FreeFreeDescription
She stood leaning against the trunk of a tree in a vast garden filled with a variety of plants that beautifully adorned the space. Birds hovered around the garden, happily making a chirping sound as the sun set slowly. The view was so beautiful and breathtaking; yet, despite how intently she fixed her eyes on the scenery, her mind was completely elsewhere. She was just staring at the setting sun absentmindedly, deeply lost in her thoughts.
Beside her stood a hospital worker in her mid-40s. The doctor touched her gently, looking at her as she spoke in a soothing voice, "Maghrib prayer is approaching, let's go so you can perform your ablution." She just stared at the doctor without even blinking, as though she did not comprehend what was being said to her. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she let out slow, soft breaths. The doctor took her hand and pulled her into a calm embrace, saying, “C'mon sweetheart, are you breaking your promise already?”
She rested her head against the doctor as tears streamed down her face one after another. The doctor closed her eyes and patted her comfortingly, feeling entirely dispirited. Together, they turned around upon hearing footsteps approaching the garden. He stopped exactly where he was, refusing to come any closer, just watching them. The doctor greeted him respectfully. The girl detached herself from the doctor's embrace and turned her back to him, signaling that she did not even want to look at him, tears streaming from her eyes. She felt as though her breath was catching, just like it always did. Bursting into heavy sobs, she gripped the tree trunk beside her.
Without even acknowledging the doctor's greeting, the man turned around and walked out of the garden. The doctor quickly grabbed her, seeing that she was about to collapse, and tried to help her sit down on the lush grass carpet spread across the ground. Trying to calm her down, the doctor asked, “Oh, my sister, why won't you keep the promise you made to me?”
With a trembling voice, she replied, “I am sorry, wallahi I just can't do it.”
The doctor embraced her tightly, gently patting her back as a profound sense of pity washed over her. She had attended to various cases throughout her career as a medical doctor, but none had ever distressed her or weighed so heavily on her heart like this poor servant of Allah. She wished she could take away her pain; she wished she could make her happy once more; she wished she could make her forget the past and face the present.
Gently, the doctor called out, “Halysaah...”
Khaleesat raised her tear-stained eyes to look at the doctor. The doctor said, "Please be patient, Halysaah. Stay strong." Khaleesat lowered her gaze and said nothing. The doctor helped her up, holding her hand as they left the garden and walked toward the large compound of the house.
### Summary
The story opens with a deeply emotional scene in a beautiful garden at sunset. A traumatized young woman named Khaleesat (referred to by the doctor as Halysaah) is being comforted by a compassionate middle-aged female medical doctor. When a mysterious man enters the garden, Khaleesat suffers an intense emotional breakdown, refusing to look at him, which prompts the man to leave silently without a word. The doctor, who deeply sympathizes with Khaleesat above all other patients in her career, helps her calm down and guides her back into the main house.
## Part 2: Flashback – Navigating Student Life Abroad
### English Translation
Few years back!
"Talk to Abdul about it. I know he will never agree to this, and he will definitely find a way out for you immediately..." Khaleesat raised her large eyes to look at her friend, Safiyyah. For a moment, it seemed like she wouldn't say anything, but then she slowly lowered her gaze and said, “That will be another huge burden, Safiyyah. You know how expensive apartments can be in this state. Housing is very costly, and besides, I already told you that I will not ask him for anything ever again, or rather, ask him to do anything for me...”
Safiyyah interjected, “Oh please! If you don't ask him, who else are you going to ask? More so, you know his character—in the blink of an eye, he will flip this entire situation against you. I think it is simply better to inform him; it'll give you more peace of mind.”
Khaleesat fell silent, weighing Safiyyah's words. Then, she let out a sigh, shook her head, and said, “It's fine, Safiyyah. I don't need to tell him. I will cope, In sha Allah. After all, we have just a year and a half left to go.”
Looking at her, Safiyyah took her hand and offered, “What if you move in with me? I can just tell them that my friend is coming to stay with us for a little while.”
Khaleesat shook her head and replied, “Let's not inconvenience them, Safiyyah. Don't worry at all, I will sort myself out.”
Safiyyah countered, “No, I will talk to Ya Musty about your current situation, Khaly. I know he won't say no. It’s just his wife who is a massive piece of work. And do I even care? You don't even know what she's putting me through right now in that house. Every night, she refuses to cook enough for me, so I have to find my own food—especially since you know Ya Musty works the night shift. And since you already know I prefer junk food, I usually just mix cornflakes and drink it.”
