FATED HEARTS

chapter 26

They were both startled. Ibrahim, who was holding Asiya's hand, let go immediately. They hadn't expected to see Baba.

"Baba, ina kwana?" they said in unison. Ya Mariya, giving them a mischievous look, said, "Har andawo motsa jikin?"

"Eh, ina kwana?" they said in unison again.

"Lafiya lau. I went to meet the doctor, and he said kunje motsa jiki," Ya Mariya said, letting out a silent chuckle.

"Yes," they repeated in unison, looking as if they had been caught doing something wrong.

"Baba, ina kwana?" Ibrahim greeted Baba, who had been looking at Asiya as if it had been years since he last saw her.

"Assalamu alaikum," Baba said, extending his hand for a shake with Ibrahim.

"Wa alaikum salam," Ibrahim replied, shaking Baba's hand.

"Ya mai jikin?" Baba asked as he reached the sofa and sat down.

"Da sauki, Baba. The doctor said he'll be discharging us tonight or tomorrow morning," Ibrahim answered.

"Masha Allahu. Allah ya bada lafiya," Baba said.

"Amin," Ibrahim replied.

Asiya, still standing by the door since Ibrahim let go of her hand, looked at her father without blinking.

"Kikai wa mutane qiqam kamar wata soja," Baba said with a straight face.

The tears she'd been holding back rolled down her cheeks. "Kaji shiririta. Bakomai, yawuce. Ba me kikewa kuka autar babanta," Baba said as Asiya limped toward her dad, who stood to hug her.

"I miss you so much, Baba. I'm really sorry for everything," she said, crying this time.

"Dena kuka, kinji? Kome yawuce," Baba said, trying to look at her eyes, his own eyes tearing up.

"Ka dawo kana sona yanzu?" Baba jokingly hit her head.

"Ba zaki natsu ba ko?" he said, letting out a silent chuckle. Ibrahim and Ya Mariya laughed too.

"I love you, Baba," Asiya said, hugging him even more tightly.

"I love you too, auta," Baba replied.

Ibrahim watched, admiring her relationship with her parents. Though his mom was his best friend, he was still adapting to the whole father-son dynamic his dad had been trying to introduce. His father wanted to present him as his one and only son to the world, but Ibrahim was not in the right mental state for that yet.

Ibrahim and Ya Mariya left the room to give them privacy. Asiya and Baba spent almost an hour catching up, talking mostly about Muhsin and the dissolution of the marriage, the abuses she endured, and how they had gotten everything that belonged to her and given it to charity. She panicked at the thought of her collection of green journals, nine of them, which she had kept for almost eight years.

"My journals, Baba?" she asked, worried.

"They are in my car," Baba replied.

"I want to give them out. Ibrahim will get them later," she said.

"Okay, I should leave now. I have to be at the court before 10," Baba said.

"Okay, Baba. Nagode. Allah ya qara girma, Allah ya tsare, yabada sa'a," Asiya said.

"Amin. Allah ya bada lafiya, amin," Baba replied as he walked out.

Ya Mariya came back in almost right away. They greeted each other, and Asiya kept looking at the door.