child, Jiddah? You’re our only daughter, remember? We both have our

different ways of showing our love, that’s just her way, even though I believe it’s a bit extreme. I promise I'd stop shouting at her if that will make you happy.” Jiddah hugged him with a very wide smile. “Thank you, Abba. I love you so much!” “And I love you much more, my baby.” He said, pulling her slowly from his body. “Didn’t you said you have a class? Now, hurry so you won’t be late, okay?” She nodded, smiled before she walked towards her car. “I'll be expecting you, Abba. I want to start making the preparations, please?” “Come on, Baby. You know I got you, right? I'd just call him right away so you won’t have to wait until I get to the office.” “Thank you, My Love!” She shouted from her car with a giddy smile on her lips as she drove out in reverse from the house. From her side mirror, Jiddah could see Buba rushing to open the gate for her because since that Dan-Garuwa incidence, he had been threading on shells around her. Because she basically had to beg Abba to let him continue working there and she did not because of him but because she knew Ammi would definitely throw a fit once she found out that Buba got dismissed from the house because of her. And she had enough issues with Ammi, she wouldn’t want that to be an addition. She arrived at school after stopping by at an eatery to buy some snacks because that fight her parents had stopped her from eating. She went to the place they usually met with their friends before lecture time and found it was only Fauziyyah that was there, apparent that the rest of them hadn’t arrived yet. “Ziyyah!” She said excitedly and slumped beside her on the seating bench. “Jidds! I thought you’d be late today as well. I would’ve loved to see how it will end up between you and Dr Danmusa, you know he won’t be lenient on you the second time.” Jiddah laughed softly. “I know that man is now literally looking for my fault at every crevice and corner of this school. Imma beat him to it.” She thrusted the brown paper filled with snacks to Fauziyyah, “Here, have some, will you?” Fauziyyah dipped her hand inside and pulled out a crunchy samosa. “It’s like you know I haven't had breakfast. It’s one of those days that Baba didn’t have any money with him, even my younger siblings left to school without eating anything.” She said with a soft smile as she take a bite of the samosa, softly moaning to the hotness and sweetness of the snack. Jiddah was staring at her as though what she was saying was something out of the alien world. “You mean no one in your house has eaten?” She asked, surprised. Because she couldn't believe that there are people in the world that will wake up one day and not have something to eat. “Lol, it happens once in a while, no big deal. Baba is out already and he’d bring something to eat for lunch and dinner.” Fauziyyah said, as she continued eating the samosa. Fauziyyah wasn't that much of her friend, she wasn’t in the circle of her friends but she sometimes tagged alone. They usually send her on errands around school and would pay her. She had never had the chance to sit like this with just the two of them until today and she couldn’t shake off what she felt in her heart. But she kept silent and they continued to eat while other students gathered around the area. Two of her close friends, Anisa and Ilham arrived some minutes later and they chatted for a few minutes before they left to the lecture hall. She was in the lecture hall when she saw the alert of the money and smiled jovially while she stared at Ilham because she knew she’d be over the moon about it! She already had an idea of the kind of party she’d throw for her, and she couldn’t wait to get into it. After they came out of the lecture. She transferred some money into Fauziyyah’s account and sent her to the market with the list of the things she needed and she took Anisa with her to the event’s hall and restaurants to make reservations about everything. They had to lie to Ilham that they were just going home so she wouldn’t have an idea of what was going to happen. * “Hammah!!!” He heard the frantic voice of his younger sister as she shook him from his deep slumber. Frightened, Abdallah woke up and stared at her with a shocked expression. “What is it, Husnah? Why are you crying, did something happen?” The first thought that came to his brain was their father. He had been battling with illness for almost two years now, and these days, his health had just been declining rapidly. “Abbi, he’s sick. He has been gasping for breath and even Daada is crying beside him.” Abdallah didn’t wait for her to finish when he rushed to the room his parents shared and found them in the position Husnah mentioned. A limp on the worn out mattress, his father laid almost lifeless. He could say he was lifeless if not for the gasps that escaped his mouth, showing a sign of difficulty in breathing. And Daada, his mother, knelt before him as she recited some du’as to him while she cried silently. He rushed to his mother and knelt beside her as well, “Daada, we need to take him to the hospital.” He said in a rush and she turned to him with a detached expression. “I don’t think Malam will be able to make it this time, Hammadi. We should just pray for him.” She said in a very hopeless way. He turned her to face him. “Daada, it’s not yet time, so we aren't going to give up on him. I know what’s making you hesitate is because of the hospital bills, right? We can take care of him, Daada. Allah will not forsake us.” He said with so much determination while getting back to his feet. “Please get him ready, I'll go and hail a Keke Napep so we can take him to the hospital.” In the small courtyard of the house owned by Abbi, Abdallah saw Meena seated under the tree as she cried softly. “Husnah, where’s Aminah?” He asked, looking around for his other sister but he saw no sign of her. “She has left for work, Hammah.” Husnah answered him, clearing her tears. It hurt him so much that his sister had to go out to work, but there were a lot of things they needed in the house, her personally. Her wedding had been set to be in a month and they weren't able to get anything for her. She started working five months ago with hopes that she could save enough to buy even a few things so she wouldn’t go to her husband’s house empty handed. “Get ready, we’re taking Abbi to the hospital.” With those words, anguish filled in his heart, Abdallah walked out of the house, his brain a messy puzzle of how he’d find money to take care of the bills.