The breeze was slightly chilly as it blew in different directions. I tightened the hold I have on the plastic bag I'm holding. I'm coming back from the market where I went to buy vegetables.

I pushed the gate opened and saw Hajiya and another lady of her age, she must be a friend. That woman has so many friends, I can't keep up. I walked to where they are standing and bent down to greet them. It took them more than a minute to acknowledge my presence and answer my greetings.

"Did you buy everything on the list I gave you?" Hajiya Shafa'atu asked.

"Yes, I did." I nodded in reply. "Toh, go do what I asked you to and make sure you finish before I come back, if not......"

I didn't say anything, I walked away. As I was walking, I overheard their conversation. "Shafa, who is she?" The friend asked.

"Wallahi, she's my housemaid." My employer replied in a dismissive tone.

"Housemaid?" The woman seemed surprised. "This young lady as your housemaid?" She laughed. "And you're okay with it? She's young and beautiful, aren't you afraid she'd seduce your husband?! Masu aikin nan are not to be trusted at all wallahi." She exclaimed.

Subhanallah. I shook my head. I consider Alhaji Hameed as a father. When I entered the kitchen Inna has already finished cleaning it. "Jiddarh, you're back."

"Yes Inna, well done." I ambulated to the store and grabbed a big tub then I went outside where we wash the dishes. I sat down and carefully washed the vegetables, from tomatoes to bell peppers. After that, I took the tub to the kitchen and packaged it up then put it in the freezer but not before keeping the one I'll blend aside.

I helped Inna Lami cook lunch. We made tuwo with miyan taushe for Alhaji. Then fried rice with coleslaw for Hajiya and the girls, there's no way Lubna and Hajara will take Tuwo. Girls like them don't eat tuwo, their words not mine. I set the table while Inna clears the kitchen.

Inna served me the tuwo, but I decided to package it. I bid farewell to Inna then went inside to inform Hajiya that I'm leaving. "Wait for me," she ambulated to her room and came back with a parcel. "here, take this to my friend Hajiya Baraka in Zoo road." I stared at her, I'm flabbergasted. What does she mean I should take it to her friend? Doesn't she have a driver?

Her scream brought me out of my reverie. "Am I not talking to you? Take this and do what I asked of you." She threw the package and a two hundred Naira bill. I swallowed a lump in my throat and quietly took the package and left.

About twenty minutes later, I'm standing in front of a huge house with a huge ass gate. I knocked on the gate for more than five minutes before it was finally opened. A huge man stepped outside. He looks likes the bouncers I sometimes see when Aneesa forces me to watch a movie. "Who are you and what do you want?"

He looks scary but I'm not going to show him that I feel kind of scared, so I squared my shoulders before answering him. "I'm looking for Hajiya Baraka. Hajiya Shafa'atu, Alhaji Hameed's wife, sent me."

He went back inside and came back about two minutes later, he ushered me in. Because of how annoyed I was, I didn't have the time to appreciate the building. I was led into a huge living room with a cream-colored royal chair, the living room is as big as all the rooms in my house. It took that woman almost thirty minutes before she finally decided to grace me with her, oh so precious presence.

The moment I saw her, I knew why she's friends with my employer. She's dressed too extravagantly and she's already looking down on me. I didn't wait for her to say anything because I'm very sure the likes of her are good at nothing but belittling the likes of me. I greeted her, I didn't bother to hear whether she answered or not. I gave her the package and asked her to call Hajiya Shafa'atu for an explanation since she didn't say anything. And I was out of the door before she could react.

I released a huge breath when I finally stepped out of the house. I checked the time on my phone and it's already past five. And I know I'm going to have a hard time getting a keke in this area.

After what felt like forever, a keke stopped and I entered. Kano traffic is a nightmare at this hour, we're literally at a standstill, the traffic isn't moving at all. The driver tried following a narrow shortcut, I told him to stop, it's too risky but he did not listen. The next thing I heard was a loud bang and the napep was tumbling. A deafening silence is all I heard and excruciating pain is all I felt, from there everything went black.

The next time I woke up, I was laying down carelessly by the roadside. My head feels heavy and all my muscles are aching. No one attempted to help me, few were evening videotaping the scene. Where has humanity gone? My heart ached.

