She moved with an overwhelming tension, her steps oblivious to the ground beneath her. Tears streamed down her face, as she knew deep down that she was utterly alone in this world. Why? This question echoed relentlessly in her heart.

He sprinted at breakneck speed, driven by an emergency call informing him of his mother’s bewildering condition. Initially, he didn’t notice her at all. But then, he drew closer. A kind stranger abruptly hit the brakes and honked loudly.

Despite his best efforts to evade her, destiny had other plans. At one point, a faint cry reached her ears, drawing the attention of passersby who rushed to her aid. Confused, she emerged from the car, exclaiming in frustration. He knelt before her, tears in his eyes.

People around greeted her, praying for her safety. She straightened herself and limped away. He hurried ahead, pleading, “I’m sorry. What’s wrong?” She couldn’t help but continue walking. He implored, “God, I’m in a hurry, but you have to buy medicine.” He explained that his car had broken down.

God, who had seen him before his mother, watched as he pressed the horn at the gate of a compound just a few minutes after six o’clock. He forgot to lock the car.

“Mominah! Mommynah!” He called urgently. His mother lay on the sofa, holding his twins, Islam and Iman, and his younger brother Khalil, known as “little Khaly.” He rushed to his mother’s side and said, “Mom, there’s something wrong with her.” She patted his head and said with a smile, “My boy, you’ve arrived just in time. Thank God.” He exchanged greetings with his father and asked for directions. They exchanged pleasantries as well.

After prayers, they all gathered in the living room. His father said, “I want to discuss your mother’s situation in India. What do you think?” He looked at his father and replied, “Dad, I was thinking the same thing.” His father revealed that he had a business trip to India that would keep him there for at least a month.

She walked slowly and knocked on the door of a small, dilapidated house, the worst in the entire neighborhood.

Umma hastily opened the door, grasped her hand, and asked, “What’s wrong, Nurr? Why are you standing there? Did something happen to you at your uncle’s place?” She didn’t get a chance to respond, as the pain in her leg was overwhelming. She noticed a bruise on her little finger. Umma continued, “Don’t cry; show me what happened.” She wiped away the tears with the edge of her clothes.

“I was hit by a car, Umma,” Nurr finally managed to say. She grabbed her hijab and said, “Let’s go to the pharmacy.” Nurr held Umma’s hand and whispered, “Umma, we don’t have the money to go to the pharmacy.” It then dawned on Umma that they didn’t even have five naira. She hung her head and said, “If He wills, He will provide for us.” She quietly added that they had some leftover rope, which she could use as a makeshift bandage. Nurr winced but didn’t let on to Umma how much pain she was in, not wanting to trouble her.

In a hurry, he arrived with a black cloth, finding his Umma and Nurr sitting in the courtyard of the house.

Sassarfa pulled up a small chair and said to Umma, “Goodbye, go home.” Umma replied, “Goodbye, and may God bless you with good fortune. Amen.” She included her thanks for Sassarfa’s help, handing over the bowl to the public. Nurr got up, took the lid, went into a small shed, and turned a bowl upside down. She noticed Nurr’s corner and turned to her in concern, asking, “What happened, my sister?” Umma explained that Nurr had been hit by a car while returning from their uncle’s house. Shocked, Sassarfa inquired, “A car in our town, sister?” The community members informed him about the incident, and he wondered about the implications for their lives.