Twenty four

BK 2 chapter 24

         I snuggled closer to Abdulrahman, needing his body heat even though I was under the duvet when my phone rang. I checked the time and saw it was 3:00 am in the morning.

Who the heck calls at midnight?. I thought.

I groaned still feeling sleepy, removed the duvet and picked it without looking at the caller.

"Sophia, please help me" I heard Maryam's urgent voice. I sat abruptly, straightening my back, my sleep was long gone.

"What happened?" I asked, now biting my own lip furiously in concern.

"It is Royhan" She called out frantically.

"What's wrong with brother Royhan?" I panicked, switching on the light. 

"erm..." She trailed off, "you know..." She gulped because I heard the sound. 

"You know what?. You are scaring me" I shouted at her before I woke Abdulrahman gently. "what?" he asked huskily while I gulped in excitement. His voice always did something to me. I shook my head and mouthed, 'Maryam'.

"What happened?" he yawned, flexing his muscles while I drooled over it before cautioning myself I was on the phone. 

"I'm coming" I whispered to him then turned to talk to Maryam. 

"Help me" She pleaded. I tried to detect any sound in the background, maybe her husband and she were having arguments but heard nothing.

"Okay, I'm coming" I stood up, taking my hijab at the bedside while searching for my flip flop to wear.

"Noooo" She screamed, "I just wanted to ask you something," she said sheepishly, I was sure she would be biting her fingernails. 

"What?"

"How to do puff puff" she answered slowly.

"Is that why you called me at 3:00 am?"I bellowed," when I was sleeping, can't you wait?" I was annoyed. She woke me up, just to ask how to do puff puff. 'Arghh" I yelled.

"What happened?" Abdulrahman asked concernedly while I shook my head.

"Sophia are you there?" she asked softly.

"Wallahi, if I've known that this is what you wanted to ask, I wouldn't have answered the call" I gritted my teeth.

"No na, I just want to do it before he wakes up. He said he loves snacks" she cried, "am at fault for trying to make my husband happy?" she sobbed on the phone while I scratched my head.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. You scared me when you called I thought something bad has happened" I blurted.

"OK. Do you have flour; yeast, nutmeg, sugar..." I listed the ingredients to her while she was replying with yes.

After I'd explained how to do it to her, "am I free to go?" I asked, yawning.

"No, please stay on line till I'm through with it. Please" She begged while I grumbled.

"I'll buy you bars of chocolate and candies" She bribed me while I reluctantly agreed. It wasn't good someone should have a weakness, she knew my weakness was chocolate. 

"You can go back to sleep, it is nothing" I pecked him on his lips, "I'm going downstairs" I went out of the room with my phone. 

The one that I would use to sit around without doing nothing, I did ablution and pray (Tahajud). After I was done, I revised the Quran. There's something about the Quran; if you leave the Quran for a day, I mean you don't revise it. It will leave you for three days like that till you forget, you even memorize the Quran. May Allah not let me forget because the punishment for a person who memorized the Quran and forgets is great.

"Thank you sugar pie. You are the best. I don't know what I could do without you in my life. I love you" She appreciated. 

"OK" I replied shortly and hung up then continued my revising. 

~~~

"When you get to grandma's place, make sure you are a good boy to your grandparents and dad. Make sure you read a little and play a little and don't forget to do your morajia' (revision of the Quran)." I lectured my baby boy. He was going to Yusuf's side. I dressed him in a blue shirt and jeans with blue snickers.''Make sure you eat with courtesy, use your right hand. Wash your hand, say 'Bismillah' before eating and after eating 'Alhamdulillahi ladzi ato'amonii adha rozaqoh nihi min goiri awlin mini walikuwa'. When going to the toilet ' Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal kubth wal khabaaith' and when leaving the toilet 'ghufranaka' "I explained." When it is time for solah, follow your father to the mosque. Do you hear? " I asked him while I nodded. I felt like crying, my boy had never left my surroundings. I was going to miss him. 

"When you.." I choked on tears. I sniffed while Abdulrahman was rubbing my back, telling me what I was doing was good. 

"Mom are you carrying?" he asked, looking at me with his chocolate orbs. 

"You know mommy loves you. Momma is gonna miss you. If you are a good boy to grandparents" I hiccuped, "I'm going to buy another set of books" I promised, ruffled his hair. I tickled him down while he laughed out, running away from me. 

"Youuu arrrre wriiiinnkklliing my cloooth," he said in between his laughter. 

Yusuf's dad came to take him, I waved at him and blew him a kiss as I turned back to go inside, the reality kicked in that my boy was not going to be with me during the weekend. I knelt on the floor and sobbed. 

"Shhh, it's okay he is with his father. Nothing will happen" he said soothingly but that didn't help. 

How could he cope, no one knew his favourite food. No one knew when he liked to sleep. I thought. 

"It's just two days Sophia, he is coming back on Monday" he reassured me while I nodded my head. Just two days. 

"Now, go in and have a nice shower. I have a surprise for you" he smiled at me. 

"Surprise?" my eyes lit up. I liked the surprise. 

"I'm taking you on a date, just me and you" he grinned cheekily at me. 

"What should I wear?" I nibbled on my lips. 

"Just put on the casual dress but make it red because.." he winked at me while I giggled. 

. 

. 

.