Pieces Of Aamirah

Chapter forty-eight

Nigeria, Maiduguri State.

***

Aamirah did not think she has any more tears left in her.. until she watched Mama caress her cheeks and ask after Ashraf, that's when the waterworks began again, hard and fast. So fast she can't keep up. She is sure he eyes are swollen red and her face is all blobbed up.

"Where is Ashraf? Oh my baby, my Mimi" Aamirah pulled her into her arms for a hug again. "Alhamdulilah! Alhamdulilah.."

"Maamaa..I missed you"

Hajiya Ummulkhairi smiled wiping away her tears. "I missed you more Mimi na. I missed you so much you can't even imagine.. oh! Amina close the door and move closer"

Amina who was rooted by the door the whole time closed the door and obeyed her mother's command. She sat on the bed shocked staring at Aamirah with a nervous expression.

"This is Ya Mim' your sister"

Amina gasped, "Mama! You can't just say this is my sister.. sister from where? Ya Rabbi!"

"It's a long story.. first of all tell me where is Ashraf?"

Aamirah pulled away from her mother's warm hug, she stared at the ground trying to avoid seeing her mother's heart break into pieces when she tell her the truth. The whole truth.

"He died, few years ago"

Then it happened so fast. One minute Amina is seating beside her mother and the other she is gathering her in her hold to help her from breaking down completely. Her loud screeching sound and the chorus of innalilahi wa'ina ilayhi raji'un was the only thing Aamirah caught.

If Mama is this heartbroken about her son's death then what will happen if she learns about everything? Everything that has happened.

"I am sorry my baby, I am sorry. Innalilahi wa'ina ilayhi raji'un.. Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to him we shall return"

"He is in a better place InshaAllah" Aamirah bit on her lip hard.

"Aamirah," her mother called firmly it almost felt like a dream to her. Oh! This is surreal. So surreal. "Tell me everything that happened after I left.. everything"

She sighed deeply, "Mama, we have all the time together, let's talk about this later"

But her mother wasn't having anything so she took her hands in hers and took a very long glance at her daughter. One which she didn't look away until her left eye started twitching. She pulled Amina close.

"This is your sister, Aamirah. We used to live in Sudan until something happened between your father and I and we got divorced. He was against me leaving with Aamirah and Ashraf, your elder brother who is no more so I left with only you. Amina.. you've always asked after you real father but I never answered your question because some memories hurt too hard to go through.."

"But Mama.. you could have at least told me about them" Amina sniffed back her running tears.

"You would have never stopped asking questions. Your inquisitive like that.. telling you will only make things harder for me so I lived with the memories of my children all this years. It was better that way"

Aamirah didn't bother saying anything although she wishes deep down that Mama at least spoke about them to Amina, that way it shows she misses them. Every single day of her life. Every second of each day but maybe Mama has a different way of dealing with things.

"Nothing is better this way" Amina argued.

"It's okay Amina" Aamirah interfere. "We've found each other now"