She stood leaning against the trunk of a tree in a large garden filled with different kinds of plants that beautified the place. Birds were flying around the garden, happily making chirping sounds as the sun slowly set. The view was so beautiful and breathtaking. Yet, despite fixing her eyes on the scenery, her mind was not there at all. She was just staring at the setting sun absentmindedly.
She was deeply lost in her thoughts when, beside her, a female hospital worker in her mid-40s—her doctor—gently placed a hand on her while looking at her calmly and said,
“Maghrib time is almost here, let’s go so you can perform ablution, okay?”
She only looked at the doctor without blinking, as if she didn’t understand what she was saying at all. Tears began to gather in her eyes as she breathed slowly. The doctor held her hand and pulled her gently into her arms, calmly saying,
“Come on, sweetheart. Are you breaking your promise already?”
She rested her head against the doctor’s chest, tears streaming down her face one after the other. The doctor closed her eyes and gently patted her all over in a soothing manner. Together they turned when they heard footsteps in the garden. He stopped where he was and did not come closer, just watching them. The doctor greeted him respectfully.
She slipped out of the doctor’s embrace and turned her back on him, clearly showing she didn’t even want to see him. Tears kept pouring from her eyes. She felt as if her breath was leaving her, as usual. She burst into intense crying and held tightly to the tree trunk beside her. Without even responding to the doctor’s greeting, he turned around and left the garden.
Quickly, the doctor held her when she saw she was about to collapse. She tried to sit her down on the soft carpet spread across the garden, trying to calm her down, and said,
“Come on, my sister, why won’t you keep the promise you made to me?”
With a trembling voice she replied,
“I’m sorry, I can’t, wallahi.”
The doctor hugged her and gently rubbed her back, a deep sense of pity overwhelming her. She had attended to many different cases in her career as a medical doctor, but none had ever touched her heart and stayed in her mind like this poor girl. She wished she could take away her pain. She wished she could make her happy once again. She wished she could make her forget the past and face the present.
Softly, the doctor said,
“Halysaah….”
Khaleesat raised her swollen eyes and looked at the doctor. The doctor said,
“I’m sorry, Halysaah. I’m so sorry.”
Khaleesat lowered her gaze and said nothing. The doctor helped her up, holding her hand, and together they left the garden and headed to the large compound of the house.
Few years back!
“Talk to Abdul about it. I know he would never agree to this, and he will definitely find a way out for you immediately…”
Khaleesat lifted her big eyes and looked at her friend Safiyyah, as if she wouldn’t say anything. Then she slowly lowered her gaze and said,
“That will be another huge burden, Safiyyah. You know how expensive apartments are in this state. Housing here is very costly, and I already told you I won’t ask him for anything again or tell him to do something for me…”
Safiyyah said,
“Cabdi, if you don’t ask him, then who will you ask? You even know his attitude—he might turn this whole situation against you. I think it’s better you just tell him; it will give you peace of mind.”
Khaleesat remained silent, reflecting on what Safiyyah had said. Then she sighed deeply and shook her head, saying,
“It’s fine, Safiyyah. I don’t need to tell him. I will cope, in shaa Allah. After all, we only have a year and a half to go.”
Safiyyah looked at her and held her hand, saying,
“Or you can come back to stay with me. I’ll tell them my friend is coming to stay with us for a while.”
Khaleesat shook her head and said,
“Let’s not inconvenience them, Safiyyah. Don’t worry, I will sort myself out.”
Safiyyah replied,
“No, I will talk to Ya Musty about your current situation, Khaly. I know he won’t say no. It’s just his wife who is extremely foolish—and do I even care? You don’t even know what she’s been doing to me in that house. Every night she doesn’t cook with me; I just look for something to eat since you know Ya Musty works night shifts. And you already know I prefer junk food, so I just mix cornflakes and drink something.”
Khaleesat smiled and said,
“So you want me to come and stay with you like that? You are very funny.”
Safiyyah rolled her eyes and said,
“So what? It’s not like you’ll be alone if you come back. Ya Musty is my cousin brother, or have you forgotten? Whether she likes it or not, I must stay in that house until I finish my studies. Very wicked and self-centered woman. Wallahi, don’t worry at all—once I talk to Ya Musty, just pack your things and come back to the house, even if it’s tomorrow.”