"Help!" I croaked out difficultly. My neck is crooked at a bad angle. A heavily pregnant woman came to squat beside me. "Who can I call for you? I don't know what to do and my husband's car just spoiled we would have taken you to the hospital."

A man who I assume is her husband held her as she tried to stand up. She came back holding my small purse, she brought my phone out and gave it to me. She has already helped me sit. I held the phone in hand as I rack my brain on whom to call. Umma dropped her phone in the water last week and I'm yet to take it to a repairer. Aneesa and Humaira have gone for a vacation and Sa'adah has gone to visit her grandparents. My grandparents do not have a phone.

Ya Rabbi, I have never felt so alone in my entire life, I've never realized how alone I am in this world.

Call him. A voice in my head whispered. I mentally shook my head. No, I cannot do that.

This is not the time to be an egotist Jiddarh! You need help!

A few days back while I was on my way home, Mas'ud showed up. Somehow, he snatched my phone and saved his number. I don't know what stopped me from deleting it but I guess it's because of this.

"Sister?" The kind lady nudged me a bit and I was bought out of my reverie. With shaky hands, I dialed Mas'ud's phone number. He picked up after the first ring. "Jay?!" He sounded astonished.

Hearing his voice made me do something I haven't done in a long time, I started to cry. "Subuhanallahi Jay, what's wrong? You're scaring me? Baby? Say something please!" But I couldn't say anything, the waterworks have begun and I don't know how to stop it, all the pent up and bottled emotions are telling their tales through the waterfall of my eyes.

The kind lady collected the phone from me, I could hear her telling him our location and about what happened. I closed my eyes as the tears kept falling. I felt myself leaning on a body, a hand softly caressing my back. "It's okay, let it all out. He's on his way. He loves you so much, he sounded so worried." I didn't have the strength to correct her assumptions.

A few minutes later, Mas'ud arrived looking perturbed. "Ya Rahman! Jay." He quickly ambulated to where I was. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do. Astagafurillah."

And all of a sudden I was in his arms, I didn't have the energy to protest. My eyes were dropping, I felt so tired. From there, I lost consciousness. But before I drifted away completely I heard Mas'ud yelling. "Stay with me Jay! Don't do this to me!"

****

The smell of disinfectants is the first thing I woke up to. Groaning slightly, my eyes fluttered open. I was quick to shut them because of the blinding light that greeted me. I heard a body move and suddenly a voice was calling my name. I know that voice, it's the voice I wake up to every morning.

"Umma." I whimpered.

"Yes Jiddarh, it's me. Open your eyes, please. Your Umma is here." She sniveled.

I have to, I must open my eyes, my mother is crying and I have to stop her. I promised myself that I'll never let her cry again. I opened my eyes and saw Umma sitting on a plastic chair beside the bed I'm on.

"Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah, Jiddarh you're awake. You have no idea how worried I was. I thought I've lost you." My mother sniveled.

"Umma," I croaked. "w-w-water.." Umma gasped and quickly stood up. She helped me to sit before pouring water in a tumbler and giving it to me. After that, she left to call the doctor.

She came back with an elderly doctor, he looks older than Alhaji. "Hauwa'u you're awake, how do you feel?"

"My whole body feels sore, especially my neck." I managed to croak out.

"Well, that's because you sprained your neck. You hit your head pretty bad but thankfully there's no concussion or any internal hemorrhage. We just had to stitch your right hand where you have a cut. You also got hit in the waist, it'll be sore for a few days, I've prescribed a tube for that. And for your neck, I've prescribed some pain relievers for you. You can apply an ice pack for 15 to 30 minutes several times a day for the next 3 or 4 days. That will help reduce inflammation and discomfort. And you may have to wear a soft collar around your neck to help support the head and relieve pressure on the ligaments so that they have time to heal. The man that brought you here, he has gone to get the medicines."

I hope Umma understood what he said because I didn't. "Thank you, doctor," Umma said.

"Don't mention, we are keeping her for another night or two for observation. Get well soon." With that, the doctor left.

Another night? "For how long have I been here?" I asked my mom.

"A day, you were unconscious when you were brought here yesterday. And you didn't wake up until now, it's four o'clock already."

