FAITH

CH. 19: A New Friend!

Efah was sitting in the little garden of the orphanage with the little children as the children were playing with each other. Efah saw that anaya, a six year old girl was sitting quietly in deep thoughts. Efah went to her, "what's up liitle girl" asking Efah sat beside her.

"Efah what is a mothen?" (what is a mother?) the liitle girl who couldn't pronounce 'r' questioned Efah looking innocently at her. EFah was surprised with this sudden question asked by a little orphan child who had lost her parents the day she was born and her relatives had left her at the orphanage when she was a nine months baby. Sometimes people cross all the boundaries of cruelty.

"Why are you asking?" Efah asked patting her cheeks lovingly.

"Lucy said that she will be going forever in two days as she has got a new mothen" (mother) Anaya replied.

"why are you so upset?" Ibrahim  another boy who was just two years older than Anaya asked bending down while he kept both his hands on his knees.

"I will miss Lucy" Anaya said." 

"why?" Ibrahim who was still unaware that Lucy will not be staying with them anymore, asked sitting down with them.

"because she is going with hel(her) new mommy" Anaya replied. Turning her attention again towards Efah She questioned, "tell me na, what is a mothen(mother)?" 

Efah had no answer for this, how would she explain the little child about a mother when she herself doesn't know if a mother is a one who loves you or the one who disowns and leaves you when you are not even at fault.

"dummbooo, it is very easy I will tell you. A mother is the one who loves you unconditionally, cares for you, gives you lots of chocolates, plays with you and keeps you happy." Ibrahim said counting in his fingers so that he might not forget to state a point. Efah was more than surprised with the little boys answer. She smiled looking at them.

"That means Efah is our mothen(mother). She also loves us, cales(cares) for us, gives us chocolates, plays with us and keeps us happy" Anaya said clapping both her hands. 

"Yes, right. But it is mother not mothen." Ibrahim said correcting her.

"That is what i said, mothen(mother)." Anaya spoke pronouncing the letter 'r' as 'n'.

"ohhhoooo" Ibrahim said putting his hand on his head showing his childish annoyance.

"Okay instead of mother we will use the word mommy." Ibrahim came up with a solution and they both agreed.

They both kept whispering something into each others ears and then diverted their attention towards Efah.                                                                                                                                                                        "Efah, can we call you mommy?" both the kids asked in unison

Efah smiled listening to these little kids. Coming to the orphanage was only the thing she loved about her life. The children here have made her smile and she had become their favorite. Who in the world can say no to those cute little hopeful faces who were deprived from parental affection.

"okay" EFah replied smiling and the two kids hugged her tightly. Just then Efah saw that some of the kids were playing with the mud in the pots and a girl was standing there just looking at them, she was not even telling them to stop.

Telling the two kids to go and play, Efah went straight to the girl. 

"Why are you not telling them to stop playing with the mud instead of just looking at them and smiling." Efah said to the girl.

The girl turned around, smiled and said "I would have told them if I saw them"

Efah was confused from the girl's reply but before she could ask anything the girl spoke again. "I lost my vision a year ago."

Efah felt bad about telling her those things. "I....I.....am.....very sorry." Efah said feeling guilty.

"It's okay you don't have to be sorry. By the way I am Zaara." She said smiling genuinely.

"I am Efah. Nice to meet you Zaara. I have never seen you before, are you coming here for the first time today?" Efah sked introducing herself.

"No, I have ben coming here from the past five years. I wasn't well from the past one month so I didn't come." Zaara spoke.

"oh, that is the reason I never saw you, I joined here just a month ago." Efah said.

And they two began talking like they have known each other for ages. Zaara got company after almost a year as her friends had distanced themselves from her after she lost her vision and Efah got another Amna. 

While talking Efah got to know that Zaara had lost her mother and lived with her father and a nanny who is more like a mother to her. Zaara's father was a reputed businessman of the city.

After talking for a while, the Muazzin's melodious voice rang in their ears denoting that it was time for Asr Salah.

"ummmm.....Efah can you please take me to the washroom, I need to make wudhu." Zaara said.

"Sure. Even I have to pray." Efah took her to the washroom. They both performed ablution and headed towards a room to offer their Salah. Fininshing off with the Salah Efah got up, folded her prayer mat and sat down to wait for Zaara to complete her Duaa.

More than ten minutes passed and Zaara was still making Duaa. She was lost in the grace of the Almighty away from the people of the world. Seeing her in that state Efah felt a weird feeling erupting in the pit of her stomach.

It had been a month since Efah had stop making Duaa. She would only offer her Prayers. somewhere along the line her faith was not that strong anymore.

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Efah and Zaara were now again sitting in the garden and Efah was longing to ask her a question which was playing in her mind from the time they prayed.

"Zaara, can I ask you something?" Efah spoke looking at her.

"ofcourse you can." Zaara said smiling.

Efah stayed quiet for a while thinking whether to ask her or not but then she took the risk.               "Today I saw you making Duaa for so long. after whatever has happened to you, did you ever find you Faith going weaker?" 

Zaara gave a sweet smile before answering."No, I never found my Faith going weaker. with every incident that took place in my life my faith in Allah kept on becoming stronger. My mother always used to tell me that with every hardship we face here Allah is making our way to Jannah easier. And what a priviledge it is for us that our way to Jannah is made easier because of what we face here. We should never be disheartened from our Creator for Allah never burdens a soul more than it can bear."

Hearing Zaara a lump formed in EFah's throat. She couln't speak anymore. Zaara's words had left a great impact on Efah. Just then a lady came to Zaara which was her nanny and Zaara left saying her salaam.

"Walaikum Assalam" Efah was hardly audibble when she replied and then she too headed home with a vow to make her faith stronger.

Indeed Allah has his own ways of bringing people back to him.  

Authors Note:-

Two new characters back to back. What do you think? Let me know through the comments :) :)

Ahyan will be coming up in the next chapter InshaAllah.

Stay Blessed