Where are the night owls🌚❤️

Alright, good night! Wait, is it good morning?! Anyway... enjoy 😊

I didn't go to work for three days. When I called Hajiya to inform her, she just hissed and said it'll be deducted from my salary. Smh, wallahi I have no idea how I keep up with that woman. Umma refused to let me do anything, she said and I quote, "Let me take care of you, it has been a while since I've done that." I've been so busy that I've forgotten how it feels to be pampered by my mother. And if I'm honest with myself, I need it. It feels good to relax and catch up with Umma, I miss it.

Umma has just left to drop Rumana at school, she has eased into the routine that she feels uncomfortable if she doesn't do it. I'm really glad, Rumana even said it's their mother-daughter bonding time and I couldn't be happier. While growing up I was very close to my Mom, she has always been my best friend and I don't want Rumana to miss out on that incredible feeling and bond.

I decided to clean the house before Umma returns, even though I know she'll scold me. But my leg is better now, there's still a dull pain when I walk but it's nothing I can't handle. Umma said it was very stupid of me to walk with a glass embedded in my skin, I agree with her, now I'm paying the consequences of my carelessness. The wound is humongous though, it'll take a while for the place to fill up.

"Assalamu alaikum." I heard Umma's voice just when I was through with my work. "Wa'alaikumus salam," I answered, drying my hand with a towel.

"Jiddarh?" She called out, she must have gone to the room and found it empty.

"In the kitchen," I yelled. I heard the sound of her footsteps approaching the kitchen. "Welcome back," I said over my shoulder as I stir the stew.

"What are you doing?" Umma asked as she walked in. "Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?" She scolded.

I mentally rolled my eyes. "Umma you're talking as if I've gone handicapped, it has healed I'm okay."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes upward. Well, at least I know where I got my sass from. "I know, I just want to pamper you a bit, is that wrong?"

"Nope Umma, but you know me, I cannot sit down in one place doing nothing." Umma hummed and took a seat on the small chair beside me. "What did you cook? Isn't it too early to cook lunch?"

"Nah," I shook my head. "It's never too early to cook lunch before you know it, you'll hear the adhan."

"It's just 9 o'clock Jiddarh." Umma deadpanned. I smiled sheepishly. "There was nothing to do, so I cooked lunch." Umma just shook her head. I turned off the stove and packed the food in a warmer. Umma went to her room to take her medicine while I took the warmers to the living room then went to take a bath.

Let me tell you, it was hella painful standing while bathing. I don't think the wound has healed, oh ni Jiddarh. I have to go back to that clinic, my medicine has finished and it looks like I can't handle the pain. I might seem like a tough cookie—which I am— but I despise anything that'll tamper with my physical wellbeing. I'm the type of girl that doesn't want a single scratch on her body, I just can't handle it.

That's why I only have one earring piercing per ear, the one that was done to me since I was a baby. Had it been ears are not pierced till a person grows up then I wouldn't have had one. During my secondary school days, lots of my classmates got their second ear piercings, some third, some even pierced their nose. But for me, no! Na ah, no way! Anisa and Humaira whined, begged, and pleaded but nope! There's no way I'm piercing my ear not now, not ever. Even Rumana has two ear piercings!

I limped out to the bathroom and quickly—as quick as my legs could take me— went to my room to change. I put on my underwear and clothes first which consists of a simple atampa blouse and skirt that have started to fade around the edges then I sat down to moisturize my body. My room isn't anything fancy, just a small single bed with a small vanity and one side drawer then a double door wardrobe. The room is painted in creme color, I didn't decorate my room at all. The only thing that'll count as decoration is a framed picture of Umma, Rumana, and me.

I left my room and ambulated to Umma's room, I met her reading the Quran with her glasses on. I whispered my salam and laid on the floor beside her, laying my head on her lap. She increased the sound of her melodious voice as she continued to recite while continuously stroked my head tie covered head.

Umma concluded her recitation and kept the holy book aside. "That was beautiful," I said with a smile, Umma smiled back.

"You know what I was thinking about?" She asked. I negatively shook my head. "How one day you'll get married a—"

"Umma!" I groaned in protest.

"Shhh" She shushed me. "You'll get married and forget about me."

"Umma," I interrupted again. "You're hypothetically speaking because I am never getting married."

Umma glared at me. "Don't you know marr—

"—marriage is half of your deen," I completed the sentence for. "I know. Even if I'll get married, not now."

"Okay, so you'll get married—

"—hypothetically speaking." I interrupted her again. Umma glared at me in annoyance, I smiled cheekily.

