Chapter 83: Chapter 83

The soft breeze of the early morning slipped down its feather on the subtle face of Hayfah Talhah Muhammad. She squirmed on the bed and looked around, somewhere within her soul_she was praying that what happened yesterday wasn't a dream.

She squinted her eyes and her gaze fell on a sleeping Amna that had Mysha placed carefully to her chest. She could remember Mysha crying yesterday at night, and Amna took her from her until the little baby slept off.

Still laying on the bed, the duvet brought up to her chest; she traced down her finger through the threads of her life. How she started as a lonely and broken little girl that knew nothing in her life but pain. A girl whose mother lived all her life in sheer melancholy; and now, she could boldly call herself a happy woman.

She could vividly see the string attached to the pains her family caused on her; the tears she shed, the moments she spent that she've never thought she could smile again. But life has a better living in store for her.

She lost her Abba all together with Umma; the woman she still regards to as her mother. She knew to some extent that woman doesn't deserve her forgiveness, but what if she doesn't forgive her and live all her life with Umma's thoughts living rent-free in her mind? It's not worth it.

She's the servant of Allah, she sins and he forgives_isn't there beauty in forgiveness? Without Allah's forgiveness towards us, we wouldn't have being gifted with a forever living in jannah. And he said in the Qur'an; he is with the patient.

Why shouldn't? After all, these people are the only people she could proudly call her family in the entire universe. She wronged her, they hurted her, they humiliated her, they sabotaged her creation, they did all the malicious acts even the mischievous person on earth couldn't think of_but she still loves them and sees them as her family.

They asked for her forgiveness now; and so she forgives. May Allah forgive us all.

She knew Abba would've been proud of the woman she become. Successful and responsible. He would've smiled at her and patted her head if he knows of her forgiveness towards her family.

"Hayfah you're crying." A voice brought her back to the world of real. She quickly wiped away the strands of tears and sat upright.

Amna sat upright and carefully placed Mysha between them. She looked at Hayfah with her sleepy and tired eyes and smiled ruefully. "You regretted forgiving me, don't you?" She spoke lugubriously and gulped back her tears, she couldn't cry to gain Hayfah's empathy towards her. She doesn't deserve that from Hayfah.

Hayfah's eyes slightly bulged and she shook her head. "Addah Amna how would I regret forgiving my family? I was happy that I now have a full and complete family_I'm now a happy woman. Not a broken façade that lives in the shattered soul of Hayfah Talhah Muhammad."

They took their time having a sister bonding moment. They laughed at the moments they fought, and cried at the little moments they spent as sisters. Mom entered the room and met them sprawled on the bed with clothes thrown everywhere, as Hayfah was still not done with her packing.

"Hayfah you're not leaving forever! It's just for a day or two. Then we spend two days in Sokoto to see Ruru Am's inlaws. Four day!" Mom laughed at the pile of clothes Hayfah had been putting in their trolley; she was serious about it.

Hayfah sat down and smiled sheepishly. "Mom I thought I would spend some time with Umma and Hamma Tahir; I can even beg Jibril to leave Addah Amna there so we could bond more. Rayhan should stay with us too please!" She made a begging gesture with her hands and yelped as Mom's smack got in contact with her arms.

"You've not reached forty days after your birth giving to be roaming around states like this. Four days it is!" Mom and Amna laughed at how she looked down and Mom urged them to get ready they're leaving immediately after breakfast.

"And I'm not taking these clothes back! Addah Amna, we're of the same size right? Would it be okay if I give you these? Wallahi I've never worn any of them. Don't think negative also." Hayfah started pulling out the sets of clothes and veils from her trolley.

There were ankaras: gowns, and skirt and blouse. Abayas and lots of dresses. She took a new trolley from her closet and set them finely in there. She added some hijabs and veils, shoes and bags before she zipped it_all Amna did was stared at her; speechless.

