<p> </p><p>Mustafa Mu’az is Laila’s father, and Fatima is her mother. Laila’s father has two elder brothers: Yunusa Mu’az, the firstborn, and Engr. Abdallah Mu’az, the second. Mustafa is the youngest. He is not wealthy but runs a modest business. One day, he fell ill, and when they went to the hospital, they discovered he had kidney disease. Among the three siblings, Engr. Abdallah was the most educated. Through Allah’s will, he became successful and rose to prominence, completing his education abroad and securing a good job.</p><p>Rushda Lincoln, an Italian-born woman, returned to Nigeria with her parents for business. This gave her the opportunity to learn Hausa from a young age. Engr. Abdallah once worked for her father, which led to their meeting and eventual marriage. Initially, Abdallah’s family resisted the union, thinking Rushda was Christian. However, they later understood that while her grandparents were Christians, her parents were Muslims. The Lincoln name was just the family surname. After their marriage, Abdallah and Rushda moved to Canada, where they had three children: Amjad, Shaheed, and Zakia.</p><p>Amjad, now 26 years old, has completed his studies. Shaheed, 23 years old, is about to graduate, and Zakia, 19, just started university. Engr. Abdallah frequently visits Nigeria to see his family and manage his company, RAZAS. Amjad has always disliked staying in Nigeria; even as a child, he only wanted to visit the family company. It’s been seven years since he last visited Nigeria, and during that time, only Rushda and two of the children have traveled there while Abdallah stayed back in Canada.</p><p>Since Mustafa fell ill, Abdallah has been sending money for his hospital treatment. Recently, however, Mustafa told his wife, Fatima, to use the money for food because he felt he might not recover. Meanwhile, Yunusa, Abdallah’s elder brother, rarely visits the hospital and prefers traditional medicine, frequently preparing herbal remedies.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>8:30 PM</p><p>After dinner, the family gathered in the courtyard. Fatima was fanning Mustafa, who had refused to eat and was struggling to breathe.</p><p>"Do you want me to make you tea since you couldn’t eat?" she asked.</p><p>He shook his head, signaling no. She sighed and continued fanning him. The children were quiet, not engaging in their usual chatter. Fauzan, the youngest, was the only one speaking, but after noticing the silence, he also stopped. At seven years old, Fauzan didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation. All he knew was to say, “Get well soon, Baba,” whenever he heard it.</p><p>At 9:00 PM, it was bedtime. The children got up to head to their room.</p><p>"Don’t forget to say your prayers," Fatima reminded them.</p><p>"We won’t, Mami," they replied before disappearing into their room.</p><p>The three girls shared a single mat, while Fauzan had his own. Before sleeping, they recited their prayers. Laila, however, stayed awake longer, her mind troubled by her father’s illness. She could see how much it weighed on her mother, too, especially after two months of continuous care. Eventually, she fell asleep after tossing and turning for about 15 minutes.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>Amjad, 4:12 AM</p><p>Amjad was wide awake, wearing earphones and chatting on his laptop while sipping Pepsi. He hardly ever got enough sleep, usually staying up until 4:30 AM before falling asleep. Even then, he wouldn’t wake up for morning prayers unless his mom forced him to. His father had tried everything to discipline him, but Amjad remained stubborn, preferring clubbing, partying, and hanging out with bad influences.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>Saturday Morning</p><p>By 8:30 AM, everyone was awake except for Amjad. The girls were already busy with household chores. Laila and Fatima were in the kitchen preparing breakfast, while Maryam and Nusaiba washed the dishes. Fauzan played in the courtyard. Mustafa lay in his room, weak but listening to the lively sounds of his children.</p><p>Kwan! Kwan! (Knock, knock!) They heard a knock at the door, followed by a greeting.</p><p>"Good morning, Uncle," the children said as their uncle Yunusa entered.</p><p>"Good morning," he replied. "Where’s your father?" he asked.</p><p>"He’s inside," they answered.</p><p>Uncle Yunusa went straight to Mustafa’s room, holding a bundle of herbal medicine.</p><p>"Another concoction to drink," Laila muttered as he passed.</p><p>"If he hears you, don’t blame me," Fatima said, continuing to fry pancakes.</p><p>"Fatima!" Yunusa called, making Fatima jump in fear. She was worried something had happened to Mustafa, but when she entered, she saw nothing serious.</p><p>"Did you give him the medicine Laila collected from me yesterday?" Yunusa asked accusingly.</p><p>“Yes, Uncle, we gave it to him.”</p><p>“May God make it effective because his condition hasn’t improved. I tried to help him sit up earlier, but he couldn’t.”</p><p>After ensuring Mustafa drank the new medicine, Yunusa left. Fatima continued to nurse her husband, but his labored breathing worried her deeply.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>Canada</p><p>At 8:20 AM, the family gathered for breakfast, except Amjad, whose chair remained empty.</p><p>"Where’s Amjad?" Abdallah asked, looking at Shaheed.</p><p>"Uhh… in his room," Rushda answered hesitantly.</p><p>"Sleeping, right?" Abdallah’s tone silenced everyone.</p><p>Angrily, he stood up and dropped his spoon. Rushda followed him, pleading for him to calm down.</p><p>“Honey, stop! Please listen to me.”</p><p>Ignoring her, Abdallah reached Amjad’s door, but just as he was about to knock, his phone rang. The call seemed urgent, so he went back downstairs. Relieved, Rushda entered Amjad’s room to wake him.</p><p>"Amjad, wake up; it’s almost 9:00 AM," she said softly, tapping his shoulder.</p><p>Amjad groaned and turned away.</p><p>"Amjad, your dad is here," she added, trying to wake him up.</p><p>"Uhmm," he murmured, refusing to move.</p><p>After much effort, he finally sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. By the time he joined the family for breakfast, his father had already left the table. Knowing Abdallah was traveling to Paris, Amjad felt relieved. Without his father’s strict supervision, he could do whatever he wanted.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>Kano, 2:30 PM</p><p>Laila finished getting ready in her Islamiyya school uniform. Her natural beauty shone even without makeup, as her thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, and perfectly curved lips accentuated her fair complexion. Her hair was neatly tied back. She often finished preparing earlier than her siblings.</p><p>"Maryam!" she called out.</p><p>“If you don’t hurry, I’m leaving without you. It’s almost 3:00 PM.”</p><p>"We’re almost ready," Maryam replied.</p><p>"I don’t see any sign of that," Laila said, rolling her eyes. “Go and call Nusaiba.”</p><p>By 2:54 PM, they finally left the house, with Laila scolding them the entire way for their delay.</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>Canada, 4:00 PM</p><p>Abdallah left for Paris, accompanied by Rushda, Shaheed, and Zakia. Amjad stayed home, thrilled at the opportunity to relax and enjoy his freedom without his father’s strict rules. Despite repeated warnings about partying and neglecting prayers, Amjad had no intention of changing his ways.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
