Shirk in Disguise

Chapter 14

A couple of months later found Yusuf on the road to Kaduna, though contrary to his will. He had only agreed to drive his mother to Mariya's wedding to avoid creating a scene as he'd been walking on eggshells around her since his 'engagement' with the girl had been cancelled. He rightly guessed that his mother secretly blamed him for the annulment of the engagement but as she never voiced her suspicions, he also sealed his lips on the subject.

The ceremony was in full swing when they arrived and Yusuf lost no time in voicing out his intentions of returning to Kano that very day. Despite his mother's subtle attempts at persuading him to stay, he headed out as soon as he finished eating and praying, promising to come back for his mother in a couple of days.

By the time he set off, darkness had already begun to descend on the city. He therefore drove carefully and steadily. However, on reaching the outskirts of the town, he started speeding, contrary to his nature.

The drive was uneventful at first but when he was almost leaving Zaria city behind, he almost got caught in an accident. It was raining lightly and he'd set his wipers to wipe his windshield at intervals when an object in the road made him screech to a stop, avoiding a collision by a hair's breath.

Yusuf quickly stopped the car as he noticed another figure dart forwards to take the first figure to safety. He switched on the car's headlights to view the figures clearly, his heart palpitating in its enclosure and his body trembling at the thought of what might have been. The lad had collapsed due to shock but after a quick administration of emergency first aid, he seemed alright.

"I'm really sorry..." he panted as he dashed to meet the duo. "Your son?" Yusuf asked the lady who was completely veiled from head to toe, excluding a part of her face.

"N...n...no," she stammered, almost frightened out of her skin.

Yusuf's eyes darted from the lady to the child, obviously confused.

"I was just on my way when I espied him on the road while you seemed to head directly for him..."

The lady tried her best to give an explanation to which Yusuf nodded. He looked down at the boy who seemed just about five years old and noticing that he'd fully regained consciousness, began firing questions at him.

"What's your name? Why are you here?? Are you from somewhere near???" he asked all in one breath.

"Calm down," the lady chided him. "The poor lad's still in shock!" She then proceeded to ask him the questions in a gentler, matronly tone. To her joy, he answered her questions promptly and before they were quite through with their little interrogation, the boy gave a cry of joy and quickly ran towards an approaching figure which happened to be his mother.

However, after the boy had left, the atmosphere between the two became weird and a tad uncomfortable, with none of them knowing the appropriate thing to say.

"I'm so sorry..." both began saying and then stopped at the same time. He was apologizing for the accident he almost caused and she, for God-knows-what. Perhaps for snapping at him earlier. They kept quiet for a while before Yusuf summoned up enough courage to speak, laying the blame entirely on himself while the lady said nothing. It was after his apologies that he noticed that the lady seemed distracted and hadn't said a word.

"Is anything the matter?" he queried her.

"Oh, it's nothing...but I really need to be on my way now."

"Maybe I could drop you off?" he offered.

"No, thank you," she declined. "I'm sure I could get a cab soon."

"Don't think you'll inconvenience me in any way," he assured her. "I guess I'll just have to spend the night in the city anyway."

The lady hesitated for a while before accepting his offer. Obviously she could never get a cab to her destination any time soon.

"Where to?" he asked her.

"The teaching hospital," she simply replied. Apart from giving him directions occasionally, they made no conversation throughout the journey.

Barely half an hour later, they reached the gates of the famous A.B.U Teaching Hospital situated in Shika, Zaria. The lady got down from the vehicle and thanked Yusuf profusely, despite the fact that he brushed away her thanks, preferring to remain humble.

He was watching her retreating figure while preparing to restart the car when an idea struck him – why not accompany her to visit the patient? It was an act of courtesy recommended for good Muslims and he looked forward to the bountiful reward he'll certainly reap from the simple act. He therefore quickly followed in her footsteps and was just in time to see her disappear into a building with a sign labeled 'Adult Male Ward'. "So the patient was a male..." he deduced. He almost turned back but something kept him going. Somehow, he was convinced that he was doing the right thing, though risking unpleasant reactions from a jeolous husband or perhaps an over-protective pessimistic family member. Afterall, his intentions were pure.

Yusuf quickened his footsteps, brushing aside curious personnel, determined to accomplish his mission. He was impressed by how the place was brightly lit and also spick and span. The brightness was certainly a sharp contrast to the dim atmosphere of the night. Even in the dimness, he could still make out the various ornamental trees in the surroundings. He quickened his steps, not wanting to lose sight of the lady. She'd turned a corner and he quickly followed suit.

The sight he met some moments later almost brought tears to his eyes. On a bed by the door lay a shriveled-looking old man with the veiled lady bending over him with a bottle of water in her hand.

"Assalaamu Alaikum," he greeted, clearing his throat in the process.

"Wa 'alaikas Salaam Wa Rahma..." the lady stopped midsentence, shock clearly written on her unveiled face.

"Oh my God..." Yusuf gasped as his face mirrored the expression on hers.

A/N
A cliffhanger...😉
C'mon...tell me what you think.

This is another favorite chapter of mine. Even though I wrote it myself, I still feel excited whenever I read it! Don't be shy, leave your comments, beloved readers😄

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