manal | achraf hakimi [COMPLETE]

.26

please pray if you haven't already :)

sorry for the long wait, i got busy watching dramas :|
and i realised that i didn't bother giving achraf any siblings so uhm guess he's an only child?

please comment and vote!

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27/1/2023

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[1401 words]

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4th november 2020.

achraf turned 22 but he left that very evening, with a brand new letter to read on the flight about a million times over of course. he had to go back and play football because that's what his team paid him to do. he only managed to take 5 days off and the dortmund team needed him back.

manal wondered how he managed to take a break anyway, considering how busy football got around the winter time.

she had returned from their eventful time by the well with a lot less on her mind, having eased it by spending some alone time with her unofficial husband. she didn't care much for the traditions because she knew her nikah was signed long ago, but she saw the light in her mothers eyes as she planned the events one by one. she would never take that happiness away from them.

iman and her were on talking terms both walking on eggshells around each other, ignoring the elephant in the room like a plague.

manal knew that fahed was the cause of their current problems, but didn't want to give him too much thought. she believed iman would handle it if she said she could. she didn't underestimate her friend especially given how vehemently iman rejected help.

she looked over to the iman's house from her window, and let out a long sigh.

'mama?' manal asked, tapping her mother on her shoulder to guide her to the seat.

'yes dear.' aïcha immediately turned to face her daughter, and sit down opposite her on the single bed that manal slept on.

'i don't want to leave you.'

'my dear,' aïcha got manal sat closer to her, and she cupped her daughters face, her hand met with her more tamed curls.

'who says you're leaving us? this is your house forever manal.' her mother reasoned. 'even if you tried, you wouldn't be able to leave.'

'but i'll have to move and baba? how will you cope?' she meant the exhaustive list of responsibilities manal had taken from her father in terms of the household. they were not poor, but managed on whatever they had and earned. her father was adamant on not letting his daughter pay for anything, but he was old and ageing, and manal couldn't bear to see her father work in harsh conditions at such an age.

'the same way we coped when you were younger. your father earns enough money, and sufiyane is picking up little jobs here and there for the extra. leave it to Allah, don't worry so much.'

'and my career? what will become of that?' it was a thought that often crossed her mind. she was a teacher, and spoke arabic and french so could teach in those languages. she didn't know how that would fit in with achraf's football career.

'i should be asking you that question.' aïcha asked her daughter.

'i don't know mama. i'll feel lonely.' manal bit her lip. she didn't know, truly.

'what we don't know we leave to later, okay? for now, let's stop feeling sad and accept all this as a gift. and what do you mean by feeling lonely? iman is going to be there as well, and achraf loves you very much, and i'm sure he'll keep you happy wherever you guys plan to go.' manal averted her eyes when her mother mentioned achraf. feeling awkward talking to her mother about this topic.