Before the driver reached home, everyone in the vehicle thought Hurriya would faint because her crying was louder than her breathing, as if her breath would completely leave her body. Namra was holding her, crying and comforting her.
“Be patient, Hurriya. In Sha Allah he will return safely. May Allah protect them.”
Hurriya couldn’t utter a word. Her eyelashes were completely wet, and the tears blocked her sight to the extent she couldn’t even see shadows without her glasses. When the driver stopped, Salma and Khairi rushed out crying and headed to Hajiya Kaltume’s side. Namra stayed behind, holding Hurriya as they both got down.
“I’m not seeing anything, Aunty Namra. My eyes are totally closed… Don’t leave me here, please. I’m scared… Call Yaya Yasir or take me to Amma, or please call my Appa.”
Her voice shook as she struggled to breathe. She knew only her siblings could tolerate her tears, understand her pain, and listen to her. Every child, whether in joy or trouble, runs to their mother—but today she didn’t have that privilege. Not because her mother was dead, but because she didn’t live with her parents. She never understood the pain of being motherless in the house until today. Every child needs a mother nearby, especially her with her eye condition.
She dropped to the floor, placed both hands on her head, and wailed loudly—her cries drawing the attention of everyone in the compound.
“Wayyo Amma ma… Amma… Amma… Amma… My mother…”
Namra quickly held her hand, crying too.
“Hurriya, don’t say that. Come, let’s go inside. Momy is inside.”
She pulled her hand back. She knew she couldn’t lean on Momy or Hajiya Kaltume for comfort—they never treated her like their other children.
“Call my brother! Call my brother!”
Namra turned to go call Yasir, but she saw him already rushing toward them.
“Hurriya!”
The moment she heard his voice, she quickly stood and tried to feel her way toward him.
“My brother! My brother! My brother!”
Everyone watching felt pity for her—blindness is indeed a serious burden. (Alhamdulillah for the blessing of sight. If you can read this, thank Allah. It isn’t by your choice, it’s Allah’s gift. And don’t forget, this book is for sale. If you read it without paying and you share it, Allah is watching.)
Yasir reached her and held her trembling hands.
“My brother, please take me to Amma… Please…”
Without hesitation, he pulled her along, collected the car key from the driver who had dropped off Hajiya Kaltume minutes earlier, opened the car, and helped Hurriya inside. Namra’s sympathy deepened when she saw how Hurriya blindly searched for the car door. Yasir placed her in the back seat, walked around to the driver’s side, and sped off in distress. If he weren’t a man, he himself would have broken down crying just like his siblings and mother.
Hurriya went silent in the car. She couldn’t see anything but darkness, and her heart was filled with fear.
At the gate of their house, Yasir stopped and opened the gate. But he suddenly froze. He couldn’t walk inside. He couldn’t be the first to tell Amma that her son had been taken. If she saw her daughter like this, she would surely ask questions, and he couldn’t lie to her. But he also couldn’t leave Hurriya to enter alone in her condition.
“Hurriya, can we just go back? I can’t enter this house right now. I don’t want to distress Amma.”
She let go of his hand.
“I… will… go… alone… from… here.”
He didn’t know she was completely blind now—he assumed she still saw shadows like before. So he allowed her. He opened the gate, she felt her way inside, and he closed it before driving off.
Hurriya stretched out her hands, following the path she remembered from when she could see.
“Hurriya…”
She heard Rukayya’s voice and felt sudden relief. Rukayya held her hand.
“Who brought you? We heard the gate open but didn’t see anyone enter, that’s why I came out.”
“Yaya Yasir brought me. Mama Rukayya, please take me to Amma.”
“What happened to you, Hurriya?”
“Please take me to Amma. I can’t see anything. My eyes are completely closed. I can’t even see shadows anymore.”
“Innalillahi…”
Rukayya exclaimed and led her inside. Amma, who was in Gwaggo’s room cutting vegetables, dropped the bowl and rose quickly when she saw Hurriya—her face soaked with tears, her school uniform still on, and no glasses on her eyes.