Khaleesat said,
“No, please don’t even start that, Safiyyah. I will cope with my present situation with time. I know I’ll gradually get used to it. Besides, it’s something normal; it’s just that I’m stressing myself because of my religion, my culture, and some unavoidable things. Anyway… it’s fine, Safiyyah.”
As she said that, she looked at the phone in her hand after hearing a notification and said,
“I think my Lyft is here, Sophie. See you tomorrow, in shaa Allah.”
Safiyyah sighed and said,
“Okay then, take care of yourself. I’ll stroll home too.”
That was how they parted ways. Khaleesat headed to the Lyft she had ordered to take her home.
Khaleesat was in the kitchen around 10 p.m. She had finished cooking noodles for dinner when she heard the sound of the parlor door opening. Calmly, she poured the Indomie onto a plate, picked up a fork, washed the pot, and kept it aside. She opened the fridge, took a bottle of water, and left the kitchen, heading straight toward her room.
In the corridor, just a few steps away from her room, the door of another room opened. She didn’t even allow herself to look in that direction as she tried to open her door when she heard,
“Hi, good evening. We didn’t get to meet when I was here in the morning—I guess you had already left for school. You can call me Jay, and I am your new housemate. I moved in this morning.”
Only then did Khaleesat turn to look at him, but she said nothing. He nodded at her and said,
“Jay.”
Without praise or introduction, she simply said,
“I see.”
As she was about to enter her room, he said,
“Just a minute, please.”
She turned and looked at him again with an expression. Briefly, he asked,
“Are you Hausa?”
She slightly frowned and said,
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He said,
“Oh, okay. I’m asking for permission…”
She just stared at him. He adjusted his posture and said,
“As you can see, it’s already late. Can I use some of your portable water and beverages before I get mine tomorrow, if you don’t mind?”
Khaleesat turned her face away briefly and said,
“Okay.”
He said,
“Alright.”
After that, she entered her room, locked the door, and turned the key. Even after she finished eating the noodles, she didn’t feel she could open the door to take the plate back to the kitchen. In the end, she just left it there, went to the bathroom to rinse her mouth, performed ablution, then came out and sat on the edge of her bed with her phone.
She saw two missed calls from Abdul that he had made since 6 p.m. She sighed and checked the time on her phone—it was almost 10:30 p.m. Meanwhile, it was around 5 a.m. in Nigeria. She opened WhatsApp and saw that he was online, which made her place a WhatsApp call to him.
When he picked up, she greeted him softly. He didn’t respond to the greeting; instead, he said,
“So you just saw my calls now?”
She released a hidden sigh and said,
“I’m sorry, I just saw the calls now, wallahi.”
He said,
“You mean your phone hasn’t been with you all this while?”
She replied,
“Not really. Since I got back from school, I’ve been studying. In a few months, we’ll start exams.”
He said,
“I see. So I’m no longer deserving of your time because you’re about to start exams? How would your phone ring twice and you say you didn’t know, if not sheer carelessness?”
She didn’t know what to say, because the phone was on silent—and he had warned her several times not to keep her phone on silent. To avoid further issues, she didn’t tell him that. Gently, she said,
“I’m sorry, wallahi it’s not like that. I’m sorry…”
He said,
“Sorry for yourself. Madam, I want you to tell me where you were that your phone rang twice and you didn’t hear it. Your lectures today ended by 4 p.m. Baltimore time, so where did you go after that?”
She closed her eyes and opened them again, already tired of his accusations. After a few seconds, she replied softly,
“I was in the parlor studying, and my phone was in the room.”
He said,
“So you’ve started staying in the parlor now? When did that begin? Has your housemate stopped bringing her boyfriend to the house?”
Khaleesat’s heart skipped a beat. Calmly, she said,
“She’s not around; she went to LA yesterday.”
He said,
“That’s the third time this week I’ve called you and you didn’t pick up until you decided to respond. That nonsense must not repeat itself again. Are you the only one studying, or should I be the one to teach you about exam preparation?”
