I woke up a few minutes to fajr, and took some tea and bread for Sahoor. I'm normally not a food person, I just eat enough to survive, that's it.

I wrote a letter for Siya, making a mental note to myself to post it later in the day. I came out of my room to check on Maa Fatima, and have a word with her. I was shocked to see Adam, my two year old brother, leaning on the door frame to his mother's chamber

"Adam..what's wrong with you?" I scooped him up and his voice became loud. He was hitting his legs, in an attempt to let go off me. Even her children don't like me. I placed him down and walked pass in into the room to have a word his mother. How can she leave him here on the floor? Mama Saratu wasn't in her living room, nor her room. She wasn't even in her favorite place- sitting in front of the stove, so she could have a good view of everything happening inside the house.

10 year old Hajara, sprawled on the mat, Looking the same as her brother, Adam.

"What's wrong with the both of you?" I asked her and she gave me a glare first, the hissed loudly. I went closer to her then slapped her mouth.

"Na miki kama da sa'ar wasan ki? In kika kara mun tsaki sai a pasta miki baki. (do I look like your play mate? If you hiss at me again, then I'll break your mouth)." I yelled at her. "Now tell me what's wrong with the both of you, and where's your mother?"

"Baba...he divorced mama and said she should leave....and...and he said she shouldn't take us with her" she said in between tears. I was shocked.

Baba...believed me? I never thought he would. Knowing his nature, he would just forget about all I told him like it doesn't matter, and continue life normally.

I hugged Hajara and consoled her. Even though we never got along, she still is my sister, step though. "Don't cry okay, everything will be fine" I held both of them for a while, and when they wouldn't stop being adamant that they want their mother back, I took them to Maa Fatima.

She's not just a good mother to me, but to Mama Saratu's three children. They didn't like her much either, their mother must have instigated them against us, but they can't ignore the fact that Maa Fatima is so nice. She's too damn nice. You can hurl insults at her but she'll just keep quiet, sometimes she'll even apologize to you, for doing something that made you angry. That's her extent of niceness.

Even after all what Mama Saratu did to her, she still took care of Adam and Hajara, like a mother would. She rocked Adam to sleep and consoled the stubborn Hajara.

It was after zuhr salat that I went out, the hot sun shining over my face. I pulled down my niqabi. Feeling more secure, I headed to the post office to send Asiya a letter.

I passed some jobless ruffians sitting under a tree shade, gambling and chatting loudly. I pulled down the second veil of my niqabi, covering my eyes and face completely.

"Hey beautiful, why don't you ditch that hijab of yours and come over here" a man said, sitting by the bench, his friends cheering at his boldness.

I walked over, step by step, looking at all five of them. I stopped at the leader of them. He looked scared for a while before he masked it with a smirk. Coward. I slapped him very hard until he fell on his face. He got up in an instant and raised his hand but I caught it halfway.

There's one thing about me, I can't seem to control my palms from hitting a soft cheek when I'm very angry.

"Don't you even dare!" I spoke and there was this bitterness in my voice that I saw him flinch a little. I could see the right side of his face, red from the dirty slap I gave him, and his lips were bleeding.

"Who do you think you are huh?, do you even know who you slapped?"He roared.

"You're a coward, you know that? You stay here all day doing nothing but pestering girls, you're jobless, absolutely jobless. Even a donkey does more work than you. A big shame on you. "

He raised his hand again, and I caught it, giving the other side of his face another tight slap. As I said earlier, I find it very hard to control my palms. He held his face in pain and looked at me as if he wanted to kill me.

"You! I'll teach you a lesson I swear" he roared yet again. But his high voice made me laugh really hard.

"You know, let me make that easy for you, I'm the daughter of  Imam Nasir Yahya. The retired solider. Everyone in this village knows where our house is, you can come over and teach me a lesson whenever you're free...oh wow! You're always free because you're jobless" I said and there was sarcasm dripping from my tone.

He glared at me and  I turned to leave. Useless men. All they do is sit there all day and ogle at girls.

I stepped inside the post office and posted my letter and headed home. Just as I took the last turn towards home, I felt someone grab my hand and drag me along with him.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed and he turned around, showing me his face. The idiot elder brother of mine.

He grabbed my hands and took me home.

Hey did I say I was going somewhere else?

I pulled my hands for his grip just as we reached baba's living room. Baba looked at both of us, sighed a little before asking what it was this time around.

"Baba I was just coming home, minding my own business, when he came and grabbed me and bought me home. Did I say I was going somewhere else" I said with a frown on my face.

"Baba, she went looking for trouble again, she even slapped and insulted the Yerima(prince)" he said and I glared at him. "It was because of his kindness that he let her go, if not she would have been locked up" he added smirking at him.

"He started it!" I defended but baba was now scolding me.

"Where did you go at the first place, and that too without permission?" Baba asked. The expression on his face showed he was a little angry.

"I...Uhm..I went to the post office"

"To do what" the annoying brother had the nerve to ask

"I went to post a letter to my friend Asiya" I said boldly.

"Halima....you are now grown up, you shouldn't roam about in this village anyhow..." I opened my mouth to protest put he held up his hands. "Today should be the last time I hear any complaints about you, and also, I don't want you to go anywhere besides the neighborhood. Understood?" I nodded slowly

"Baba, you should just get her married. That would keep her put" Ya Abdul spoke and I glared at him.

"I'm not going anywhere, understood. I have the same rights as you do in this house so stop telling me rubbish okay?" I said to Ya Abdul 

"Halima! Is that the way to speak to your elder brother?" Baba scolded. I had forgotten he was standing right next to me. "Apologize now!"

"I'm sorry Ya Abdul!" I said with a frown on my face, clapping my hands in front of him. "Please forgive me" I added then left the room thinking of a comeback for Ya Abdul. I'll get him back for this.

***_***_***_***_***_***_***_***_***

"Sadiya" baba called out to me from his living room. He was back from the tarawee prayer. "Sit down" he said and I on the large brown carpet. He patted the space beside him on the sofa and I got up and sat beside him. He cleared his throat before speaking.

Oh..I think the prince bought complaints to my father.

"Wallahi baba I didn't know he was the prince when I slapped him...I should apologize right? But he was being too egoistic...I had to.." I mumbled on but baba raised his hand. A gesture he makes to shut people up.

Baba had the typical solider'body, and attitude. He's tall....very tall, and dark in complexion. He had this 'no nonsense' look on his face all the time. You'd get along with him as long as you follow all his rules. Oh well, the rules were excluded for me....I'm his favorite after all. And the trouble maker in the house.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you all the time..."

Woah! I truly wasn't expecting that.

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