She felt as if Mount Uhud had been placed on her head, because of the weight of his words. In shock, she quickly raised her head and looked at Khalipha, her body trembling with confusion and fear.
She began glancing around nervously, afraid someone else might have overheard what Yaya Khalipha had said. But to her relief, everyone was busy with their own affairs; her parents and siblings were far away. She had isolated herself from the crowd before sitting down.
Meanwhile, Khalipha, his shirt collar loose, leaned closer, pouring out words of love that came from the depth of his heart—not just from his lips. With half-closed eyes, his face shone with a beauty she had never noticed in him before.
Her trembling worsened because Khalipha refused to keep silent. She was terrified that his younger siblings, who respected him greatly, might suddenly appear and see what he was doing.
She nearly squatted with fear when she saw Jawahir approaching quickly. Desperately she cried, “Yaya Khalipha, let go of my hand! Look, Jawahir is here!” She struggled to free her hand, which he held tightly as if he would never release it.
But Khalipha didn’t even flinch. He simply turned, waiting for Jawahir’s arrival.
Rahane stood abruptly, yanking her hand free, almost stumbling. She sat down heavily on a tree stump, trying to steady her breath, her heartbeat, and her expression before Jawahir reached them.
Jawahir, though she had seen enough to suspect, maintained her composure. Being mature, she concealed her thoughts, but in her heart she said:
“I knew a day like this would come between Rahane and Yaya Khalipha. Their intimacy, their care for each other at home—it’s enough to raise questions.”
When she reached them, she laughed and sat in front of Khalipha.
“Yaya Khalipha, today you’re the one visiting! Where’s Mami? Where’s Zizah? Where’s Daddy?” she asked rapidly, her mouth wide with joy.
He replied, “So all those queries are for me alone, Jawahir? Which should I answer first?”
She laughed, glanced at Rahane, and teased, “Tell me, Rahane, hasn’t Yaya Khalipha become more handsome?”
Rahane bowed her head and murmured, “I don’t judge people’s looks like gorillas.”
That made him laugh aloud. “Even me, Rahane?” he asked.
The very fact that he called her by that special name “Rahane” was enough to make her smile faintly.
Checking his wristwatch, he realized school closing time had arrived.
“Come on, let’s get to the car so I can carry your luggage—including that of Abida, that silly one,” he said.
They followed him. At the boot, he shared out their luggage, even carefully setting aside Rahane’s own. Again, Jawahir observed silently, though her sharp mind noted everything. Because of the heavy luggage, their younger siblings helped carry them back to the hostel.
From that day onward, Rahane lost her inner peace. Her heart thought of nothing but Yaya Khalipha, day and night. Still, she never allowed it to affect her studies. She had promised herself she would make Baba Dacta proud with excellent results. But whenever she was alone, especially at night, she longed to hear Khalipha’s calm voice saying, “Rahane.”
Separation, Studies, and Growing Love
Eventually, they sat for WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, saying goodbye to Ulul-Albab. By then, Rahane had also written the qualifying exam for entering Senior Secondary.
During this period, Khalipha was assigned to a professional course at the Nigerian Embassy in Morocco, which would last nine months. He was happy about the trip—not only for the training, but also because it gave him some distance from Rayhanah after confessing his feelings.
Though relieved to have revealed his heart, he had no idea what was going on in her mind. Meanwhile, Rahane was left drowning in unspoken emotions, restless in both school and at home. Baba Dacta forbade them from owning phones until they reached university, so there was no communication between her and Khalipha. The absence ate deeply into her.
Time moved forward. Abida and Jawahir gained admission into Bayero University, Kano, while Rahane sat her final exams. She stunned everyone by achieving all A’s and B’s—results neither Abida nor Jawahir had ever achieved.
This joy moved Dr. Mansur deeply. He began thinking of how best to reward her and strengthen her confidence, reminding her that disability was never an excuse for despair. He and Dr. Imam decided to consult top ENT specialists. That was when they remembered Dr. Philips, an elderly Scottish surgeon and Mansur’s former teacher at Trinity University.