“Hurriya, what happened to you?”
Only someone whose body has missed a mother can understand how the soul reacts upon hearing a mother’s voice.
“Amma, where are you?”
She released Rukayya’s hand and felt her way toward the direction of Amma’s voice. Amma reached out and grabbed her, and Hurriya collapsed into her arms crying uncontrollably. Amma couldn’t hold herself; she began crying too.
“What happened, Hurriya? What happened to you? Who brought you? What happened to your eyes? Where are your glasses?”
Before Hurriya could speak, Yasir’s words at the gate replayed in her mind. He, too, couldn’t tell Amma. How much more she? It was as if someone sewed her mouth shut—she couldn’t utter a single word. Only tears flowed.
“Innalillahi Wa’inna Ilaihiraji’un…”
Amma whispered, her heart pounding. She knew her daughter wouldn’t come home in such a state unless something serious had happened. Yet Hurriya clung to her like she wanted to disappear inside her.
“Hurriya, take it easy. Remember your little brother is in my stomach. Or come here, let me hug you if that's what you want.”
Gwaggo said. Hurriya shook her head and held Amma tighter.
“Did someone beat you?”
She shook her head.
“Did someone pour something in your eyes?”
She shook her head.
“Did you fight with someone?”
She shook her head.
“For Allah’s sake, open your mouth and speak. What happened? Did you fight with Hamad? I know he can hit you badly because I wasn’t home.”
The mention of Hamad made Hurriya burst into louder tears.
“Yasir brought her. She was talking at first, but now she can’t say anything.”
“Maybe she fought with Hamad and is scared to tell me so I won’t scold him.”
Amma’s heart leaned toward this idea, especially seeing Hurriya crying harder when Hamad’s name was mentioned.
“Hamad is impossible! He never gets along with his siblings. He doesn’t even pity her.”
Rukayya said.
Gwaggo added, “Not all siblings live peacefully. That’s how some are.”
“But his own is becoming too much.”
Amma remained silent, listening to Hurriya’s loud, painful breathing…
Description
In the Vehicle
Before the driver reached home, everyone in the vehicle thought Hurriya would faint because her crying was louder than her breathing, as if her breath would completely leave her body. Namra was holding her, crying and comforting her.
“Be patient, Hurriya. In Sha Allah he will return safely. May Allah protect them.”
Hurriya couldn’t utter a word. Her eyelashes were completely wet, and the tears blocked her sight to the extent she couldn’t even see shadows without her glasses. When the driver stopped, Salma and Khairi rushed out crying and headed to Hajiya Kaltume’s side. Namra stayed behind, holding Hurriya as they both got down.
“I’m not seeing anything, Aunty Namra. My eyes are totally closed… Don’t leave me here, please. I’m scared… Call Yaya Yasir or take me to Amma, or please call my Appa.”
Her voice shook as she struggled to breathe. She knew only her siblings could tolerate her tears, understand her pain, and listen to her. Every child, whether in joy or trouble, runs to their mother—but today she didn’t have that privilege. Not because her mother was dead, but because she didn’t live with her parents. She never understood the pain of being motherless in the house until today. Every child needs a mother nearby, especially her with her eye condition.
She dropped to the floor, placed both hands on her head, and wailed loudly—her cries drawing the attention of everyone in the compound.
“Wayyo Amma ma… Amma… Amma… Amma… My mother…”
Namra quickly held her hand, crying too.
“Hurriya, don’t say that. Come, let’s go inside. Momy is inside.”
She pulled her hand back. She knew she couldn’t lean on Momy or Hajiya Kaltume for comfort—they never treated her like their other children.
“Call my brother! Call my brother!”
Namra turned to go call Yasir, but she saw him already rushing toward them.
“Hurriya!”
The moment she heard his voice, she quickly stood and tried to feel her way toward him.
“My brother! My brother! My brother!”
Everyone watching felt pity for her—blindness is indeed a serious burden. (Alhamdulillah for the blessing of sight. If you can read this, thank Allah. It isn’t by your choice, it’s Allah’s gift. And don’t forget, this book is for sale. If you read it without paying and you share it, Allah is watching.)
