Only In Jannah

37: The package

"Will you stop crying you fool, Shikenan kin kashe ni" Anty scolded over the phone. Jalila called to inform her about the recent happenings and how she was forced to tell Khalil what was going on.

"Anty I had no choice, you don't know how I felt at that point and it was as if he knew what was going on already" she sobbed "I'm sorry Anty but wallahi it is better this way, I will meet the whole family tomorrow and tell them everything you can come too if you care about forgiveness"

"Keh Jalila! You are testing me fa, wallahi you are testing me"

"Goodbye mother"

"Don't you dare end this call Jalila!" Anty warned and when she heard nothing "Jalila? Jalila? Jali-" She fell back on her bed holding her head in her hands, "First it was Kawu and that Mufida girl and now this? When will my children ever please me? Who did I ever offend?" She rocked back to front, side to side feeling restless. She did have second thoughts about involving her daughter in her plans and as she expected, Jalila had ruined it all.

Mahmoud and his mother exchanged knowing looks after hearing what Jalila had to say and while Hajiya Abu promised to remain calm she knew she had to satisfy her anger, she had to do something, there was no way she would let Hajiya Binta and her daughter go scot-free.

"Please forgive me Hajiya, na gane kuskure na" hearing this made Hajiya Abu laugh, the girl was only sorry she got caught.

"Tell me honestly Jalila, if we didn't find out would you have confessed?"

"Yes, I was never really in support of doing this. I only continued because I didn't want Anty to be angry with me. Please forgive me" she sobbed whilst still hoping for the ground to swallow her up. She was pleased to see that it was time to pick her daughter from school and so she took it as an excuse to leave. A few hours later Khalil got a call from Amals school letting him know she had not been picked and they couldn't reach her mother. He informed everyone, Ibrahim and Khalil went out in separate cars; Khalil to the school and Ibrahim to Jalilas house to make sure everything was okay.

"Mom" Mahmoud narrowed his eyes at his mother who was enjoying her tea in the evening chill that was setting in "Tea in the afternoon? Really? What did you do mom?"

Hajiya Abu rolled her eyes completely ignoring Mahmoud and finished up her tea, who was he to question her?

"Why don't you tell me what you tried to do first?, son" She stood up folding her arms making sure she was standing right in front of him.

"Me? I didn't do anything"

"Well then, leave my room I want to get some sleep" she ordered.

"Mooooom...okay fine. I called Trevor"

"I know you called Trevor Mahmoud, do you think you boys do anything without my knowledge? I simply changed the package" she shrugged taking a few steps back "That little girl has no business with her mothers affairs and taking Jalila instead will teach that Binta of a woman not to cross my path again"

***

Mahmoud and Ibrahim laughed out loud sharing a loud handshake in the process. Ibrahim felt no guilt hearing his mother exclaim after he told her his sister was missing knowing fully well she was locked up in Hajiya Abus store in the BQ. It was a great plan since no one would ask questions and both mother and daughter would learn their lesson.

Khalil was upstairs with Amal reading her a bedtime story which she fell asleep before the end of and he was glad he could get her to sleep before eight thirty, he needed to be alone for a while. He bade everyone goodnight and set out to go home, alone. Khalil cried throughout the drive home feeling betrayed by his own blood, what did he do to deserve such pain and hurt from the ones he called family? He arrived home and went straight to bed not wanting to think about what he would do next, he needed to rest, to sleep as a man with a sound mind of his own not controlled by external forces.