Sabon littafin bilyn Abdul

English Version

She began to cry, "I swear, I am going to Daddy's house," but he didn't say anything. Aunty Bily said, "Since she really wants to go, why don't you just take her?" He shot a glare at Aunty Bily through the mirror, and she immediately fell silent.

This is from Bilyn Abdul's new novel, Sabon Al’amari.

Ya Mahmud and Aunty Bily went outside, but Nurr stayed in the car. He opened the door, lifted her out completely, closed the door with his foot, and carried her while she kept wriggling in his arms. He paid no attention to her struggles, and went straight to her bed, where he set her down. He stared at her intensely and said, "Calm down! Look at the time, it’s already past 10 p.m. Daddy’s house is closed by now. If God wills, you can go in the morning." She stopped crying and asked, "Are you serious?"

Ya Umar closed his eyes and nodded yes. She smiled sweetly and said, "Okay then." He gave her a mischievous smile and left the room. Nurr pouted, thinking to herself, I swear, I’m going to cry until you give in. Tomorrow morning, as soon as it’s light, I’ll go to Daddy’s house (I said, Well, good luck with that).

She got up to take a bath and was surprised to find the room tidy. Aunty Bily must be the one cleaning it every day, she thought. That’s why I love her so much. May God keep us together. She said, "Ameen" to herself.

After her bath, she dressed in shorts that reached her knees and a small light shirt. She rubbed her stomach and said, "I’m starting to feel hungry. Let me see if they have anything I can eat." She went into the living room where she found Ya Mahmud and Aunty Bily eating. She sat down with a pout and said, "Aunty, I’m so hungry!" Aunty Bily quickly asked, "Hungry, Nurr? What do you want to eat?" Nurr thought for a moment and said, "I could just have garri with sugar and groundnuts."

Ya Mahmud burst out laughing, "Garri? So, we're eating like the Igbo tonight, huh? Where are we supposed to find garri and groundnuts at this hour?" Aunty Bily said, "Why didn’t you tell us before we came home? We could have found it in the area we visited, but it’s too late now to send anyone out. Tell me what else you would like to eat."

Nurr pouted, upset by Ya Mahmud’s laughter, and said, "Aunty, can’t you see he’s laughing at me?" Aunty Bily smiled and said, "Ignore him. Next time he craves something and feels sick, we’ll get back at him." Nurr nodded in agreement.

Ya Mahmud smiled, "So, it seems you both like to get back at each other. Is that what you came here for?" Nurr made a_face_at_him and looked_away_from_the_food, "I’m_not_eating this. I don’t even want to look at the rice, it’s making me feel sick."

Sabon littafin bilyn Abdul part 2 

Ya Mahmud looked at her with sympathy, "Okay, what do you want to eat then?" She said, "Tuwo." He replied, "Maybe we can find some at Fahad’s house; he loves eating tuwo. Let me call him." He picked up his phone and called Fahad. After some greetings, he asked, "Fahad, do you have tuwo at your house?"

Fahad answered, "Yes, but who’s going to eat tuwo now?"

"It’s Nurr, she says she wants tuwo. You_know how_she is," said_Ya_Mahmud. "Is the baby giving her trouble again? So, what’s the plan? Do I bring it over?" asked Fahad, laughing.

"No, she’s here at our house. She just came back."

"Okay, I’ll have Hindatu bring some over."

"Thank you. Say hello to the kids for me."

"They’re already asleep," said Fahad.

Not long after, Hindatu arrived with a bowl of delicious wheat tuwo and fresh okra soup. She_greeted_them, "Aunty_asked_me to_bring this_for_you."

"Thank you, Hindatu," said Ya Mahmud, handing her a small gift before she left, thanking him profusely.

Nurr came down and served herself some tuwo. "This is really good," she said. "Just eat, young lady," Ya Mahmud teased.

She ate her fill and washed it down with water. Exhausted, she flopped onto the living room couch, breathing heavily. By 11 p.m., Ya Mahmud stood up and said, "I think I’ll call it a night. I have_work_in_the_morning." They_all headed_to_their_rooms.

In her room, Nurr sat on the bed, getting ready to sleep, when Ya Mahmud walked in. She looked up at him, her eyes widening. He was wearing his sleep clothes, which looked really good on him. He winked at her, and she couldn't stop staring. She sighed and looked away, feeling shy.

Sabon littafin bilyn Abdul last part 

Noticing this, he sat next to her with a smile. "I was just_about_to_go_to_bed," she_said. "I already slept earlier at Deena’s house."

"How’s your health?" he asked, looking at her face. Nurr could feel herself blushing. She was being playful, and he knew that every man adores a pregnant woman. But tonight, Nurr had captured his heart even more. "Where_will I go_with_all_this_charm_of yours?" he teased, stroking her hair. He wanted to see her walk like a pregnant woman, knowing they were all in for more of her antics. His thoughts wandered as he drifted off to sleep.

At dawn, while Ya Mahmud and Aunty Bily were having their pre-fast meal, Nurr came downstairs and joined them. "What’s going on, Nurr?" asked Ya Mahmud.

"I’m here to eat. I want to fast too," she replied, sitting beside Aunty Bily.

"Fasting? Nurr, you need to rest and recover first," said Aunty Bily.

"I feel fine, Aunty. I can do it," insisted Nurr.

"Alright, what will you eat for suhoor?" asked Ya Mahmud.

"I’ll just have some tea," she said.

He made her a light tea, and she drank it without feeling sick. Afterward, she prayed and went to sleep on her prayer mat. Ya Mahmud didn’t return until morning light. He checked on her and found her sleeping on the floor, so he gently carried her to the bed, making sure she was comfortable.

At noon, Nurr finally woke up. She quickly bathed and got dressed, realizing she had overslept. She had planned to leave for Daddy’s house early, but it was already midday. She put on her hijab and hurried out of the room. However, she wasn’t sure if she could keep fasting with how weak she felt.

When she stepped into the living room, no one was around. Aunty Bily was likely still sleeping. Nurr slipped out quietly, but as soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into Ya Mahmud, who was locking his car. She stopped and stared at him.

"Where are you going at this time of day?" he asked.

"To Daddy’s house," she replied.

"In this heat? Why don’t you wait until later in the evening? It’s too hot now," he suggested.

"But I_want_to_go_now," she_insisted, pouting.

He put his car key in his pocket and said, "Come on, let’s go back inside. I’ll take you later in the evening, just like I brought you here." He took her hand and led her back inside without waiting for her response.