Road to Jannah

Chapter Eighteen • One Last Night

Ghosts and silhouettes, they take a piece of me they want it all, oh but to wait in an empty room, with the feeling that is closing in.

I had a dream I was dying, but I found nobody there, and if one last night is all that we've been given, let's live it like we care.

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~ J A N N A H ~

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My head was turned to the window as my finger played with the ring on my left hand since the drive started. I couldn't even bare to look at him but I had no choice; it was either I let Faisal drive me back home or get a sound scolding from my mother. I couldn't even close my eyes and escape to the darkness since Faisal and Fatima were busy in a noisy conversation.

It was Friday, five days since I resumed the classes and the last day of the week. I would be free of seeing Faisal for another two days and moreover, it was only one day to go till the much awaited Saturday Abba and Ahmad were going to meet. I was nervous but I just know that my father will like Ahmad. There's nothing about him not to like and I was sure that Abba would see that.

It was barely 1 pm in the afternoon and with Friday being a half day, the classes closed by 12:30 pm and I had a hard time saying goodbye to Ahmad and following Faisal. But it was only a matter of time before I threw this leech out of my life once and for all. Ahmad just had to show up at our house tomorrow and the rest will go on all well.

"Yaya," Fatima says from the backseat, handing her phone to her brother, "you know what happened on my Instagram yesterday?"

Faisal collects the phone but kept it on his laps, he was driving so he couldn't use it. "Nope, ban sani ba, sai kin fada. (I don't know, till you tell me.)"

"Okay, so I've opened up the comment, see it for yourself."

"I'm driving, just tell me, will you?" Faisal snapped.

"You see, this guy, my follower I even forgot his user but he commented on that pic I posted yesterday; he told me that I should leave Instagram and go beg on the streets since I'm blind." Fatima finished and I had to turn back and look at her.

She looked sad and it was like she was on the brink of crying. I wish I had sat in the backseat with her, then I could have comforted her but since I was in the front, I went ahead to try to comfort her with my words. I was about to speak, to tell her to forget those kinds of people that want nothing but to hate on you and bring you down, that she might be blind but she has every right to do what she loves doing just like everyone even if that thing is being on Instagram. I had thought of all that to say but before I could, Faisal had erupted in a laugh and I looked at him in shock.

He continued laughing hysterically while keeping his eyes steady on the road and after he'd calmed down a little bit, he fixed the rearview mirror so he could see Fatima through it before he went on to address her.

"Yana da gaskiya fa (the guy is right) you have better chances begging on the streets of this city than posting on the streets of Instagram. Fati, I have told you many times before that things like Insta aren't meant for people like you. How do you even like people's pictures and post yours and stuff?" Faisal turns to me briefly and burst out laughing once again, "I'm really clever don't you think my darling? She's better off begging on the streets of this city than posting on the streets of Instagram, a very good one, yeah? Fati we can even drop you off at the Jum'ah mosque right now, you know beggers get more alms on Fridays, especially blind ones."