Khaleesat smiled and said, “And yet you want me to follow you to that house under those conditions? You are very funny.”
Safiyyah rolled her eyes and said, “So what? It’s not like you'll be living on her head when you move in. Yaya Mustapha is my cousin, or have you forgotten? Therefore, whether she likes it or not, I must stay in that house until I finish my studies. She is a very wicked and self-centered woman. Wallahi, don't even worry. Once I speak to Ya Musty, just pack your bags and move in, even if it's tomorrow.”
Khaleesat replied, "No, honestly, don't even start that, Safiyyah. I will cope with my present situation with time. I know I will adjust gradually. Besides, it’s something that is considered normal over here; I am just stressing myself out because of my religion, my culture, and other unavoidable factors. Anyway... it's fine, Safiyyah." As she spoke, she glanced at the phone in her hand upon hearing a notification chime. She added, “I think my Lyft is here, Sophie. See you tomorrow, if Allah spares our lives.”
Safiyyah sighed and said, "Okay then, take care of yourself. I will stroll home too." With that, they parted ways, and Khaleesat headed toward the Lyft she had ordered to take her home.
Around 10:00 PM, Khaleesat was in the kitchen, having just finished cooking some noodles for dinner when she heard the living room door open. She quietly finished serving her Indomie onto a plate, picked up a fork, washed the pot, and set it aside. She opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and walked straight out of the kitchen toward her bedroom. Right in the corridor, the door to a room just a few steps away from hers opened. Refusing to look in that direction, she tried to open her bedroom door when a voice said, “Hi, good evening. We didn't get to meet when I was here in the morning. I guess you've already left for school then. You can call me Jay, and I am your new housemate. I moved in this morning.”
Only then did Khaleesat turn to look at him, but she said nothing. He nodded at her and repeated, "Jay." Indifferently, she replied, “I see.”
Seeing that she was about to slip into her room, he said, "A minute, please." She turned and looked at him with a look of annoyance. He asked directly, “Are you Hausa?”
She frowned slightly and replied, “I don't know what you are talking about.”
He said, "Oh okay. I am asking for a favor..." She just stared at him. He adjusted his stance and said, “As you can see, it's late already. Can I use some of your bottled water and beverages before I buy mine tomorrow, if you don't mind?”
Khaleesat looked away and said curtly, “Okay.”
He replied, "Alright." From there, she went into her room, locked the door, and turned the key. Even after she finished eating her noodles, she didn't feel comfortable enough to open the door and take the plate back to the kitchen, so she just left it there. She went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, performed her ablution, and came out to sit on the edge of the bed. Checking her phone, she noticed two missed calls from Abdul from around 6:00 PM. She sighed, noticing the phone's clock read nearly 10:30 PM (which meant it was around 5:00 AM in Nigeria). Opening WhatsApp, she saw he was online and placed a WhatsApp call to him.
The moment he answered, she lowered her voice and greeted him softly. He didn't answer her greeting but snapped, “You're just seeing my calls now?”
She let out a quiet sigh and said, “Please forgive me, I swear I just saw the calls.”
He asked, “You mean to tell me your phone hasn't been with you all this time?”
She replied, “Not really. Ever since I got back from school, I've been studying. We are starting exams in a few months.”
He sneered, “I see. So because you're starting exams, you feel I don't deserve your time. How can your phone ring twice and you claim you didn't know, if not out of sheer disrespect?”
She was left at a loss for words. The phone had actually been on silent, a habit he had strictly forbidden on several occasions. To avoid further confrontation, she decided not to mention the silent mode. She murmured, “Please forgive me, wallahi it’s not like that. I am sorry.”
He snapped, “Keep the sorry to yourself. Madam, I want you to tell me exactly where you were that your phone rang twice and you didn't hear it? Your lectures today ended by 4:00 PM Baltimore time, so where did you go after that?”
She closed and opened her eyes, growing thoroughly exhausted by his interrogation. After a few seconds, she pleaded in a meek voice, “I was in the living room studying, and the phone was in the bedroom.”
He questioned, “So you've started hanging out in the living room? When did that start? Did your housemate stop bringing her boyfriend over to the apartment?”
Khaleesat’s heart skipped a beat. She quietly replied, “She isn't around. She went to LA yesterday.”
