A Trial On Love

19

Amirah walked into her room just as she finished praying and was folding her praying mat. She looked up at her with a smile and wondered what made her look so flustered. "You seem so excited, Amirah. Did he say that he's coming home instead of you guys to meet?" Rayhan teased, chuckling when Amirah had a dreamy expression on her wish.

"How I wish, but that's not why I'm here. Likitan Hajia is here, and he's the one that'll be taking us because he's visiting Ya Nimra as well." She said, somewhat out of breath before she sat down on the edge of Rayhan's bed. "Do you think he'd allow me to meet with Walid? And he can keep the secret without telling Hajia about it?"

Rayhan sat down on the other side of the bed as she flashed her a smile. "I don't know this Likitan Hajia you've been rambling about whenever you get the chance to, are you guys related?" Curiosity took the best of her and she ended up asking who this person was even though it obviously didn't concern her. But she was already wearing the Abaya he had gifted Amirah and she ought to know who he was.

"Oh, he's my cousin, Hajia's nephew. I can say he loves Hajia more than his own mother and mostly lives with us most of the time. During his first years in medical school whenever he came home for a holiday, no one trusts him enough to be injected by him or allow him to prescribe a drug for him, only Hajia. Hence the name, Likitan Hajia. He's now a certified medical doctor, though. Finished his masters last year and he's practicing the profession in Madina."

"That's quite the dream. I'd love to be in Madina some day." Rayhan said with a hint of a smile, she really would love to.

A call came through Amirah's phone and she instantly got to her feet. "It's him, Rayhan. I know he's going to say that we go out. Let me get my bag in my room so we leave." And that was how the conversation ended about Likitan Hajia even though as she was saying the word, it was a total different doctor that was coming to mind. Not this particular Hajia's doctor, even though she knew he was good in his own way too.

But in her mind, no one would surpass Dr Kurfi, that was that.

Their walk down the stairs was filled with Amirah asking Rayhan if she looked good or if she had to go and change her clothes or something that didn't sit right that Rayhan nearly got tired of telling her she looked beautiful. But there was no tiring thing about it because she knew what it felt like to be anxious about meeting someone. Especially if you were crushing on that person, like she was.

They met with Hajia in the downstairs living room watching TV and she smiled, looking at them with nothing but love in her eyes. Sometimes, Rayhan wondered if Hajia didn't have a hidden motive for hiring her, because she was a cry far away from treating her like a maid. She treated her the same way she treated Amirah, with all the love and care in this world and she still hadn't been given work to do.

"Good afternoon, Hajia," she had greeted, fiddling nervously with her fingers.

"Rayhan, you look so beautiful, oh Allah! You're indeed one of a beautiful Yar Fulani! If I had a son, I would've married you off to him," she joked, that motherly feel attached to every word of hers.

Amirah threw her head back and laughed. "Hajia, you're even saying if you have a son? I'll tell your Likita that you've disowned him and he should start looking for a new mother."

Hajia lounged forward to catch Amirah that dodged her with a laugh. "If you dare do that, Auta, I know the best way to retaliate. I'm not ready for all his complains and scowls, allow me to sleep in peace today." Even Rayhan had to laugh and it was evident that the people in this house shared such a beautiful bond between themselves and it calmed her in some ways.

"Rayhan, let's leave. Hajia, until we come back." Amirah said before she walked out of the front door and before Rayhan felt, Hajia called her name and turned to find her staring at her with a whole different expression. She seemed worried and somewhat sick.