Chapter 2: Reminisce

As she lay, on her mattress alot of things, kept going through her mind, how her family have drastically changed,

she pulled her soft blanket over her body, said her sleeping azkar(prayer) and in no time she was deeply asleep.

****

"Let's take a look back"

****

Ten years back, things were different in the family of Hashim Ali, a young business man in his late twenties, things were different, they were a definition of a happy family,

his beautiful wife yasmin was the joy of his life, Allah blessed them with, three beautiful daughters, who were adored by all, they were admired anywhere they go, some, sometimes even think they are triplet,

because each of them were older than the other with a year, and they had a slight resemblance, Hanan is the first, Haifa, and then Alaina.

***

Aliyu usman, Abdullah usman, and their cousin, Khadija sagir, were raised by their grandparents, salisu and Binta, which they call, mama and Baba, they lived in a little village, danbatta, in kano state.

Baba was a farmer who earned little from his farm, they didn't have much, but they were a very happy and content family.

growing up they knew little about their parent, Usman died after the birth of Abdullah, at that time Ali was Ten years old, from a severe fever.

after a year, sagir was on the farm one afternoon resting, after working, while a snake bit him, before any first aid, he also died, at that time Khadija was just seven year old.

all they knew was their grandparents, were their parents.

Hauwa, was Ali and Abdullah's mum and her sister Maryam, was khadija's mum, they are both origins of Borno state, usman and sagir went to maiduguri to sell some of their farm products, that's where they met and fell in love with the two sisters.

After the death of their husbands, their parents pressurized them to go back to maiduguri, they had to go back.

back in maiduguri, after some months, they remarried,

they went back to Kano to take their children, but baba and mama, didn't agree, they said they will never see their grandchildren again, if they allow them take them

Hauwa and Maryam, pitied mama and baba, as they will be alone if they take the children, so they had to leave them.

so every month, they came to visit their children, they came two times after their marriage, the third time they came to visit, they saw that the house has burnt down, because the night after their last visit, there was a fire outbreak which burnt down the house,

fortunately, it didn't harm anyone.

they had to migrate to mama and Baba's old house. unfortunately for hauwa and maryam they didn't know that house.

they cried alot when they saw the house, they thought they were all dead, they asked their neighbors if they knew where they moved to but no one knew where they have moved too, and at that time there was no phone for communication.

they went back home that day very sad,

"there is nothing we can do Maryam, let's just pray their alright, and that Allah join us soon" Hauwa consoled her younger sister. "Amin" Maryam said.

they go there time to time maybe they will see their children oneday, but they never came,

little did they know that, baba and mama, every Friday tell the children to go there incase, their mothers will come since they come mostly on Fridays,

but immediately they left the spot, that's when hauwa and Maryam arrived there, because the buses arrived in the evening unlike before, that it arrived in the afternoon, due to some problem that occurs to the main road, that was normally used.

***

when Aliyu reached the age of twenty years old, at that time khadija was eighteen, while Abdullah was twelve years.

their grandparents suggested, Aliyu should marry khadija, since they had no other relatives but themselves, meanwhile Khadija and sagir had both been crushing on each other eversince.

they were both happy about the decision of their "mama and baba" so, they gladly accepted, and got married, at that time Aliyu stoped baba from going to the farm, and he started the business of buying and selling of food stuffs, in some months Aliyu became a big trader,

he became the one helping his family, while sponsoring Abdullah's school, he wanted to fulfill his only brother's wish of becoming a doctor.

After a year of Khadija and aliyu's wedding, Khadija gave birth to Hashim, who was, a blessing to their family, since the birth of hashim, Allah blessed the business of Aliyu,

Aliyu, started traveling abroad for business, he was into import and export of food stuffs, they had a big farm in their village which, they cultivated all kinds of food stuffs, he became a very popular business man,

Aliyu paid for Baba and mama to go to Hajj, that day, mama and baba cried tears of joy, seeing them in makkah, was their last wish, they had always wanted to visit the holy city, they paryed for everyone, includingngng their deceased children, and also maryam and hauwa, their daughter inlaws.

At that time Abdullah, was in Bayero university in kano state, studying his dream course, medicine, he did all his best to make his family proud, with his results and good behaviors,

At his final year in school, Abdullah, fell in love with Hasia, a very beautiful and humble girl of good characters, she wasn't a student of the University, she drives her younger sister Firdaus to school everyday, who was also in bayero universityy, he admired her alot but he just admired her from afar, he couldn't talk to her.

Abdullah was a quiet guy, he has never, courted any girl, he sees his friends doing it, being in relationships and all, but he was too focused in bringing his dream into reality,

but this time was it's different, he was in love.

after performing two raka'at(unit) of prayer, he raised his two palms up, towards the qibla, cupped them together,

he poured out his heart, to his rabb(God) he prayed to Allah with all his beautiful names, that if it will be of goodness to him he pray he marry her, "he didn't even know her name" he thought, and smiled.

after that, he felt relieved and had this strong believe that Allah has accepted his dua (prayer).

it was just 1am in the night, that night was the longest night for Abdullah, he can't wait for the morning, so he can see his angel again "angel as he calls her" since he doesn't even know her name "yet" yet!? he asked himself, "yeah I will get to know soon in sha Allah" he smiled, rubbing the back of his head,

he would wait for her at the parking lot, where she drops firdaus every morning.