He scolded, “This is the third time I'm calling you this week and you refuse to pick up until it suits you to call me back. That nonsense must never happen again. Are you the first person to ever study, or are you trying to lecture me about exam preparation?”
Khaleesat remained silent as tears suddenly filled her eyes. Aggressively, he demanded, “Did you hear me?”
In a faint, submissive voice, she whispered, “I heard you. Please forgive me, it won't happen again, In sha Allah.”
He replied, “Good. You can go to bed.”
Wiping away the tears that refused to stop falling, she said, "Thank you, goodnight." He abruptly ended the call. She set the phone on the bedside table, buried her head in her pillow, and wept. After a while, she stood up, washed her face in the bathroom, turned off the bedroom lights, recited her bedtime prayers, and lay down to sleep.
The following day, Friday, Khaleesat finished her lectures early. She and Safiyyah were sitting at the exact same spot as the day before while Safiyyah was on the phone. Khaleesat was so deeply lost in thought that she didn't even notice when Safiyyah hung up. It wasn't until Safiyyah tapped her shoulder that she snapped back to reality. Safiyyah asked, “What is wrong, Khaleesat? I’ve been talking to you and you didn't even notice. What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Khaleesat forced a fake smile and said, “I just miss our mother and my siblings.”
Safiyyah shook her head, “I don't believe you. There is definitely something bothering you.”
Khaleesat diverted the topic, asking, “Was that George you were speaking with?”
Safiyyah lowered her voice and said, “Please, tomorrow is the weekend, let's go to Virginia, Leesat. George is throwing a birthday party tomorrow, and we are going to the beach. Please don't say no. We need to take a break and rest our brains; it shouldn't be all about studying constantly as if we invented Western education ourselves.”
Staring at her, Khaleesat asked, “Are you seriously traveling all the way to Virginia, Safiyyah?”
Safiyyah frowned and argued, “So what? It’s just a four-hour drive from Maryland. It’s like traveling from Kaduna to Kano if the car isn't speeding. Please, for once, be social, Khaleesat! Don't you get tired of staying in one place in this country? Don't you get tired of studying? We will return on Monday, In sha Allah, and no one will ever know we went to Virginia. I’ve already figured out exactly what excuse to give Yaya Mustapha. You don't even have anyone monitoring you closely, yet you misuse your freedom like this. Once we return to Nigeria, this opportunity is gone. Besides, it’s a co-ed trip with both guys and girls.”
Khaleesat shook her head and warned, “Seriously... I advise you not to go, Safiyyah.”
Safiyyah dismissed it, “I don't even want your advice. Ten of us are going together anyway.”
Khaleesat sighed, “Well, may Allah protect you on the road and bring you back safely.”
Safiyyah shot her a look, “So you're really not going?”
Without looking at her, Khaleesat replied, “You already know I won't go.”
Safiyyah snapped, "Suit yourself, but wallahi we are going." She stood up and added, “See you on Monday.”
Khaleesat looked at her and asked softly, “Wait, you're leaving already? There's still time left, Safiyyah.”
Safiyyah remarked, “Well, what else are we going to do at school since we don't have any more classes? And today you're the one saying there's still time, despite how much you usually love running back home early? Incredible.”
Khaleesat couldn't find anything to say. Deep down, she had grown to hate her apartment. She no longer saw it as her comfort zone, and she didn't think she could handle sharing a roof with a Hausa guy. If it were a foreigner, she wouldn't have minded at all, but the current situation deeply unnerved her. Up until she left for school that morning, she hadn't crossed paths with her new housemate. Safiyyah opened her eyes wide, sat back down, and said, “Oh, now I remember! Is all of this because of your new housemate? Seriously, what is your issue with him? He can mind his business, and you mind yours in that house. If he tries to talk to you and you don't like it, just call the cops on him to set boundaries. Just dial 911 and that's it! Besides, I bet he struggled hard just to get a scholarship to come study in this country, so why would he waste his time on anything else? If he were from a wealthy background, he wouldn't be staying in a shared apartment in the US anyway. Rich kids are usually the unruly ones; poor students just focus on what brought them here. Just look after yourself, and let him do the same. Don't be surprised if he's here entirely on a scholarship.”
Khaleesat just silently stared at Safiyyah. Safiyyah scoffed, “Let's go to your place. If it weren't for the fact that Ya Musty would never allow it, I would have packed my bags to move in with you so we could live together.”
