The Young Scholar Episode 15

 

 

Khadijah – Yes Abdulrasaq, I love you and I want to spend
the rest of my life with you. You bring out the best in me and ever since you
came to this town, I’ve been closer to Allah and I want to do more if only you
knew the love I had for you is a push for me.

Abdulrasaq – I’m sorry Khadijah… Believe me I know getting
married complete half our deen but I haven’t thought about it and that’s why I
avoid distraction. Yes I know you like me and so many other girls too and all
because of my gift. You know it’s really hard to make a good choice and I also
have to be careful…

Khadijah – What are you saying naw… Are you saying I’m
part of the distraction? (She squeezed her face) and who are this other girls
crushing on you? Please don’t let them come close to you, they don’t love you
like I do

Abdulrasaq – (took a deep breathe) Khadijah you’re a decent
woman and I respect you a lot. We will get to talk about this better, years
from now and that’s maybe.

Khadijah – Why years from now? Why not now? Abdulrasaq you
are getting me angry again

Abdulrasaq – Hey smile my dear… You are very special to me
okay and I want you to concentrate on Your SSCE exams and Focus on how to
complete your education.

Khadijah – I know but you are my focus… when things
between us are good I do better.

Abdulrasaq – No my dear. You’ve always been better and
You’ll always been better as long as you don’t get angry with me for no reason.
You can see I had addressed you as ‘’Dear’’ twice today. I haven’t done that
for anyone

Khadijah – (smiled) Thanks dearie…

Abdulrasaq – You’re welcome… You can call Amina, so you
continue with her hair.

Khadijah – Okay… Amina (she called her little sister)

Amina – Ma I’m coming

Abdulrasaq – I forgot to tell you… I would be travelling
to Kene soon.

Khadijah – when ? and hope everything is fine?

Abdulrasaq – Everything is fine… Just wanted to go and see
my Mom. I’ve missed her. I Didn’t get a (letter) reply from her at all.

Khadijah – Okay… So when are you really planning to
travel?

Abdulrasaq – Next weekend. First I’ll have to inform my
friends In the masjid.

Khadijah – No no no… Please you will have to extend the
time, You need to coach me for my exams and maybe before you know it, you might
receive a later from your mom.

Amina – (came outside with a comb and lali on her right
hands. She sat on the small stool in front of khadijah)

Abdulrasaq – but you’re doing pretty good and I know
you’d  do well without me

Khadijah – Please abdulrasaq, do this for me

Abdulrasaq – It’s okay, I’ve heard you… I will stay a
little longer

Khadijah – Thank you very much…. This will mean a lot to
me, you know

Abdulrasaq – hmmm… Okay. I’m going inside to rest before
it’s time for prayer

Khadijah – Okay bye…

 

Few Minutes Later…

 Mummy Khadijah
arrived from the market. She held a big sack on her head, It was a package of
the foodstuff she bought from the markert.

Khadijah & Amina- Asalamulaykum ma.. mummy welcome ma

Mummy Khadijah – Wa alaykum salam.. How una dey?.. see as
everywhere quiet.

Khadijah – we are all fine ma. Farook and Samad dey sleep

Mummy Khadijah –  Okay
no wonder everywhere calm. You don almost plait amina hair finish

Khadijah – Yes oh

Mummy Khadijah – Abdulrasaq they house so?

Khadiijah – Yes ma.. He enter house not quite long.

Mummy Khadijah – (She spoke to her daughter in a low tune) I
dey hear say all the girls for SS2 and 3 dey write later they give abdulrasaq
ohh

Khadijah – What?? (Abdulrasaq words ringing in her head)
[Yes I know you like me and so many other girls too and all because of my
gift].

Mummy Khadijah – The matter very serious ohh… Me and your
principal see today, na him tell me everything he say one of the teacher na dey
pressure am to query abdulrasaq but he know say abdulrasaq na decent man and he
no get anything to do with those girls.

Khadijah – SS3 girls? And SS2

Mummy Khadijah – My daughter the matter tire me oo

Khadijah – Don’t you think we need to tell him now so he
would know what’s going on at his back? Because I believe he has nothing to do
with anybody

Mummy Khadijah – Anytime he come out I will tell him.

Khadijah – He needs to know, I know those teachers are just
pretending to like him all these months. Most especially Uncle Henry our former
maths teacher.

Mummy Khadijah – It could be ohh… dem just dey worry the
young boy. Because say he dey very intelligent and decent. I trust he had
nothing to do with any of them but he could have reported them instead. Now see
how things is going, rumours are spreading fast.

Khadijah – Allah will fight his enemies and no one can spoil
his name for me at all

Mummy Khadijah – (Suprised) Spoil his name for you?..
Khadijah?

Khadijah – (In shock as she realised the word she said and
how she expressed her emotion) No mummy I’m just furious

Mummy Khadijah – Na English you dey speak. Na me back you
for back no be you back me. You hear

Khadijah – All these parable for one word… Hanha mummy..

{They both laugh over it…}

 

Later in the evening Abdulrasaq left early to the mosque
because he slept over and skipped Asr. He hurried up so he could join his
friends in the dawah but he couldn’t meet up. He was so hungry so he had to
branch a restaurant to eat.

 

Abdulrasaq – Madam please serve me eba and egusi soup

Waitress – Okay, (she went in to dish the food and came out
with it few minutes later..)

Waitress – Here is your food

Abdurasaq – Thank you ma (He made dua for the meal and
started eating)

 A man named Anord
walked into the restaurant with two other guys (Willy and Andrew)… it seems
they followed abdulrasaq as they saw him going inside.

Anord – This is the man my daughter is sending love letters
to… (pointing to abdulrasaq) two of you deal with him

The waitress who’s the
owner of the shop shouted from inside her shop please make una carry una wahala
go outside oo..

Abdulrasaq – Please sir, can we sit down and talk about
this?

Anord – sit down where? You are lucky I didn’t come here
with the police. Andrew and willy I said deal with him now.

 

Abdulrasaq drank little water to digest his food. He drop
the money for the food on the table while the boys dragged him out of the shop
in a way that he can’t run…

There’s no one who knew him so well around there and no one
to help him from this trouble…

 

To be Continued…

 

Written by Masud Umoru