Chapter 33

Haidar Jega
4 YEARS LATER
SAUDI ARABIA, MEDINA

I touched my chin and the beards that had formed there were becoming troublesome. I had never been the type to keep beards but ever since I flew to Saudi, I kept them. They were of average height and curly. I never failed to oil them every day. They did fit me well, I liked my new look. It made me look intimidating a bit. "Akhi we are late for jumma'a" Salim yelled from downstairs. I chuckled while wrapping my turban around my head. That boy never fails to throw tantrums.

"I'm coming, Salim!" I said. I sprayed a bit of perfume on my body and then dashed out of my room immediately.

"Here I am Salim!" I said from the railings of the stairs. I looked down at the spitting image of Lailah. I smiled. When I came to Saudi, Nailah told me her brother was schooled here so I immediately searched for him and found him. We have been living together for 4 years now. He is now a certified medical doctor and works in the best hospital over here. I established a hospital in Saudi, I named it Lailah. People questioned the name of course, but they soon came to terms with it. No one understood the reason why the hospital was named Lailah, articles wrote that it was named after my wife and well I liked that.

I ran down the stairs in haste. Salim stood all dressed up in a white thobe, I smiled at him before nudging him with my shoulder. "Let me guess, Safiya will be at the masjid today huh?" I asked. He rolled his eyes.

"Akhi (Brother). Safiya is in Dubai for the new year countdown." He said as we both took calm strides towards the door.

"Oh! How are we going to spend our new year?" I asked him. New Year's are something I dread a lot. It reminded me of the day we buried Lailah. It was on December 31st. On New Year's Eve.

"I was thinking of going to Nigeria to meet mum and Nailah. I miss them a lot" he said. We had approached my car. I opened it and we both sat in it immediately.

"That's a good one, you can use the private jet. When do you plan on going?" I asked. I had ignited the car.

"Next tomorrow, the new year is four days." He said.

"I'm going to miss my little brother," I said. Salim hissed, he hates it when I did that.

"You are coming with me this time Akhi," Salim said.

"Salim you know I can't, I have work here" I took a turn at the Main Street that led to the mosque.

"Akhi you can't keep running away from your duties, Nailah said Nigeria needs you. You are the freaking king of the north brother, you can't keep ruling the north from another country. It isn't cool!" He said. I had parked in front of the mosque.

"I'll think about it," I said.

"And, Nailah said she has arranged a prayer for Lailah. May her soul Rest In Peace." Salim said.

"What prayer is that?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know, but it's just a prayer to bestow a blessing on the soul. She said she hopes you'll come this time around." He said.

"This time around. This isn't the first prayer?" I asked.

"Yeah, every year on the day Lailah was buried Nailah arranges a prayer." He said.

"I never really knew," I said. We both got out of the car.

"You have to attend this year's own at least, for your Lailah's sake. I know you miss her, you still haven't changed your wallpaper all these years. Despite getting a new phone" He said and I chuckled.

"It's only to you guys that Lailah is dead. To me she's in my heart, I speak to her every day. I just can't wait for the day I'll die as well. Maybe then we can finally meet again" I said. He didn't utter a word as we entered the white mosque. We immediately found a place to sit after saying salam to the people around us.

"Lailah was my mother, father, sister, and brother when I had nobody. She took care of me, she stole food for my sake when we were young. I miss her so much, that I didn't even get to say goodbye before she died. but well, Alhamdulillah. I know she's doing well in her grave because she's a very good person" He said. A long line of tears cascaded down his eyes.

"Allahu Akbar..." Came the loud call of the Adhan. We all didn't say anything as it was not good to speak when Adhan is being called. We all sat and waited for the Imam to begin the Jumu'ah prayer. Three minutes after the Adhan was called, the Imam came in and stood before us. He led the Sallah and we followed.


*~*

After the prayer, Salim and I decided to go have lunch at a restaurant close to the mosque. We had already arrived at the restaurant and were seated at the front. "What would you have Salim?" I asked him.

"Anything that is strong and can hold the stomach bro," Salim said and I chuckled.

"Me I want to have sweet rich and plantain," I said.

"That would do for me too." He said and I immediately called for the waiter. He came forward and took our orders.

"Their food here is always great," Salim commented and I gave him a nod because my phone was ringing. I picked up the phone call, it was an unknown number from Nigeria.

"Asalamualaikum, Hello," The person said just immediately. It was a lady.

"Walaikumusalam, hello," I said very dryly.

"My name is Adhiva, I'm calling you to ask for your help, Mr. Haidar." She said. She sounded very desperate.

"In sha Allah if it's within my capacity I'll help you. What is it?" I asked.

"My mother is in a critical condition. She was amongst those who were attacked on the Abuja to Kaduna train. Please Mr. Haidar I need your help, my mother was shot in the neck and she is still alive but cannot move. And the bullet is still in her neck" She was crying already.

"Calm down Adhiva, What do you need my help for?" I asked.

"Dr. Shehu gave me your number, he said you are the only doctor that can help take the bullet out. Doctor Haidar please I beg you, for Allah's sake. Help my mother." She said.

"I promise I'll help her," I said.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Haidar. I'll fly her to Saudi first thing tomorrow" She said happily.

"There's no need for that, I'm coming to Nigeria," I said while staring at Salim. He had a smile on his face that I had never seen before. I rolled my eyes.