LOST IDENTITY

Chapter Thirty Six

Ignore the goofs please.

TASNEEM

Mamma ended up staying a week in the hospital giving Uncle A no choice than to inform their family about her illness. After much persuasion Maryam and I left for school because lectures have started already.

Mamma forbade everyone from telling Nana her condition, I guess she's the last person she wanted to see. Abba got married to Aunty Sadiyah over the weekend and it was a small family affair, Zaheera is not too happy about it but with time she will have to adapt because the woman seems nice. Adeel acts as if nothing unusual is happening at home while it was my first time stepping foot at home ever since Ummi took me away and I felt so sad I had to shed some tears.

"Shh she's not here, no one is going to hurt you or say mean things to you in this house ever again" Consoled Maryam who insisted to accompany me. She seems to sense my distress from a hundred miles radius.

"It scare me how so much can change in just a few years. How a picture perfect ideal family like ours crumble with just a few mistakes. I've never dreamt of the day when I'll come to this house to meet another woman other than Umma and now she's not here and has no right of coming here without permission. Can you believe that she didn't even come to see Zaheera and Adeel ever since the divorce? And whenever they visit she refuse to see them claiming that they are all hypocrites for siding with Abba. That man has seen so much pain than all of us but she's still claiming to be wronged while she's the nemesis" I voiced out my thoughts to Maryam while we were sitting in the living room waiting for Aunty Sadiyah to serve us lunch.

Abba came back from the market about the time we were leaving and we stayed back a bit longer. He looked happy and at peace which gladdens my heart because he deserves to be happy no matter what.

"He is very strong Tasneem. Be thankful that you have him. Daddy knows nothing but money and power and he chases them like a mad man. I use to wonder whether I've been blind all those years to never have noticed how bad he really is but then I was a kid whom he abused when I lived with him and I only get to know the damaged rotten side of him" Maryam said, wiping a stray tear.

"Everyone has a sad story to tell Hardy, We should be thankful that amidst all the chaos that is our life, we have our faith, we have Allah and we are nothing like our parents"

She sigh deeply mulling over what I said " What if we turn out to be bad like them or worse in the future? What if it's in our blood, running in our veins? "

"Maryam do you pray your five daily prayers according to the sunnah of the prophet (SAW)? " I asked holding her hands in mine.

"Yes"

"Do you fast, give out alms to the needy, do that which is asked of you and leave that which you're asked not to do? " she nodded in the affirmative.

"Do you say your azhkars and recite the Holy Quran pondering over the meaning of the verses? Do you say the istighfar like a hundred times daily? " she said yes to that also.

"Then you're pure my dear and by Allah's will, we will never be among those whom He is angry with because a heart that have faith, a body and soul that worship Him will never go astray except that which was written in one's destiny which we are praying for Allah to protect us from"

"You're right my dear, may Allah continue to guide and protect us against satan the outcast and may He cleanse the hearts of our strayed parents to the right path. Ameen" she prayed.