The Nearest Heaven ✔️

Part 1 -Aaban

Part 1 –Aaban

Abu Qataadah said that the Prophet, salallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, came out to us with Umaamah bint Abeel-'Aas on his shoulders. Then he prayed. When he bowed, he placed her on the ground and when he rose from bowing, he lifted her back off the ground."

~Bukhari

"Just shut up!"

Fadiyah's eyes shot open as soon as she heard the rough growl of a shout. For a disorientated minute, she thought that it might be her grandfather in the flat, but she belatedly realised that her grandparents disapproved of such language. As she lied on the small, slightly springy single bed, she frowned as she thought of why she had exiled herself to this small town of Sunnington. However, she couldn't dwell any longer on it as the shouting continued. "Shut up! And get your ass back into the flat! Get off that bike and get into the flat!"

Although she came here three days ago, she was still not quite used to the mattress. It was, to say the least, a pain in her behind. She pushed back the patterned green and light pink duvet and rushed to the only window in her small room, just to ascertain if she was correct in assuming who the person screaming was. Peering down, she witnessed a father dressed what would be the norm for office work, yelling at a little boy about eight years old on a red bicycle. The little boy was wearing a red t-shirt to match his bicycle and blue jeans. On his head, he wore the safety helmet. Smart boy, she thought approvingly. With a heated, defiant glare at his father, he righted his position on his bicycle and pedalled away. "AABAN!" his father yelled angrily, but with sinking shoulders, Fadiyah could see that he lost the fire to fight with his son. She watched as he dejectedly walked to an old model blue sedan and banged the car door shut, showing to no one in particular that he was still angry, but just no longer held the fore to fight.

Her attention was diverted from the scene below as her grandmother opened the door quietly, almost as if she were sneaking into her own flat. "Oh, Fadiyah, shukr Alhamdulilah you are awake. I was wondering if you could please drop Zunairah off at her school. She has an exam and I am not able to take her as your grandfather is not feeling well," she said apologetically.

Fadiyah smiled at her Nani, her mother's mother, and shook her head. "It is no problem, Nani. I will just brush my teeth and hair and throw over an abaya and then I can drop her off," she told her grandmother.

"I'm sorry if I had disturbed you," her grandmother apologised.

"No, Nani, you didn't disturb me. I heard Aaban's father yelling at him again," she said somewhat sadly, as if she didn't like the fact that the boy was being yelled at.

"Poor Aaban," her grandmother said in an agreeable tone. "The little boy has a lot on his plate. The worst part is that his father doesn't understand, nor does the stubborn man want to understand. Every single day it is a fight like this one."

Fadiyah nodded sympathetically, she truly felt sorry for the boy, but she could not interefere for she barely knew the family. However, she realised that she had to get done to drop Zunairah off at school in time. She bent down, ready to grab the blanket and make the bed, but her grandmother stopped her. "Do not take this the wrong way, but she is in a bit of a hurry. Leave your bed, I will make it," she said with a wink. Fadiyah smiled sweetly and walked past her grandmother. "Oh, Fadiyah honey, I have made your coffee and put it in a travel mug for you to take along with you," she called behind Fadiyah.

"Jazakallah!" Fadiyah sang as she rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and freshen up as much as she can. She washed her face and pulled her small make up bag from the medicinal cabinet and applied her kohl and a sweep of brown coloured lipstick and dabbed some lip gloss over. She and her cousin Zunairah, a thirteen year old in primary school, shared the bathroom, while their grandparents used their en-suite.