"Oh Addah Amna! Costumes! You need to be looking hot for my Uncle Jibril woo!" She giggled and dropped down her trolley of costumes, took quite a number for Amna and closed it up.

She looked at a speechless Amna and smiled; she knew what she was thinking. "Addah Amna, there are english wears Adyan bought for me, I think you might love some, knowing my Addah as the fashion girl!" She smiled and opened her closet yet again; revealing a new set of different adorning english wears.

"Come here and choose, Addah!" Hayfah rambled in one breath and acted as if she hadn't sensed Amna's hesitation.

"Hayfah he bought it for you to wear, I shouldn't take any. These ones are enough, I should reduce some, they're much!" Amna spoke lugubriously and hugged Hayfah so tight.

"You're the kindest person I've ever seen in my life. Thank you for being my sister even when I was nothing but a monster to you." Amna lamented and broke their hug, looking down at the marbled floor; ashamed of herself.

"Addah let's not start getting sentimental early this morning. I'll choose the clothes for you, go and bath first." And she shoved her into the bathroom without even waiting to hear a reply from her.

Hayfah brought everything out and arranged them in a trolley for Amna. She was happy; for the first time in her life she was able to do something for her family. How she wished Abba was alive!

She went to Adyan's room and found him just coming out of the bathroom. "Hayatee let me help you." She offered and helped him applied the lotion on his body, as they converse in a lovely way.

"Rania, would you stop grinning already? Your cheeks might hurt, unless you want another Lips or Dimples session!" Adyan daclared as he pinched her cheeks and she laughed, reminiscing the moment that held so much of her love life.

She smacked his shoulder and finished helping him with his cufflinks. She made him sat on the vanity stool and placed his matching zanna bukar on his head; which made him looked like lord having the cap to worship his head.

"Ravishing as always, Hayatee. I love you soo much." And she placed down a smooch on his right cheek, smiling widely at her handwork.

"It's been long you said that to me, since the day you had Mysha. And now Mama took over my place in there, then Tahir and Amna and Umma too would fill up. Poor Adyan, where's my beloved Rania?" She feigned hurt and Hayfah hugged him so tight and merged their lips in a sync.

"Have this as a compensation, I'll take my birth here; I have clothes and everything in your closet. Don't ask me about Mysha, Addah Amna is with her. Also, before I came out, help me think of the things I'll give Hamma Tahir, Jibril and Umma_I had given Addah Amna some few things. And I'll give Mama Abba's letters, her things and his Jallabiyya. It's okay right?" Adyan wondered how she uttered all that without taking a breath, she was more of a talker than she was; of an introvert.

"Your wish is my command, Rania. Need help in there?"

"Nope! Sit back and enjoy the sight being painted on your face! Have a nice look." And he looked at his face, a heart was painted on his left cheek, just when that happened? He was drunken by her love!

***

Their drive to Zaria was one of the happiest and sweetest journey Hayfah ever had in her life. They gisted, laughed, and slept all in the journey that doesn't exceed two hours and thirty minutes.

She opened her eyes and found their car being driven by Tahir; taking the lane that would directly lead them to their house. She paused and took a breath, then comes loosing a beat in her heart, sweat forming at every angle of her body_and she felt her limbs slackening. It felt like those days she would come back 'Home' to something terrible than she left behind.

They drove into their area and Hayfah saw the faces she knew and some she don't. She saw Amir; and for some reason, she felt like going out of the car to split her saliva on his face. Tahir parked his car in front of their house; and all that came back to Hayfah's mind was Abba. He isn't there anymore.

They all hopped out of the car but she couldn't, Mysha was with Amna, and Adyan came back to the car and hardly placated her before she hopped down with a shaking chest.

"You should go in first," Adyan said to Tahir and he obliged and pushed forward the door of their house_Hayfah closed her eyes and awaits the worst.

Rukayya looked as the door closed behind Tahir's back, and the memory flood through her mind like an ocean's wave. She closed her eyes and hold more onto Mom's hand that was holding hers.

