Between two worlds

Chapter 5: The Prophecy Comes true

It all started with small gestures—reactions to each other's posts on social media, casual chats late into the night, and friendly banter that made the distance between us feel like nothing.

Akim and I had always been close, but something shifted over time. I found myself smiling at his messages more than usual, and he started responding to my stories with more enthusiasm. It felt like we were speaking a language only the two of us understood, something that didn’t need to be said but was felt deeply between us.I liked him—romantically—and I was sure he knew. Still, I never thought he’d make a move.

Akim was calm, collected, and respectful, never pushing beyond the boundaries we had as friends. But everything changed one fateful night.The Night He Asked Me OutIt was late, past midnight, and we were texting back and forth like we usually did, talking about random things—school, music, and even life after exams. Then, out of nowhere, he shifted the conversation."Mariam, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you..."I blinked at the screen, my heart speeding up. Before I could reply, the next message came through."How would you feel about us being more than friends?"I didn’t know what to say. My stomach flipped, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Akim had just asked me out. A million thoughts raced through my mind, but I typed out the safest response I could think of: "I’ll think about it."And think about it I did. For the next few days, I went over everything—our friendship, my feelings for him, and the prophecy Glorious had given me. Despite the warning echoing in my mind, I couldn’t help myself. I liked Akim, and the idea of us being together felt right.So, a few days later, I texted him back. "Yes."

We were officially dating, but it didn’t feel as smooth as I had hoped. Glorious’ prophecy weighed on me like a cloud. "The relationship might work for some time, but you will later regret it." His words echoed in my mind, even when Akim and I were having a great time together. The more I thought about it, the more I felt uneasy. It wasn’t just the prophecy. There were things I had told Akim before we started dating that made me wonder if we were truly compatible.I had been honest with him from the start. "I can’t have s*x before marriage. It’s just not something I’m ready for." I expected him to be disappointed, but Akim had been understanding. He asked me to explain, and I told him how important it was to me. He respected that, or at least he said he did.But the nagging feeling wouldn’t leave me.Talking to My Friends I couldn’t keep the prophecy or my concerns to myself anymore, so I decided to talk to my friends. I started with Abosede and Joy, and later, Glorious joined the conversation. I told them everything—how Akim asked me out, how I said yes, and how Glorious’ prophecy haunted me.

Abosede was the first to speak, her tone serious but caring. "Mariam, I don’t know much about prophecies, but Glorious has a way of seeing things. If he felt strongly enough to warn you, maybe you should listen."Joy nodded in agreement. "It feels too real to be a coincidence. You should break up with him before it’s too late."Even Glorious chimed in, reminding me of his initial warning. "I can’t tell you what to do, but I believe that what I saw will happen. It’s better to be cautious now than to regret it later."I sat there, absorbing their words. It wasn’t easy to hear. I cared about Akim, but the prophecy felt like a dark shadow over our relationship. And it wasn’t as if I had any other Muslim friends I could talk to about this. Zainab? She was out of the question—her life was a world away from mine, and she wouldn't understand my struggles.

I thought about it for days. Every time I looked at Akim’s messages, I felt a pang of guilt. I knew what I had to do, even though it hurt. I needed to end it.When I finally worked up the courage to talk to Akim, I told him everything—about Glorious’ prophecy, my friends’ advice, and how I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right."I don’t want to hurt you, but I think we need to break up," I said softly, trying to steady my voice.

Akim was quiet for a long moment, and when he finally spoke, there was a sadness in his voice that made my chest ache. "I understand," he said. "It’s not easy to hear, but I respect your decision."It was painful, but we both knew it was the right thing to do. Our relationship had lasted only three days, but the breakup felt heavy, like we had lost more than just a few days of romantic involvement.

Breaking up with Akim was hard—harder than I expected and I was almost regretting it. Our friendship wasn’t the same anymore. It was awkward, stilted. The easy flow of conversation we once had was gone. It felt strange, like we were two people trying to pretend nothing had happened, but the truth hung between us like an unspoken secret.

Who dates someone for three days and then breaks up? It felt ridiculous, but I knew I had made the right choice. Still, that didn’t make it any easier.I missed the way things used to be. I missed the carefree nature of our friendship before we had crossed that line. Now, everything felt different, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had lost something important.

But I kept moving forward, leaning on my friends for support. As awkward as things were with Akim, I had to trust that time would make it easier. Maybe one day, we could go back to being friends. For now, though, I had to focus on myself and what lay ahead.And, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew Glorious’ prophecy wasn’t the only thing I was trying to avoid. The words he had said about my mother haunted me too.

But that was a conversation for another day.