Finding Mufeeda

All at once

Assalamualaikum,
This is my first book. Its a story for all of us written by yours truly, @Mum2youAll8.
I'll like a follow and Oh yes pleasssssse kindly vote.🙏🏽

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Chapter One

The sun was about to set, the sky was filled with varying hues of red and yellow peeping through dark clouds.
Mufeeda looked up towards the sky and smiled. She loved the scene and the only thing on her mind was how to capture it on paper with water colour. She walked towards the hills where she knew she could get a better view of the beautiful sky. She had a favourite spot somewhere near the rocks that pegged the terrain. Here, she often made sketches of the town that sprawled below. Someone was there, It was a man standing with his back turned and all she could see was a brief silhouette of his face against the red sky. She felt a bit irritated. She wondered why he was standing in her usual viewing spot. "Hello..." She almost said as she walked towards him and thought against it.
"He probably needs to be alone," she muttered to herself. She turned and left. As she walked away, she thought she heard him say something. Instead of turning to confirm, she walked away stealthily.

Mufeeda remembered when she first stepped into Taruwa a few weeks earlier,  it was the picturesque hills and valleys that won her heart at once. It had been love at first sight, ashe had found the terrain simply amazing. Steep terraces with golden rocks lacing the undulating roads, cattle and sheep grazing on the grassy hilltops. She had felt that impulse, that made her want to hold on to scenes and images. She could easily take photos of any scene she found intriguing but she preferred to translate the memories of sceneries with the gentle strokes of her paintbrush.
The beautiful town was also known as Workers Village because of the many housing estates and quarters built for officials of different Federal ministries.

Mufeeda had registered with the Association for Muslim Youth Corps members in the state as soon as she arrived. They had received a request from the only Private Muslim School in Taruwa for a female teacher. The request had been tagged urgent. She had accepted the offer to be posted to the school and had considered it a dream job. To her, working as a teacher meant three things, being with children, singing songs and making lots of pictures and crafts. The Association's Amira had contacted the Matron of the school Hajiya Rabi'a, that there was a sister willing to serve at their school. The matron was elated and requested she came over to Taruwa as soon as it was possible. She also informed them that the sister would be staying with her and that she would be responsible for her welfare.

Hajiya Rabi'a welcomed Mufeeda into her home like she was a long lost daughter despite having five of her own.
"Call me Mama, everyone here calls me Mama," the Hajiya had said as she hugged her.
"You look so young, how old are you?" She asked as she inspected her like a school matron.
"I'll be twenty-one in a few weeks ma" Mufeeda had replied. 'Twenty-one.....! she had exclaimed. Masha Allahu. Mufeeda was used to this manner of reaction. Most people often felt she was too young to be serving.
Mama's home was a four bedroom bungalow within the Foreign Affairs Estate. She had a small vegetable garden beside the garage and a small playground for the kids. The school, Al-Hayat was very close to Mama's house.

As Mufeeda walked back to her guardian's house with her drawing materials she felt a sudden wave of homesickness. "Pull yourself together, you'll be here for almost an entire year," she mumbled to herself. She was comfortable in her guardian's home but she missed the privacy she was privileged to have at home. All the houses in the area looked alike and most of the serial numbers on the wall above each garage had begun to peel off. Mama's house was easy to identify because of the swings in her front yard. She came upon Mama standing on the stairs before the doorway. "Salaam alaikum Ma" she said as she approached her
"Wa alaikum salaamu."
Mama answered. She knew Mama was strict and frowned at girls going out alone. Mufeeda felt uncomfortable, she didn't like to offend her guardian in anyway.
"Mufeeda," Mama said as she was going in.
"Ma"
"Where have you been?"
"I went over to the hilltop"
"Again...? she queried with a lift of an eyebrow. Next time please take any one of the boys along with you"
"Yes Ma...I'm sorry Ma"
She knew Mama was concerned about her safety and it felt nice. Knowing someone cared about her always gave her a nice and warm feeling.