RIDE OF A LIFETIME [COMPLETED✅]

Chapter 21

Hidaya✨

"You can do this Hidaya!." I cheer myself mentally feeling my fingers cramp up from writing so much. I wasn't so sure I hated Mr Femi but today I was very sure! I mean, I get that we're writing our final finals but that doesn't mean he should make it feel like our FINAl finals!
I glance at the clock mounted on top of the wall, 30 more minutes. I read through my paper checking for any errors one last time before getting up. I call the attention of one of the many invigilators and hand him my paper, I pack my stuff and head out after signing and collecting my personal belongings.
I then switch on my phone and not a minute later, Ziyad's name pops up on my phone and I find myself smiling before I even open the text.

Ziyad : All the best daya!✨

'Daya' a nickname he and Yusra came up with a few days ago at the ice cream parlor. I laughed it off at first but now...I'm kind of starting to like it.

'Thank you, just finished the paper! Also I'm gonna be going home with zahra today, I need to stop at her place and get a few things.' I hit send and put the phone in my tote bag. I head over to our spot where I wait for Zahra.

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"Mama will you please help me oil my hair?" I stand by the door to my room drying my hair with a towel.
   She looks up from sipping her tea and nods with a smile. Yusra then comes up to me with a book in her hand.

"Will you teach me the times tables?" She pleaded.

"Yes, I'll be out in a second." I walk back into my room, change into my pjs before coming out with a comb and my hair oil.

      I sat down in front of the couch as mama oiled and massaged my hair. Yusra sat beside me with her book on my lap as we recited some of the multiplication tables. My phone that was beside me buzzed and got all our attention. Ziyad's name appeared and I smiled subconsciously. I felt Mama pause a bit before resuming the massage.

"Yusra go over there and write down the ones you've learnt so far." Mama dismissed her.

"So..." she started after Yusra left "...I've noticed how excited you've been to 'study' recently." She emphasized the 'study'. I froze, not blinking.

"Um...."

"He makes you happy?" She dives right in.

"He's very kind maa..." I lower my head feeling shy.

"And?" She brushes the side of my hair.

"He's just very kind and caring. He noticed how much I've been stressed about the whole finals so he introduced me to a place I can peacefully study." I smile thinking about it.

"I know, he called your brother and i to ask for permission before you started going there. Even asked to bring Yusra along to abide by the rules of Islam so you wouldn't be alone with him."

"He did?" I turn my head to look at her and find her smiling.

"Yes, he's...mature, thoughtful too." She turns my head and continues brushing.

"He is...." I found myself blushing intensely.

"Allah ya tabbatar da alkhairi. That's all we want, khayr and Allah ya miki albarka." she puts my hair in a braid.

"Ameen Ameen mama." I hug her arm.

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Ziyad

"...that's why, are you even listening?" Mubarak kicks my foot bringing me out of my trance.

"Dude! Of course I'm listening." I groaned.

"What was the last thing I said then?" He folds his arms.

"I don't know, but I know you wanted me to introduce you properly to Nafisa. Ain't that right?" I throw the basketball beside me at him and he dodges.

"Yes, that's the main thing but there's a way I want you to do it." He stated.

"Just leave it to me, come on let's go." I get up from the bean bag.

"Wait...wait...what will you tell her?" He held my hand pulling me back.

"Just trust me, come on let's go." I convince him.

     I was already downstairs when I noticed he was about ten steps behind. I look at him and there he was fixing his hair and jallabiya button.

"Yaya ka sauqo?" Nafisa's voice came drawing our attention. She stood by the kitchen door with a frying spoon thing in her hand.

"Yeah, what are you up to?" I walk up to her after glancing at Mubarak.

"I was craving some pancakes so I decided to make them." She smiled.

"They smell really good, keep some for me alright?" I complimented and she nods in reply returning to the kitchen.

    I look back at the stairs trying to see where Mubarak was and I found him at the very same spot I left him except this time he was standing with a hand on his hip and the other on his head. A thing he did when he got really nervous.

"Pssst..." I call his attention and signal 'come down' and he does.

We walk into the kitchen together, Nafisa was plating up the pancakes and frying some.

"Ahem...Nafisa this is Mubarak, you remember him right?" I tap his shoulder.

"Hi...hey...ya kike..." he mumbled waving awkwardly.

"Yes I do remember him, Ina wuni." She chuckled at his nervousness.

"Alham..." he clears his throat "...Alhamdulillah. It's been a while." He managed to form a sentence.

"Yes...how is your mom doing?" She oils the pan and adds the batter.

"She's good alhamdulillah." He smiles scratching the back of his head.

"Let me go make a call, I'll be out here in the parlour." I say giving them some space to conversate.

     Once I was out the kitchen, I check my phone to see if Hidaya had replied yet. I messaged her earlier asking if I could call. It wasn't like we were used to talking on the phone but for some reason I wanted to talk to her, check up on her maybe. Coincidentally her reply comes through.

"Yeah you can call!" Was her text.

And I did.