Since morning until now, around six in the evening, Hafeez has been at home and hasn’t gone anywhere. Hajiya Kaka has been observing him; apart from pacing back and forth from the compound to the living room, he hasn’t been doing anything.

Even now they are sitting together watching television, but his mind is not on what they are watching at all. He looked at the watch fastened around his smooth wrist, then stood up and walked out to the compound. He went straight to the security guards and asked,

“Did a girl come to see me today?”

The guard, extremely surprised by Hafeez’s question, said,

“Wallahi, no girl came. Since morning when you left and returned, I haven’t gone anywhere. I’ve been sitting here waiting, hoping I would hear someone greet so that I could go inform you.”

Hafeez turned around worriedly without saying anything. When he entered the living room, he went straight to his room. Hajiya Kaka followed him with her eyes; she could clearly see the worry written on his face.

---

The next day, Uncle Hamza came to the house. Ta Rasulu served him food, and while he ate they chatted a little. Inna looked at Hafeeza and asked,

“Hafeeza, who did you give the leftover kosai to yesterday as charity?”

Hafeeza’s eyes widened and her heart began to pound, especially since Uncle Hamza was sitting there. Quickly she stood up, grabbed her hijab and said,

“Let me go and bring you the money.”

But when she stepped outside, she became confused. Was she really going to that house just to collect money? She decided instead to go to Maman Fadila’s house. But when she arrived, the house was locked, and it seemed she had gone out.

She squatted there, full of regret. Why did she even tell him she would come and collect the money from him? Would she just go there and say, “I came for the money”? After all, she had only said she would come so that he would stop insisting.

Her heart kept pounding. As she walked away, she thought about meeting him. After she had gone quite far, she suddenly remembered that the address he gave her was still at home. She turned back and returned home.

Uncle Hamza was still there, discussing with Inna about how they would start renovating their house. Hafeeza went to her things, found the address card, and left again. She headed toward the house while silently praying in her heart. Whenever she remembered Maman Fadila’s advice, she felt a little calmer.

When she entered the street of the neighborhood, her heartbeat increased again after seeing the large houses lined up there. She checked the house number on the card in her hand and slowly walked forward until she reached a magnificent house.

Her heart dropped. The house frightened her so much that she quickly stepped back. She moved to the side of another house and waited, hoping that maybe he would come out so they could meet without her having to enter.

She stood there for almost twenty minutes. The street was extremely quiet; someone could even be kidnapped there without anyone knowing. Finally, she went to the gate and knocked with trembling hands.

Almost immediately the gate opened. Danladi the driver looked at her and felt like he recognized her, but he couldn’t remember where from. Confused, he asked,

“Where are you from?”

In a shaky voice she said,

“I came to… to…”

She suddenly became confused and couldn’t remember whose name to mention. Seeing that she had nothing to say, Danladi closed the gate and went back inside.

Worried, she held her forehead and looked again at the gate. She almost knocked again but stopped, asking herself: If he opens again, whose name will I say I came to see?

She decided to return to Maman Fadila’s house instead. If she came back, she would borrow some money from her and give it to Inna. If she eventually met the man later, he could give the money to Maman Fadila instead.

Feeling relieved by the decision she made, she turned and left.

---

Meanwhile inside the house, Hafeez was sitting with Hajiya Kaka in the living room. He was wearing three-quarter trousers reaching his knees and a sleeveless shirt that exposed his muscular arms. He was speaking softly on the phone while Hajiya Kaka tried to listen carefully, suspecting he might be talking to a woman.

He turned and looked at her, then ended the call and said,

“Let me hang up so you’ll stop stretching your ears.”

Hajiya Kaka glared at him but quietly moved her ear away.

He sighed and asked,

“Where are the children?”

Hajiya Kaka replied,

“I sent them to go buy me kosai. I wanted to send Danladi since he’s the one who usually buys it for me, but he wasn’t around.”

Hafeez didn’t respond. He stood up and walked out to the compound, heading straight to the gate guard.

“Baba, didn’t a girl—like a poor street girl—come looking for me today?”

The guard replied,

“Actually, no… but Danladi just left. Before he left he told me to watch the gate carefully because earlier a girl came. He thought she might be one of those Arab refugees who recently entered the city.”

Before he even finished speaking, Hafeez closed his eyes in frustration. Anger rose inside him.

“You mean Danladi chased her away?”

“Yes, that’s what happened. I swear I had only gone to the toilet at that time.”

Hafeez said in distress,

“But whether it’s Danladi or anyone else, you shouldn’t chase her away!”

The guard remained silent. It was obvious Hafeez was deeply upset about missing the girl, considering how he had been asking about her since yesterday.

Angrily he stamped his foot and walked inside, looking as if he might cry. He went straight to his room to get his car key so he could go out, hoping he might find her.

---

Meanwhile, as Hafeeza walked, someone suddenly pulled her hijab from behind. She turned and saw Hassana and Hussaina, girls from her class. She smiled warmly, her dimples appearing.

“Hafeeza! So you’re around here?” Husna said.

Before she could answer, Hassana said,

“Since you’re in our street, you must come greet our grandmother.”

They insisted, holding her hand. She finally agreed and went with them.

But as they walked, she suddenly realized they were heading toward the same house whose address she had been given. Her mind froze.

What does this mean? Is this Husna’s house? What connection does that man have with them?

They entered the house respectfully. Inside the compound, Hafeeza was stunned by the beauty of the place. She had never in her life entered such a magnificent house.

Inside the living room, cool air from the air conditioner and a sweet fragrance filled the room. She stepped on the soft carpet in amazement, thinking about the luxurious life Hassana’s family lived—yet they never behaved arrogantly like some rich people’s children.

Hajiya Kaka looked at them and said jokingly,

“You came back empty-handed?”

Hassana brought Hafeeza forward and said,

“Kaka, this is our friend Hafeeza—the one who received gifts the day we graduated. Remember?”

After thinking for a moment, Hajiya Kaka said,

“Yes! Isn’t she the one with that sweet voice you said the clothes fit perfectly except for Hafeeza’s waist?”

Everyone burst into laughter.

They continued chatting happily. Hafeeza noticed that Hajiya Kaka was very humorous and easy to talk to.

Soon the conversation turned to marriage. Hassana teased,

“Hafeeza, what about suitors? When will we attend your wedding?”

Hafeeza smiled shyly.

“I don’t know.”

At that exact moment, Hafeez opened his bedroom door to come out. His face was still gloomy from missing the girl he had been searching for.

But the moment his eyes landed on Hafeeza, his heart skipped violently. Quickly he stepped back into the room without them noticing. He left the door slightly open so he could see and hear their conversation.

Meanwhile Hafeeza said thoughtfully,

“I want a man who has memorized the Qur’an. I don’t care if he is not rich. But I want him to be brave… with strong arms.”

Hearing this, Hafeez immediately looked at his muscular arms in surprise.

She continued,

“A quiet man who doesn’t like noise… and very handsome.”

Hafeez quickly looked at his reflection on his phone screen and even adjusted his hair without realizing it.

Just then his phone rang loudly.

The girls turned toward the sound. Hafeez sighed in annoyance at the interruption, composed his face, whispered the shahada, and stepped out of his room.

As he lifted his head from his phone, his eyes locked directly with Hafeeza’s.

Her heart dropped instantly when she saw him—his knee-length shorts, sleeveless shirt exposing tattooed arms, and an earring in his left ear.

She had never seen a man dressed like that before.

Quickly she lowered her head, her heart pounding as she silently prayed:

Oh Allah, please let him not have heard what I said.