Ilham walked slowly down from the plane at Abuja's Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport. She let out a soft breath, her heart brimming with happiness. As she stepped onto the tarmac, her eyes quickly spotted her Uncle Aliyu and his wife, Aunty Zainab. Their faces were glowing with joy.
She hurried toward them, smiling.
"Welcome home, my Ilham," Aunty Zainab whom they all fondly called Ammi greeted warmly, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Ilham returned the hug, beaming. "Good afternoon, Ammi. I'm glad to see you both well."
"We're doing great, Alhamdulillah," Ammi replied.
Uncle Aliyu chuckled. "So I don't even get a proper greeting?"
Ilham smiled shyly. "Good afternoon, Baffa."
"How was your journey?"
"Alhamdulillah, it went well."
With that, they all got into the car and drove toward Uncle Aliyu's house.
From the moment they neared the gate, Ilham could already hear laughter and chatter from inside. As soon as the gate opened and the car pulled in, her face lit up at the sight of her younger sisters, Hiyana and Amrat, and their cousin Firdaus.
As she stepped out of the car, they all rushed toward her.
"Aunty Ilham! Welcome back!" they squealed, hugging her tightly.
She almost fell over. "Careful! Don't knock me down!" she laughed.
They quickly released her, still giggling. By then, Ammi had already gone inside the house.
"Let her go and come in," Baffa said with a smile.
They let her go and followed him indoors. The gatekeeper carried Ilham's luggage into the house. They all gathered in the parlor.
"Aunty Ilham, look at you like a foreigner now!" Firdaus teased, smiling.
Ilham chuckled, but before she could respond, Amrat chimed in. "So, are you officially a doctor now? Or just a nurse?"
"Just a nurse," Ilham replied with a grin.
"You've all been chatting away, not letting me speak," Baffa said, pretending to be annoyed.
Everyone in the room laughed.
As they settled in, the maids began to serve food.
"Masha Allah. Alhamdulillah," Baffa said, his gaze lingering on Ilham. "Allah has allowed us to see this day. You've finished school successfully. May He bless your education and grant you success. Now, all that's left is marriage, right?"
Ilham looked down shyly, a soft smile on her lips.
"Go and rest now," Ammi said. "You know we're traveling to Adamawa early tomorrow."
The girls stood up, picked up Ilham's things, and helped her to her room.
Once inside, Ilham took a shower, performed the afternoon prayer, and picked up her phone. She dialed a number she had memorized by heart Fawaz.
She tried calling again and again, but the line wouldn't connect. She had been trying to reach him for a week, ever since she began her journey back, but his phone remained off.
Still smiling, she whispered to herself, "May Allah let tomorrow come peacefully, so I can finally see you."
The Next Day – 5:00 AM
"Hiyana, Firdaus! Aren't you getting up?" Ilham called. "I'm going to tell Ammi you refuse to wake up"
Firdaus sat up slowly, pouting. "Aunty Ilham, we're awake."
Hiyana rubbed her eyes and added, "We're up, Aunty."
Ilham turned to Amrat. "Amrat, aren't you getting up?"
With great effort, Amrat stretched and sat up, yawning. "Aunty, we didn't even sleep early. We only slept around 2 a.m."
Ilham folded her arms. "That's not my business. You knew we were traveling today, yet you stayed up". She said shaking her head
She went back to her room, performed her prayers, and waited for the first light of dawn. After a quick bath, she dressed in a coffee-colored abaya, admired her reflection in the mirror, and headed downstairs.
---
Downstairs, the smell of freshly brewed tea and sizzling fried plantains filled the air. Ammi had already set the table, and everyone gathered around for breakfast. The chatter was light, full of excitement for the journey ahead. Ilham helped herself to some bread and tea, chatting with her family as they ate together, the warmth of the moment comforting her.
Once they finished, Ilham stood up and called out, "Mairo! Mairo!"
"Yes, Aunty Ilham?" Mairo responded, hurrying over.
"Please, bring down the box from upstairs. I need it before we leave," Ilham instructed.
Before Mairo could head up, Amrat called out, "Aunty Ilham, hurry up! We don't want to miss the flight!"
Ilham smiled at their eagerness. "I'm coming, just give me a moment." She finished her tea and gathered her things, ready to leave.
Mairo quickly returned with the box, and Ilham took it, nodding in approval. "Thank you, Mairo. Now, let's head out."
The family quickly gathered their things, and Ilham, along with her uncle and aunt, got into the car. They began the journey toward the airport, the excitement and anticipation for what lay ahead filling the air.
9:00 AM – Adamawa
When they landed, a few cars were already waiting for them. They climbed in and made their way toward Demsa. Around 10:30 AM, they finally arrived.
"Home sweet home," Ilham whispered as they parked in front of her family house.
Smiling, she stepped out and rushed inside, calling, "Mama! Mama!"
Her mother, sitting in her room, recognized her daughter's voice and rushed out. They met in the parlor.
Ilham ran into her mother's arms, overwhelmed with emotion. Her mother hugged her tightly, joy radiating from her face.
It had been three years. Phone calls were never enough. Their bond was deep, the connection between mother and daughter unbreakable. Ilham hadn't even noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks.
While they embraced, Uncle Aliyu and the rest arrived. Since Mama was already in her hijab, she joined them in the parlor. Greetings followed, and Mama sent the maid to begin preparing food. She hadn't expected them so soon she thought Ilham would spend at least a week before returning.
"Where's Yusuf?" Uncle Aliyu asked.
"He went to the market," Mama replied. "Let me call him."
"No need," Uncle Aliyu said. "He'll be back before we leave."
Firdaus blinked. "You're leaving? Already?"
Uncle Aliyu smiled. "Yes, we have to. We're traveling to the UK tomorrow morning. We'll all reunite with you guys in two months for Ahmad's graduation at riyadh."
Amrat clapped excitedly. "Yay! Ahmad is coming back!" She was especially close to him.
Not long after, Abba returned. He'd seen their cars outside and knew they had arrived. As soon as he entered, Ilham knelt respectfully before him.
"Good afternoon, Abba."
"Welcome back, Ilham. How was your journey?"
"Very well, Abba."
"So, Aliyu, I assume she dragged you here to drop her off?" Abba teased as he sat down.
"None of them asked us to bring her. We simply didn't want them traveling alone, especially since we're leaving for two weeks," Uncle Aliyu explained. "And in two months, you'll all be joining us for Ahmad's graduation."
"Ah, so Ahmad has finished?" Mama said happily. Ahmad was her favorite.
"Yes," Ammi confirmed with a smile. "That's why we want him to return home fully."
"Masha Allah. May Allah bless his efforts," Abba said, filled with joy.
The conversation continued as they all caught up.
12:00 PM
"Go tell Ammi to hurry up we need to leave. I have a meeting at two," Baffa instructed Amrat.
Amrat rushed inside and went straight to Mama's room, where Ammi was still chatting with her.
"Ammi, Baffa says it's time to go."
Ammi stood up quickly, grabbing her bag and scarf. She and Mama walked out together to the balcony.
"Take care of yourselves. Come visit soon," Ammi told Mama.
"May Allah protect your journey and grant you ease," Mama replied, raising her hand in farewell.
Amrat, Hiyana, and Firdaus came to hug Ammi goodbye. Then Baffa handed Ilham a bundle of cash.
"Here"
Ilham smiled. "Thank you, Baffa," she said, bowing respectfully as she accepted the money with both hands.
"May Allah protect and guide you," she added, as Baffa's car drove away toward Abuja.