His Hafizah and her Hafiz

Recognition

Abu Hurairah POV:

After parking the car in front of my house, I killed the engine and hastily entered the house. The house casted a sly dim and gloomy ambience around with an eerie silence inundating it. Something must have happened!

"Mom," I screamed, after entering the house.

No answer.

"Mom," I yelled, my heart thumping wildly as I edged forth towards the stairs.

"Not home." Hawa's trembling voice echoed, startling me. "You don't even care about her, do you?" She looked disheveled, she was still in her abaya and scarf.

"Of course, I care about here. What the hell do you mean, not home?" I furrowed my eyebrows, my voice shaking as I spoke. Hawa was in the living room, sitting on the sofa carrying Umme Qulsums sleeping body on her lap and gently carressing her hair.

"Aunty took mom to the hospital, she's going to be there for a while." She whispered, looking up at me for the first time, her eyes red and tear-stained. "You're supposed to be home by three. Where were you?"

"At school, where does it look like I went?" I fired angrily.

"Out with your friends that's what it looks like. I don't care where you are next time but when there is a problem in the house or anywhere, you have to be there on time. She could have died if I didn't make it here on time, she was screaming in pain. Look," She breathed, closing her eyes. "You had only one job to do, being home right after school and looking after mom. You have your own car and everything while I had waited for Huzaifah to drop us one by one but still you couldn't make it on time?" She yelled, making Umme Qulsum stir a little in her sleep.

"I tried alright, I was caught up in detention and then I got in trouble." I snapped, running my hands through my hair.

"What do you mean in trouble and detention? I told you to go to class on time and trouble seriously, who did you get in a fight with?" She carressed Umme Qulsums silky hair unconciously as she spoke.

"I didn't fight anyone, it was a friend who did and because of that idiot I had to go to the principal's office and provide him with an explanation." I grumbled, plopping myself on another sofa next to her.

"Why do you have bad friends who drag you to the office?" She glared threateningly.

"That's really none of your business." I replied bluntly.

"Uh, yeah that is, I am the eldest here."

"Shut up okay, I am almost eighteen." I snapped. "I can make my own decisions."

"You know what!" She crossed her arms and turned away. "I don't care, do whatever you want with your life." 

Wait, about going to the principals office... what the hell did I just see few minutes earlier? 

I am hundred percent sure that I saw Huzaifah tagging along with Safoora's weird looking dad. I really did not expect her dad to have such a tough and uncanny behaviour with a weird taste in fashion. Why was Huzaifah there anyway, does Hawa know about it? Even though he had a few lame disguises on, he can't fool me ever.  

I'd recognize him anywhere!

"I saw Huzaifah today at school." I started, Hawa gave me a questioning glare. "He was there tagging along with one of my girl classmates dad."

"And?" She raised her eyebrows.

"He was wearing a baseball cap and he also drew a fake mustache on him. I am pretty sure he didn't want me to notice him, well ... that's what it looked like."