Maryam groaned, with sleep still in her eyes. She stretched her hands, and tried to locate the alarm, which Aisha had set to wake them up for fajr. Waking up early in the morning really isn't her thing honestly.

Aisha rounded the bed, clicked off the alarm and looked at maryam who now had a smile of satisfaction on her face. "Maryam get up." She tapped her.

"Five more minutes please." She groaned pulling the sheet up to cover her face. Aisha yanked it saying, "no, you have to wake up now."

"Ya rabbi." She slowly sat up rubbing her eyes, trying to remove sleep from her eyes . "Get up and pray now." She said as she entered the bathroom. Maryam pulled the sheet off her and grabbed her phone from the bedside drawer as she waited for Aisha.

They performed ablution, prayed together then went back to bed.

She wasn't the one that woke up until around 11:00 AM. She stretched and looked around the room for Aisha but she was no where to be found. So she got up and headed to the bathroom to take a hot long bath.

After she had finished bathing, she donned a casual loose dress with sleeves and applied kohl, lipgloss then tied a turban. She took her glasses from the bedside and headed downstairs.

"Good morning Mummy, morning Aisha." she greeted with a smile as she saunter into the living room to Mummy and Aisha watching a series on the TV.

"Morning habibti, how was your night?" mummy asked turning her attention to Maryam.

"It was fine Alhamdulillah." She smiled and sat beside Aisha smiling as they exchange pleasantries.

"You should have breakfast, it's on the dining table." She got up, "Okay." She said and walked to the dinning dialing her father's number.

"Assalam Alaikum ya habibty." He greeted once he had picked the call and a wide smile appeared on her face .

"Waalaikum salam my rabun rai, How are you?" She asked sitting on the chair. She served her self the fried yam and egg sauce.

"I'm fine my princess, how are you?"
"I'm fine Alhamdulillah,"
"I finished with my treatment and will be coming back today insha Allah."

"Dan Allah, I'm so happy daddy." She beamed. They spoke for a while before he hung up. Once she had finished her breakfast, she took her plate to the kitchen and went back to the living room.

"Mummy, I'm going back home today." she stated sitting beside mummy on the couch.

"So soon Maryam?" she asked looking at her. Maryam nod her head and said, "daddy is coming back today ne."

"Oh, Allah ya kawo shi lafiya."

"Ameen ya rabbi but I promise I will be back once he travels again." She explained.

"Okay, Daddy's princess," she said and caressed maryam's cheeks smiling.

She sat with them until the series came to an end then she and Aisha went upstairs to her room to pray zuhr and mummy went to hers.

They prayed Zuhr and Maryam settled on the couch by the window talking to her best friend on the phone while Aisha went back downstairs.

"It's Jamal's birthday tomorrow and I have no idea what to give him." Siddiqa groaned.

"Stop stressing your self babe, You can simply order a cake for him or get him a watch or something like that." Maryam said .

"You know very well he doesn't eat cake if not I wouldn't be stressing my self over nothing."

"Then what about a wrist watch. He loves watches doesn't he?" She asked.

"He does but.." she started
"But what?"
"I'm not sure he would like it." She groaned again. Maryam smiled and said, "He would love it sweetheart. Stop stressing yourself, you know very well Jamal will gladly accept a toothpick as a birthday present as far as it comes from you."

"I know but..you know what he did for me on my birthday. All the cakes, the gift box and the frames.." she started.

"I know, I know siddiqa. Why don't you call up Hamid, and ask for his opinion I'm sure he would suggest the watch as well." Maryam said.

Hamid is their other friend. They are really close.

"Ok wait. Don't hang up, let me call him-conference call" she said and after a while a male voice said salam.

"Hello there Hamidu." Maryam giggled
"Hy my baby." he said
"I've missed you." she cooed
"I missed you more my love. kin share ni." Hamid said.
"I d....." Maryam started but Siddiqa cut them off .

"You can continue with this later with your credit and not mine, so just shut up and listen to me," She interrupted.

"Yes ma'am" they both said at the same time and laughed. Maryam and Hamid get along so well that people sometimes think they are a couple.

"Hamid, it's Jamal's birthday tomorrow insha Allah, what do you think I should get him?" she asked desperately.

"Wrist watch sidy. We all love wristwatches." Hamid stated proudly.

"I said so." Maryam said cockily.
"And what?"
"Sneakers, hoodie. box of chocolate.."

"That's it sis, you should totally get him that he would love it." Maryam interrupted.

And that's how they continued chatting without even noticing that time has passed by so much. It was 3:30 when they said goodbye and she headed to the bathroom to perform ablution.

She prayed asr, and went downstairs to eat something because she was famished. "Mummy!!" She shouted, "What's for lunch your daughter is hungry." Maryam said walking downstairs to the living room.

She entered the parlor smiling. The smile slip off her face when she came across Mummy and all of her cousins. They all looked extremely worried.

Maryam rushed to mummy's side and sat beside her, and placed her hand on hers. "Ya Salam mummy, what is it? Meya faru?" She asked looking from mummy to Aisha.

