OHANA MEANS FAMILY

PART 4

Sorry for the late update guys. Life has been happening....I will try and be updating more often. I hope you like this. Cheers

The drive back home was painfully quiet and I wish it were different. Sultan kept talking at first but I couldn't bring myself to answer him. I guess some of us pass out pain through tears...really hot tears!

"Manal please stop crying this way, you're getting me really worried.... crying won't bring her back. What she needs right now are your prayers. Aunty Aisha was a really good person and I am sure she is in a better place..."

Then I zoned out. I have heard these words over and over again when people died but they have never sounded so bitter to me, so unappealing like they sounded then. I kept looking out the window, not paying attention to any of the details out, just engulfed in my own thoughts. I guess Sultan kept talking until he decided it wasn't doing any good, and let me be.

We arrived home and silently made way to our apartment. Sultan used his access card to open the door and we all got in, both of us going our separate ways.

On entering the room, I realized my head hurts real bad. I wish I could stop the tears from flowing. I fell flat on my bed and started crying afresh.

"Manal, please get yourself together, you are hurting yourself...." I woke up confused, looking at Sultan standing over me. I sighed and landed my head back on the bed, realizing the situation. The pain had gone a little while I napped. Sultan brought his hand down to my forehead and gasped " ok that's enough.... your temperature is up" he said with a very serious face. He saw my face and quickly hugged me. He figured I was going to start crying again "shhhhh...please Manal, it is enough. It is going to be ok baby, everything will be ok in sha Allah" I hugged him back and finally found my voice

"She is...she was everything to me Sultan, who will I lean on now? Who is going to guide me through? I feel pain Sultan, I feel confused. I am so used to her being around that I don't know how to start living without her...." he listened to my cries without saying anything. I talked while tears rolled down and Sultan stayed still hugging me

"Ok Manal, I get that she was everything to you. I feel part of your pain too, she was like a mom to all of us..." I looked up at him

"She was not like sultan.... she was my mother" I said interrupting him

Sultan sighed and continued "the point is you're a Muslim Manal...and you know the teaching of our prophet (SAW) is to take anything that happens to us with good faith. Allah knows why he took her and he loves her more than you. Please, I don't ever want to hear you saying you don't know how to live without anyone. You can live without anyone so far you have Allah. Please Manal, I know you feel pain, I do too. We are human and we lost someone. But we have to take it with good faith. The best thing we can do is to pray for her. Ok?" He tilted my head back to look at my face

I nodded " ok"

I have to admit I feel a little bit better

"Now I want you to get off this bed, say your prayers, you see it is asr already and you haven't prayed zuhr. Pray hard for her and best believe she is in a better place in sha Allah. Then you go eat, I have ordered your favorite pizza...I will pardon you for today. I have to go back to the office and finish up some stuff...I told them I'm going back. Manny please I don't want to come back and see you in this situation again."

I nodded

"Good girl" he said while letting go of me.

I got off the bed and made my way to perform ablution while Sultan exited the room.