedly.

"You need to take a shower and change your clothes, See. After that, we'll gist and eat."

"Awn... But I'm feeling sleepy already."

"You won't sleep till after Asr," Humaira muttered, taking off Hadee's clothes, leaving only his singlet and pants.

"Okay..." Let me go. Humaira took off her clothes and tired the old Ankara wrapper.

"What's that? Humaira asked. "Don't you have a towel?"

"No..." She muttered. It looked as if she suddenly remembered something. "Ummm...  I forgot it at Bala's house."

"Why would you forget something so important?" Humaira scolded and opened her wardrobe. Under it were different sets of beautiful pink and white towels. She gave Zainab two and asked her to use it.

"Thank you, sis." Zainab hugged her before going into the bathroom.

Everything looked different and she'd never used a shower before. That was the first time.

She placed her soapdish in a corner and held the showerhead. 

"What next?" She touched the shower cubicle. "What should I press and why is this looking like a telephone?" She frowned again confused.

She turned the showerhead side to side but it wasn't working. Just then, Humaira peeped from her room to the bathroom.

"Hope everything is fine?"

Zainab kept quiet for a while. She doesn't want to speak in the bathroom as it's Haram in Islam.

"Should I come and help you with anything or...?"

Silence

"Okay, fine." Humaira was about to walk away when Zainab called her back.

"Sis!"

"Yes..."

Zainab quickly tied her towel to her chest and ran to where Humaira was.

"Please help me on this shower."

Humaira blushed at her little sister's curiosity and showed her how to.

"I know you won't be able to switch it on that's why I came around. You shouldn't forget to press here when you want to shower, okay?"

"Okay, sis." She replied childishly with a small smile.

"Fine. I'll press that same place again when you're through. I'll be downstairs just in case." Humaira muttered and left Zainab to have her bath.

"Oh! So this is how it works?" Zainab chuckles alone in the bathroom and starts having her shower...

Humaira went to meet Star and the rest downstairs. They were gisting while Hadee was in the room playing with his toys.

***

"Get down from there!" Zainab shouted immediately her eyes caught Hadee.

He was sitting on the shelf, with his legs up and his head down. The shelf was about ten feet tall and Hadee was sitting on it upside-down.

He kept on laughing at Zainab, staying in that same position. His legs were stretched straight in the air, like that of a professional gymnastic.

Zainab couldn't believe a child that age would sit like that for only God knows how long he's been in this position.

"Humaira!" Zainab cried as if she was scared. "Come and see your son!!" Humaira from downstairs ran upstairs. About to take Hadee down, he fell and tripped, hitting his head on the tiled ground.

"Inna lillahi!" Zainab screamed as he hit his head, like a coconut against the ground.

She rushed to him immediately in fear. But Hadee raised his head and looked at her, perplexed. As if he was puzzled about something, then he suddenly burst into laughter.

As if Hadee suddenly grew wings, confounded, Zainab's eyes suddenly clouded with tears. She just couldn't believe what just happened. How did he manage to climb the wardrobe and fall without feeling any pain?

"Hadee!" Humaira broke the silence as she rushed to her son, giving him a warm hug.
"What happened Zainab, I heard your voice from downstairs."

"You son... What's wrong with him?"

"What do you mean by t..that?"

Humaira wanted to pretend nothing was wrong. She tried to cover it up.

"Does he have superpowers or what? I mean... He doesn't feel pain. He just fell from your wardrobe just now. I can't believe he's still laughing, acting like nothing happened. I think he's kind of weird." She said, already freaking out.

Sunk in silence, Humaira didn't respond to Zainab's question. She just watched him as tears slowly gathered in her eyes too.

"What's wrong with you is? Did I say something wrong?" Zainab questioned again, feeling so concerned for her sister.

Thus, Zainab got increasingly worried and thought it must be something very serious.

'What's it about Hadee that she could be hiding from her?' she thought and grabbed Humaira by the wrist, as they say on the bed.
Humaira started breathing as if she was sniffing and suffocating. They remained silent for a while, sitting side by side, on the bed and holding each other's hand, watching Hadee, spinning in circles and giggling at himself.

Tears were just pouring out from Zainab and Humaira's eyes as they watched him but Zainab was more confused than ever.
"What's wrong, Humaira? Please talk to me."

Humaira gathered the courage and wiped away her tears with the edge of her cloth.

"You're my sister Zainab and we've known each other like the marks on our palms. Even though I tried keeping this away from you, I know you'll still find out somehow so... Why would I have this from you Zee?"

She sniffed and faced Zainab. Zainab faced her too, all ears.

"Hadee is sick. H... he's autistic."

"What? You mean Hadee is having a bio-neurological disorder?" Zainab cried curtly, trying to digest what she just heard.

Humaira couldn't talk she just nodded her head in agreement as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Subhanallah!!" Zainab exclaimed. "Why poor Hadee of all people. Why this innocent child that doesn't know anything... How is it even possible? What caused this awful sickness?"

"I don't know, Zainab. I'll just say it's part of God's plan. We plan but God is the best planner, Zee. I've accepted my fate on my son. It hasn't been easy for the both of us though but at least, I try to pay for his therapy. And at least, he's getting better. Pay heavily for his treatment and I'll say he's improving." Humaira explained, sobbing and wiping her tears with her hand.

"Don't worry sis, God will heal him. Hadee will be well very soon Insha Allah. But why didn't you tell me all this while?"

"I just didn't want to disturb you and perhaps, I was thinking it wasn't necessary to bother you with such."

"Come here sis, you've been through a lot. I can't imagine what you must have sacrificed but you're my heroine; No matter what." Zainab held her sister in a warm cuddle and consoled her.

"All of these will come to pass very soon Insha Allah," Zainab promised as they watched Hadee.

He started flapping his hands in the air as if he was trying to catch invisible butterflies. The ones that only he could see.