Khaleesat pleaded, “Please ask him again, maybe he'll let you this time. When he refused before, we had only just started school.”
Safiyyah cut her off, “Don't waste your breath, that man will never agree. Let's go, I'll walk you home. If the housemate sees you acting all terrified, wallahi he will look down on you. Act like you own the place, and you'll see him start to respect you.”
Khaleesat stood up and insisted, “Just make sure we don't speak Hausa when we get there. Let's pretend we aren't Hausa.”
Safiyyah laughed, "Speak for yourself! You might not be Hausa, but as for me, I am a thoroughbred Hausa girl." Chatting along, they left the campus and headed toward Khaleesat's apartment.
Khaleesat pulled her keys from her handbag and unlocked the front door. They stepped into the living room with Safiyyah following closely behind. Safiyyah nodded, catching a pleasant scent in the air, and remarked, “Looks like he hasn't been out for long.”
Khaleesat scanned the living room, noticing his study materials piled up on a sofa. Safiyyah urged, “Look, for God's sake, just relax and go about your business, Khaleesat. You are in Maryland, USA, not Kano, Nigeria! Start acting exposed and enlightened, please.”
Khaleesat shot her a look, set her handbag down, and replied, “Do you think I would care if it were a white guy or someone from another race? My only issue here is that he is a Hausa guy. He even asked me yesterday if I am Hausa.”
Safiyyah gasped, “Oh, so you guys actually spoke?”
Khaleesat clarified, “I didn't pay him any attention, and I didn't give away that I am Hausa. I will just pretend I am from Morocco.”
Safiyyah burst into laughter, even sliding off the sofa. “Well, Moroccan women are famous for being exceptionally beautiful and elite white women. He will easily believe you're from there! Since Arabic comes naturally to you, just keep speaking Arabic to him. I doubt he even understands it anyway. That way, he'll keep his distance, thinking you're a real Arab girl... Just wait until Abdul finds out you're sharing a roof with a Hausa guy; Baltimore won't be big enough to contain his fury, wallahi. That's exactly why I told you to inform him, but you refused.”
Khaleesat ignored Safiyyah's laughter, set her bag aside, and headed into the kitchen to figure out what to cook, as she hadn't even eaten breakfast before leaving the house. Standing in the kitchen, she noticed about seven cartons of the most expensive brand of bottled water in the state. Turning around, she saw an abundance of beverages stacked on the cabinet. She walked further in and opened the large refrigerator to grab some eggs to make noodles for them. She stood staring into the fridge, which was fully stocked with everything imaginable—from various expensive drinks, fresh milk, and an assortment of fruits to plenty of eggs.
She heard Safiyyah's voice right behind her, exclaiming, “Wow, wow, wow! Did he stock all of this in the fridge, Leesah?”
Khaleesat turned to look at her, completely speechless. Eventually, she grabbed the eggs she needed, closed the fridge, and went over to her own food supply, noting that he had bought a significant amount of groceries as well. Safiyyah held her chin in amazement and muttered, “Is he blowing all his scholarship money splurging like this? Or is he just reckless and doesn't realize you have to take things slow and budget carefully in this country?”
Khaleesat grabbed her noodles, walked away, and looked at Safiyyah, saying, “Here are the noodles, please cook for us. I want to quickly call our mother before Aunty Sha'awa leaves for the market.”
Safiyyah replied, "Okay then." Khaleesat left the kitchen, picked up her bag, and went into her bedroom. She opened WhatsApp and sent a voice note to their neighbor Sha'awa's contact, which was her usual routine whenever she wanted to speak with her mother.
It was nearly 4:00 PM by the time Khaleesat walked Safiyyah out to the Lyft she had ordered, as her cousin had been calling repeatedly since she hadn't returned home. Safiyyah got into the car, closed the door, and waved at Khaleesat. Once the Lyft drove away, Khaleesat turned and walked slowly back to her apartment. As she approached, she saw a car parking in the designated space for her apartment. She paused, leaning against the wooden fence, watching the car through a small gap between the slats. She saw him step out of the vehicle and watched him walk into the apartment building while typing on his phone. She stood there frozen for over five minutes. Eventually, she walked slowly to the apartment door and turned the knob, only to find it locked from the inside. Frowning at the door, she grew tired of standing and knocked. She
