The Next Morning, 5:48 AM
Mum: (knocking) Mustakeemah!! Are you awake?
Mustakeemah: (sighs silently and hurriedly folds her prayer mat) Yes!! I am awake.
Mum: (opens the door and finds her folding the mat) Oh!
Mustakeemah: I’m sorry, Ma. I will head to the kitchen right away. I am sorry, Ma.
Mum: (sadly exhales softly) Okomi, (moves closer to her)
Mustakeemah: (feeling uneasy around her and hurriedly goes on her knees) Ekaro, Mum (good morning).
Mum: (rubs her head) Good morning, my child. Get up!!
Mustakeemah: (thinking) Why is she being nice today? (still remains on her knees) I know I was wrong to run away from home. I was wrong, Mum… Please don’t punish me for this… I have learned from my mistakes.
Mum: (declines her head sadly and embraces her in tears) No! You did nothing wrong at all. You were right all along, and we are sorry for not giving you a listening ear. We are deeply sorry, Taiyelolu. I was wrong! I read your note you left under your bed… I don’t even know what to say but please find it in your heart to forgive us.
Mustakeemah: (jaw drops in disbelief) Mum? (panting heavily as tears gather on her face) Maami? Are you being serious right now? Like you read my letter?
Mum: (nods in tears) Yes! I even read your diary which I shouldn’t… I was just curious about your steps ever since you left us… But all my guesses about you were totally wrong, and yes! I am your mother who gave birth to you… I carried you and your brother in this belly of mine for a complete ten months. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.
Mustakeemah: (couldn’t help but embrace her back in tears, crying like a baby) Alhamdulillah!!! Yaa Allah! So, as they say, after every hardship comes ease… Alhamdulillah, ya Allah! Mummy…
Mum: Okomi… Ashake mi okin! (lets go of her) Now to show you that I am totally with you about your choice in life… and you changed my mindset as well… through you! Allah is willing to guide me too… (she gets up and heads to her bathroom)
Mustakeemah: Mum? (curious about what she is about to do) What do you want to do? (stands still) Mummy?
Mum: (comes out of the bathroom with water all over her face, hands, and legs, then takes the prayer mat from her and spreads it on the floor) You can continue your prayer while I pray my Salat al-Fajr as well… (with a bright smile on her face) Allahu Akbar!!
Mustakeemah: (couldn’t believe her eyes as tears gush out of her face, she falls on her knees and performs Sajdah which almost takes a minute, crying happily) Alhamdulillah, Rabbil 'Alamin! I can't believe this is really happening… Thank you so much, ya Allah. I am very grateful.
Mustakeem: (enters her room and finds their mother in Sujud praying, leaving his jaw to drop and whispers) Mum is praying?
Mustakeemah: (nods with so much excitement on her face) Yes!!! (happily jumps up and runs to embrace her brother) I did it!!
Mustakeem: Yes, you did! I can't believe this!
Mum: (concludes her Salat) Origbogbo yin oda, am I the one you are making fun of?
Mustakeem and Mustakeemah: No, Mum! We are so happy and proud of you.
Mum: Oya Mustakeem… go and wake your father and your brother… go to the mosque and perform your Salat al-Fajr.
Mustakeem: (happily responds and smiles) Dad!!!! Munir!! (takes his leave)
Mustakeemah: (couldn’t help but break down in tears and perform another Sajdah)
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Three Weeks Later
Ever since the truth came out concerning Habibah’s pregnancy, she failed to associate with anyone in the house, insisting on locking herself in her room and crying day and night. This deeply worried her mother, who had to be the one to encourage and assure her that they would support her through the pregnancy. However, Habibah couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt for tarnishing her parents' name. Her siblings tried to reach out and talk to her, but she wouldn't respond to any of them. Until this very day.
Ummu: (knocks at the door) Habibah!! (no response) I know you can hear me… I hope you have eaten the food I gave you? (still no response) Anyway, someone wants to see you. Maybe that will cheer you up. (opens the door and steps aside for the person)
Mustakeemah: As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah Habibah!
Habibah: (too weak to speak louder) Wa alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh… (raises her head and suddenly breaks down in tears) I am so sorry…
Mustakeemah: I know how hard this moment must be for you and your family, and I am so, so sorry my senseless brother put you in so much sorrow. (sits next to her) I am here now to lend you all the listening ears and support you need. Please, cheer up and seek Allah’s forgiveness. He will surely forgive you. Just please don’t hurt yourself. Consider this innocent baby. It's too innocent to be punished for his father's mistakes. Please, Habibah? (tries to embrace her but she recoils) Please, Habibah!
