Waleey... This one is for you ♥

" Hey wake up! You've been sleeping for hours" Zubaidah tapped Rufaidah's snuggled form in bed.

"Five more minutes" she mumbled.

"Everyone is gathered in the living room, and it's about why you can't remember us" upon hearing that, Rufaidah shot out of the door at the speed of light.

Zubaidah shook her head in disbelief " your scarf and hijab Hajiya, at least get decent" her words trailed behind Rufaidah.

She followed suit excited in a dreadful way, knowing that what Rufaidah is about to hear will change her life forever, it might even make her more bitter than she already is and that'll be so bad it aches her heart to its core.

♡♡♡

12 years back

Hajiya Aisha used to follow her husband everywhere he goes, leaving the task of raising her children to the nannies until Rufaidah and her little brother Musayyib revolt and insisted to be left in the care of Hajiya Samira uncle Jibrin's wife since Rufaidah and Zubaidah are age mates and go to the same school. Rufaidah, Zubaidah and Faridah are inseparable, the trio are referred to as triplets because whenever you see one, the other two are not far behind.

Musayyib isn't a normal child, he hardly interacts with people, always in his shell and find it difficult to show emotions no matter how minute but Rufaidah loved him to bits, she took care of him like she Would her own biological child, she understands his silence more than his words since he's not much of a talker, she is always fighting off the bullies at school for his sake making him open up to her more than anyone. He eats only when she eats with him, he sleeps only beside her and he cries whenever she's not around. Rufaidah was eight and Musayyib six when they realised that his condition needs medical attention but the parents are abroad so uncle Jibrin took it upon himself to take him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with Autism. A kind of disorder that starts at the age of three which leads to the patient's inability to form normal social relationships. Since it isn't common in Nigeria at that time and there aren't specialists for that, Uncle Jibrin suggested that they should wait for his brother to come so that they will take him abroad where he will get the best medical care and hopefully get cured.

Upon receiving the news when they come home, both daddy and mommy were devastated not because they pity their child but because he pose as an inconvenience, something they are not ready to deal with so they left, promising to come back after they find the best mental facility that have experts on Autism.

"Uncle what is wrong with Musayyib? " innocent Rufaidah asked, tears in her eyes as her brother stares blankly into space for almost 30minutes without even batting an eye.

"He is sick my dear, your parents will soon come back to take him to the hospital" Uncle Jibrin answered.

"Why can't we take him? What if he gets worse before they come back? " She's now crying, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Okay dear, I will see what I can do about it" he consoled, wiping away her tears. At that time uncle Jibrin is not as wealthy as he is now and he can't afford to sponsor Musayyib's flight and medical bills if not he won't have seek the counsel of his brother.

Rufaidah's love for Musayyib increased ten folds after knowing her brother's mental condition, she becomes more overprotective of him and takes extra care in seeing that his every day need is fulfilled. He was pulled out of school and she became his personal tutor being a very brilliant child with eidetic memory. She will sit him down after school and teach him all the subjects even though he hardly reacts to anything especially when he's not alone with Rufaidah.

From coming home after every three months mommy and daddy's visits gets less and less, they dwindled to once in a year. Rufaidah started becoming bitter towards them, she resents them with every fibre of her being, Yaya Shams was taken away to study abroad and the nice little girl started becoming haughty and she's always angry. Hajiya Samira do her best to cheer her up because she pity the turn their lives have taken and because they are unfortunate to have parents like Aisha and Sa'ad.

"Can I take away his sickness Hajiya?" Rufaidah once asked with all honesty, Hajiya couldn't say a word, she just nodded in a negative way.

Life goes on, then boom! Uncle Jibrin landed a huge contract that will set him up for life, all arrangements have been made for Musayyib's departure. Two days to their departure time, Musayyib was found dead in his room by none other than Rufaidah. She was 12 that time and being a very smart young teenager she understood everything. She fainted so many times they lost count, she cried so hard until tears wouldn't flow from her eyes. Everyone feels the death but not as much as Rufaidah, everyone knows that she will never be herself again. When a call is made to her parents about the demise of their last child, they weren't sad nor remorseful, they blamed it on the Jibrin's household, saying it was their negligence that leads to the death of their child and Rufaidah is to be returned back home immediately. Uncle Jibrin was deeply hurt and disappointed in his brother but he's not heartless like him, he can't put the life of an innocent already broken child in danger, Rufaidah deserved to be helped by him even if he's not related to her by blood, he will not stoop to his brother's level.

Rufaidah held onto Musayyib's dead body before he was taken to his final resting place with a vacant look in her eyes, she clutched onto the corpse in a death grip they had to put force to set him free.

Zubaidah and Faridah were with her all step of the way, grieving, pitying and wallowing in the enormity of their loss. Musayyib was the love of her life, how can she move on after seeing his corpse?

