Tired, she entered her house and closed the gate, paying little attention to the people in the courtyard. As she greeted them, one of the women exclaimed, “Indeed, girl, you’re back!” She quickly turned to her and apologized, “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you there. By the way, where is Hajiya?” A woman of average build, dressed in dry clothes, replied, “We don’t know, you’ve become too busy to remember your mother, a single child of God. She vanished from our sight.” She pinched her head playfully as she passed by, implying that Hajiya was always on God’s mind but unable to express herself. Intisaar simply replied with a smile and kept repeating, “Patience,” as she made her way into the house.
Upon entering the house, she went to the front door, which was her customary route. Her mother was lying down, reciting prayers. She looked at her and inquired about her whereabouts, but her mother did not take her eyes off her. Intisaar, undeterred, continued searching for a place to sit. Eventually, her mother asked, “What’s going on, Intisaar?” She responded with a smile, “Hey, Mom, don’t worry about it. Everything’s fine.” Her mother reassured her, saying that maybe they would be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Intisaar replied, “Oh God, that would be great,” then went to the bathroom to perform ablution for the evening prayer.
Afterward, she prayed, brought her food, and began eating. She asked her mother, “Mom, where is Ihsaan?” Her mother replied, “He’s out playing.” Intisaar finished her meal, and her mother took away the dishes. She then performed her ablution, readying herself for the evening prayer, and headed out.
On her way, she ran into Zainab, who greeted her, “You’re back, huh?” Intisaar responded, “Yes, I’m back. I just didn’t come back to the house yet.” They continued walking, and Zainab asked, “Is it outside my mom’s house?” Intisaar confirmed, “Yes, it is. What happened?” Zainab explained, “Okay, so she was mad at you for not coming to see her, saying she bought a lot of stuff for you.” Intisaar laughed and replied, “Yes, Hajiya sent it to me.” Zainab teased her, saying, “If you forget to collect it, I’ll scold you.” Intisaar chuckled, and their conversation continued as they made their way to the mother’s house.
At her mother’s house, Intisaar saw her aunt sitting by the living room door, looking for some medicine. Her aunt remarked, “Innah, you’re still bound by medications. You’re the embodiment of endurance.” Innah responded, “Well, not everyone is fortunate to have your good health, Aunt.” Her aunt continued, “And where is Dambuna and Zainab, Innah?” Intisaar jokingly touched her lips and said, “You’ve eaten your clothes, Inna.” She then stood up and went to retrieve her clothes.
From outside, they overheard Inna saying, “Is she okay?” She fell silent, seemingly not receiving a response. Eventually, she commented, “She’s getting fat.” This made Innah laugh, and she didn’t say anything further. She busied herself with her tasks and entered the living room. They continued their conversation with Innah until it was time for the Maghrib prayer.
After the prayer, she picked up the food that Fadila had brought for her. She stayed at her mother’s place until around ten o’clock, when she decided it was time to return home. She gathered her belongings and headed towards her section.
Despite the street being illuminated, it was dimly lit in front of her. She quickly reached her house, opened the door with a bang, and her mother looked at her, asking, “Who were you with?” She responded with a smile, “Just someone passing by.”
The following day, after bidding farewell to her sister, Intisaar headed to Abba’s house. He was taking off his coat while listening to the news. Kursum was sitting on the ground, waiting for her. Abba greeted them with a smile and confirmed that he had received her message. He handed two thousand to Intisaar and asked, “Mama, you left early today.” He then turned to look at her and inquired, “Are you looking at me, Intisaar?” “Am I fat, Abba?” she laughed and asked. Abba responded by saying he didn’t think so. He then looked at the table and said, “I hear you.”
Intisaar explained that Abba had gone to the hair salon, and he asked how much the salon visit cost. She replied, “Two thousand, Abba.” He was taken aback but eventually handed the money to her. “You count yours,” he told her, “and then go together.” She smiled appreciatively and said, “Thank you, Abba.”
With gratitude, she hugged him, and her younger sister left the parlor. As they walked, Sukhadu and Hajiya were waiting for them outside. Intisaar handed the two thousand to her sister, and they exchanged pleasantries. Ihsaan asked, “Why did Abba give you your money? Does he not have his?” Intisaar smiled at her sister and said it was theirs. Ihsaan insisted on counting the money together.
They held hands and proceeded to the palace. Her mother handled the chores at home, taking out the garbage and cleaning. Intisaar helped with the laundry while her mother watched. Ihsaan’s comment about her being “fat” lingered in her mind, but her mother reassured her, “It’s very good.”
Intisaar’s mother smiled, proud of her daughter’s appearance.