"Okay hypothetically speaking," Umma added with an eye roll. "You'll get married and forget all about me, you'll be too busy taking care of your husband and his family—

"— I am not their maid." I scoffed. Umma smacked me for interrupting her yet again. "Rumana will also gradually move to your house then I'll be left all alone. Then you'll give birth to your children and I'll pamper them. You'll have a fight with your husband about the kids spending too much time with me and not his mother." I rolled my eyes at the last sentence. Typical men. "And—

"Okay, Umma enough with the hangen future please." I sat up and looked at her. "And where you said you'll be left alone that will never happen. If I do end up getting married—"

Umma smacked my shoulder. "Stop emphasizing that if."

I ignored her. "As I was saying, if I do end up getting married, he better have a room for you. If not we'll give you the master bedroom and use the living room and if he cannot do that then he can forget about me, because we come as a whole package, all or nothing."

"Jiddarh you cannot be serious." Umma laughed. "How can I move in completely with my daughter? What will people say?"

"Oh please, Umma if you're going to consider what people think before you do something then trust me, you're never going to do anything, at all. To hell with what they say or think."

"True," she nodded in agreement. "Jiddarh," She called quietly. I hummed and looked at her. "If you ever find a guy you love, you'll tell me right?" She gripped my hands. "Please come to me, I don't want you to suppress your feelings like you always do. Don't brush them off, please I beg of you."

"Umma, what is this about?"

"Just promise me Jiddarh."

Ohhkayy! "Yes, Umma I promise." I smiled. But that will never happen.

"You know I know what's exactly on your mind from that expression," Dang it, I need to learn how to even my expressions. But this is Umma we are talking about, she knows me better than I know myself.

"I don't like the fact that mine and your father's failed marriage is stopping you, it's making you hesitant, it's making you scared." My mood immediately turned sour at the mention of him. I don't want anything to remind me of him.

"Jiddarh we have different destinies, just because mine didn't work out doesn't mean that yours wouldn't. You think I don't know about all those men you turned down—

"— how do you know that?!" I shrieked with wide eyes. Umma shrugged. Who could it b—RUMANA! That cheeky little thing. Most of the time it's when we're out together that people follow me, ugh!

"I know of Anisa and Humaira's cousin, Khalid. I also know of our neighbor, Bashar. Then Hajiya Ingali's son, what is his name again?" I kept quiet. "Aha, Idris. Then there is Imam, Rabi'u—

"—okay enough Umma! Haba! It's as if you're tired of having me here, are you that eager for me to leave?!" I asked dramatically.

Umma rolled her eyes at my antics. "On a serious note Jiddarh, if you keep turning them down without giving them a chance, how would you know who is perfect for you? There is a possibility you've turned down your future husband."

"Oh, mother dearest! I am a strong believer of if it's meant to be, it will happen."

Umma smacked my hand. "And who said I don't believe that? But Jiddarh you'll never know until you try."

"Try what?" I asked with a chuckle. "Soyayya? Tadi? And all that rubbish? Ugh—Please Umma, you're talking as if you don't know me. I do not have time for all those nonsense. And who pushes her daughter to have a boyfriend?!"

"I am not pushing you to have a boyfriend," Umma exclaimed sternly and smacked my hand again. With the amount of smacking, she's going to leave a bruise.  "I forbid you to even think about it. You should look for someone that will remind you of Allah not forget about Him, he is supposed to be half your deen after all. So if he encourages you to be his girlfriend then he is not right for you. And what I am trying to say is, you should settle amongst yourselves— with a chaperone of course— then you'll give him the green light to meet your grandparents, a date will be settled and you'll get married. See, this is the right way."

I burst into a fit of laughter. "Wallahi Umma you're so funny."

"Jiddarh this isn't a joke." She scolded. "Okay Umma, I'll keep all that you said in mind but can we stop talking about marriage, it's honestly giving me a headache."

"Speaking of marriage, your uncle Sagir, today is his wedding Fatiha. You should go."

"I have a humongous wound on my foot Umma or you've forgotten? I can't walk properly fah, look," I placed my injured foot on her lap. "See."

Umma released a dejected sigh and shook her head. "What will I do with this girl?"

I smiled cheekily knowing I have won.

Bear with me🙏🏼🙏🏼 I know the first few chapters are short.

Do you share the same kind of relationship Jiddarh shares with her mother?! It's honestly beautiful 😍😍♥️

Don't forget to please vote, comment, follow and share please🌼🌺

See you in the next chapter, in sha Allah💕💕

Yours truly
Memzyb✨🌹