Ayatullah fails to fall asleep, he is having a restless night always thinking about what he discussed with Fatahurrahman, his heart is slowly finding its peace, it keeps pounding whenever he thinks about Amatullah having another man.
He felt like flying to tomorrow, so he decided to visit Khadija and ask for her opinion just like how Fatahurrahman advised.
The following day he called khadija and asked for her address.
Khadja was so happy to receive his call, she actually missed them that she wanted to see them so badly.
He went along with the clothes, and the watch he kept for them from the things he brought from Saudi. She was so happy to see him . What actually stops her from visiting him is because he is male, Ayatullah was so surprised seeing how her family knew about him.
He stayed at her place for long, they chatted together before he gathered a lot of courage and explained himself.
She burst into laughter, “you finally gather your courage and become a man” she said still laughing.
He looked at her doubtfully.
“I had been noticing you for long, I am aware of your feelings. I wanted to watch you to the end but you finally gathered the courage to congratulate me for stepping away from the cowardly world. Though you are late, she has another man.” She said in a serious voice now she’s not laughing.
His intestine suddenly twisted, his heart surged, he’s actually dazed “please is that true?” he asked languidly.
She laughed “your problem is that you are a coward, what’s their if she had another man?, what matters is to believe in yourself, that’s how you can beat him, please be a man though I am only kidding.”
He expelled air heavily and he was relieved…
Khadija looked at him and she felt like laughing again “but still she wanted to tease him more.”
She sniffed making a little sound he looks at her signing “what’s wrong”
She raise her eyebrows before she said ” still there is problem”
he actually doesn’t like that word. Maybe this is why his heart keeps pounding.
She burst into laughter pointing Finger at him clapping her hands ” why is that you are not brave at all?.”
He actually didn’t find it funny how she said there is a problem and still laughed. He felt like grabbing her neck and forcing her to tell him what’s the problem but he just can’t.
He pushed away the bad feeling “please tell me” he sniffed a little hoping his voice sounded more serious.
She cleared her throat. Maybe she wants to sound serious too. “If not because you are our friend I wouldn’t allow her Date a coward, how can you be shocked like this by a simple word problem.”
“Khadija please tell me” this time his voice sounded like a person begging to know the truth.
“Well the problem is that you are our student, the teacher needs not to fall in love with his/her student” and she started laughing.
He shook his Head after hissing khadija was just like Fatahurrahman and Balkisa may be this is why he liked being her friend.
*******
Ummi felt bad after receiving Khadija’s call that Ayatullah visited her ” had it been I also live in kaduna he might also visit my place” she said disappointedly.
khadija keep laughing at her “sorry dear schools will resumed soon be patient” she did not tell her what they discussed with, she wanted him to say it himself.
******
Ayatullah decided to visit Ummi. He left Kaduna late in the evening and arrived in Kano early in the evening. He looked for a hotel and stayed there that night.
He called Ummi the next day after he ate breakfast, and took a shower he asked about her address.
She is so happy to hear that he’s in Kano and he will visit her, she send SMS of the address to him that the hause located at Sakkwato road number 258 he smiled after reading the message “he will finally see her today.”
Just like the time he visited Kadija he also go to Ummi’s place with some of the things he brought from Saudiyya
Ummi dropped her phone on the bed after ending the call and went to the Sa’ada chamber.
She told her about her friend visiting today and asked her to inform Dad about that.
Sa’ada asked her to instruct Hajara (the maid) to prepare something for her. Ummi smiled, “He’s actually and it’s better if I concoct the food my self.”
“Ok then tell your sisters to help you” Sa’ada said.
*****
She called her sisters Amira and Aisha to help her, the girls keep asking about her relationship with the man coming but her answer is nothing.
Aisha tittered, “Yaya Amira let her be, we will ask him yourself you know her well, she’s a reticent.”
Dad (Usman) was so happy about Ummi having a visitor, so he will have an in-law soon then be a grandfather, he thought happily.
Ayatullah looked so gentle, he wore traditional Hausa clothes, a kaftan sky blue with his shoes and cap matching the thread used in designing the kaftan.
Dad was so happy after seeing Ayatullah. He was actually a gentle, handsome , respectable young man, a dream of every father for his daughter.
