Ethernal Devotion

Headaches

Life consist of two days, one for you and one against you, so when it is for you don't be proud and reckless and when it is against you be patient, for both days are test for you.

- Aasma kabeer.
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Smoke.

It was all I could make out as I aimlessly ran around the house, entering rooms after rooms,nook and crook while searching for them. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably as my breaths turn into short pants. My vision was clouded but I still kept moving. " Mama, papa where are you" I screamed incoherently. I turned around to the other side of the long corridor but the fire has already caught more than half of it. I ran back down the stairs shouting for my parents but they seem to have all disappeared. My tiny legs where becoming stiff from all the running, my body almost numb, my head feels like a mountain on my body and my mind was becoming hazy.

"Aasma" my named was screamed from afar but I couldn't make out where. " Papa,where are you". I shouted back shaking my head aimlessly to spot him. My hands wandered blindly searching for the door handle to open it. I yanked the handle to open the door as much as my tiny self can but it seemed to have stuck. I could hear my father screaming my name, but my voice was hoarse from the smoke and the shouting. My consciousness was slowly fading.

" I am here" I managed to make out. The door was immediately busted open as the tall figure of my father ran in."mamana,open your eyes". He said patting my cheeks. I manage to peel my eyes open as he grabbed my hands in his big ones. We made it to the door leading out but the fire has already caught up there. My father scooped me in his arms and we turned back around. We reached the tall window on the far end of the second floor corridor. "Aasma, listen to me. You have to jump out, kinji baby. Mama and Papa loves you".

"Papa what about you and mama", my six year old self asked. "Your mama is upstairs and Papa is gonna go and get her, now go. We love you". He turned back and ran into the smoke. Gathering all the courage i could, I jumped out. From a window. On the second floor. Pain erupted through my body as I landed on the grass in the backyard.

I could hear the sirens and distant voice of people, men, shouting as I struggled with my consciousness.
"Help. Mama. Papa"was the last thing as said as darkness engulfed me.

The calling of subh prayer awoke me from this terrible dream. I barely slept because of the cluster headache I had yesterday and the moment I found myself sleeping, I had a disturbing dream, but it wasn't something new. I had some dreams of fire in the past and this one is no different, it is maybe because I didn't pray when I went to sleep. Or at least that is what I tried to tell myself. Dreams are just figments of imagination afterall. My eyes voluntarily closes on their on as I struggled to stay awake. I whispered the prayer of waking up as I climbed out of bed.

I staggered my way to the bathroom. I flinched as I touched to cold water before adjusting the tap to hot. I put on a floor length hijab and prayed two  rakaat nafilah( rakaatil fajr ) before performing the compulsory one. I sat on my mat reciting my daily routined morning prayers. My eyes started drooping and before I knew it I dozed off hopefully to a peaceful sleep.

The faint sound of my phone alarm kept ringing. I tried my best to ignore it but it persistently kept beeping. Whoever created alarm must be a nemesis to my peace. Still with eyes closed I stretched my hand to picked the phone on my bedside drawer but missed it and resulted in my hand painfully swatting the sharp edge of the furniture. That was enough to wake me up as I craddled back my hand groaning. And of course, the alarm was still ringing.

Mission off the alarm was still on. Glaring at the phone, I sighed and lifted up my pounding head to pick it with my other hand and offed the alarm. I laid back down and stuffed my head in the pillow suppressing a painful groan but there was a nagging thought in the corner of my mind that I had something to do. Maybe a test or...