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Haske Writers Association 💡
⚓ **Captain Ahmad Junaid** ⚓
*By Khaleesat Haiydar
Mumy cast a sharp glare at him and said, "Look, you’d better mind your steps with me, Ahmad. You are not going to El-Ameen’s place; we are going to the hospital." He fell silent, looking at her and knowing full well that he could never convince her otherwise.
In a gentle voice, he said, “Alright, please forgive me, my Mumy. Let’s head to the hospital then.”
She picked up her handbag and said, "Let go of me, let’s go." He released her just as his phone began to ring. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the caller ID and saw it was El-Ameen. He glanced back at Mumy and noticed she was staring intently at the phone.
He answered and pressed it to his ear. From the other end, El-Ameen said, “What's up, Captain? Are you home today?”
Junaid stole a quick glance at Mumy, who was still monitoring him, and replied, “No! Don't worry, friend. Mumy says we should just head straight to the clinic, so there is no need for me to come over.”
El-Ameen asked, “What are you talking about, guy?”
Junaid said, “No, it’s nothing, I swear. She just insists that we go to the hospital.”
El-Ameen hissed and said, “Hey Junaid, are you okay? What are you saying?”
Junaid replied, "Okay, thanks for your care, friend!" With that, he hung up, switched off the phone entirely, returned it to his pocket, and bowed his head.
Mumy asked, "Why on earth would you say 'Mumy says'? Instead of telling him that your father ordered you to go to the clinic." Junaid remained silent, looking at her. She walked back, sat down, and let out a deep sigh before adding, “Fine then. Go over there so he can examine you. But the moment he prescribes your medications, you are to come right back, Ahmad. I repeat myself, come right back.”
A wave of happiness washed over him, though he did his best to conceal it as he replied, "Alright, Mumy. I promise." She escorted him all the way to his car, saying, “Drive carefully.”
He replied, "Sure, Mum." She stood watching until he drove out of the compound before turning around to return to her wing.
As she walked back, she spotted Hajiya Fatee and Hajiya Bilkee sitting on Hajiya Fatee’s balcony, watching them. Mumy walked over and greeted them politely. Only Hajiya Bilki offered a cold, brief response. As Mumy turned to leave, Hajiya Fatee remarked sneeringly, “So now the golden child is even restricted from coming to greet us, all because of sheer arrogance.”
Mumy turned back to look at them and said, "Oh, he isn't feeling well. He is actually on his way to see a doctor right now." Neither of them uttered another word. Mumy simply walked back to her wing without burdening her mind with their hostility.
When Junaid arrived, he didn't find El-Ameen at his private clinic. Though he wasn't happy about it, he had no choice but to head to the large hospital owned by El-Ameen's father, who was also a highly renowned, top-tier medical consultant in Nigeria. Because the nurses were well aware of the close bond between Junaid and El-Ameen, no one stopped him from walking straight to El-Ameen's office. He turned the doorknob and stepped into the spacious office.
El-Ameen was seated, wearing reading glasses and reviewing some medical files. He looked up at Junaid, set his pen down, and rested his chin in his hand. “Are you in your right mind at all, Captain?”
Junaid laughed, sitting on the edge of the office desk. “If I hadn't framed it that way, Mumy wouldn't have allowed me to come out by now.”
El-Ameen shook his head. “Mummy's boy. I wonder when you will finally grow up and gain your own freedom.”
Junaid smiled, rubbing his hand over his head. “Uhm, I am 30 now, and you’re saying I haven’t grown up? Well, I probably won't ever get that freedom from my momma until the day I die.”
El-Ameen laughed and said, “You will get it once you get married.”
Junaid smiled subtly. “Married, you say?”
El-Ameen looked at him, removing his glasses. “But you really don't look well. You look weary.”
Junaid closed his eyes and opened them heavily, filled with distress. "Kind of, friend! I'm just disturbed. I haven't had any peace of mind these past two days. I am just not myself..." He held his head, unable to continue.
El-Ameen leaned forward and tapped him. “What's wrong, friend? Tell me your problem. Is it the people at your house?”
Junaid lifted his head, looking at him with immense worry. “No! It’s that mad woman. I don't know if I committed a sin by rescuing that child from her hands. Every time I lie down, she is all I think about and see. I can’t even sleep now; I have completely lost my peace.”
El-Ameen hissed loudly, put his glasses back on, and pulled the files back in front of him to resume his work. "And here I was thinking it was something meaningful. All this over a mad woman?" He hissed again.
