Flawless love

Chapter 4:Aaliyah

       ⋆ ˖ ݁ 🦢 ݁ ˖ ⋆
I woke up from a peaceful nap at 3:50 pm and immediately performed Asr prayer. After completing my salah, I decided to make some snacks for my family and prepare dinner for my younger siblings. My parents usually didn't eat dinner, but I still made them some snacks to enjoy after Asr prayer. My dad was always out for work and would often meet up with his friends. It seemed that no Somali dad could resist socializing after Asr prayer.

Once I finished making snacks and dinner for my siblings, I started packing and preparing the orders for our customers. Today, we had received a lot of online orders, so I had plenty of work to do. Amidst the hustle, my mind was occupied with thoughts and stress about that guy. Thinking about him drove me insane because I didn't want to waste my time on men. I had other aspirations and goals that I wanted to achieve.

After packing all the orders, I had to attend my online fashion classes at 8:30 pm. By the time I finished all my work, it was time for dinner. Surprisingly, my parents wanted to have dinner with us. Suddenly, my dad brought up the topic of marriage.

"Aabo, someone asked for your hand in marriage," he said, his words leaving me feeling somewhat sad.

"Aabo, I'm not ready. As I told you before, reject them," I responded with a touch of anger. It was unlike me to respond to my dad in that way.

"Aabo macan (my sweetie), don't be mad. I'll reject them if you want me to. My love," he reassured me, trying to ease the tension.

"Aabo, sorry. I'm really sorry for responding to you this way, but I really don't want any man by my side right now. I'm against it. By the way, I'll tell you when I'm ready for marriage," I explained, my voice filled with sincerity.

My mom chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "Okay, my love. You can take your time. We will only support you, and Abdullahi, my girl doesn't need any man by her side, right?"

"Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate your support. I know my sisters got married in their early twenties, but for me, I'm still not ready. I'm searching for the perfect man I can spend the rest of my life with," I responded gratefully. "Mom, Dad, I'm full, and I'm a bit tired. I'll go to sleep."

I walked to my room with a heavy heart, overwhelmed by sadness and worries. It felt as if I had already married that stranger, and don't have any chance with the other stranger (Yusuf) was slipping away. Just as I was about to drown in my thoughts, my father knocked on my door.

"My love, can I come in?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy, you can," I replied, putting on a smile to hide the sadness in my heart.

"Aabo, guess what?" he said, excitement evident in his voice.

"What, Dad? Please tell me," I responded, curious about the news he was about to share.

"Aabo, Abdi is about to get married," he announced.

"What?!" I exclaimed, my smile widening.

"When, Aabo? When did he tell you about it?" I asked, eager for more details.

"Darling, he just called me," my father revealed.

"Allahumabarik, Aabo. I'm so happy for my brother," I said, my joy shining through.

"Guess what, Aaliyah?" my father continued.

"What, Aabo?" I asked, intrigued by his excitement.

"The girl he is going to marry lives here with us. He's coming back to ask for her hand in marriage," my father revealed.

"For real? I'm happy, Aabo. I'm going to go and meet her before he comes back," I exclaimed, my heart filled with anticipation.

"Yes, my love, that's what I want you to do," my father confirmed.

"Okay, Dad. Insha Allah, I'll do it," I promised.

A few minutes later, after my dad left my room, I received a call from my brother Abdi.

"Salam alaykum, princess," he greeted me.

"Wa alaykum salam, Aboowe," I replied.

"How are you doing, my love?" he asked.

"I'm doing good, and you?" I inquired.

"I'm doing great," he responded cheerfully. I sensed he wanted to tell me something but was a bit shy about it, so I prodded him.

"My love, when are you going to tell me about your wedding?" I asked, chuckling.

"Lol, my dear sister, I'm here to talk about my wedding with you," he replied, his laughter ringing through the phone.

"Okay, Aboowe, tell me about it," I urged him, eager to hear the details.

"My dear, I'm in love, and I don't want to engage in haram relationships with anyone. I don't want to waste any girl's time, just as I don't want anyone to waste my dear sister's time. So, I talked to her about marriage, and she is ready to get married. I want to ask for her hand," Abdi explained, his words filled with sincerity.

"Allahumabarik, my love. I'm so happy for you. But how did you guys meet each other?" I inquired, curious about their love story.

"We met through social media. She is a medical professor, and I'm a pilot. We started following each other on Facebook, and then we started talking. Her pictures attracted me, and I asked her about her opinion on marriage. I really liked her mindset, so after a few weeks, I proposed to her," Abdi narrated, his voice filled with excitement.

"Allahumabarik, my love. I'm so happy for you. Your respectful manners towards her are admirable," I expressed, genuinely proud of my brother.

"Thanks, my love. I'm coming back in two weeks," Abdi informed me.

"Insha Allah, my love," I responded, filled with anticipation for his return.

As I hung up the phone, a mix of emotions flooded my heart. Happiness for my brother's upcoming wedding merged with the lingering sadness and worries about my own situation. It felt as if I had already embarked on a journey with a stranger, leaving no room for the possibility of being with the one I truly longed for—Yusuf. With a heavy sigh, I prepared myself to face whatever awaited me on the path ahead. Little did I know that fate had its own plans, waiting to unfold in unexpected ways.