2 Weeks Later...
1:07 am.

"Yeeehhh! yeeehhhhh!! yeeehhhhhh!!! yeeeeehhhhhhh!!!" Hardee's loud cry echoed.

"What's it, Humaira!" Star berged into Humaira's room. "This your baby I crying too much o! Someone can not even sleep peacefully at night again, ehn?"

"I'm so sorry, Star! He's just so fussy. This happens to baby, star. He just won't stop crying..."

Do something now?! Breastfeed him.

He doesn't want to. I've tried to calm him down but he won't stop crying. I think we have to exercise patience with Hadee.

"Ughh! This is so faustrating!" Star scratched nagged. have you informed your doctor about this?"

"Yes, I called doctor Malik on phone three days ago. He said it's normal. Especially babies after 3-8 weeks of life, babies usually gets fussy because of their change in environment and all of that." Humaira explained, carrying her baby over her shoulder and moving tro and fro so he would stop crying.

"Oh Jeez!" Star placed her hand on her forehead as if she was having headache or undergoing through a lot of stress.

"I'm so sorry, Star. I'll find a way to end this.... I'll try my best."

Yeah, you should better find a solution to all of these. His noise is killing like seriously. He cries at the end of each feed and throughout the night."

She sits on the side of her bed again, holding the baby on a sitting position on her laps and supporting his neck with her hand. Humaira gently rub Hadee's back. She did this in a couple of minutes until he slowly stops crying and sleeps off.

"It seems he finally calmed down. Thank Goodness he's sleeping. It takes a lot of patience truly." Star sighed.

I told you. Humaira smiled and watched her lovely baby fall asleep. He suddenly burbs out something milky from his mouth and yawned. Humaira gently placed him in his crib to sleep.

"Awwwwn... Isn't he cute?" Humaira whispered, not wanting to wake him up again.

"I think I'll have to adopt to this as well. Star smiled. Huh, Whatever, I'm going to my room." Star rolled her eyes with a smirk and went back to her room.

The rest of the night was cold and quite.

***

The next morning,

Humaira wanted to take off his diaper when she noticed pink rashes around his forehead, neck, thigh.
Subhanallah, what happened to you my love?" She asked as she took off his diaper.

She glaced through his body for a while before mixing his water and getting everything set and ready for his 7: 00 am bath.

"Awwwwn! This must be painful right? I'm so sorry my baby, It's all Mamma's fault but don't worry. This rashes won't last on your body, okay?" She forced herself to smile and for the first time, hadee smiled back at her. She was so happy that he's responding to her at least. She can't wait for him to grow into a young and handsome man so all the girls would be drooling over him.
'By then, inshallah. I'll have spent years practicing law, probably be a big barrister by then.' She smiles to herself again and placed baby Hadee on her lap as usual.

She gently  used a

His circumcised penis looked swollen, so she took a paste of white cream and pressed it a little on the top of her right fingers, then rubbing it at the tip of it.

Just then, Star entered.

"Good morning sunshine..." Star looked tired. She didn't get a sleep throughout the night but she seemed happy that morning, so she came to check on them.

"Good morning, Humaira answered her."

"What's this on your son's body?"

"It's just rashes. I saw it this morning but, I'm sure it would dry off soon."

"Really? But why don't you take him to the hospital?!"

"Most babies goes through these, star."  Humaira laughed. "It's called sensitive response to health. It means Hadee is gradually growing my dear. The doctor told me all of this during antenatal."

"Hmm? Nawa o." Star smiled Sha she folded her arms and watch Humaira wash his white-pinkish body. She rubbed his neck, back and the brings it front to his stomach, gently scrobbing the sponge through his stomach.

His cord falls off.

"Wow! You see? My baby is growing!!" Humaira jerked with happiness.

"Okay, I believe you but I think babies are rather strange to understand. For me, I don't think I can go through any of this stress right now. I'm not just ready to become a mother now."

"Hmm.. only God knows when and how my dear. But you'll definitely go through this one day."

The both of them ended up laughing.

"Okay, I'll be going out for two nights." Star brought up. "I won't be coming home till next tomorrow."

"Why? Where are you going? Is it that urgent?" Humaira looked a bit troubled and concerned.

"Umm.... I have a client to attend to."

"Where's that exactly?"

"In Abuja."

"Wow! So you're traveling and you didn't tell me before hand?"

"No, it's not like that, Humaira. I really care and adore you so much. I didn't want to disturb you with my hustling wahala that's why but I still told you now, so you don't need to wear that face."

"Which face?" Humaira released the frown and her lips curved into a shy smile.

"You're something else, Star. Humaira joked. So when are you going?"

"Later in the afternoon."

"Okay... That would be fine. Just be careful."

"I surely will." She breath out heavily.
"You should be careful too. You and your naughty baby."

Humaira replied with a funny kind of facial look as Star played with him a little before going.

She threw three or four classy outfits into her smallest traveling bag.

"Bye bye girl... See you soon. If there's anything you need, just give me a phone call, okay?"

"Okay.." Humaira replied and based her goodbye.

Meanwhile, Humaira left Hadee laying on his belly. When she came back into the room, Humaira noticed that Hadee couldn't lift this head. Instead, he remained flexible in his abducted posture.

She placed him to lay on his side again but something looked so strange and wrong. He pushed up his legs and arms as if he was trying to pull up himself. This is unusual.
"I think we would have to visit the doctor soon." Humaira muttered.

***

Later in the evening, Humaira went to the hospital to have a one on one Conversation with her doctor and a check-up on little Hadee.

Doctor Malik is someone like doctor Ibrahim. He's been practicing medicine for 27 years now and he's a professional on the field.

"Good Evening doctor Malik."

"Good evening Humaira, please seat down." He offered.