Junaid closed his eyes tightly, pushed the files away, and said, “Come on, Doctor! I am telling you I can’t sleep, and you’re telling me you thought it was something meaningful?”
El-Ameen rested his chin in his hand, staring at him with utter bewilderment. “Wait, Junaid, are you somehow related to this mad woman?”
Junaid replied angrily, “Who knows!”
El-Ameen let out another long hiss. “Look, leave me alone. I have meaningful work to do right now, and my current workload is more than enough. Please stop bothering me about some random mad woman.”
Junaid stared at him for nearly two minutes before sliding off the table. He picked up his phone and car keys, turning toward the door. El-Ameen watched him leave before running a hand through his own soft hair, thinking to himself, *What on earth is wrong with Junaid that he is losing his mind and stressing others over a certified mad woman?*
He quickly stood up and locked the office door before Junaid could exit. “Look, Captain, what exactly do you want done about your insomnia? Or should we just go and beg the mad woman for forgiveness?”
Junaid looked at him coldly. “Open the door for me.”
El-Ameen chuckled lightly. “Of course not! I won't open it until you tell me your reason for coming to me. What kind of help do you want me to render? Should we go seek the mad woman's pardon?”
By now, Junaid’s eyes had completely changed color. Still trying to behave gently, he muttered, “I said open the door.”
El-Ameen goaded, “No!”
With a sudden burst of anger, Junaid lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar, breathing heavily as he barked, “Open the door for me, Ahmad!”
El-Ameen smiled in defiance. “I refuse! Let me see you play the lion right here.”
Junaid shoved him away forcefully, walked back to the long sofa, sat down, and held his head in his hands. El-Ameen laughed and returned to his office chair. It took about ten minutes before Junaid finally lifted his head and looked at El-Ameen, who was deeply absorbed in his work.
El-Ameen teased, “So, have your spirits finally left you?”
Junaid didn't say a word; he simply looked away. El-Ameen stood up, walked over, and sat beside him. “Now tell me, what do you want us to do?”
Junaid let out a deep, weary sigh and began speaking calmly. “Friend! Maybe she wants me to help her, and that's why she keeps haunting me. She wants me to help her.”
El-Ameen widened his large eyes in shock. "She wants you to do what?" Junaid remained silent, staring ahead. El-Ameen shook his head. “You must be losing it, Junaid. What business do you have with a street-dwelling mad woman to the point of thinking about helping her? Did you cause her madness? Do you even know what drove her insane? Wait! What kind of help can you even render her anyway? Taking her to a psychiatric facility and staying there with her, or what?”
Junaid frowned. “By Allah, if it weren't for Mumy and Abba who would never approve, I would have done exactly that.”
El-Ameen burst into hearty laughter. “Wow, Junaid, you are really inviting trouble for yourself.”
Junaid lowered his voice. “Please listen to me, Doctor. Aside from you, who else can I confide in with a burden I can't even share with my mother, despite how close we are? Why are you doing this to me, friend?”
El-Ameen sighed deeply, relenting. “No, it's not like that, Junaid. Now tell me, what do you want done? How exactly do you want me to help here?”
In a pleading, calm tone, Junaid said, “You are a neurologist as well as a qualified MD. I know that by the grace of Allah, you can treat and cure her if you put your mind to it. You can never tell where a person's ultimate divine reward lies.”
El-Ameen stared at him with an expression of utter disbelief before standing up. “Honestly, you are inviting chaos into your life, and you’re dragging those of us around you into it too, Ahmad. Seriously, what possessed you to stop your car and engage with a mad woman in the first place? Oh my God! Now look at the mess; it's like you've triggered a spirit. Because by Allah, you are clearly not in your right senses.”
Junaid stood up as well. “Stop this, El-Ameen! What is the harm in us helping a helpless servant of God? Seriously, if anyone else had told me you would react this way, I swear I wouldn't have believed them.”
El-Ameen stood frozen, his mouth wide open in utter amazement at his best friend. Junaid turned around and headed for the door, visibly upset. El-Ameen shook his head. “Listen, Captain!”
Junaid didn't even give him a backward glance as he exited the office. El-Ameen ran a hand through his hair frantically and rushed out after him. They reached Junaid’s car at the same time. El-Ameen urged, “Come on, friend, listen to me. Let’s go back inside so you can explain things clearly to me because I swear I am totally confused.”
Junaid glared at him. “You do know you aren't the only medical doctor I am friends with, right?”