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She stood leaning against the trunk of a tree in a large garden filled with different kinds of plants that beautified the place. Birds were flying around the garden, happily making chirping sounds as the sun slowly set. The view was so beautiful and breathtaking. Yet, despite fixing her eyes on the scenery, her mind was not there at all. She was just staring at the setting sun absentmindedly.
She was deeply lost in her thoughts when, beside her, a female hospital worker in her mid-40s—her doctor—gently placed a hand on her while looking at her calmly and said,
“Maghrib time is almost here, let’s go so you can perform ablution, okay?”
She only looked at the doctor without blinking, as if she didn’t understand what she was saying at all. Tears began to gather in her eyes as she breathed slowly. The doctor held her hand and pulled her gently into her arms, calmly saying,
“Come on, sweetheart. Are you breaking your promise already?”
She rested her head against the doctor’s chest, tears streaming down her face one after the other. The doctor closed her eyes and gently patted her all over in a soothing manner. Together they turned when they heard footsteps in the garden. He stopped where he was and did not come closer, just watching them. The doctor greeted him respectfully.
She slipped out of the doctor’s embrace and turned her back on him, clearly showing she didn’t even want to see him. Tears kept pouring from her eyes. She felt as if her breath was leaving her, as usual. She burst into intense crying and held tightly to the tree trunk beside her. Without even responding to the doctor’s greeting, he turned around and left the garden.
Quickly, the doctor held her when she saw she was about to collapse. She tried to sit her down on the soft carpet spread across the garden, trying to calm her down, and said,
“Come on, my sister, why won’t you keep the promise you made to me?”
With a trembling voice she replied,
“I’m sorry, I can’t, wallahi.”
The doctor hugged her and gently rubbed her back, a deep sense of pity overwhelming her. She had attended to many different cases in her career as a medical doctor, but none had ever touched her heart and stayed in her mind like this poor girl. She wished she could take away her pain. She wished she could make her happy once again. She wished she could make her forget the past and face the present.
Softly, the doctor said,
“Halysaah….”
Khaleesat raised her swollen eyes and looked at the doctor. The doctor said,
“I’m sorry, Halysaah. I’m so sorry.”
Khaleesat lowered her gaze and said nothing. The doctor helped her up, holding her hand, and together they left the garden and headed to the large compound of the house.
Few years back!
“Talk to Abdul about it. I know he would never agree to this, and he will definitely find a way out for you immediately…”
Khaleesat lifted her big eyes and looked at her friend Safiyyah, as if she wouldn’t say anything. Then she slowly lowered her gaze and said,
“That will be another huge burden, Safiyyah. You know how expensive apartments are in this state. Housing here is very costly, and I already told you I won’t ask him for anything again or tell him to do something for me…”
Safiyyah said,
“Cabdi, if you don’t ask him, then who will you ask? You even know his attitude—he might turn this whole situation against you. I think it’s better you just tell him; it will give you peace of mind.”
Khaleesat remained silent, reflecting on what Safiyyah had said. Then she sighed deeply and shook her head, saying,
“It’s fine, Safiyyah. I don’t need to tell him. I will cope, in shaa Allah. After all, we only have a year and a half to go.”
Safiyyah looked at her and held her hand, saying,
“Or you can come back to stay with me. I’ll tell them my friend is coming to stay with us for a while.”
Khaleesat shook her head and said,
“Let’s not inconvenience them, Safiyyah. Don’t worry, I will sort myself out.”
Safiyyah replied,
“No, I will talk to Ya Musty about your current situation, Khaly. I know he won’t say no. It’s just his wife who is extremely foolish—and do I even care? You don’t even know what she’s been doing to me in that house. Every night she doesn’t cook with me; I just look for something to eat since you know Ya Musty works night shifts. And you already know I prefer junk food, so I just mix cornflakes and drink something.”
Khaleesat smiled and said,
“So you want me to come and stay with you like that? You are very funny.”
Safiyyah rolled her eyes and said,
“So what? It’s not like you’ll be alone if you come back. Ya Musty is my cousin brother, or have you forgotten? Whether she likes it or not, I must stay in that house until I finish my studies. Very wicked and self-centered woman. Wallahi, don’t worry at all—once I talk to Ya Musty, just pack your things and come back to the house, even if it’s tomorrow.”
