Abdulhakeem: she is a friend and she would like to spend a night here.
Dad: what was that supposed to mean? Does this look like a hotel? She should go back to her parents or family or wherever she is coming from… how could you bring in a stranger to spend a night here?
Abdulhakeem: dad! You know I’m not that type of person who makes lots of friends but at least hear me out.
Mum: baba ibeji! Let’s hear him out… ok we are listening… go on.
Abdulhakeem: please mum let her spend a night or two here while we find her guidance.
Dad: is she lost or something?
Idowu: shebi is she that girl we saw some years back crying by that gate.
Abdulhakeem: (angrily staring at Idowu) better watch your mouth.
Dad: is she lost or something? Did she run away from home?
Abdulhakeem: dad! Please I beg you with the name of Allah I promise to explain to you guys better but for now please welcome her like your own, imagine if I am in her shoes?
Dad: how are we supposed to welcome a stranger into our home?
Abdulhakeem: ok then fine! If you want her to leave no problem, uhmm Mustakeemah lets go!
Mustakeemah: (surprised)
Mum: where are you going? Why are you going with her?
Abdulhakeem: leaving of course just like you wanted! Why is it hard to help a stranger? What if any of your children happen to be in her shoes? Helping someone today without expecting anything in return is priceless… so let’s have this humanity in us, please for once.
Mum: but uhm what if her parents are out there looking for her? What if she ran away from home, if they happen to find her here we will get arrested by the police, it is very risky to help nowadays… what if she is a thief or something and you met a stranger on the road and bring her straight to your home? Are you that naïve?
Mustakeemah: uhm am sorry everyone, I will take my leave now… (she sadly exits from their house)
Abdulhakeem: Mustakeemah! Wait!! (he angrily looks at his parents) I promise you guys are making a big mistake by letting her go! (he follows her) wait please.
Taiye: dad, mum… that girl is being maltreated by her guidance please let her spend a night here… please dad for Allah’s sake.
Kehinde: yes daddy please, just for tonight please… what if we happen to be in her shoes? Please mum talk to daddy.
Idowu: daddy please…
Mum: (she touches his shoulder) honey you see how they are pleading, please just one night.. please.
Dad: (exhales softly) well then, she can spend a night… (he gets on his feet) have a good night (he heads to his room and slams the door).
Mum: (she follows him) goodnight kids.
Taiye, Kehinde and Idowu: good night mum.
Idowu: let me go and find them (she runs out of the house)
10 minutes later
Abdulhakeem: (he held her hand as they enter the house) come in dear… feel free ok?
Mustakeemah: (she nodded) thank you sir.
Taiye and Kehinde: welcome to our house.. make yourself at home.
Mustakeemah: thank you ma (everyone gets seated in the living room but she sits on the floor)
Everyone: (surprised)
Abdulhakeem: what are you doing? sit on the couch, stop doing like a village girl.
Mustakeemah: no don’t worry am ok like this, this is where I sit.. I might stain your couch with my dirty clothes.
Taiye: did we complain, madam stand up jor.
Kehinde: (she taps Taiye) talk nicely! She is a guest.
Abdulhakeem: (he stares at her for a few seconds and moves closer to her) get up! Get up please.
Mustakeemah: (she obeys)
Abdulhakeem: now sit on the couch! Just like us.
Mustakeemah: please sir am fine like this I swear to God.
Abdulhakeem: aren’t we the ones begging you to have a seat on the couch? We insist.
Idowu: yes we insist!
Mustakeemah: (she finally obeys) thank you ma thank you sir.
Abdulhakeem: anyway am going in to shower, uhmm Idowu find something for her to eat.. (heads into his room)
Idowu: so what would you like to eat?
Mustakeemah: no no ma! I am fine.
Taiye: don’t be shy fa, better feel free and eat what you like.
Kehinde: Taiye I said you should talk nicely… you know if we treat her nicely bro will give us something.. so our guest, would like to have noodles and egg?
Mustakeemah: (surprised) mmme? You want to prepare noodles for me? (thinking) when was the last time I tasted that Indomie! Ehhhh! And if I should decline now I won’t ever have the opportunity to eat it, enn noodles and egg…
Idowu: (she taps her) aunty Mustakeemah! What are you thinking about?
Mustakeemah: (startled) ma? Am sorry ma! I was just lost in thought.. uhmm I will prepare it myself.
Idowu: you will? Thank goodness as if you know I am lazy to do that..
Kehinde: so you can’t prepare ordinary noodles for the guest.
Idowu: sister Mustakeemah lets go jor, don’t mind them… we will not add your own.
Mustakeemah: (she follows her to the kitchen)
Taiye: I don’t mind seeing small oh.
Kehinde: (she angrily hits her) what is your problem? So you don’t know how to treat a guest properly?
