Fulfilling our promise.

Chapter eleven[remembering the past]

" nace waye babanta duk kun zare ido daga kai har iyayen naka i asked you who her father is, but all of you are gawking at me as if i have grown two heads" hajia spoke.

"umm... Hajia i think that's not important for now, she's staying with her mother down the strret is where their house is located" abee, Muhammad's father spoke.

"you didn't answer my question. Do you want to tell me she didn't have father or what? Yarinya maras asali kuke shirin dauko mana? Are you planning on bringing a girl without family background to us? "

"no hajia, you mis-interpreted the whole issue" he palmed his face.

"Allah na gode maka da ma na gane tun wuri, miyetti Allah. Thank God i know this early. Thank God! " hajia stood up re-tying her wrapper.

"Abee, please make her understand , jiddah is innocent i swear" Muhammad turned to his father. "its okay, i will meet her. "Goodnight" abee spoke. "goodnight abee" muhd smiled.

#$#

"are you trying to tell me that hajia had refused the whole issue"? Maami questioned.

"yes habibty she refused, now, i don't know how to break this saddening news to our son" he sat down where she sat.

"don't worry i will talk to Muhammad am sure he will understand " maami squeeze his hand to encourage him.

"thank you my-... "

"the children are all around mind you" she stopped him and they all started laughing. There's this kind of undying love between maami and abee. Their children are always fond of them. They love the way their parents live their life.

He laid flat on his back on the bed staring at the circular motioned fan turning. Tears follow each other from his eyes. He is already out of the world called earth. He's now in a different world he should call it perhaps thought world.

The news reached him before his maami told him he heard it from his sister ikram. The words are so sharp because of the way they pierced his heart and whole soul. He has this unconditional love for jiddah but one thing he has to put at the back of his mind is, his parents are supposed to be above everyone and everything.

Obeying their choice is one of the way that held the strongest key to his jannah. But he loves jiddah so much. He can sacrifice everything for her he knows.

He is not picking her call. This is the fifth time she's calling him. She dialed again but the annoying service provider kept repeating the number you are dialling is not reachable at the moment. Please try again later, thank you. Jiddah hissed and threw the phone on top of her bed.

What must be wrong?

"muhammad come out let's eat" he heaed hajia's voice.

See this old woman! He thought.

"am not hungry" he forced a fake smile.

"that's what you told me yesternight" hajia screwed her face like a screw driver.

"that's it, I'm not famished now" he spoke more like a yell and a death glaring eye looking downward to avoid having eye contact with her.

"since you insisted ay jiki magayi your body will tell you keep sending glares my way" with that she stomped out.

Better.

****

"umma where are we going"? "my daughter i don't know too" the woman sniffed and wiped away the tears that was streaming down her cheeks. She packed their clothes in a ghana must go back as they began to make their way out.

"who will carry abba" a younger boy who won't pass the age of four asked his weeping mother.

"i will ask ishaq, your brother to buy a wheel barrow from malam idris mai kura"

"what? Do you mean we are going to be pushing abba in a wheelbarrow like one mangoes or potatoes??"

"that's the option son, that's the only thing we can do. I don't have money to take your sick father to hospital, i don't have the money to rent a house nor the money to sponsor your educations. If not for maryam your senior sister, who had gained sponsorship, none of my children will enjoy the sweetness of knowledge. " she broke into a fist of laughter, an emotional and frustration laughter then began to cry aftermath.

Such a cruel life.

Her children watched their mother crying helplessly as she carried their father and put him inside the wheel barrow. She, her children and her husband's children will opt for street begging for now. They will be pushing their father in the barrow and await for what life will do to them or how life is going to treat them.

"lets go" she told her children.

"eh gara ayi ayi a fitar min daga gida. Matsiyata kawae. Its better you pack your belongings and leave my house. Useless people!" the alhaji barked and hissed.

"Allah ga mu gareka oh God here we are before you " the woman muttered as they began their new life. Roaming on the streets, begging and sleeping either inside the uncompleted building or under the bridge.

******

Days turn into weeks and months, nothing changed. Muhammad's granny didn't utter a single word concerning his marriage and he didn't talked about it either.

Jiddah on the other hand had a fight with him. A very serious fight because he no longer cares about her not even the frequent calls talkless of visiting her while he is in the town. It had even reached the point that she gave him back his phone and walked past him making him stood at the spot still.

