Miss World Or Miss Akhirah?✔

Chapter 16: He was Mr world.

Uncle Nour's POV

The hallways, the smell of detol combined with spirit, the sad faces of Muklis' family, the doctors and  nurses running up and down, the gloomy atmosphere and everything else in the hospital reminded me of my dad's death seven years earlier. I prayed for my dad and mom before praying for Muklis.

I saw Najib's text asking me why I missed the Maghrib to Isha Qur'an recitation that we usually did. After replying that Hameeda's classmate had an accident and we were currently at the hospital, I put my phone back in my pockets and took a look around me.

Muklis' mother was seated in between  her mom--Muklis' grandmom--and his 12 year old sister. Her daughter's head was resting on her shoulders and their hands were intertwined. The grandmother's two hands were raised and she was moving up and down praying. Muklis' elder brother was talking to a doctor and shaking his hand slightly. All his other relatives were seated either praying or crying.

I saw Hameeda's Indian or half Indian female friend and her other male friend sitting opposite me. The Indian friend was hugging her knees and had her chin on top of the knees. Her brown eyes that always shined in my class were so red with bags underneath them from all the crying she did. Her face was wet from tears. She had been biting her lips such that they got cracked. I quickly looked away from her face muttering "AstaghfiruLlah."

I heard her giving Hameeda a story which made my heart sympathise with her. She would never forgive herself if Muklis dies. She would forever remember him and what she said to him in their last encounter. It reminded me of the hadith of the Prophet (SAW) in which says: "Whosoever believes in Allah and his messenger should either speak good or keep quiet." If only she kept quiet and did not say they will party if he dies, she would not be this hurt.

Hameeda's friend, Bilal had his legs folded on the chair and both hands on his cheeks.

Hameeda and her other friend, Hamdan, were by the window of Muklis' room. I hated seeing them together. It reminded me of what I saw in the mall which I always tried hard to forget about. Only two things stopped me from telling her mother everything and being so strict on her. The first one was that it was partly my fault that made her do what she did. If only I did not convince my sister to let her go to Leena's house, the incident would not have happened. Also, if I had not abandoned her because of a silly fight, she would not be what she was now. We still would have been very close and I would have made sure she is the best Muslim girl in Nigeria. I would have taught her the importance of covering up and the consequences of lying and every other thing she is supposed to know.  That was my main reason for coming back now.

My second reason for not telling Yaya was that I believed the more strict your mom is on you, the more you lie to her and the more you keep hiding things from her. I was not asking her not to be strict on her but she should not be too strict on her.  Hameeda should be free to talk to her on everything. That way, Hameeda would feel secure enough to not bother much while being cautioned by her mom to be a better Muslim.

Whenever I remembered what I saw,  I would pray to Almighty Allah to forgive my niece and guide her to the right path, change her for the better through an easy way, and bless her with a loving and caring husband who would love and cherish her and who will make her stronger in her deen.

A young doctor came out of the room and walked towards us. Hameeda and Hamdan followed behind him.

"Where is Muklis Lamido's Family," he asked.

Muklis' brother went forward followed by his mom and grandmother. His sister was already asleep. It was almost midnight and we had been here for over five hours. Bilal, Leena and I also followed them.