Though retired, Dr. Philips still accepted rare, complex cases at his village of Braemar, Scotland. They decided Rahane must meet him.
Even Mami was kept in the dark until the visa preparations were finalized. When she finally learned of the plan, her heart sank with jealousy and suspicion. Why would her husband travel abroad with a young girl like Rahane?
Her thoughts grew darker—recalling Khalipha’s closeness to Rahane, wondering if even her husband harbored similar feelings. Misunderstandings consumed her, turning her face cold towards Rahane.
The Journey to Braemar, Scotland
On the day of departure, Mansur traveled with Dr. Imam, Rahane, and Azizah. They flew out of Lagos on a Sunday night aboard a Boeing 709. During the flight, Mansur gave Rahane a prayer-bead from Madinah, urging her to keep reciting:
“Wa-man-nasaru illa min indillahil Aliyul Azeem. Allahumma ashfiny wa afani, ya Shaafee ya Mu’aafee.”
They landed in Aberdeen, Scotland, and continued immediately to Braemar, a historic village in the Grampian Highlands.
Instead of lodging in hotels, Dr. Philips welcomed them into his country house, with an adjacent guest hut where he often hosted international patients. His wife, Regina, a retired Scottish lawyer, greeted them warmly, along with their two daughters, Cynthia and Chelsea, both university students.
Braemar itself enchanted Rahane. Nestled between rivers Clunie and Dee, surrounded by more than twenty mountains, it was famous for its annual Highland Games—a tradition dating back to Queen Victoria in 1832, still attended by the British royal family.
As they settled in, Dr. Philips began explaining the long history of Braemar—the castles, the heritage center, the ancient Jacobite uprising, and even literary history. They listened intently, marveling at the depth of culture surrounding them.
Finally, after completing the formalities at Spire Little Aston Hospital, Dr. Philips began Rahane’s medical assessments: CT scans, MRI scans, and detailed hearing tests. For two weeks, they waited for results.
One evening, gathered around the computer in his private lab, Dr. Philips began to explain…
Description
Khalipha’s Confession and Rahane’s Fear
She felt as if Mount Uhud had been placed on her head, because of the weight of his words. In shock, she quickly raised her head and looked at Khalipha, her body trembling with confusion and fear.
She began glancing around nervously, afraid someone else might have overheard what Yaya Khalipha had said. But to her relief, everyone was busy with their own affairs; her parents and siblings were far away. She had isolated herself from the crowd before sitting down.
Meanwhile, Khalipha, his shirt collar loose, leaned closer, pouring out words of love that came from the depth of his heart—not just from his lips. With half-closed eyes, his face shone with a beauty she had never noticed in him before.
Her trembling worsened because Khalipha refused to keep silent. She was terrified that his younger siblings, who respected him greatly, might suddenly appear and see what he was doing.
She nearly squatted with fear when she saw Jawahir approaching quickly. Desperately she cried, “Yaya Khalipha, let go of my hand! Look, Jawahir is here!” She struggled to free her hand, which he held tightly as if he would never release it.
But Khalipha didn’t even flinch. He simply turned, waiting for Jawahir’s arrival.
Rahane stood abruptly, yanking her hand free, almost stumbling. She sat down heavily on a tree stump, trying to steady her breath, her heartbeat, and her expression before Jawahir reached them.
Jawahir, though she had seen enough to suspect, maintained her composure. Being mature, she concealed her thoughts, but in her heart she said:
“I knew a day like this would come between Rahane and Yaya Khalipha. Their intimacy, their care for each other at home—it’s enough to raise questions.”
When she reached them, she laughed and sat in front of Khalipha.
“Yaya Khalipha, today you’re the one visiting! Where’s Mami? Where’s Zizah? Where’s Daddy?” she asked rapidly, her mouth wide with joy.
He replied, “So all those queries are for me alone, Jawahir? Which should I answer first?”
She laughed, glanced at Rahane, and teased, “Tell me, Rahane, hasn’t Yaya Khalipha become more handsome?”
Rahane bowed her head and murmured, “I don’t judge people’s looks like gorillas.”
