No Conditions, Whatsoever

Family

Reminder: Pray.

Author's PoV:

"Thank you," Mariam smiled at Hania, taking the cup of tea from her hands that she offered and noticed how the young girl only nodded timidly before disappearing to some corner of the house. She wanted to question her if she was okay but then she decided against it, turning to have a look at her father who was half seated on his bed, his form tired and eyes sleepy, and understanding the situation. "Masha Allah, your daughter is very pretty, Khadija, just like you."

Khadija blushed lightly and thanked her neighbour for the compliment. Hafeez Hamdan's health didn't show much improvement but it was however better than it had been a couple of weeks ago. He could sit and eat by himself, and although the little actions left him exhausted very soon, he was still trying.

"Jazak Allah, Mariam. Your sons are handsome too. I met Ayan a few weeks ago in the hospital and I was surprised to see how tall he has become," Khadija praised and received a nod from Mariam.

"It's in their genes, you know. My husband was a tall man," Mariam's eyes glowed as she talked about her husband. There had been moments in the past where she couldn't utter a word about him before bursting into tears but as time went by, she learnt how to remember him with joy instead of grief. "Alhamdulillah, Ahan and Arhaan now have their own families to take care of. I just hope and pray for my youngest to settle down as well."

Khadija nodded and agreed with her. As a mother of two, she could relate with Mariam when they talked about their kids. She compared their situations and felt grateful as her husband was still alive. And even though he was not in a condition to walk around and help them, their daughters still had their father, which was enough. 

Taking a sip of the tea, Mariam looked around and realised that Hafeez Hamdan's house wasn't a very lavish one. The walls had their paints faded and the furniture seemed old. They had, however, managed to keep it very clean.

Mariam wasn't surprised. She knew that Hafeez Hamdan was living on pension. He had taken an early retirement due to his health issues. Khadija, on the other hand, was a homemaker with no educational qualifications. Their family wasn't poor, but they weren't rich either.

Khadija followed Mariam's eyes and felt a little embarrassed when they travelled to the worn out condition of her home. "Thank you for coming here, Mariam." It was an attempt at diverting her attention. "Feiha's father and I are grateful to you and your sons for having cared about us."

"Don't be silly," Mariam waved her hand and turned to Hamdan, "I'm just trying to be of help to you, brother. I remember how you used to teach my children with sheer dedication. You have played a great part in making my children what they're today."

The man had been listening to the ladies' conversation and his face formed into a weak smile on being addressed, "We're still thankful." His voice was low and feeble.

"Where's Feiha though? Haven't seen her ever since I came here," Mariam inquired.

"She has gone to college," Khadija answered.

The women chatted some more about their neighbourhood and their respective families before Mariam realised that she was getting late for a doctor's appointment. She got up and started walking outside with Khadija accompanying her to see her off when they saw a car coming and stopping at their gate.

The passenger door opened and Feiha stepped out only to get startled seeing her mother and a woman she could not recognise.

"Mom?" Ayan's voice came as he too got out, "what are you doing here?" His eyes then went to Khadija and he straightened up, "Assalamualaikum, aunty."