Forsaken Gem

Chapter 2

I tucked my face into the floppy pillow and sob quietly, my eyes burning from the excessive
bawling, I cant help but wonder if I was with my parent how my life will have turned up. My encounter with Ustaz Adam left a terrible mark in my heart, now I cannot go back to the madrasa where I find solace in because Ustaz Adam took that privilege away from me. He reported me to the Matron that I was disrespectful and he wont want to see me in the school again. And when the matron asked me what happened, the stammering took control leaving me distraught. With her twisted worn out rubber she got from the grinding machine, she trashed me until my whole body becomes sore and aches all over. When it was time for Abida and the young children from the orphanage to go to madrasa, I will hold the iron pillars that support the varenda waving them goodbye. I try to look for other chores to find leverage on including helping the cook in the kitchen, or helping with the younger infant. I was not always welcomed there because of Mama jummai's stern attitude.
After two weeks, we started gearing ourself up for Edd el fitr that was fast approaching. This happens to be the most long awaited period in our life because that is when we get to have new clothes among the used clothes brought in by people as favor. We went to the Matron's office waiting anxiously to see the clothes we will be giving this year, the tailor was seated just outside waiting to do the necessary amendment. Abida tucked my hands with her sweaty palm and grinned, when she heard my name called.
The matron peered through her spectacles, tilting her head forward. The plastic frames resting firmly on her large chunky nose and her mouth contorted in an ugly manner. She handed me two Ankara dresses one blue and the other color of a melted butter.
Outside, I loosen the clothes from its folded state revealing the dresses which doesn't look like it been worn so many times, it has a reigning style of the 90's which I never thought I will get to wear them, it has a puffy shoulder and opened in the middle of the blouse with beautiful buttons to hold the dress together. After Abida got her own dresses too which she was pleased with, we headed toward the tailor to make the necessary amendment. Us being the oldest children in the orphanage we were giving double. Even though I was 2 years older than Abida, she is almost desame height as I was.
After we were done, we went straight to our room, the room occupied by just the two of us, it was a small room with a bunk bed at the corner, our bag of clothes at the fringed of the wall, and then a small toilet by the end of the room. I climbed unto our creaky bed that I happened to be at the up bunk, I enjoy touching the low ceiling from up the bunk, Abida has the down bed because she normally get sleep rolling episode, even while sleeping on the down bed I sometime end up hearing a loud sound of her falling and her quick movement returning to her position once again.
On Eid, we woke up early to finish our chores with anxiousness to wear our new clothes. We bathed and adore ourself, Amina, one of the orphanage staff promised to make my face up and so she used a loose powder on a fluffy cotton and aplied evenly through my face and kajol bringing out the beauty of my eyes, she applied a green looking lip stick on my lips vigorously which didn't change the color of my lips until after some few seconds it changes to reddish. The Ankara I wore fitted nicely on my curved body. I've started reaching the age of puberty and so my body was taking turn with it newly acquired stage. Everyone commented on how beautiful the dress looked on me as we where going to the mosque to pray together with the matron and other staff in a hired bus. Even the matron looked at me with a smile from the corner of her lips and nodded.

We gobbled up different dishes brought in by good Samaritans, relishing and enjoying the delicious delicacies, later on went to our rooms to change into our uniformed Ankara. There was a program organized for some foreign guest in the evening.
The big empty field was decorated red and gold, plastic white plastic chairs cloaked with red silk cloth arranged in trio occupy the center space, a table stood at the middle of the trio with beautiful golden table cloth, and on the table placed a flower vase, a bottle of water and soft drinks, directly facing it was a beautifully decorated stage, it was an improvised wooden stage with beautiful lightened. On the left side flanked wooden chairs for the children and on the right side are plastic chairs with no cloth for the staffs.
By 4pm, quranic recitation was playing from the big speakers while the staffs were running helter scalter catching the children and keeping them in place. We took our seat on a back row on the wooden chairs, melodiously following the quranic recitations.
Matron was dressed beautifully in her abaya, a beautifully black gown with golden embroidery on the frontal, today she was smiling flashing her gold tooth she had fixed on while on she was on pilgrimage in Makka. Not long after, she started welcoming her guest, issueing them to their seat, there were many dignitaries among them were foreign people who looked mostly like Arabs mostly from their attires.
The program started afterwath with the welcome song in Arabic by the young children, after that the welcome speech by our Matron, as the program progresses we were called on stage to recite the holy Quran. 
I was the lead been the only one who has finished memorizing the whole holy Quran.
As I took hold of the microphone only my soothing voice could be perceived in the tranquil field, it was projected from the speakers in loud frequency. I started reciting the beautiful Surah of bakarah. My head was bowed down while I continued until I reached were I was suppose to halt and that was when I closed with jazakallahu Khair, immediately a loud applaud of Masha Allah echoed through the field as people stare at me with admirance. I looked at our matron and could see the proud face she put on as she flashes me a smile for the first time in many years, I smiled back and stepped back on the stage to give room for the next reciter. The strong gaze of an Arab man close to out matron made me uncomfortable as I hid behind some girls at the front row.
After the ceremony we were issued some gift by the guest and also our matron was issued a Cheque which made her so happy and joyful.
That night we had a wonderful dinner, and enjoyed ourselves.
The next morning started like every other morning, except a splitting headache that I had, maybe because of the chaotic ceremony yesterday and the fact that we slept late. I did my normal daily chores and headed to the kitchen to help with the chores. The chores was much because of the messed made the previous day.
" Zainab, the matron wants to see you in her office now" Amina the nurse called out to me
" okay, on my way now"
I rinsed my hands and wore my long hijab, Then headed towards the administration blocks where the matrons office was. From a distance I could hear unanimous discussion from the office as I approached it, on seeing me they mute and all the eyes were on me now.
" salam alaikum" I said as I kneel in front of them greeting them
they answered simultaneously
Two Arab men including the same man who has his gazed fixed on me yesterday were there, they were wearing a white jallabiya and white ghutrah with a black cord on top supporting it.
" Zainab, alhaji Salem brought you some gift" she pointed to a pile of black and white poly thene bags.
"Thank you so much" I glanced at the person who i assumed was alhaji Salem who send me an alluring smile displaying his 2 gold tooth on both side of his teeth.
"Come and take them in" matron said
I quickly gathered everything, glance at them once more and thank them.
On my way back to the dormitory I started wondering why he is giving the gift only to me. Why was he flashing me that kind of smile, I wonder as I entered our room.
"Zainab, where have you been? Asked abida who looked worried
Her gaze then settled on the poly thene bags I was holding.
"What's this?
"It was a gift giving to me by the guest from yesterday"
She gasp as she grabbed the bag from me and started opening it.
The gifts were 3 black abaya with their veils, what differentiated them was the different embroidery design on the front. There was also 3 different colours of hijab ranging from black to brown and navy blue.
"These are really beautiful" abida said as she flaunt one abaya in the air.
Zainab try this one please try this one I know it would look good on you"
I was completely lost thinking why the gift was for me alone, why not anyone else? Abida jerked me asking me what was bothering me, it was then I told her what was bothering me.
She looked at me and even though abida was way younger than me she always know how to comfort me in my difficult time. And when am not willing to do something she has her way of convincing me.
" just take it as a gift, you know when you were reciting the Quran I felt as if it was an Arab girl because of your melodious voice, maybe they were pleased with your quranic recitations and they decided to give you a gift to appreciate you. Just take it as it is and don't think of anything negative" she said as she  embrace me telling me I have to try them all she wants to see how they will look on me.

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