"Aisha bint Abu-Bakr (RA);
People are paying no attention to the best act of worship: Humility."

LAILA

"Strengthen the muscles of the foot and ankle with resistance band exercises. Balancing exercises can help too, such as standing on one leg, supported by a wall or sturdy object, for 30 seconds or longer." Dr Munir; the family physiotherapist asserted.
I came home from the NYSC orientation camp yesterday, i got so lucky to be posted here in Abuja. A mixture of fun and grief it was.

Any time I vowed to wake up, get a run in, telling myself I'd feel great the rest of the day, I would either turn off the alarm, or I'd groggily stumble out of bed and run the equivalent of "junk miles" during a crappy outing.

Today was different.
I jogged out after subh, I had my AirPods plugged on and guess I didn't hear a car honking. The driver probably didn't honk, I'm sure he didn't. The car swerved to my side and I missed my step trying to regain my posture, I fell flat on my butt. The car halted.
Slightly embarrassed, I tried to get up but experienced a sharp pain coming from my ankle.
So rude of the driver, he drove away.
That was how I found myself limping home.
Mama went helter-skelter the moment I got back home.

" I don't even approve this so called jogging you constantly go to Laila. You're already physically fit."
Sigh, Mama.
"Yanzu I'll have to postpone my trip because of you." She stated and finally walked out of my room.
Instantly, Kabir called my phone.
"I heard a car hit you?" His voice came on forthwith.
"Kabir I missed a step and fell, why is mama telling everyone that a car hit me?"
"Yap. She explained how clumsy you get and you don't watch where you walk." He replied.
I shook my head, Kabir.
"It's Alright, you made that up. Did you call up to laugh at my sorry ass or feel sorry for me?"
"Woman. Relax. I called to tell you that I'm bringing home a wife."
"Bye."
"Don't. I'm serious."
"I'm hanging up Kabir."
"She's Rwandan, a muslim and very beautiful."

I hung up the call. Kabir can never for once be serious. A girl has been betrothed to him, I don't know the nonsense he's talking.
It took me hours to convince mama not to cancel her business trip because of me.
Minutes later, Umar, his wife (Hanifa) and my niece (Ayra) came home to check up on me.
Ayra walked into my room with a tear strained face, her mother followed suit. We exchanged pleasantries and hugged Ayra asking her why she was sulking.
"Hey baby. What's up?" I asked, seated her beside me.
"Mommy doesn't want me going to the park with my friends." She said.
"Don't worry. We'll coax mommy in letting you stay over for the night. I'll take you to places tomorrow Alright?" I hugged Ayra and whispered in her ear.
"Pinky promise?"
"Yeah pinky promise." I assured her.

She's such a cute thing.
"Whatever you guys are doing, Won't work on me." Hanifa spoke from far end of my room.
She was by the shelf picking out a book.
"Ayra is sleeping over!" I said excitedly
"Tomorrow is Thursday, a public holiday and there won't be islamiya classes. So." I added and watched as she approached us.
"Please."
"Please mommy"
"Please"
"Please mommy"

Ayra and I begged and begged till she finally gave in.
My leg miraculously got better in hours. Myself and Umar's family took mama to the airport. She was leaving for Bahrain to close a business deal. She gave me an earful before she left.

We stopped by Blucabana to have dinner. I ordered my favorite braised fish with seasonal vegetables and roasted chili sauce, My mouth watered at the sight.

We talked about random stuff and books with Hanifa and Ayra. Umar was silent all these while. I could sworn I knew what he was about to talk about when he cleared his throat.
"Laila. Najib told me about how you don't pick his calls," He spoke and I mentally rolled my eyes. My day has been turmoiled already. Thanks Umar.
"So?" I questioned, trying to keep my calm.

"Er, We'll use the washroom." Hanifa spoke, picked Ayra up and left. I guess she sensed how tensed the situation was about to get.