Her sisters are lovable like their sister Ayatu thought they keep asking him on his relationship with their sister
Aisha opened the food flasks and served him another food, ” how can you eat this little after all the difficulties, besides she cooked it herself.”
He smiled “How can I eat when I can’t get enough of your words? I am actually not full,” he said jokingly.
Amira rose up from where she was seated ” oya guys let’s go we will be back after he’s done, she turned on Ayatullah Yayanmu (our brother in-law) make sure you finishes everything or else you most tell us your relationship with Yaya ummi” She said a grin on her face.
He only smiles, her sisters are just cute.
He turned to Ummi after her sisters left. “So you cook deliciously like this?” Ayatullah said chewing as she looked at him and hummed.
He swallowed the food and then say “What’s our relationship i really want to know in order to know what to tell your sister when they asked again”
she looks at him confusingly, aren’t we friends? She asked
“Oh wow the relationship is now upgraded to friendship from student teacher relationship.
She shook her head a little before saying ” no that relationship is at school.”
“Ok then, another question” he said. Did you ever dream of living together with your friend? He said taking a cup of water.
” Look at you,” she giggled. “We are friends and every real friend wants their friendship to be forever, being an everlasting friend is the dream of every best friend.”
“Alhamdulillah am full” he said, dropping the cup of cool water and facing her, giving all his attention to her…
“Well you are right but that’s not what I mean, I mean being more than friend do you ever think of having your friend as your whole life partner, for instance you will live together in the same place eat together and grow old together.”
“You must be funny do you mean marriage” she asked
“Yep you got me right” he said pointing finger at her grinning.
She sniffed, ‘I never think of that, marriage is full of obstacles and I never want to lose my friend because of marriage, and am sure marrying my friend will do nothing but break my friendship with him” She replied to him.
He smiled softly ” You might have a point but real friend are those who love each other and live together forever and for a man and woman’s friendship to stick for long they need to be married or else her man and his woman will surely break their bond.”
She keep quite some moment thinking before she suddenly said “you are Right but still i don’t think I can marry Ahmad he’s like siblings to me, I always wish we are from the same parents.”
Perfect he said in his mind and then said “what about me?” openly.
She looked at him, her eyes wide opened “you!”
“Yes, me, why not we make our friendship a relationship that will last forever, let’s grow old together and make our kid friends I will assure you one things that you will never lose a friend, i can play the role of both to you yes role of friend, and role of man to you.
” Ayatullah you are so funny. How can you joke like this?.”
“Am not joking, I mean my words, do you love me?” he suddenly asked.
He actually doesn’t know how and when his mouth says and then his mind becomes confident shortly.
“I really do love you, meeting you was fate, being your friend is a choice and falling in love with you was bound to happen. I chose you and am willing to repeat the same action. Can you please help to love me back? Maybe I am not worth loving but…….”
Let’s stop all this, please she cut him. He looked at her feeling disappointed but he concealed himself.
“For now just think of my answer as no..”
“Ok then madam” he said jokingly trying to distract her from saying what she wanted to say he did not leave until late in the afternoon, he stayed with her sisters and joked around that helped him a lot and he felt relief although she did not directly reject him.
Ummi keep thinking about him and his words, she actually don’t want to make a mistake may be he was right he was not worth loving but still she couldn’t help thinking of him as a man not a friend just why would her heart be stupid like this after seeing how love destroyed her parents but still fall in love, heart was the worst organ in the body, she thought.
After a long thought ummi decided to say yes but still he needed to know more about him.
Ayatullah was with his mum when he received the message he left for his room. He didn’t know what she wrote. He didn’t want to worry his mum about his plight.
He settled himself on bed and opened the message.
“Assalamu Alaikum, you fall for me not knowing lot side of me, may be you never notice but am mentally not stable am sure not a single person can fall for me after knowing who I am, I may look normal and fine but the reality of me is fearful i don’t think you can manage to be with me, I once decided not to say it but i now understand that not saying it will be another way of losing you, marriage is life time, you can still say it’s all a joke and continue being my friend i won’t mind, nobody want to bring a mad person to his home as the mother of his children my condition once get worsened and Doctors said it can get worse again depending on the situation, think of being together with senseless person your entire life, it won’t be easy and that happiness might never happen because of my situation, please have a change of mind, I may endured losing someone I love but not a person am directly acquainted to.”