Khaleesat said,
“No, please don’t even start that, Safiyyah. I will cope with my present situation with time. I know I’ll gradually get used to it. Besides, it’s something normal; it’s just that I’m stressing myself because of my religion, my culture, and some unavoidable things. Anyway… it’s fine, Safiyyah.”
As she said that, she looked at the phone in her hand after hearing a notification and said,
“I think my Lyft is here, Sophie. See you tomorrow, in shaa Allah.”
Safiyyah sighed and said,
“Okay then, take care of yourself. I’ll stroll home too.”
That was how they parted ways. Khaleesat headed to the Lyft she had ordered to take her home.
Khaleesat was in the kitchen around 10 p.m. She had finished cooking noodles for dinner when she heard the sound of the parlor door opening. Calmly, she poured the Indomie onto a plate, picked up a fork, washed the pot, and kept it aside. She opened the fridge, took a bottle of water, and left the kitchen, heading straight toward her room.
In the corridor, just a few steps away from her room, the door of another room opened. She didn’t even allow herself to look in that direction as she tried to open her door when she heard,
“Hi, good evening. We didn’t get to meet when I was here in the morning—I guess you had already left for school. You can call me Jay, and I am your new housemate. I moved in this morning.”
Only then did Khaleesat turn to look at him, but she said nothing. He nodded at her and said,
“Jay.”
Without praise or introduction, she simply said,
“I see.”
As she was about to enter her room, he said,
“Just a minute, please.”
She turned and looked at him again with an expression. Briefly, he asked,
“Are you Hausa?”
She slightly frowned and said,
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He said,
“Oh, okay. I’m asking for permission…”
She just stared at him. He adjusted his posture and said,
“As you can see, it’s already late. Can I use some of your portable water and beverages before I get mine tomorrow, if you don’t mind?”
Khaleesat turned her face away briefly and said,
“Okay.”
He said,
“Alright.”
After that, she entered her room, locked the door, and turned the key. Even after she finished eating the noodles, she didn’t feel she could open the door to take the plate back to the kitchen. In the end, she just left it there, went to the bathroom to rinse her mouth, performed ablution, then came out and sat on the edge of her bed with her phone.
She saw two missed calls from Abdul that he had made since 6 p.m. She sighed and checked the time on her phone—it was almost 10:30 p.m. Meanwhile, it was around 5 a.m. in Nigeria. She opened WhatsApp and saw that he was online, which made her place a WhatsApp call to him.
When he picked up, she greeted him softly. He didn’t respond to the greeting; instead, he said,
“So you just saw my calls now?”
She released a hidden sigh and said,
“I’m sorry, I just saw the calls now, wallahi.”
He said,
“You mean your phone hasn’t been with you all this while?”
She replied,
“Not really. Since I got back from school, I’ve been studying. In a few months, we’ll start exams.”
He said,
“I see. So I’m no longer deserving of your time because you’re about to start exams? How would your phone ring twice and you say you didn’t know, if not sheer carelessness?”
She didn’t know what to say, because the phone was on silent—and he had warned her several times not to keep her phone on silent. To avoid further issues, she didn’t tell him that. Gently, she said,
“I’m sorry, wallahi it’s not like that. I’m sorry…”
He said,
“Sorry for yourself. Madam, I want you to tell me where you were that your phone rang twice and you didn’t hear it. Your lectures today ended by 4 p.m. Baltimore time, so where did you go after that?”
She closed her eyes and opened them again, already tired of his accusations. After a few seconds, she replied softly,
“I was in the parlor studying, and my phone was in the room.”
He said,
“So you’ve started staying in the parlor now? When did that begin? Has your housemate stopped bringing her boyfriend to the house?”
Khaleesat’s heart skipped a beat. Calmly, she said,
“She’s not around; she went to LA yesterday.”
He said,
“That’s the third time this week I’ve called you and you didn’t pick up until you decided to respond. That nonsense must not repeat itself again. Are you the only one studying, or should I be the one to teach you about exam preparation?”