'Talhah is no more. Shafa couldn't do anything to you.' She kept monotoning to herself. It was hard to believe, but she did anyways.

It took Tahir minutes that they decided to follow him behind. Amna entered first, followed by Jibril, then Mom that dragged Rukayya inside and Adyan that forcefully held Hayfah's hand until they were inside the same courtyard that if it could talk_it would've teased the two women standing on it. Hayfah and Rukayya.

"What do you mean by this house was owned by you? How is this possible?!" Tahir roared at the elderly man that was confidently looking at him and telling him his father's house had became his house.

"This house was sold to me by Sagiru, because the woman that was living in this house was no where to be found. Look, I don't want any problem with you; just give me back my money if you want the house back. My family haven't parked yet, we can look for a new house." The man suggested and shrugged off his shoulder in a manner that emotes he really didn't care about whatever decision Tahir might take.

"I'm not paying a single penny for what I know is lawfully mine! Where's my mother?" That's when Tahir's senses came back to him, he hadn't seen Umma and it was obvious this man doesn't know about her whereabouts.

"I don't know where your mother is. And you have to pay me back my 250 thousand naira cash before you can lawfully have this house back!" The man barked and walked back into the room that was once Abba's!

Tahir made a move to reach him when Adyan stopped him. "We have to look for Umma first." And it took the all in Tahir, Amna and Hayfah to leave that house. They asked the people around and some said the last time they saw her was a year ago.

"What have I done?" Tahir asked himself and let his tears flow freely. How could he left his mother for over a year and not look for her? All because she was in the wrong path and he wanted her to walk on the right? Ya Allah!

"Umma am!" Was all Amna was repeating since they started going to hospital to see wether they could find her. She refused visiting her since she got married, she broke her sim just so Umma couldn't call_for she felt it was her fault that Hamma Tahir got her married to Jibril. What is she going to do?

They searched over ten hospitals but couldn't find her, and on their way back to the house_Hayfah let out a scream and kept pointing towards the direction of an in-completed building.

Tahir swerved the steering wheel and have the car parked at feets away from the building. Hayfah was the first to hop down from the car and she ran over to the woman they saw eating from the remnants of the garbage being dumped beside the building.

Upon seeing them, they woman started crying. "Please do you know Rukayya? We call her Ruru am back in our village, she's very silent and nice. I caused her pain, and now I see her everywhere in my sleep. Where can I find her please?" She was crying and laughing at the same time, eating from a rotten bread and an expired drink.

Seeing that they all gathered before her and had their hands placed on their mouths to avoid an escape of cry; she continued. "I made our husband chased her out in night and heard she was being crashed down by a car. Do you know she have a daughter Hayfah? I'm looking for Hayfah too, I need to ask for her forgiveness so she could look after me, since my good for nothing children left me with no money and food." And she stood up, crying profusely and beating her chest with her hands.

"Sagiru is a scam! He betrayed me and took away my only inheritance, knowing so well Hayfah wasn't married to that fulani man! And now my daughter is married to him and I'm sure he sold her off. He came to me, you know what he did? He casted a spell on me and I married him, Oh poor me! I missed my Talhah!" She kept chanting words after words, crying and making some moves that were strong enough to show how crazy she had gone.

"He took away everything I had. I searched for Tahir and the idiot was never back; I forgive him though, who know I might not see him until I die then he'll come to my corpse and shed some tears? Oh Shafa, you've crushed your life." And she felt on the ground, rolling from one angle to another as if a child being beating mercilessly by his mother.

She had no head gear on, only a torn out shirt and a wrapper that was halfway torn as well. She has dirt all over her body, and a pungent smell brews itself from her body. Her body figure had being distorted, she has her legs and hands swollen, from a glance you could tell she's diabetic. And, this was Shafa'atu, the mischievous wife of Talhah Muhammad. Life had opened a new page for her.