Ayatullah read the message over and over so her answer was actually yes but still she wanted him to accept her the way she is.
He wrote a reply and sent it to her through SMS too.
Wa’alaikumussalam
“Do you know what, I love you before setting my eyes on you and will love you to the end until my last breath, I will never care about you being healthy or not please stop rambling around and say yes.”
Smile can’t vanish on ummi’s face, she keep reading the message so men are actually something else, the way he keep talking about love make her shied
“Ok yes” she replied shortly.
Ayattullah was so happy that he couldn’t sleep well he felt as if he’s the happiest man on earth. He pray Nafil and asked Allah to fulfill his wish of making Amatullah his.
*****
Their relationship changes in the mean time to a friendship full of love, care and pity.
Ummi looked happier than ever. She now knows how it feels to love and be loved. She now knows why we are created in different genders. We actually don’t need only friends in life but also someone we can call a life partner.
*****
Result is out the whole level 2 students are in shock, Ayatullah was the best student with an incredible grade.
Like every time in level 3 ummi was the best student, she never left that spot. Khadija was the second one with the highest grade.
Ayatullah visited Kano for about 3 times before schools were reopened, she actually invited Ahmad when Ayatullah visited for the second time and introduced them to each other.
Ummi doesn’t want to leave her sisters but still she is so happy to go back to school to see Khadija. She missed her so much.
Schools resumed people looked fresh due to the fact that there’s no schools pressure, lot of students are promoted, some have to repeat and few are expelled for different reasons it felt like yesterday when ummi come to zariyya as level 1 student and today come back as final year students she’s actually so excited but started missing her friends from today.
*****
Ayatullah keeps pleading that ummi should come to his place to say hi to his family, ummi has no intention of visiting her in-laws before marriage but still she can’t say No to Ayatu she seeks Khadija’s advice and she tells her to ask him for an address.
Khadija told her mum that she will accompany Ummi to her in-laws and her mum instructed Khadija’s older brother to drive them there.
Ayatullah was at his Granny’s place busy chatting with her when Ummi called and told him they were at his place.
He rose up happily from Hajiya Babba. Let’s go to our place. Your rival arrived and told you she’s a lot better than you, he said jokingly.
Hajiya Babba laughs, you must be out of your mind, take a look at me, I may be older but I am still beautiful, she also said jokingly.
“Oya Hajiya let go, I don’t want her to wait long” he said, trying to go out.
” Where are you going, we need to call your aunt, she also needs to see her daughter in-law.” Hajiya insisted
*****
The way Aywtulla’s family keeps staring at Ummi made her uncomfortable. She just doesn’t know why he’s late.
Mami (Ayatu’s mum) frowned her face after seeing Ayatullah coming together with the woman she disliked the most.
Ummi who sat on the carpet with her head meekly to the floor raised her gaze after she heard Ayatu coming into the parlor. She’s finally relieved that they can leave early.
She rose up shockingly after making eye contact with the woman beside Granny, Umma! (Mum) she said shockingly ” all the people at the parlour turned and looked at the door.”
Ummi the woman said trying to take a step closer then suddenly collapsed, what mum, no wonder she look exactly like her mami said.
While Granny is surprised, recoiling in shock, so i khayriyya not mute she can speak.
ummi ran to the woman she called mum crying. She turned her around. She’s her mum for sure but she’s breathless. She can’t say whether she’s alive or not. She started shouting help her please khadija and Ayatullah ran to her.
Mami shouted at Ayatullah don’t dare take a step closer to that woman do you know who she is.
Ayatullah stopped, and turned to his mum “but Mami…”
“Do as I said, do not go to that woman, she is the destroyer of my happiness. Despite her, if you want a new mum you can help them” she said trudging to her bedroom.
Khadija rose up and went out running she called her brother he helped them carry her out while Granny followed them.
Ayatullah was confused as far back as he could remembered his mum was a simple and kindhearted person but why would she do that, he really love Ummi but he can’t destroyed his life because of love, he can’t let his mum curse him he need to find a way, he trudge to her room to his surprised she is heavily crying, “leave my sight.” She shouted and quickly rushed out before she said something bad.