journey of faith

" isn't this tahajjud a voluntary prayer? so then why must this woman disturb my sleep?" Rimah grumbled as she said this to herself eyeing miss Salmah who is staring at her and smiling wickedly from the corner of her lips. ‎Rimah did not hesitate going back to her sleep as miss Salmah take her leave for she is still new in the school and find the school rules too strict for her. ‎At about 8:00 in the morning, Rimah woke up stretching her hands and yawning in an ash pyjamas when she noticed that most of the students in the dormitory where busy getting themselves ready, as she open the curtain close to her bed, she saw the cooks packing there things, may be they finish washing the dishes used for suhr, the suhr that has taken place without her. ‎"Which kind of school is this? A school where they will wake you up in the middle of the night for tahajjud but not for suhr? This is wickedness" Rimah say this aloud this time around when her neighbor give a warm smile and said " you don't know the rules of the school? If you didn't wake up for the first time, then you are on your own". ‎Rimah sigh and said "what are these students doing? Today is Saturday we didn't have classes do we?" ‎" hmm preparing for tafsir in hall A, I am also going to get ready now you also need to make sure that your name appear in the attendance record for this term in other to receive the best gift, my dream in this school is to start living in the Queens of Iman Dom " ‎" what is so special about the Dom? I have to pray see you up there" Rimah said. ‎The neighbor shouted " hey! Are you going to pray with this scarf? Is too small for you" ‎Rimah smile "but I did not come with any hijab to this school" ‎The neighbor smile warmly again " okay you can use one of my hijabs" ‎Rimah smile shyly and said " you know I was brought up like that, you are so nice what's your name?" ‎"well actually my name is xarah bint Ja'afar" she said. ‎Rimah smiled “that's nice name, but to me, you are nicee my name is Rimah Abdul Hadi ". The tafsir hall is almost filled by the junior and senior students, many students where surprise seeing Rimah, no one thought she will ever attend the tafsir, infact some of the students thought she was a newly reverted muslimmah but to their surprise, she was born in Islam but a very influencial family that did not bother much about religious education but western. She find a seat close to xarah, the Sheikh Ahmad is talking about how a child has right on his parents in Islam and how there will be judgement between them if they didn't allow him/her of there right to study and know Islam, right to shelter and clothing, right to marriage if he/she reach the right time e.t.c ‎weither this is the end of the tafsir or not, Rimah decided that she is going to stay in the hall no longer because everyone's eyes ware on her even though she enjoyeed the tafsir but fortunately the tafsir has come to an end, they make there way with xarah to the library in order to borrow biology text book for assignment. ‎As they reach the library, it is as quiet as a cemetery to the extent that not even a needle will fall down without the people inside hearing it sound, they submit their pass to the very friendly pregnant but strict librarian called Mrs. Adamu, checking the essential biology in the library is not hard ‎ Rimah is so much exhausted after getting the biology text book they came out to mrs.adamu's table to sign and write what they borrowed from the library, Rimah is thinking to herself that the library is very far from the dormitory and class rooms and yet some students come all the way just to borrow novels and Islamic books like speeches for an inquiring mind by Imtiaz Ahmad, she don't know why some students and even teachers are so mad about the book so she decide to borrow one, "ma sha Allah i am glad you borrowed the book it will help you a lot" xarah commended . ‎In the evening after asr prayer, Rimah woke up from the long sleep that stole her earlier, She take her watch and it is only five o'clock in the evening to her disappointment cause she was, is,and very hungry and thirsty after the fast without suhr and still that evening the principal send miss Salmah to call her and come along with her, Rimah's heart race as she followed miss Salmah "what had I done now? I hope is not about the tahajjud incident" Rimah said to herself while standing up, she had already made up her mind that if they decide to punish her she is going to run away, but only if she have the strength to, she is feeling very weak. ‎As they enter the principal's office, it reminds her of home, the cool air conditioner and incense was what remind her of their main sitting room where they shared a lot of memories with her pa. ‎ ‎She make a seat on a sofa when miss Salmah shouted at her " you brat! You are supposed to seat on the carpet, you are not supposed to seat in the sofa" ‎Rimah wondered why this woman hate her so much but anyways is not her problem she sat on the carpet, staring at the pictures on the wall, the first one is the school proprietor and the president of Nigeria, may be the proprietor was awarded. Rimah did not discover that the principal arrived from the kitchen where she went to supervise the cooks, she is dark in complexion very short and fat in her early 40s, she is a mother of four (one male and three females) as soon as she saw Rimah on the carpet, she gave her a warm smile and said "Rimah, how are you? You can have a seat" at that point she turned and take a look at miss Salmah trying to hold back her laughter, miss Salmah's face change immediately. ‎ the principal's face looks so serious now, she brought a very fine box well wrapped in a wrapping sheet and a white envelope and said "this is from your parents, if you need anything just let me know, you can go" ‎"thank you ma" Rimah said trying to hide the happiness in her voice, she leave the office to their Dom 'golden lotus' which is quiet far from the principal's office. ‎It is a letter from her daddy here it goes maitama district Abuja Abuja Nigeria, 17th/feb ‎ my dear angel ‎How are you and school? How's studies? Your friends? Have you are made any? Just be careful of who you called your friends because one saying says 'show me your friends and I will show you who you are!' ‎I and your mother are all fine and We really miss you but we did not send you there because we did not love you, no! If there is any person that truly loves you in this world is us. But is high time you know more than expected of your religion. ‎We are proud of you, keep going take care of yourself. ‎ your lovely dad ‎She fold the paper and held it tightly close to her chest missing her parent very much, she then open the box and a small paper fall down, by near looking this is her mother's hand writing she start reading it " Rimah, how are you? Like your father explains to you in the letter, we are missing you soo much may Almighty Allah bless you with all the knowledge you deserve, I just brought these hijabs for you from mecca I know you did not take any, if there is anything you need or something bothering you don't hesitate to inform us Dan Allah, take care." ‎That is her mother miss haleemah Ibrahim, she always use 'dan Allah' if she means something serious she told Rimah that it is a Hausa word which means to plead with someone for Allah's sake. Her mother is kanuri in Maiduguri who study in Ahmadu Bello University Zariya (A.B.U) she told Rimah how she got the admission after her jamb, Neco and Waec, she get 190 in her jamb score and offer for accounting which requires only 180 points, she told Rimah that her success in the university is only because of the Quran she never played with because so many of her course mates where not successful there results is poor simply because they listened to other men or ladies who did not have studies in their agenda, and their parents where disappointed. ‎Her mother's daddy she was told was very strict but understanding person, you see her mother is very beautiful she is a kanuri, fair in complexion with a very long black hair, her father is afraid to let her go and leave in a hostel out of their care but since Abdul Hadi (her father) has come for her, and he was ready is better she get married and leave studies for now, she have been studying since she was 5 years old but her Uncle who was a lecturer their assured him that nothing is going to happen in shaa Allah so her mother gave to work hard in order to keep her dreams alive and her husband to-be supported her emotionally and financially, after she was done with the studies, he find a job for her and after they get married, haleemah also returned this support her husband give her before and that's why they said every successful man most have a woman behind. She support financially and emotionally and he become successful now without any son or daughter that's where his family start advising him to take a second wife but he refused and any time turn there request with "be patient" and they get Rimah at last as a gift of Allah there love for Rimah always increasing taking her to holidays and expensive schools untill when haleemah's father advice them to take Rimah to the Sanans girls high school (SGHS). ‎Rimah after hearing this from her mother before she comes to the SGHS she wished she could also have a soul mate like her dad who would support her.