"What should I get for you? Water or juice?"

"No, don't worry sir. I'm satisfied." Humaira is somehow close to doctor Malik. He has been treating her like a daughter since they first met, three months ago,

"It's your first outing I guess?"

"Yes sir." She answered with a smile but it suddenly faded. Doctor Malik as a professional knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Hope no problem? You should have called me on phone and I would have rushed to check on you."

"No doctor. I think this is urgent. Hadee has been behaving strangely this few days. I don't understand that's why I brought him directly to you sir."

"Bring him." Doctor Malik collected the baby for examination.
"What's wrong with him? What have you noticed?"

"I don't know, but he's having abnormal body postures and poor eye contact. I'm scared something might get wrong is i rushed Jim here before it gets too late."

"Okay..."

Doctor Malik carried him and took him to a soft crib inside his office. He made Hadee sit and held his neck back in a position, examing him thoroughly.

Doctor Malik gently placed him in a sitting position, his back and spine looked bent in a rounded form as if he need more support than never to even sit. He placed him to lay on his side. Instead, pushed up on his legs and arms again. Like how he did earlier.

"Subhanallah! This is quite strange, Humaira but it's nothing new."

"What do you mean doctor Malik? I don't understand... Is he sick?"

"No, he isn't. Infact, Hadee is very healthy. But, we would have to take think we would have to carry out some lab tests on him."

"Just tell me doctor, what do you think is wrong with him?" Humaira pleaded.

"I'm thinking Hadee might be Autistic. Our medical diagnosis on him would tell if it's autism or not."

"What?! What does that even mean?"

"Autism is also called autism spectrum disorder. It's a kind of serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact."

"Subhanallah! How long would this last? It can get treated right?"

"Yes, treatment can also help but this condition might be chronic. It can last for a couple of years or be lifelong, Humaira. First, you have to exercise patience on issues like this. I would personally carry a lab test on Hadee and I'll send you the results first thing tomorrow morning so we would be sure of what steps to take. It might just be something else, who knows?"

"What causes this sickness? How did my son get infected, I'm confused. He was fine after childbirth right?!"

"It's not like that, Humaira. The doctor let of a deep sigh. The exact reason why autism happens isn't clear ye it could stem from problems in parts of the brain that interprets sensory input and processes language. Based on research, autism is four times more common in boys than in girls and it can happen to people of any race, lifestyle educational level or social background. Autism run in familes so, certain combinations of genes may increase a child's risk. Especially children with older parent has higher risk of Autism. Again, pregnant women who are exposed to certain drugs or medications are more likely to have autistic children."

"I hope Hadee isn't affected but doctor... What should I do now?"

"Don't panic my dear. Everything has a solution. Ummm... I'll have to inform someone more specialized in autism disorders. A friend of mine who's working as a doctor in your school is actually a mental pediatrician. I'll have to invite a child psychologist as well. But let's see what would happen tomorrow. I'll get in touch with you, okay?"

"Okay sir."

"I see he's having rashes. What are you using?"

"Just verseline sir."

"That's good. Keep on using it or Shea butter too that's if you like. It can dry out the rashes too. Make sure you don't use any perfumed kind of petroleum jelly, to avoid skin irritation."

"Okay doctor."

"Take this. He handed her a small bag. In it were a big packet of blood tonic and some fruits."

"Thank you sir." She thanked him, wearing a smile smile.

Then he called a nurse to take his blood test. He would work on it in the lab himself. The nurse did as she was told.

"What about the payments sir?"

"Don't worry, leave that to me. He replied her. What is more important niw is to know your son is in good health."

"Thank you sir." She smiled, placing Hadee on her shoulder. He was asleep already.

"You're welcome my dear. Please, take care of your son and try to stay indoors. Okay?" He warned.

"Okay sir. We'll take our leave now."

"Okay, bye. I'll call you later in the evening..."

She left the hospital and decided to go home. Still in that puzzled state, everything seemed crushing down again. How would her son be born with a brain disorder?

'It's all my fault. I'm responsible for all of this. I've ruined my sons life with my ugly past that won't even leave me. Maybe the curse is affecting him too?' she thought as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Alhaji Musa is in his late fifties. It could be the reason why my sweet Hadee is affected with such horrible disorder. And it could be Firdausi. Only God knows what she had put into my food. It must have side effects or reactions. God! I'm so ruined!" She cried as she stopped a taxi.

"7th street, ABU road." She muttered, wiping away her tears.

"Okay, come in." The taxi driver rolled his eyes and answered.

'Why would a full grown woman be crying on the road like a baby?' he thought. 'Whatever...'

She got in and he drove off.

Throughout the drive, Humaira couldn't think straight. She was so worried. The results isn't our yet but the weight on her head seems to be too heavy for her to bare.

"I just pray the result comes out negative. I don't know what to do now. Oh Lord, please save my son from any kind of Calamity..." She cried.

***

Author's Note:

Word Count: 2,096.
(It's average right?... I know.)

So, I just wanted to say... Thanks for reading. Yes, you reading. And I know I have ghost readers in here but please, please, please and please. If you're reading this story, try and leave comments. Let me know your thoughts and opinions. Is this story touching? Is it interesting? Does it makes sense?

How do you think this story is going so far? Fast or slow? Interesting or boring, I really need to know.

~~~

And have you heard about Autism before? Do you have any idea what is is or what it's about? Do you think baby Hadee is affected or not? Who is suffering more between the two sisters? Please, leave a message in the comment box below. Thank you...

***

Enjoy reading  and please, don't forget to press the tiny orange star ★ at the end of each chapter to notify me you've actually read it… So! What are we waiting for! Get ready for this story of family, adventure, mystery and plot twists.