El-Ameen smiled faintly. "I know." He grabbed Junaid's hand, and they began walking back into the hospital building just as Junaid's phone started ringing. He pulled it out and saw it was Mumy calling.
El-Ameen teased, “Mummy's boy.”
Junaid answered the call. From the other end, Mumy spoke strictly, “You'd better behave, Ahmad.”
Junaid adopted a pitiful tone, lying smoothly. "Oh, my Umma, they are just administering a small IV drip to me. And I am feeling much better now; I've even eaten some food." Junaid smiled after listening to her reply and added, "Insha Allah, Mum." With that, he hung up, and they returned to El-Ameen’s office.
El-Ameen cupped his chin with both hands, staring at Junaid. “I'm listening. I pray you've returned to your senses by now. What exactly did you say you want done?”
Junaid opened his eyes deliberately. “I want you to treat and cure her. I will pay whatever amount you demand.”
El-Ameen smiled ironically. “Oh, I see. So I am expected to be frequenting the dumpsters and streets just to consult with her?”
Junaid replied, “No, of course not. We are going to rescue her and bring her in.”
El-Ameen’s eyes flew open. “Bring her where? To your family house?”
Junaid glared at him. “Please, friend, be serious. We will keep her at your house. If I try to keep her at my apartment, Mumy and Abba will definitely find out, especially with all the nosy eyes around me. But as for you, nobody monitors your space.”
El-Ameen slammed his hand on the desk in front of him. "Now you’ve crossed the line, Mister! You must be joking. I absolutely cannot keep a mad woman in my house—a house meant for my future wife!" Junaid fell silent, staring at him.
After a brief pause, Junaid muttered softly, “Okay, let me rent an apartment then.”
El-Ameen hissed, completely bewildered by Junaid’s obsession. He wondered if his friend was truly stable. Junaid smiled and said, “I know you're wondering if I am sane at all. It's pure compassion, friend, nothing more. I saw the girl; she is far too young to be left in such a wretched state, even though we cannot question the will of Allah. You never know where life will take you tomorrow, friend. It truly pays to be kind, and you can never tell where your reward lies! My intentions are purely to help her for the sake of Allah. I will settle whatever medical bill you charge. My only hope is for her to recover so she can find her family.”
El-Ameen burst into laughter, clapping his hands. “Wow, Governor Ahmad Junaid! Because this is clearly a government responsibility, not yours.”
Junaid stood up. “Whatever. Right now, let me start looking for an apartment.”
El-Ameen shrugged. “That’s entirely up to you. But I am deeply worried about the backlash you'll face from your family when they find out about this nonsense you are planning to execute.”
Junaid hissed. "Just find me a medical adhesive bandage to put over my hand, I am leaving. I might come back tomorrow once I secure an apartment." El-Ameen stood up, fetched a bandage, and handed it over, staring at him with lingering amazement.
They walked out together, and El-Ameen said, "Just drop me off at home. I accidentally left my house keys in the office." Along the way, El-Ameen burst out laughing again. "Goodness, who would have thought Captain Junaid would turn into a guardian for a mad woman? But if you really want to do charity, why not just visit an orphanage and contribute there?" Junaid completely ignored him.
Parking right outside El-Ameen's house, Junaid turned to him with a straight face and said, "Goodnight." El-Ameen laughed, opened the door, and stepped out, knowing full well his friend was thoroughly annoyed.
4..…
The following day, around past 4:00 PM, Junaid left the office. He had already called his father’s real estate agents in the morning, instructing them to find a two-bedroom apartment for him immediately, emphasizing heavily that Abba must not find out about it. He was driving while attempting to call one of the agents to verify if the arrangements were finalized.
The man answered, greeted him respectfully, and said, “Sir, we have found one. But you might want to come over and inspect it to see if it suits your taste.”
Junaid replied, "Alright! Okay, thank you." He hung up and drove straight to the hospital to find El-Ameen, knowing he was at the clinic.
He found him attending to a patient. Junaid walked straight into the private lounge attached to El-Ameen's office and lay down. Thirty minutes later, El-Ameen walked in, pulling off his white lab coat. “Uh-huh! You haven't even changed out of your uniform, all due to your wild excitement over saving a mad woman.”
Junaid sat up, keeping his face stern. “Yes, I am straight from the office. And I have secured the apartment.”
El-Ameen smiled. “Oh, that’s good for you.”
Junaid said, “But we are going to rescue her tonight, right?”
El-Ameen gave him a sharp look. “Correction: *you* are going to rescue her, mister. Who is this 'we' you are talking about?”