She refused to eat until it's forced down her throat, she stopped going to school and started lashing out at everything and everyone that was when the fight happened. Zubaidah was trying to pacify her, to console her, telling her that they miss Musayyib too, they will never forget him but she needs to move on, he needs her prayers more than her grief. How can she not grieve when her parents haven't even showed up yet after almost six months of Musayyib's demise.

They keep having the battle of interest until one day, Zubaidah got so mad at Rufaidah she accidentally push her down a flight of stairs as a result of which she hit her head pretty bad, went into coma and lose her memories.

"Your parents came back on the fortnight, they didn't even know that you are in coma. All ties were severed with us, blamed heaped upon us for being negligent because according to your mother, how could we even let you fall?" Uncle Jibrin said.

"We were so scared, we prayed day in day out for your recovery but they refused to let us see you when you regain conciousness, they easily manipulate us out of your life using your amnesia to their advantage and forbade everyone from telling you anything, all traces of your childhood were either hidden away or destroyed and they made you think Faridah is your only friend and you know nothing about your extended family" Hajiya added.

Shams doesn't know anything then, the other three brothers have had enough so they left, leading their own lives abroad. It was after he graduated that he was told about everything.

♡♡♡

Rufaidah sat rooted to the seat she occupied, her face blank with no trace of tears or anything that'll portray her inner turmoil after listening to the most unexpected shocking story that happened to be part of her life, her childhood, her past.

"I know it's hard to take in at once and I probably shouldn't say this right now but I am sorry Rufaidah, it was my fault please forgive me" Zubaidah pleaded, her eyes filled with tears because the memories she had are vague but now everything is clear.

"It wasn't your fault, there is nothing to forgive you for" Rufaidah gave her a steely stare before finally getting off the couch only to fall back unconscious.

Yaya Shams picked her bridal style upstairs where Hajiya sprinkled water on her face. The moment she regain conciousness they all left the room for her, giving her a space to wrap her head around everything and to sort out her emotions. Thinking about it, Shams knew that she would have gotten her memories back if their parents tried hard enough and now that's it's almost ten years, nothing can be done about it and it will only bring her pain and make her despise them more. All the love she gets, the way they spoil her with money at her disposal is their own way of masking their guilt an added minus to them is the abortions and the hurtful things she heard.

They were seated at the living room with sombre expression on their faces when they hear the first crash, then another, and another until they rushed back to the room. Rufaidah has thrashed everything in Zubaidah's room beyond salvation and she's not even crying, she's heaving heavily and it looks like she'll soon loose the ability to breath. Yaya Shams cocooned her in his arms, trying so hard to gulp back the tears that are threatening to spill.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun! Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun!! Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun!!! Auzubillahi minalshaidanirrajim! " he kept whispering them into her ears until she starts to calm down and repeat after him. They stood in that position for a while before he speaks again " You can cry, it's okay to cry, vent it all out, don't hold anything back. We are here, and we are going to stand by you"

He rocked her as tears started to spill from her eyes, her body started shaking with the intensity of her sobs, she cried until her head hurts but it's nothing compared to her aching heart, she cried until she fell limp with exhaustion but shams still held unto her until she finally let go on her own.

"Can I see his picture? " she croaked out. Hajiya Samira nodded and left to bring the pictures they have of Musayyib. Though they aren't many because he hated pictures. There is one which he posed with a barely visible smile with Rufaidah, licking a candy as she looks at him with so much love in her eyes.

"Here" Hajiya handed her the pictures, her hands are still shaking but she managed to steady them a bit. She stared at the picture, tracing every line of her brother's features with a longing that will break the heart of whoever see her at that moment. She crouched down, going through the pictures which she's mostly in.

"He only pose for a picture with you or when you convince him to. He loved you too even though he don't know how to express himself but his actions implied so" Uncle Jibrin said.

She look at everyone from head to toe with a creepy smile before saying "Thank you for telling me, I want to clean this mess but I don't know how to. Can you please call the maids? Yaya Shams I want to pray for him, how, many units should I offer? " they were all taken aback by her calm demeanour. Hajiya took her to her room to offer some prayers while the rest get back to their respective rooms.

"Have I done the right thing? Will she ever be happy? " yaya shams questioned himself with a voice filled with guilt and regret.

"You did the right thing bro, she's strong, it will take time but she's going to be alright" Hafeez consoled, clasping his back.

♡♡♡
JUMA'AT MUBARAK TO EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODIA READING THIS CHAPTER. May Allah continue to guide us and cleanse our hearts from all evil.

I think I'm going to change the synopsis of this story because it's heading a different direction from the direction I initially planned.

Stay pure and heartily blessed annnnddd don't forget to recite suratul Kahf in shaa Allah.

Shukran jazeel.