Taiye: whatever…
**************
10 minutes later
Abdulhakeem: (enters the living room and finds the twins alone) where is she?
Taiye: she is in the kitchen with Idowu.
Abdulhakeem: is she the one preparing the food? Can’t you guys prepare it? Why are you two senseless when I need you?
Kehinde: no bro! she was the one who insisted on preparing the noodles, not us.
Abdulhakeem: (mimicking her) shebi you are senseless! Rubbish! (he walks out on them)
Kehinde: every time he insults someone, the day I will say mine back ehh.
Taiye: now I can see that you are senseless for real, anyway I can’t wait for that day he will remove all your teeth.
Kehinde: are you ok?
Taiye: you too, are you normal?
Idowu: wow! you are such a great chef! I have never seen someone prepare noodles like this… where did you learn it from?
Mustakeemah: well! nobody taught me… it was my idea because where I live they eat exclusive meals and they don’t care how and which method you use, just make sure it’s exclusive.
Idowu: (amazed) wow! that’s amazing! you are very creative with cooking, you should open a restaurant.
Mustakeemah: (chuckles) yeah, that is my dream… to have my own restaurant.
Idowu: not even my mom can prepare noodles like this…
Mustakeemah: don’t say that about your mom, moms are always right about everything. Do you want a special advice from me? a special one.
Idowu: (nods excitedly) yes!
Mustakeemah: please I beg you with the name of God! value your parents, respect them, care for them, appreciate them for giving birth to you, especially your mother. Life without them is like a forest without a tree… you might not know their worth now but you will when they are no more.
Idowu: (exhales softly) your words sink into my heart, but where are your parents? Why did you run away from home?
Mustakeemah: well uhmm! my parents are no more, that is why my life is meaningless… their absence is the reason I am suffering today, their absence is the reason I am homeless now so please value yours who are still alive.
Idowu: (sad) I am so sorry for your loss, this is so painful and heart-touching… I promise to value mine from now on more than ever.
Mustakeemah: now the noodles are ready, let’s put them for your sisters… (trying to put the food) is this ok?
Idowu: oh! you don’t have to put the food separately if you really want to share it. We mostly eat in one bowl so just pour all in one bowl and we dig in together.
Mustakeemah: really? wow!
Idowu: you are surprised too? well, that’s the family tradition, so you must follow it too.
Mustakeemah: (smiles brightly)
Abdulhakeem: (listening to their conversation for like 4 minutes and feeling sorry for her) this is why she is homeless! Subhanallah! that’s why she was being treated harshly… poor girl, and they seem to be getting along well.
Mum: what are you peeping at?
Abdulhakeem: (startled) gosh! Mum! you scared me.
Mum: (enters the kitchen and finds the two of them) what is she doing here?
Abdulhakeem: (he follows her) I was the one who sent her…
Mum: but she is a guest, she can’t just enter my kitchen anyhow like that! She should know her lane.
Mustakeemah: I am sorry ma, please forgive me! (shivering already)
Mum: why are you scared? I won’t bite.
Idowu: (holding her hand tight) you don’t have to be scared of her ok? let’s go to the living room. (she moves her out of the kitchen)
Mum: and since when did you two become friends? why am I even asking this? where is that water I dropped here?
Abdulhakeem: mum!! please I want to beg you, please for Allah’s sake, can you love this girl like your own just for the little time she is here?
Mum: why should I do that with a stranger? I am not gonna hurt her anyway.
Abdulhakeem: don’t you know words alone can kill? she is an orphan! I just realized that now while she is expressing herself to Idowu, imagine if we were in her shoes? (he walks away)
Mum: (shocked) orphan?
*******************
Mr. Suraj: (moving up and down) how are we going to find this girl? Where on earth could she be? What am I going to do now? I am in big trouble!
Mrs. Shola: baby calm down, we will find her! I will find all means to get her… and she must pay for stressing us like this… baby just stay calm ok? Let’s have our dinner then think of a solution. We could report her to the police but what if the tables turn? Come on! It’s past 9pm. I’m starving oh.
Mr. Suraj: how do you expect me to eat in this situation? Mustakeemah is missing and you expect me to eat?
Mrs. Shola: oh so now she is more important than me abi?
Mr. Suraj: woman! Don’t you get it? I’m worried because she is the exchange we need. What do you want me to tell Mubarak? That his property went missing? Can you hear yourself? We need to find her by all means or else we are dead. (he angrily climbs the bed) good night!
Mrs. Shola: so on this matter now you won’t eat? Since morning we’ve been searching for her, and now eating is a problem! My God! The pain this girl is bringing to our lives is way too much… I swear she must pay! As for me, I will eat because I won’t let one evil child starve me. (she heads to the dining)
9:45pm
In the living room
Taiye: (gisting with them while the rest were busy listening) omoh! That was how she landed into trouble oh, especially that our lecturer can drain soul out of your body, school is no one’s mate oh!