Umar is 6 years older than I am, so we do not have that typical big brother/little sister relationship. We rarely fought the way siblings do. One of the things that was enhanced by this age difference was how much I looked up to him. I wanted to do and like everything he did. He read Harry Potter, so I did too. He watched Pokémon every morning before school and I was right there next to him every morning. He could skateboard, so I tried to learn too. He played videogames and taught me to as well. I wanted to do everything he did, and in some ways I wanted to do more.
From my brother, I have learned to love comic books, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, and movies so bad they're good.

"Wow Laila. I'll forget what you're to me this instance. How old are you? You should be settling in your husband's house not being a burden on Mama." He said. I have never seen him so angry that way.
How am I being a burden to my own mother? How please?
I didn't know what to do or say. I kept shut and played with the utensil in front of me.

"I mean what is wrong with Najib? I'm fed up of your foolishness please." He added

"I'll get married when Allah decrees, besides, why do you bother? You have a family to take care of." I stated.

"Don't be that way Laila. "

"I don't like your friend Umar. I'm sorry but you can't force me into getting into a relationship with someone I'm not interested in."

"Oh you're talking back at me? Fine."

I soundlessly slipped out of my chair.
"Mama has spoilt this girl rotten!"
I heard him say as I made my way out of the eatery.
I felt resented, triggered and irritated as I walked down the road to hail a taxi.
And suddenly, the scene that greeted me was not something I'll be able to forget. A truck was speeding down the lane and a boy of nearly Ayra's age was aimlessly wandering on the street.
"Watch out!" I screamed. The little boy, confused, stared at me and other people that gathered. I couldn't think but the next thing i felt myself doing was running down the road, I pushed the boy off the road and the truck swerved to the other side.
"Are you okay?" I questioned the little boy out of breath and he nodded in the affirmative. I hugged him instantly. People hovered over us asking if we were alright.
The boy's mother came afterwards, crying and thanking me all over.
Oh what a day this is!
I tried to get up but my leg said No.

QURAISH

Recalling a favorite place is not an easy endeavor for a person of my temperament. Through a hazy memory instances and occurrences come fleeting through my mind like clouds floating across a colored sky. I can recall happy memories, and sad ones. Both are there, only their shapes differ; clouds too offer up different shapes. My problem lies in the actual choosing of a place that I can call favorite. Many different places come to mind, but each one has to be ruled out, for always some glitch appears and floats across a foggy memory that has not yet been burned away by the hot summer sun.

My impulse is to enter upon memories that cause some pain in my being. If I had the choice, I would wipe these memories clear away, so as to never have occasion to recall them again. But, through force of will and some effort, I have decided upon a place that can perhaps qualify as a favorite.
Arrival at our lakeshore property brings me to my favorite place: a wooden dock, about fifteen feet long and six feet wide. On this dock I spent some of my happiest moments.
"Nabila."
I turned on my heel and stepped right back out of the dock, walked to my car and drove home.
**

"Trust me quraish. She'll be perfect for the job, I know what I'm saying." Amma rambled on and on. I sighed, a headache piercing through my cranium. This is not good.
I had just gotten back from the office, Amma bombarded me with stuff about getting Hisham a caretaker. He's got two nurses already, I see no point..
"I'll freshen up." I spoke tiredly and walked to my section of the house.
I refreshed my mail and got my schedules for the day.
6:00- workout, alone
7:45am- meeting with French investors
9:30am- Kumar ( orphanage)
10:50am- DailyTrust magazine interview
12:00pm- coffee from Mona's
12:15pm- Boards meeting
1:00pm- zuhr
2:00pm- meeting with township council
3:45pm - Asr
4:40pm- overseas calls, Mails
6:00pm- Maghreb
7:00pm- Dinner with Julius Berger

Not much to do,
I mentally sighed and changed to my favorite Desmond merrion supreme bespoke.
I got to Hisham's room, he was fast asleep. I kissed his forehead and adjusted his duvet, then walked to the kitchen.
Amma and Abba were having breakfast already. We exchanged pleasantries and I served myself coffee and some soup.
"You should take a week off quraish." Abba spoke
"You're working way too hard." Amma added
"I'm fine." I stated.
An awkward silence erupted, the only thing heard was the sounds of utensils on glass plates.
"Quraish, about the girl.." Amma began.
Sigh
"Do the needful Amma."

****