Yasir reached her and held her trembling hands.
“My brother, please take me to Amma… Please…”
Without hesitation, he pulled her along, collected the car key from the driver who had dropped off Hajiya Kaltume minutes earlier, opened the car, and helped Hurriya inside. Namra’s sympathy deepened when she saw how Hurriya blindly searched for the car door. Yasir placed her in the back seat, walked around to the driver’s side, and sped off in distress. If he weren’t a man, he himself would have broken down crying just like his siblings and mother.
Hurriya went silent in the car. She couldn’t see anything but darkness, and her heart was filled with fear.
At the gate of their house, Yasir stopped and opened the gate. But he suddenly froze. He couldn’t walk inside. He couldn’t be the first to tell Amma that her son had been taken. If she saw her daughter like this, she would surely ask questions, and he couldn’t lie to her. But he also couldn’t leave Hurriya to enter alone in her condition.
“Hurriya, can we just go back? I can’t enter this house right now. I don’t want to distress Amma.”
She let go of his hand.
“I… will… go… alone… from… here.”
He didn’t know she was completely blind now—he assumed she still saw shadows like before. So he allowed her. He opened the gate, she felt her way inside, and he closed it before driving off.
Hurriya stretched out her hands, following the path she remembered from when she could see.
“Hurriya…”
She heard Rukayya’s voice and felt sudden relief. Rukayya held her hand.
“Who brought you? We heard the gate open but didn’t see anyone enter, that’s why I came out.”
“Yaya Yasir brought me. Mama Rukayya, please take me to Amma.”
“What happened to you, Hurriya?”
“Please take me to Amma. I can’t see anything. My eyes are completely closed. I can’t even see shadows anymore.”
“Innalillahi…”
Rukayya exclaimed and led her inside. Amma, who was in Gwaggo’s room cutting vegetables, dropped the bowl and rose quickly when she saw Hurriya—her face soaked with tears, her school uniform still on, and no glasses on her eyes.
“Hurriya, what happened to you?”
Only someone whose body has missed a mother can understand how the soul reacts upon hearing a mother’s voice.
“Amma, where are you?”
She released Rukayya’s hand and felt her way toward the direction of Amma’s voice. Amma reached out and grabbed her, and Hurriya collapsed into her arms crying uncontrollably. Amma couldn’t hold herself; she began crying too.
“What happened, Hurriya? What happened to you? Who brought you? What happened to your eyes? Where are your glasses?”
Before Hurriya could speak, Yasir’s words at the gate replayed in her mind. He, too, couldn’t tell Amma. How much more she? It was as if someone sewed her mouth shut—she couldn’t utter a single word. Only tears flowed.
“Innalillahi Wa’inna Ilaihiraji’un…”
Amma whispered, her heart pounding. She knew her daughter wouldn’t come home in such a state unless something serious had happened. Yet Hurriya clung to her like she wanted to disappear inside her.
“Hurriya, take it easy. Remember your little brother is in my stomach. Or come here, let me hug you if that's what you want.”
Gwaggo said. Hurriya shook her head and held Amma tighter.
“Did someone beat you?”
She shook her head.
“Did someone pour something in your eyes?”
She shook her head.
“Did you fight with someone?”
She shook her head.
“For Allah’s sake, open your mouth and speak. What happened? Did you fight with Hamad? I know he can hit you badly because I wasn’t home.”
The mention of Hamad made Hurriya burst into louder tears.
“Yasir brought her. She was talking at first, but now she can’t say anything.”
“Maybe she fought with Hamad and is scared to tell me so I won’t scold him.”
Amma’s heart leaned toward this idea, especially seeing Hurriya crying harder when Hamad’s name was mentioned.
“Hamad is impossible! He never gets along with his siblings. He doesn’t even pity her.”
Rukayya said.
Gwaggo added, “Not all siblings live peacefully. That’s how some are.”
“But his own is becoming too much.”
Amma remained silent, listening to Hurriya’s loud, painful breathing…