Kehinde: same thing happened to one of our friends but it has been settled… by the way I love how you prepared the noodles, it’s one in town, like wow!
Taiye: honestly speaking, it is so delicious, as if it’s not the same noodles we usually prepare in this house.
Mustakeemah: thanks! thanks for welcoming me with open arms, this really means a lot to me and I will forever be grateful to you people for accepting me even without knowing me, thank you so much.
Idowu: (yawning) it’s getting late, I’m going to bed. Sister Mustakeemah, come spend the night in my room.
Kehinde and Taiye: no! she should spend the night in our room… our room is bigger.
Idowu: I speak first!
Kehinde: but our room is bigger.
Taiye: yeah! so back off!
Idowu: you two back off!
Mustakeemah: (surprised to see them fighting over her)
Taiye: (angrily gets on her feet) when the elders are talking you keep shut!
Idowu: you think I don’t know why you want her to spend a night with you? So she can tell you her secret ingredient right? Well guess what! Not gonna happen. Sister Mustakeemah, let’s go jor. (she gets on her feet)
Kehinde: one more step out of this room will lead to your consequences… just try me.
Mustakeemah: please everyone, stop fighting. It’s not a must I spend the night with anyone… please don’t wake your parents.
Kehinde: you see! now she doesn’t want to spend the night with anyone, you rude girl. (as she tries to hit her, Abdulhakeem and their parents appear in the living room)
Abdulhakeem: what’s going on here?
Mum: yeah what happened? Why are you guys making a hell of noise at this time of night?
Dad: start speaking or else!
Mustakeemah: (quickly speaks before any of them could) please I am sorry, this is all happening because of me. It won’t happen again.
Idowu: dad, it’s not her fault! All I said is she should spend the night in my room and the twin sisters insisted she sleep in their room.
Abdulhakeem: (smiling) really?
Mum and Dad: (surprised as their eyes met)
Kehinde: Dad, you know our room is bigger! So she should spend the night with us.
Dad: You want to spend the night with a stranger? Is that it?
Mum: There is nothing bad there! Take it easy, honey!
Dad: Well, not on my watch. If she can’t spend the night here in the living room, then she is free to take her leave now.
Everyone: (shocked)
Abdulhakeem: Dad!
Twins: Dad, that’s so harsh now!
Idowu: And if you see how she was begging us to value you guys, but this is how you treat her? Good night! (she angrily walks out)
Dad: Come back here now!
Mustakeemah: I am sorry for the inconveniences, I promise to do as you said… (she sits on the floor and lays down to sleep)
Abdulhakeem: (angrily staring at his father) Mum!
Mum: Don’t say a word! Just go to your room.
Abdulhakeem: Mum, you know this is—
Mum: I said go to your room! Now! Unless you think I can’t talk to you.
Abdulhakeem: (angrily takes his leave)
Mum: Honey, that was too mean! At least be nice to her now, someone gave birth to her too… what if she were your daughter, is this how you would treat her?
Dad: Well, I didn’t raise my kids to run away from home! All this wouldn’t be happening if you let me talk sense into Abdulhakeem’s head. How could he bring a stranger home in the first place? All I know is she must not spend a night here again! I won’t say more than that. (he angrily heads back to his room)
Mum: (exhales softly, left alone with Mustakeemah in the living room) I’m coming, let me get you a blanket…
2 minutes later
Mum: Here is a blanket. (she drapes it over her) You will catch a cold. (she takes her leave) Good night…
Mustakeemah: Good night, ma! Thank you, ma…
In the middle of the night around 2:30am
Mr. Suraj: (unable to sleep, thinking) How am I going to free myself from my debtor? Where will I find this girl and how am I going to find her? God, please help me!
Abdulhakeem: (leaves his room to check on Mustakeemah, finds her seated, not sleeping) Heeyy! (in a low tone) Why aren’t you sleeping? (he sits next to her) What’s wrong?
Mustakeemah: (quickly wipes her tears) Nothing! Just not feeling like sleeping…
Abdulhakeem: Then why are you crying?
Mustakeemah: I’m not crying…
Abdulhakeem: (tiredly staring at her) Whatever it is, have it at the back of your mind that it doesn’t worth your tears…
Mustakeemah: (surprised) Excuse me? So you are saying my father doesn’t deserve my tears? My father passed away two years ago and I wasn’t informed about it until two days ago… do you have any idea how much pain is inside me?
Abdulhakeem: (shocked) Subhanallah! I had no idea you are mourning him! Please, I am sorry for that. How could you live with such wicked people?