"How..."

Umma started to cry again. "I've never been so worried. You didn't come back early and I had no way to contact you. I thought maybe you're just running late but when the Maghrib adhan was called and you still weren't home, I knew all was not well. I was about to go to your place of work when a young boy came to tell me that my attention was needed outside. I went out and I met a young man he said his name is Mas'ud. He told me that you were in an accident...." she paused to suck in a deep breath. "I got scared, I profusely prayed for you to be okay. I went back in, got Rumana, and locked the house. When we got here you were unconscious. The doctor told us not to worry, we should just wait for you to wake up. Only Allah can pay that boy, may Allah SWT fulfill all his wishes. He took care of everything and today he came early to take Rumana to school, she said she knows him. How do you know him Hauwa'u?"

I took in a deep breath. "Umma please wipe your tears, I'm okay now. And I don't know him really, we met one day while I was going to work from then we occasionally meet on the way, that's it."

Umma nodded her head but didn't say anything else. A nurse came in, after we exchanged pleasantries and she asked me how I was feeling, she put a soft collar around my neck. It feels so uncomfortable. "Allah kara sauki." The nurse prayed before she left.

Somehow I fell asleep again.

When I woke up again Rumana was in the room. "Adda!" She yelled. I smiled at my baby sister. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine Ruu." I croaked. "I was so scared when Ya Mas'ud came to pick us up." Speaking of Mas'ud, I averted my eyes from Rumana to look at him. He's dressed in an ash brocade, he ditched the cap so his silky hair is out on display. I quickly averted my gaze. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him walking towards me.

He grabbed the chair that Umma was sitting on the first time I woke up, it was then I realized that she wasn't in the room.

"Jiddarh!" His deep voice boomed. He knows my name, I clenched my eyes shut. Of course, he will find out, I'm sure it's Umma.

"Open your eyes." I slowly opened them, I looked everywhere but him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with great concern.

"I'm feeling fine Alhamdulillah," I replied. "Umma told me what you did, I want to thank you. Nagode sosai, Allah yayi albarka but—"

"—don't Jiddarh, don't." He swiftly cut me off. "I know what you're going to say so don't you dare. Wallahi tallahi if you dare say anything like that you and I are going to have a serious problem. You're so stubborn. All I want is for you to recover quickly, please do that for me. Okay?"

With my mouth open in shock, I stupidly nodded my head. "Yawwa Jiddatulkhair, that's what I want to hear. Now tell me, what do you want to eat?"

"Something light, tea would do," I mumbled. I'm still very weak. Mas'ud exited the room and when he came back in Umma was with him.

"Hauwa'u you're awake," she quickened her strides to me. "what do you want to eat?"

"Tea," I whispered. Umma nodded and picked up an unfamiliar basket, she placed it on the table and brought out everything she'll need to make the tea for me. Everything in that basket is new, so it doesn't take a genius to tell me who's work this is.

Umma prepared a creamy tea for me and fed me herself, my right hand is practically useless now. It's wrapped in a bandage, I can only move the fingers slightly.

I emptied the whole cup, I sighed in exhaustion then rested my head against the pillow and close my eyes shut. "Sannu," Umma mumbled, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Umma?" Mas'ud called. "Her medicine, she should not sleep. She has to take them now."

"Yes, I forgot," Umma replied. "Jiddarh?" She lightly tapped my legs, and my eyes fluttered open, I glared at Mas'ud but he pretended as if he didn't see me. "Your medicine."

With her help, I sat up. I grimaced when she presented more than eight pills. "Umma duka wannan; all these?" I whined. My mother glared at me. "Don't start Jiddarh, take these."

"Reduce it please!" I pleaded, I really hate drugs.

Umma rolled her eyes. "Take this right now before I get angry." She scolded. The only time we fight with Umma is when I refuse to take my medications, she hates this attitude of mine to the core.

Reluctantly, I stretched my left hand and she placed the drugs. I obviously cannot swallow the whole pills at the same time so I divided them into three. Umma's stern gaze was on me the whole time, she made sure I swallowed the whole pills. I have a habit of throwing them away when she's not looking. I remember the time she almost hit me while I was very ill, Abba was—

My thought came to a screeching halt when I realized the directions they are going. I mentally shook my head. Once Umma was sure that I swallowed everything, she stood up, but as she turned I felt the whole medicine coming back. And I couldn't move because of my sore waist. I guess I have no other choice than to puke all over myself.