That made him laugh aloud. “Even me, Rahane?” he asked.
The very fact that he called her by that special name “Rahane” was enough to make her smile faintly.
Checking his wristwatch, he realized school closing time had arrived.
“Come on, let’s get to the car so I can carry your luggage—including that of Abida, that silly one,” he said.
They followed him. At the boot, he shared out their luggage, even carefully setting aside Rahane’s own. Again, Jawahir observed silently, though her sharp mind noted everything. Because of the heavy luggage, their younger siblings helped carry them back to the hostel.
From that day onward, Rahane lost her inner peace. Her heart thought of nothing but Yaya Khalipha, day and night. Still, she never allowed it to affect her studies. She had promised herself she would make Baba Dacta proud with excellent results. But whenever she was alone, especially at night, she longed to hear Khalipha’s calm voice saying, “Rahane.”
Separation, Studies, and Growing Love
Eventually, they sat for WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, saying goodbye to Ulul-Albab. By then, Rahane had also written the qualifying exam for entering Senior Secondary.
During this period, Khalipha was assigned to a professional course at the Nigerian Embassy in Morocco, which would last nine months. He was happy about the trip—not only for the training, but also because it gave him some distance from Rayhanah after confessing his feelings.
Though relieved to have revealed his heart, he had no idea what was going on in her mind. Meanwhile, Rahane was left drowning in unspoken emotions, restless in both school and at home. Baba Dacta forbade them from owning phones until they reached university, so there was no communication between her and Khalipha. The absence ate deeply into her.
Time moved forward. Abida and Jawahir gained admission into Bayero University, Kano, while Rahane sat her final exams. She stunned everyone by achieving all A’s and B’s—results neither Abida nor Jawahir had ever achieved.
This joy moved Dr. Mansur deeply. He began thinking of how best to reward her and strengthen her confidence, reminding her that disability was never an excuse for despair. He and Dr. Imam decided to consult top ENT specialists. That was when they remembered Dr. Philips, an elderly Scottish surgeon and Mansur’s former teacher at Trinity University.
Though retired, Dr. Philips still accepted rare, complex cases at his village of Braemar, Scotland. They decided Rahane must meet him.
Even Mami was kept in the dark until the visa preparations were finalized. When she finally learned of the plan, her heart sank with jealousy and suspicion. Why would her husband travel abroad with a young girl like Rahane?
Her thoughts grew darker—recalling Khalipha’s closeness to Rahane, wondering if even her husband harbored similar feelings. Misunderstandings consumed her, turning her face cold towards Rahane.
The Journey to Braemar, Scotland
On the day of departure, Mansur traveled with Dr. Imam, Rahane, and Azizah. They flew out of Lagos on a Sunday night aboard a Boeing 709. During the flight, Mansur gave Rahane a prayer-bead from Madinah, urging her to keep reciting:
“Wa-man-nasaru illa min indillahil Aliyul Azeem. Allahumma ashfiny wa afani, ya Shaafee ya Mu’aafee.”
They landed in Aberdeen, Scotland, and continued immediately to Braemar, a historic village in the Grampian Highlands.
Instead of lodging in hotels, Dr. Philips welcomed them into his country house, with an adjacent guest hut where he often hosted international patients. His wife, Regina, a retired Scottish lawyer, greeted them warmly, along with their two daughters, Cynthia and Chelsea, both university students.
Braemar itself enchanted Rahane. Nestled between rivers Clunie and Dee, surrounded by more than twenty mountains, it was famous for its annual Highland Games—a tradition dating back to Queen Victoria in 1832, still attended by the British royal family.
As they settled in, Dr. Philips began explaining the long history of Braemar—the castles, the heritage center, the ancient Jacobite uprising, and even literary history. They listened intently, marveling at the depth of culture surrounding them.
Finally, after completing the formalities at Spire Little Aston Hospital, Dr. Philips began Rahane’s medical assessments: CT scans, MRI scans, and detailed hearing tests. For two weeks, they waited for results.
One evening, gathered around the computer in his private lab, Dr. Philips began to explain…