"Ya Muhammad, Ya Abdallah can someone please tell me what's going on?" She pleaded. They both looked away.

"We are going to the hospital Maryam, hurry and get your hijab." Mummy manage to say in a low voice.

"Here mummy, I have my veil with me, why? Are you not feeling fine? What's wrong?" She asked again running out of patience, as her heart became heavy. Her hands started shaking and beads of sweat broke out on her brow.

"Uncle Abubakar got involved in an accident on his way back, now he's in a critical condition." Muhammad broke the news looking at her with a grave expression.

They all looked at her when they heard her sharp intake of breath. "What?" She asked wide eyed. She turned to look at mummy who could only nod her head holding her hands. She staggered to the feet, swaying a little. "What are you trying to tell me?" She asked tears streaming down her face.

"They are in the hospital now, we should hurry up." Mummy said. Maryam started shaking her head, eyes wide. "It can't be true, baba was just fine when we spoke earlier."

"What happened to my daddy, please tell me nothing happened to him?" She asked flinching when Mummy tried to pull her to her.

"We don't know yet Maryam let's go to the hospital first," Mummy said eyes moistened with tears. Aisha pulled her in, wrapping her arms around, trying to calm her down as they walked out to the car.
"No...no! It can't be true." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shot. Aisha who was also crying, entered the car and managed to pull her in as well. They all got in.

Muhammad looked at Maryam who was swiping her nose with a tissue, she leaned back and silently prayed. With a heavy heart, he drove to the hospital. As soon as they arrived, they hurried to the ICU where the whole family of Alhaji Abubakar except small children were awaiting for the doctors to come out and tell them if everything was okay.

The whole family was secluded in their own corner, crying and praying for him to be out of danger. Maryam turned on the waterworks and ran to her mother who was sitting on chair with Yasmin and Adda amma beside her. They were all sobbing.

"How did this happened mama, please tell me Baba will be okay." She pleaded letting out a raspy breath. Mama looked at her and offered her a sad smile saying, "In Shaa Allah he is going to be ok." She hugged her gently patting her back as she sobbed painfully.

Maryam pulled out from the hug and rest her head on mummy's shoulder wiping her eyes. She then looked at Yasmin who held her head in her hand crying. "Stop crying please, he will be fine insha Allah," she whispered placing her hand on Yasmin's back. Yasmin looked at her shaking her head, "Ya Maryam it was a plane crash, I saw him...I saw how they brought him in- he...he was all burnt up," she finished, sorrow raining from her eyes.

The faucet of grief opened, gushing salty tears onto Maryam's cheeks. "No...no don't talk like that Yasmin, don't talk as if he isn't going to make it." Not only yasmin, everyone teared up, even the people that were seated there also waiting for the doctors.

"Just pray okay." Ya Amma whispered cupping her face. She wiped her tears when her phone rang. "I have to take this." She said and got up.

Muhammad was watching them with tears filled eyes, praying under his breath. Mummy came and sat beside Mama, murmuring prayers in a soothing tone. Muhammad and Abdallah came and stood next to Mubarak whose head was lowered, his gaze on the ground.

Only the sobs of the girls were heard in hallway as they waited for the doctors. Muhammad looked at maryam who had stopped crying and instead was biting on her bottom lip, while tugging at her veil anxiously.

10 minutes later, the doctors came out. Dr Hassan, their family doctor looked at them with a sad expression. "I'm sorry to say this but we couldn't save Alhaji. He has passed away due to severe internal injuries." he informed with his eyes cast down.

"Inalillahi wainna illahi rajiun."
"Innalillahi wainna ilaihi raji'un."
"Innalillahi wainna ilaihi raji'un."

Innalillahi wainna ilaihi raji'un. Was all everyone could utter. Mama fell back on the chair, and clutched her chest in tears. Yasmin rushed and held mama also crying. Rukayya fell to her knees and began to weep.

Ya Mubarak's eyes turned red as tears fell from his eyes. He was trying hard to control his emotions as he held his hand tightly against his lips.

Maryam's hands started trembling, "No..no please..." She let out a shallow breath and stumbled back in tears. "It can't be true."She shouted grabbing onto the doctors collar, "tell me it's not true, please." She pleaded. Mubarak rushed to her and pulled her hand from the doctor. "No-no he is lying." Salty tears tunneled their way into her mouth.

He pulled her to his chest and held her tightly, "Maryam please,"
"No he...he is lying," she croaked before slipping from his arm to the ground, falling into unconsciousness.
"Maryam!" He shouted shaking her.
Adda amma who just walked in looked at the condition of each and every member of their family and also fell to the ground crying.
~~**~~
Innalillahi wainna ilaihi raji'un.
Verily, every soul shall taste death.
Indeed death is the end of everything. Your wealth, health, power, beauty, pride, position, education, your everything. May Allah give us good end. Ameen.
May God forgive our shortcomings.
Ameen.