My Fate In Good Faith.

You Are Not In Charge!

You can only do your part, but don't try to steer destiny, you are not in charge!

Yasmin Mogahed

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Salma sat on the slopes and leaned against one of the railings of the hut in the backyard which  she managed to turn into a class.

She looked at the four women between the ages of thirty and forty who were learning how to read and write. She touched the power button on her phone and she had less than an hour to get ready for Islamiyah.

"Is there any question regarding the assignment? she asked.

Zakiyya, a thirty-year-old, mother of three who appeared as though she was forty with slight wrinkles and dry skin raised her hand and shyly said,

"Anty Salma, I have been selected to speak on behalf of us because I am the best reader so far, we would like to tell you how grateful we are that you, a beautiful and sophisticated young girl is making time every weekend to teach poor and illiterate women like us how to read and write and that too, without expecting anything in return. I have honestly been looking for the words to express our gratitude but could not find them, all I can say is Allah ya biya ki"

Salma smiled at her warmly before responding,

"The dedication you all are showing towards this course is enough gratitude for me, my heart is already won over by your determination and zeal to better your lives, I am doing this for the sake of Allah and I wouldn't be getting the reward if not for you all sitting here, therefore I should be the one thanking you, so thanks".

All the women started talking at the same time proclaiming that they were indeed the thankful ones and Salma was being the nice person that she was. Salma kept regarding them with a smile, trying to concentrate on what Kulu, their housemaid was saying and who was also the initial cause for starting the learning how to read and write classes.

It was Salma's time of the month and she was having her usual cramps, she decided to take her pain relievers but found only empty sachets, the meds had finished. She wasn't sure she could talk over the phone and so, she texted Kulu to get some for her on her way back as Mami had sent her to shop for some groceries. Upon her return, Salma asked for the meds but Kulu told her that she didn't get them, she told her that she saw the SMS but didn't know what the content in it was because she couldn't read. Perhaps it was because of the pain or Salma was just surprised but she unconsciously blurted out, "Haba Kulu, you can't read! Da Hausa fa na rubuta" Kulu gave an embarrassed flush and Salma instantly felt bad for embarrassing the poor woman who stood there flustering. Later in the day, Salma was still feeling bad for the way she reproached Kulu and went to apologize. Kulu shrugged it off as nothing but then, she confided in Salma about how she feels ashamed of the fact that she could not read, how her ex-husband used to shamefaced her by calling her dumb and illiterate. Salma felt bad for her and told her it was not too late for as long as she was willing to learn and Salma who was ever willing to tutor would fix a time during the weekends to teach her, and that was how the classes started.

One day, Zakiyya who lived as caretakers with her mother and sisters in an incompleted building that was next to Salma's house came to thank Mami for the foodstuff she had sent to them the previous day, she found Salma teaching Kulu how to read and she pleaded to join.

A week later, Jamila, the wife of the gatekeeper opposite Salma's house and who was also a good friend of Kulu's came to Salma and told her that she heard about the ongoing classes and she would also like to join.