Kindred Ties

Chapter 25

Maryam excitedly pressed munira's house doorbell and waited for someone come and let them in. Muhammad came and stood next to her after parking the car. "I didn't realize how much I have missed her until now." She said adjusting her grip on her handbag. He looked at her and smiled then went ahead to bang the door when munira's husband opened it.

"Abubakar." Muhammad said and gave him his hand to shake. Abdallah smiled and side-hugged him, "Muhammadu." Muhammad playfully eyed him, "ka ganka da neman tsokana ko?" He laughed and turned to Maryam. "Maryam."

She nodded with a smile, "Ina wuni."
"Ina gajiya, you just remembered us now koh? It's been almost a year since we've last seen you."
"A yi mun afuwa." She clasped her palms together and bowed a little. Muhammad and Abubakar laughed at her.

"Well it's going to take a lot more of that to get munira to forgive you." Abubakar said as he lead them into the house.

Maryam's head naturally turned to the kitchen. She could smell good food. Muhammad laughed silently and shook his head as he watched her literally peek at the kitchen. They walked to the living room and sat down whilst Abubakar left probably to call her.

They walked in moments later, hand in hand. Munira was holding her mini baby bump. "Assalam Alaikum."
"Waalaikum Assalam." They answered. Maryam looked up and gasped, "OMG! I'm going to be an aunt soon." She stood up and went to hug Munira. Munira dramatically stopped her, "who are you?"

Maryam held her chest saying, "I'm sincerely sorry, I know what I did was wrong, but please forgive me. I'm such a bad aunt Wallahi." She pouted hugging munira anyway.

Muhammad and Abubakar who were seated watching them just kept laughing. Munira and Maryam are like two same persons, so dramatic.

Munira frowned, "you are not forgiven. What you did is too much to be forgiven."
"Hana mana I said I'm sorry." She then palmed munira's tummy saying, "I'm sorry fav,"
"Oh..." Munira started. Maryam shushed her saying, "don't interrupt our conversation." "Your aunt really loves you, things have been hectic for me ne, that's why I haven't had the chance to know you."

She felt a faint kick, "oh my God he responded, he just kicked."
Munira laughed saying, "guess he has already forgiven you." Maryam smiled, "Thank you habibi. Wait, is the baby a boy?"
"Nope, we don't know. We want it to be a surprise." Maryam nodded in understanding, "then why did you call the baby a he?"
Munira shrugged, "because you did."
"Oh." And they laughed again.

They all came and sat down, talked about stuff, and muhammad gave her the package then they left. They went and registered the business, then he took her home.

In the car right outside their house, maryam looked at Muhammad with a smile, "Thank you so much ya Muhammad, I don't even know how to repay you for everything."
"Just be successful." When she glanced at him, even his smile was reassuring.

She felt a surge of emotion which she cannot explain. Muhammad is just amazing, his life partner would be so lucky. "Maryam." He snapped her out of her thoughts. "Huh?"

He chuckled, "what are you thinking about?"
"Oh nothing." If she was fair, her cheeks would've turned crimson. "Thank you. Ka gaida su mummy."  She opened the car. "Greet amma and yasmin for me please." "Sure. Bye." She got out of the car and waved at him. "Bye. Go now." He said.

She smiled and turned, and walked into the house. He watched until she was safely inside the house, before driving away.

                         ——————

She went to mama's room first and greeted her before going to their room. She headed straight to the toilet, where she eased herself and performed ablution.

She came out to yasmin lying on her bed using her phone, "Yasmin who said you could touch my phone?" She asked grabbing a hijab from her drawer. Yasmin looked up with a smile saying, "I just wanted to see what you did today ne."

She shook her head saying, "I didn't take pictures." She wore the hijab and spread a mat. "Keep my phone, my battery is low." Yasmin groaned, "ya Maryam mana 45% ne your battery is low?"

"Yasmin just keep my phone." She made sure yasmin kept her phone before she started praying. After she was done, she sat on the mat, said her supplications, prayed for her family and mostly for her father to Rest In Peace.

She looked up and saw both ya amma and Yasmin staring at her. "Wayyo Allah." She held her chest startled. "You scared me, what is this about?" She got up, and folded the mat and hijab. "Huh? Tell me."

"How was your little outing with ya Muhammad?" Ya amma asked. "Little outing? We just went to register my business."

Yasmin bobbed her head with a raised eyebrows, "are you sure that's all there is to it?"
"You're not serious." She removed her scarf and flopped down on her bed. Ya amma and yasmin circled her, "tell us mana."

"Wai tell you what? We went to ya munira's house first... kunsan ya munira is pregnant?"
"Dan Allah?"
"Wallahi. I was so ashamed you know ever since she got married, i have only been to her house twice."

"Ni I think I went there like 7 or 8 times." Ya amma said scribbling something on a notepad. "Ni I think I went like 4 times. Anyway, I bet their baby is going to be so cute. His or her parents are a sight to behold." Yasmin smiled.

"I know right. Oh I can't wait to see the baby."
"How far is she?"
"She said 7months."

"Allah ya sauke ta lafiya."
"Amin."

They then went to mama's room to have a chat.

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Muhammad arrived home a few minutes ago, he headed straight to the mosque first and prayed before going to the main house. He greeted his parents before he headed to his room to freshen up and rest.

After he had freshened up, he got dressed in an ash sweats and cozied up on his bed. He popped some pills in his mouth, and started reading a medical file.

When he started feeling hungry, he went and warmed two leftover meat pie and made a cup of tea. He grabbed his laptop from the living room center table, and went to his room.

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Fatima🥀