Habibah: I hate myself so much!! I really do… I have failed my mother, I have failed my father! What was I thinking? I was only trying to punish my dad for being mean to me all the time… But I didn’t think this through properly. Look what my foolishness has brought me… Look at me? Forcing an innocent child into this world in a haram way… Committing such a great sin… Just because I wanted to teach my father a lesson… Not knowing I was destroying myself and my family… My father couldn’t even look at me in the eyes like he used to… My father disowned me… How could I ever live normally again? How? (sobs bitterly) I shouldn’t have been given birth to, as he said. And he was right… I don’t deserve his love at all in the first place… I got what I deserved… How am I ever going to face him again? I have learned my lesson the hard way… So no need to lecture me… Even you tried to guide me back to the right path, but what did I give to you in return? Pain and made your family disowned you… I don’t deserve to live at all… But I am ready to accept any punishment from Allah. But making my father hate me so much is something I can't bear… I want to feel his love and see him smile again… I have never been this eager to see him smile in my life… But all I want now, more than ever, is for my family to be happy again, even if it costs my life.
Mustakeemah: (tears roll down from her eyes) What about your unborn child? Do you think killing yourself will solve the problem or worsen it? Do you think your parents will ever be happy again if you die? Do you think your unborn child will ever forgive you for not allowing him or her to come into this world to live? Do you think killing yourself will bring you peace when your time isn’t up? You’ve made mistakes before, but I expect you to be wise enough to know how to make your decisions. That means you haven’t learned your lessons… How do you want your mother to cope without you? Your father’s smile will forever disappear. In fact, the happiness of this house will never remain the same again. I am not here to advise you either, but just to check on you and your family and to apologize for my brother’s stupid mistakes. He is moving freely, but you aren’t. Anyway, he is here as well to console you. Kehinde!!!
Mustakeem: I’m here. (enters the room as he exhales heavily) Habibah, (melts down to her feet) I am sorry you are going through all this pain. This is all my...
Habibah: (cuts in) Don’t even say anything… You don’t need to blame yourself for any of this. Remember I forced you to sleep with me… even if you didn’t want to. It's fine… I don’t need any of your motivations… The only help you can render is helping me to beg my Dad! To forgive me and love me like he once did… to hug me so tight and kiss my forehead like he once did. I have lacked that love for decades, and when he finally showed me, I messed everything up. If you really want to see me out of this sorrow and pain, then the solution is in my father, and I will be back to normal… He is my solution… Please… help me. (breaks down in tears again)
Ummu: (couldn’t help but cry outside the room, listening to every word she says) Ya Allah, have mercy on us.
Mustakeemah: (wipes her tears and embraces her) Everything will be fine.
Mustakeem: And I promise to do my responsibilities too.
Habibah: Just help me beg my dad! Please help me beg for his forgiveness.
Zainab: (angrily hits the table) Sir! With all due respect, I think you are crossing your limit! So kindly leave my office!
DPO: And what are you going to do about it? Fire me? (laughs) Or quit your job?
Zainab: I am not quitting and you know it! Just please leave my office NOW!
DPO: Relax, baby! You have a hot temper, oh… (gets up and moves close to her chair) It's not good for your health, and you know that… You know I still let them promote you despite your health challenge… Or you think I’m not aware? And at the same time, I can make your career miserable too. Take that as a threat and wise up, baby… (about to touch her cheek when Ridwan barges into her office)
Zainab: (quickly gets on her feet) Baby!
Ridwan: (panting heavily) So this is what you’ve been doing behind me? Having an affair at work? While Rashidat is in the labor room for over two hours… I called your line multiple times but this is what you were busy doing? Having an affair?
Zainab: Baby, no!!! That’s not it, oh… Don’t get the situation wrong! (tries to move closer to him)
Ridwan: If you dare take one more step forward! I will not hesitate to slap you… Just stay away from me as you can. (angrily shuts the door)
Zainab: Baby!! (runs after him until they reach outside the station) Please hear me out! I swear it's not what you think… I can never ever cheat on you!
Ridwan: Please… just avoid me for now… I am depressed, filled with anxiety, and sorrow right now… Just pray she delivers safely so I can listen to all your rubbish… But it isn’t the right time to explain anything… So go back to your baby and don’t follow me. (about to enter his car)
Zainab: You know damn well that I will never do that… So stop this drama… He was trying to force me into having an affair, but I will never do that… You know me better than that, so please stop looking for an excuse to make a scene. I am as well not here to explain, but we are going back to the hospital together right now! (she turns to the other door and enters) We are having this baby together, so I don’t care what you're thinking right now! Get in, and let's go!
Ridwan: (takes a deep breath and starts the car) I am not done with you!
Zainab: I know! Now let's go!
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Here's the revised version with edits for grammar, punctuation, and clarity:
Ridwan: (runs into the reception and finds a nurse coming out of the labor room) Nurse!!! How's my wife? And our child? How is my child?
Zainab: How is the mother as well?
Nurse: Congratulations! Your wife had a bouncing baby girl! And the mother is perfectly fine.
Ridwan: (jumps up with joy) Thank you!!! Alhamdulillah.
Zainab: (bright smile on her face) Alhamdulillah!!
Nurse: But there are some complications concerning the baby… The doctor would like to see you.
Ridwan: What complications?
Zainab: What kind of complications?
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