"did jiddah deserve what i did to her? Is she even at fault? Afterall its granny who is to be blamed, she caused my daddy to scold and shout at me, something he had never done before. It really baffles me if thats how he listen to his mum, then why can't i listen to my own mom and leave everything at the hand of God the master of all planners. " that was Muhammad, confused.

"but whatever, I'm not going to apologize, how dare her do that to me. See last time i knew she wasn't the only girl in the world" he spoke arrogantly to no one in particular.

›‘››'››

"mummy what are you looking at? I had been talking to you but you seem not to notice me" jiddah asked.

"nothing, i didn't heard you" she quickly hid the photograph under her legs.

"mummy i have seen it, just allow me to have a look at the photography please"

"get out"! Her mother shouted.

Jiddah did as she was instructed and get out. She knows when her mummy means something that's why she didn't dragged or argue.

"jiddah ko kin kalla hotunan nan ba abinda zaki fahimta. Jiddah even if you take a look at the photos you won't understand anything " her mother smiled sadly.

"why" jiddah asked.

"just like that but if you insisted, go and bring them".

Jiddah stood up happily and brought the five photos.

"here" she handed it to her mother and sat down.

"you see this woman" Jiddah's mummy pointed at a woman who looks in her late 20's smiling along with Jiddah's mummy and two cute female babies.

"yes mummy" she spoke eagerly waiting for the explanation.

"her name is hajia aisha but popularly known as azeeza, she lives with her husband alee in abuja. A really kind woman, who had gone through alot in her life but yet she endures all and acted like nothing ever happened. She's the best friend one could ever had. She's famous now in abuja because of the things she does. She built an orphanage not only an orphanage but also built houses in different states for the yound street beggers. She hired maids that took care of the children very well and paid them. Food, shelter , clothing, their health is properly taken cared of, and good sound education till degree level was given to the little children free of charge. She never forgets to visit them everyday, sat with them and listen to their problems. She regard them as her own children. For thier teachers, she paid them too and even the children's parents were not left behind all with the help of her husband. Don't think that this woman is extremely rich, she's just a bit above average but every day her business was growing and with her parents support, the government's help, the community donates and thats how it works. .

Her sister whose name is asmau too, had a foundation for building mosques and any needed building in the community, fatima her cousin had a women empowering agency for helping women to start businesses and fend for themselves they had adult illiteracy school too. And all these are of free of charge. The ibrahim khalils' are just blessed.

"wow, such a very kind women, a real gem that could hardly be found but mummy this is too much to be real" jiddah admired azeeza's family.

Jiddah's mummy smiled,believe me jiddah people like them exist or people who imitate what they do exist its just that they tend to hide their identities, even the ibrahim khalils hide their identities too if you don't know them, you will never point them out.

"May Allah reward them and bless them" jiddah prayed for them.

"ameen thumma ameen" her mother answered.

She continued "you see this baby on my lap, she's her daughter, nadhra your agemate. And the baby on her lap is you. "

Jiddah took the photo and stared at it, yes this is really her. There are some features that are still visible.

"mummy how do you become friends with her like you are in kano and she, abuja. "

Jiddah's mummy sighed heavily thinking whether she should tell jiddah or not, she knows soon or later she must tell her as jiddah is now nineteen years of age.

"i once lived in abuja and she was my neighbor , she helped me and my family alot and became my best friend" she spit it out. The story she never wants to remember in her life. She chose not to tell anyone but here, her daughter needs to know.

"but mummy, the ibrahims are rich and kind right? " jiddah asked.

"yes they are" her mummy answered.

"then why do said you hate the riches while these people are rich and kind. I don't understand " jiddah spoke timidly.

"jiddah you will never understand " her mummy reminded her.

"but mu.. -" jiddah opposed but her mother stopped her.

"what do i say at the beginning before i started telling you this story? Have you forgotten? I told you no questions right? Just listen to what i have to tell you ane if i didn't say something never ask of it because that's not what i want to tell you okay? "

Jiddah nodded.

"who is this man" jiddah passed the other picture.

"this? " Jiddah's mummy inhaled deeply remembering every single thing, the pain exacerbated and she felt like her heart is coming out of her rib cage.