At night (in the bedroom)
Hajia Habibah: (dressing the bed) Honey?
Alh Ismail: (pressing his phone on the couch) Yes, dear.
Hajia Habibah: I want to discuss something with you.
Alh Ismail: Okay, I’m listening.
Hajia Habibah: Hmmm… yes, I see that. Can't you at least drop
your phone for a few minutes?
Alh Ismail: Okay, okay. (focuses his attention on her)
Hajia Habibah: (sits next to him) Thank you. Uhhmmm… it’s about
the girl we rescued yesterday. I was thinking… what if we let
her stay in our house?
Alh Ismail: Yeah, no problem. When she gets better, she can leave.
Hajia Habibah: Uhmm… that’s not what I meant. I mean I want
her to live with us permanently.
Alh Ismail: What? You know that is not possible. What if her
parents are looking for her? What if all she said was a lie about
them? Or even, what if she did something really offensive that
made her run away?
Hajia Habibah: Oh honey, I never imagined you could think like
this. I know she is telling the truth. I just don’t know why, but I
believe her. There are lots of scars on her body. Think about this:
if we send her out of this house, what if she takes her life?
Honey, we are Muslims. If her parents look for her and want her
back, we will gladly give her back to them. This is not kidnapping
but helping our fellow Muslimah.
And you know I could use some of her help in this house as well.
She can assist me with house chores since you don’t want me to
employ a maid. It’s not my fault Allah didn’t bless me with a
female child. At least I won’t be alone in this house anymore; my
two sons are abroad studying.
Baby, and if my words still didn’t convince you, let’s watch her
character for some weeks. I am sure she will reveal her real self.
If we are not pleased with it, fine. But if we are pleased, good!
Please honey. (romancing his chest)
Alh Ismail: (takes a deep breath) Hmmmm… women and their
sweet mouths. Who am I to say no to this?
Hajia Habibah: Is that a yes!?
Alh Ismail: Yes!
Hajia Habibah: (shouts happily) Thank you so much, honey! You
are the best husband in the world. Give me a kiss.
Alh Ismail: Uhm… but if anything goes wrong, remember I
warned you.
Hajia Habibah: Fine! I will take the blame. Now I’m waiting.
(touching her lips)
Alh Ismail: (he kisses her) Are you happy now? Can I get back to
my phone?
Hajia Habibah: Yes, yes. (she happily continues her work)
---
The next morning, 5:30 AM
(Hajia Habibah and her husband wake up to perform solat Fajr.
When they enter the living room, they find it clean.)
Hajia Habibah: (surprised) Uhhmmm… I remember how this living
room looked before I went to bed. Who cleaned it?
Alh Ismail: (hearing a sound from the kitchen) Wait… someone is
in the kitchen. Let’s go and check.
Hajia Habibah: Okay.
(They enter the kitchen and are surprised to find Fatimah
washing the dishes.)
Hajia Habibah: Fatimah! What are you doing?
Fatimah: (goes on her knees) Good morning, ma.
Alh Ismail: (shocked to see her on her knees) What are you doing?
You don’t have to kneel down. She just asked a simple question.
Hajia Habibah: Fatimah, get up! On your feet. (she helps her up)
Why are you up at this time and not praying, but cleaning the
house?
Fatimah: (smiles) This is the time I use to wake up to do my
house chores, so my body is used to it.
Hajia Habibah: But that’s too early. Oya, leave what you are
doing. This is time for solat, not work.
Hajia Habibah: (surprised) Uhhmmm… I remember how this living
room looked before I went to bed. Who cleaned it?
Alh Ismail: (hears a sound coming from the kitchen) Wait…
someone is in the kitchen. Let’s go and check.
Hajia Habibah: Okay.
(They enter the kitchen and are surprised to find Fatimah
washing the dishes.)
Hajia Habibah: Fatimah! What are you doing?
Fatimah: (goes on her knees) Good morning, ma.
Alh Ismail: (shocked to see her on her knees) What are you doing?
You don’t have to kneel down. She just asked a simple question.
Hajia Habibah: Fatimah, get up. On your feet. (helps her up) Why
are you up at this time and not even praying, but cleaning the
house?
Fatimah: (smiles) This is the time I use to wake up to do my
house chores, so my body is used to it.
Hajia Habibah: But that’s too early. Oya, leave what you are
doing. This is time for solat, not work.
Fatimah: Okay, ma.
Alh Ismail: I’m heading to the mosque.
Hajia Habibah: Okay honey, pray for us. As for you, madam,
come with me. It’s time for prayer.
Fatimah: Okay, ma. (She follows her.)
(They enter the restroom.)
Hajia Habibah: Take this kettle. Now, do your ablution.
Fatimah: What am I supposed to do with it? And what is ablu…
ablusion?
Hajia Habibah: Subhanallah! You don’t know how to perform
ablution? I thought you said you are a Muslim?
Fatimah: Yes, according to what my dad told me before he
passed away. But my mom is a Christian. I am ready to learn, ma.
Hajia Habibah: Eeyyaa… honestly, I have lots of work to do with
you. First of all, you have to say the Shahadah. Say it after me.
Hajia Habibah: ashadu Allah ilaha illallah.
(She repeat after her)
Hajia Habibah: Good girl. Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan
rasulullah.
Fatimah: Wa… wa… ash…hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah.
What does that mean?
Hajia Habibah: I’m glad you asked. It means: I pledge there is no
other God except Allah and Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) is His
messenger.
Fatimah: Wow! But the language you say it in, what is it called?
Hajia Habibah: It is called Arabic, the blessed language among
all languages.
Fatimah: Wow! I want to learn how to speak that blessed
language.
Hajia Habibah: Of course, you can if you open your heart to
learn. See, time is going. Let’s hurry up and do the ablution.
Firstly, rinse your hands three times with the water in this
kettle.
Fatimah: Okay, ma.
(Curtain closes.)
Grace: (enters the living room) Ahh! Why is this parlor dirty like
this? Fatimah! Oh, I forgot… Blessing!!! Abdulrahman!!! (No
response) Ahh! Why are they not answering me? Are they going
to ignore my calling?
(She angrily enters Blessing’s room and finds her snoring on her
bed.)
Grace: Blessing!!!
Blessing: (groaning) What? What is it, mom? You are disturbing
me now.
Grace: Do you know what time it is? My friend, get up! This is
after 10.
Blessing: (ignores her)
Grace: Are you not the one I am talking to!? (she angrily hits
her)
Blessing: (angrily gets up) Why are you hitting me like that?
Leave me oh… leave me, let me sleep.
Grace: Spoilt brat! (angrily leaves and slams the door)
Grace: Abdulrahman!!!
(She opens his room door.)
Abdulrahman: (quickly covers himself) What? And can’t you
knock before entering?
Grace: Get up!
Abdulrahman: To do what? Please leave me alone. It’s too early.
Grace: Do you know what time it is? This is 10:30 AM.
Abdulrahman: It’s too early. Please, please leave my room. I need
my privacy!
Grace: I am not leaving until…
Abdulrahman: Mummy, out! (shouts)
(Grace, shocked, quickly leaves the room and heads to the
kitchen.)
Grace: Where am I going to start with this messy kitchen?
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