Junaid fell silent, staring at him. He let out a deep sigh and said, "Fine, I will go get her myself." He stood up and added, “I will be on my way, but I need you to do me one favor. Please leave your car parked on your street and hide the key underneath it or among the flowers near the car. I will come over later to pick it up, because Mumy won't let me go out so late.”
El-Ameen’s eyes flew open. “What? A mad woman is going to be stuffed into my car? And to add insult to injury, I am supposed to leave my car at risk with the keys outside? You must be dreaming.”
Junaid shook his head. “You do realize that it isn't because Allah loves you more that He spared your sanity while taking away hers, right?”
El-Ameen countered, "Alright, Mr. Preacher, but I am still not giving you my car, period!" Junaid didn't say another word; he simply walked out of the room.
He spent the rest of the afternoon brainstorming who could possibly assist him in retrieving the mad woman. He made a quick detour to inspect the apartment that had been procured for him, and finding it decent enough, he headed home.
That evening, he was seated in Mumy’s living room, eating rice couscous served with a delicious, rich vegetable soup she had specially prepared for him. However, he had absolutely no appetite and was merely forcing the food down. He looked at Fatima, who was relaxing in the parlor, and said, “Come and take this food away.”
She stood up and asked, "Aren't you going to finish it, brother?" He didn't reply, so she cleared the tray and carried it into the kitchen.
At 8:30 PM, he stood up and walked into Mumy’s bedroom to wish her goodnight. She remarked, “So no evening chats tonight?”
He forced a tight smile. “I am feeling quite sleepy, Momma.”
She replied, “Alright, may God grant us a peaceful night. Make sure you perform your ablution and pray before going to bed, and lock your windows because a storm is brewing.”
He said, "Insha Allah, Mum," and walked out of her wing holding his phone.
He hurried into his bedroom, quickly changed into casual clothes, and snuck out. He headed toward the estate gate, glancing around cautiously until he crossed it. He walked down the road on foot. The wind was blowing fiercely, and flashes of lightning lit up the sky, indicating that a heavy downpour was imminent at any moment. He stood by the roadside waiting to hail a commercial vehicle—something he had never done before in his entire life, as far as he could remember. He didn't even know how to properly flag down a tricycle, so he just stood there looking around awkwardly while they repeatedly passed him by.
A light drizzle began to fall steadily. He closed his eyes and opened them, watching the oncoming traffic. Suddenly, a sleek white luxury car pulled over right beside him. A beautiful young girl clad in a hijab stepped out, looked at him, and said, “Hello, sir. Please hop in, let me give you a lift if you don't mind. Look, it's already raining, and the downpour could get heavy at any moment. I passed by earlier on my way to the pharmacy and saw you, and now on my way back, you're still standing here.”
He glanced at the car and then at her. The girl couldn't have been more than 18. She blinked slightly and added, "No hidden motives! I am just trying to be helpful." With that, she turned back toward her car.
Knowing he had absolutely no alternative, he opened the front passenger door and climbed in just as she settled back into the driver's seat. She looked at him, steered the vehicle, and they drove away. As she drove, she asked, "Where are you heading?" Without looking directly at her, he gave her the destination. She replied, “Okay.”
His phone began to ring. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw it was El-Ameen. He hesitated for a moment before answering, pressing it to his ear without saying a word. El-Ameen asked, “Did you manage to sneak out?”
In a sharp tone, Junaid replied, “That is none of your business.”
El-Ameen laughed. “Come on, man! I noticed you haven't come to pick up the car yet.”
Junaid said, “Yes, I am on my way to borrow Faisal’s car instead.”
El-Ameen confessed, “Hey, I actually brought the car out for you, I swear. Come over. You know how annoying I can be sometimes.”
Junaid replied, “No, don't worry, I am already on my way to your place now.”
El-Ameen pleaded, "Look, stop this please, Junaid. I swear I brought the car out for you; I was only teasing you earlier." Junaid fell silent, knowing he could never truly stay angry at his best friend.
Closing his eyes briefly, he opened them and said, "Okay," before hanging up. He turned to the girl and informed her that he was going to El-Ameen's neighborhood instead. She replied, “Okay.”
She pulled up right outside the gate as requested. He turned to look at her and said, “Thanks a lot.”
She smiled. “You are welcome!”
He opened the door to step out into the pouring rain, but paused and turned back to face her. Drawing out his phone, he extended it toward her and said, “Please input your digits so I can properly thank you some other time.”
She replied, "Is
