THE MORNING AFTER

From the first call to prayer, some members of the household and their guests began preparing for breakfast. Hajjo, who had spent the night angry with Nu’aymah and didn’t call her, headed to their section while Nu’aymah was still arguing about yesterday, even though it was supposed to be her wedding day.

Those who went outside where the cooking was set up greeted her, but she barely responded, still focused on reaching Nu’aymah’s room. None of them stood up, as most were still half-asleep. Hajjo turned on the room’s light, calling out, "Zainab! Zainab, where are you?"

Amal was the first to stir since she wasn’t deep in sleep. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and grumbling, "Hajjo! You came in here disturbing us with your noise, I swear!"

"Your father Lurwanu is the noisy one, shameless woman!" Hajjo shot back, deliberately provoking her by mentioning her father.

Amal scowled and lay back down, irritated.

"I got up to ask where Zainab is!"

"She’s not in your section," Amal replied, turning her back.

"Safiya, stop this nonsense. If she’s in your section, why would I come looking for her here?"

"Allah, Hajjo, she’s in your section! After she came back last night, we told her you were looking for her, so she went there."

Nanah, who had just woken up, added sleepily, "Then she must be in her mother’s room or with Fauza. I didn’t see her—only Adawiya slept in my room."

Hajjo sighed. "Fine, then she must be in Addah’s section. Umm and Mom slept there, and I know Nu’aymah wouldn’t go sleep with them."

"I checked Fauza’s place earlier. You should get up and pray—it’s time."

"Alright," Nanah muttered. Amal didn’t say another word until Hajjo left.

Hajjo walked out just as Umm entered. The two exchanged glances, silently searching for Nu’aymah, but she wasn’t among them. Before Umm could ask, Hajjo returned with Addah behind her.

Respectfully, Umm stood to greet Hajjo. Briefly, she answered her question—no, Nu’aymah hadn’t slept in her room. Umm’s face fell, her body stiffening as she swallowed hard. "No, Hajjo, she didn’t sleep here."

"We’ve checked three places already," Addah said, stepping further into the room. "You didn’t sleep with Nu’aymah, right?"

Yusrah shook her head. "No, Addah, we didn’t. After you mixed her bathwater and left, she came in with Adawiya. I told her the water was ready, and she said okay. But she barely stayed—she left almost immediately. I was already half-asleep by then."

A clear tension settled over Umm and Addah’s faces. Without another word, they left to search the rest of the house, checking if Nu’aymah had slept elsewhere.

They checked Mom’s section—Abdallah’s mother—who said she hadn’t seen Nu’aymah since the wedding. They even checked Amal’s room again, but only the two younger Amals were asleep. The other rooms were either locked or too crowded to enter, but they searched anyway. No trace of her.

They moved to Abba Musbahu’s section, but his wives Ammi and Ummah said they hadn’t seen her. They checked Yusrah’s room and the girls’ section—still nothing. They returned to Addah’s area, then Hajjo’s. By now, everyone was growing restless. Even those who had managed to pray Subh couldn’t focus.

No one thought to check the young men’s area, but they did—she wasn’t there either. By now, it was clear: Nu’aymah was not in the house. The young men and Baba Malam had returned from the mosque, and everyone gathered, discussing in hushed tones. They questioned Yusrah again, who insisted she had last seen her with Adawiya, who was now crying uncontrollably.

Dawn had fully broken. Those who hadn’t prayed left to do so, their minds elsewhere. Umm could barely speak, her heart heavy. Baba Malam simply watched in silence. Hajjo had already started crying. Abdallah, the groom, was visibly distressed but said nothing, choosing instead to search the rooms again, pacing anxiously.

By 11 AM, there was still no sign of Nu’aymah. Then, they found a note on the windowsill of her room—four shoeprints suggesting someone had climbed through.

Nanah was the one who spotted the paper. She took it to where Baba Malam stood with the others and handed it over. Adawiya’s father took it from her, unfolding it carefully. Every eye in the room was fixed on him.

"Assalamu alaikum, my parents."

"Please be patient with what you will wake up to—my mistake. I swear, I no longer want Abdallah. My heart belongs to another. I know none of you will understand, let alone accept this, but I swear, I love Ameer more than you could ever imagine. I couldn’t bear the hardship of marrying Abdallah, and I didn’t want to ruin the bond between our families. That’s why I chose to run away with Ameer. You can marry him to one of my cousins instead."

"I promise, if all goes well, I will return, and you can marry me to my beloved Ameer. I hope you won’t be angry with me, for Allah’s sake.