Out of nowhere, a bucket was placed in front of me and I emptied my stomach in it. Yuck! I can see the medicine, it's yet to digest.

Umma swiftly turned around. "Hauwa'u Jiddarh! What did you do?" She bellowed. "Even if you're going to vomit it out one hundred times, you must take this medicine. This stupid habit of yours has not left you right?" She took the plastic bag and started to bring out the drugs. I felt like crying.

"Umma?" Mas'ud called. She turned around to face him. "Uhm, I don't think you should give her the drugs right now, maybe after a few minutes."

Umma shook her head. "You don't know how stubborn this girl is." She said glaring at me. I saw Mas'ud smile to himself. Obnoxious.

"Please Umma. Let me go get something for her to eat." He said standing up.

Umma hurriedly stopped him. "No please, let me do it." She ambulated outside. Rumana followed her but she told her to stay back.

"You're so stubborn, Jay." Mas'ud teased with a goofy smile on his lips. I openly glared at him. He chuckled and handed me a bottle of water, then placed the bucket in front of me again, emptied bucket. Without saying a word, I rinsed my mouth. After I was done, he silently picked up the bucket and took it to the toilet.

"Adda?" Rumana called. I motioned for her to sit on the bed with me. "Won't I hurt you?" I shook my head. She cuddled up at my left side. "When are we going home Adda?"

I looked at my baby sister, the carbon copy of our mother. I used my left hand to caress her cheeks. "We'll go home soon In Sha Allah."

"What's this?" I asked.

"Ohh this, it's a toy I found inside a chocolate, kinder joy." She replied. "Ya Mas'ud bought it for me, we stopped at a shop on our way here after he picked me up from school." She added with a smile. I gave her a tight-lipped smile in response.

Mas'ud came back and took a sit on a plastic chair beside the bed, the scent of his perfume filled the whole place. "Jiddarh?" He called.

"Do you have to call my name all the time?" I rolled my eyes. Mas'ud grinned. "What do you expect? I finally got to know your name, you have no idea how ecstatic I was when Umma said 'Ina Jiddarh? Meya same ta?' I was wondering how I was going to inform her when I don't even know your name."

"Whatever," I mumbled with an eye roll. "Uhm... I was saying where is..." I paused when he picked his phone and started pressing it like I was not talking to him.

It was then I realized that he wanted me to call his name. Obnoxious human being. "Mas'ud!"

"Yes, Jiddatulkhair?" He answered fluttering his eyelashes. I rolled my eyes, yet again. I tend to do that a lot when he's around.

"The lady that spoke to you....perhaps you know something about her?"

"Yes actually, her name is Nafisa and she dropped her phone number. It's with Umma. She came in the morning but you haven't woken up then."

I nodded. I wish people like that existed more. I remember somewhere recording the scene instead of helping me. Which reminds me. "What about the driver?"

"He's alright, he did not have any serious injury, just a few scratches, and bruises." He explained.

"Alhamdulillah it stopped here, Allah ya kiyaye gaba."

"Ameen," he answered. "Ohh Ruu has slept off." He pointed out. I looked down and true, Rumana has dozed off. I smiled softly. When I looked up Mas'ud's gaze was on mine, I quickly looked away and he did too. He cleared his throat.

Awkward!

"Uhh, uhm lemme go see where Umma is." With that, he exited the room.

I released a huge breath I didn't even know I was holding.

Jiddatulkhair 😩😭👑❤️

So Mas'ud finally knows Jiddarh's name😁

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So, this where we'll be saying goodbye for a while. Like I mentioned at the beginning, there will be no updates in the month of Ramadan. I hope you all have a wonderful Ramadan, May Allah SWT fulfill all our wishes and dreams. And may this pandemic come to an end🙏🏻

I'll see you all after Ramadan in sha Allah, May Allah SWT spare us lives until then, Ameen🙏🏻❤️

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Yours truly
Memzyb✨🌹