Our Friendship

9

Sa'ada couldn't contain her excitement when she heard about the kids. The fact that Hajiya insisted on leaving with them made her day. It was her wish to raise them and make them her own, hoping that Zainaba would experience the same pain she had gone through.

They didn't leave Hajiya's place until late at night.

Sa'ada was incredibly kind to the kids. She cooked whatever they wanted and never yelled at them. Despite all her efforts, Ummi never acknowledged her, and her gaze and words revealed her deep distaste for Sa'ada. Ummi's attitude hurt Sa'ada deeply.

It was part of Sa'ada's plan not only to take the kids away but also to make them love her, to see her as their mother. She believed that trying new tricks would help improve their relationship. She already knew their likes and dislikes, so she decided to surprise them by planning a trip to their favorite store after school. As always, at 2 PM, Amira and Ummi were seated in the backseat of the car. While Amira gazed out at the road, Ummi was busy with her books. Sa'ada looked at them through the mirror and smiled before driving away.

At the store, Amira and Sa'ada joyfully picked out things, while Ummi followed them angrily. Sa'ada turned back and said, "My daughter joined us, let's enjoy the moment." She said, smiling.

Ummi looked at her indifferently and replied, "You aren't our mom, just a stepmom. So don't call me your daughter again." Those words cut Sa'ada deeply; her eyes stung, and she suppressed the lump in her throat. She quietly walked away, telling herself to give them more time.

Usman was lost in thought. Though he tried his best to be happy and bury his pain, he was in agony. Life without Zainab was torture for him. His love for Zainab was sincere, deep, and stable, making it difficult to let go. Even so, he was trying his best to get her out of his mind, but his efforts seemed in vain.

He didn't understand why he still longed for her. Now that he was alone, his mind attempted to convince him to hire someone to pretend to be married to her for a couple of days. "No way!" he shouted. "I can't do that," he said again. "Maybe I should go back to drugs. I might forget everything-the pain and Zainab," he thought.

Sa'ada's simple warning toward the kids brought Ummi to tears in her room. Nothing made her happy; it seemed like everyone hated them and treated them poorly because their mother wasn't home.

"Ummi!!" Sa'ada called out.

Ummi, lying in their room, heard her stepmom shouting her name but did nothing. Amira, who was playing with her doll, said, "Yaya Aunty wants you to come." Ummi smiled and replied, "Let her be. I'm not going anywhere," without making any effort to go.

Usman, sitting beside Sa'ada and eating, asked, "What's wrong with Ummi? I'm sure she heard you calling."

Sa'ada smiled and said, "Maybe she didn't," before yelling Ummi's name again. But neither of the girls showed up.

Usman rose to his feet, his face filled with vexation, and stormed into the kids' room. He overheard Ummi telling Amira, "Let her be. I'm not going anywhere. She can keep shouting."

He rushed inside, furious. "Is that the habit you've developed? You're offensively impolite," he said, boiling with rage.

He beat her and demanded that she apologize to Sa'ada, but she refused. He had to beat her again for her to finally say she was sorry.

"Please, Usman, stop beating her. She's still a child," Sa'ada implored.

He looked at Sa'ada with a serious expression. "Are you telling me to let her act however she wants? Do you want me to be an indulgent father? She's seven. At her age, she needs to know what is right and what is wrong," he said in a fit of rage.

He took a deep breath. "If you truly love me, help me raise them into well-mannered children. Correct them when they make mistakes, just as you would correct your own child. Don't worry about what others will say or how the kids feel. As long as they do the right things, they will understand your good intentions in time," he said before sitting back down.

He fell silent for a few moments, then continued, "For now, they won't see you as their mother. Only when they grow up will they understand what's right. So how you raise them will determine your place in their lives. If you raise them to be well-mannered individuals, you'll have a child for life."

"Raising someone else's child isn't as easy as you think. One has to be patient and careful," he added.

He asked Ummi to sit, and she sat at his feet.

"Ummi," he began abruptly, "I find it difficult to believe you could be so rude. Please, be a good girl and let go of this new habit you've adopted. Be the girl I know and don't disappoint me," he said softly.

"Do you want to make me proud?" he asked, looking into her eyes. She nodded in response. He smiled and said, "Okay, then be a good girl. You can go now. It's time for your food," he insisted.

She took the food and went back to their room.

After reaching their room, she dropped the plate and began to cry. All she could think about was how her father had beaten her today because of Sa'ada's request. He had never laid a hand on her before.

Little Amira hugged her sister and told her not to worry if nobody liked her. She loved her with all her heart.