Six

Lawisa took a deep breath as she remembered her talk with Bilal's mother last night. The woman remind her so much of her own mother, which is the reason why she refused to get close with the lovely woman in the first place.

Luckily the woman understood where she was coming from and let her be. Lawisa can't still believe that she is so close off to such a lovely woman. Something clenched her chest and she find it difficult to breath, rubbing her left palm on her chest. It took her back to the first day she met Aunty Laila at the hospital. The woman was so kind to have talk to her, she was so desperate and needed someone to talk to. Lawisa was used to having people around, but then when she needed them, no one was there.

Zarah was only two weeks old and very sick, Lawisa was seated on the corridor's waiting chair. Where the incubator rooms are for premature babies. She was crying with some much pain and sobbing hard, that anyone close could hear her, but she was the only one there, people only come and go. Laila was passing through when she heard the faint noise. She sat close to Lawisa and ask her the matter.

"What is wrong with you, dear?"

Lawisa can only cry more, whilst Laila watch her sadly. "Did you lost someone, my child?" She asked again, who is so emotional herself sensing Lawisa's condition.

"I lost all my family." Lawisa sobs, and lone tears escape from Laila's eyes. She put Lawisa's hand into hers and squeezed them gently.

"I am so sorry for your lost, dear. You're indeed in a big dilemma, i am willing to help if you need anything." After a minutes of silence Lawisa added.

"My family abandoned me and I left them, and my baby is a premature. She has so many complications. The doctors doesn't even know if she will pull through. She is so fragile and I don't know how to take care of her. I don't know what to do, I can't lose her too. She sobs again and Laila hugs her so close to her and Lawisa cry on her shoulder.

Laila being a psychologist knows that Lawisa is a victim of circumstances. What she don't know is why her family abandoned her with premature baby all to herself. The girl look too good and decent to be abandoned. Her family must be so heartless to treat her harshly with a new baby whatever the fault maybe.

"I am here for whatever you may need, dear." Just then Bilal show up looking for his mother.

"Mama, i finally found you. Hanifa has given birth already. Beside what are you doing here?" He asked his mother whom Lawisa was holding so tight. Hearing a man's voice made

her to raise her head up from Laila's shoulder. And Bilal was taken a back by the beautiful sight in front of him.

Oh Lord of creation, how can one look so beautiful even after crying so much, because hey, even a blind person can tell this angel has been crying, the swollen eyes and red nose said it all. He mentally told himself staring at Lawisa in awe.

"Go and be with your sister, i will be there in twenty minute, okay." Laila ordered, but Bilal's mind was somewhere attached to Lawisa's face.

"Bilal!" She called out and snapped him out of his daydream.

"Yes, mama."

"I said go ahead, i will be there, leave now." Only then did Bilal left, that too by looking behind until he finally couldn't see them.

"I am sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to disturbed your peace. Please, forget everything i told you, i don't know what i was saying." Lawisa apologized who is sobbed now, she couldn't look at Laila's face, because she is afraid of seeing the same look her parent gave her.

"My child, it's okay to not be okay. I don't know who you are, and i promise you, i am not a judgemental person. So rest assured, what you told me is safe with me, please do allow me to assist you somewhere, okay."

"Thank you, ma'am." The woman smiled and introduced herself.

"My name is Lawisa." She said with a small smile

"Almighty Allah, he will never abandoned you, dear. Just have faith in Him and wait everything will uphold itself."

The knock on Lawisa's office door brought her back to reality, she composed herself and told the person to come in.

"Assalamu alaikum." Bilal greeted as he sat on one the two chairs infront Lawisa's deck, he was holding a newspaper in his hand and wearing his usual teasing smile.

"Wa' alaika salam, I was about to come to your office and have a talk with you." The grin on Bilal's face grows even bigger hearing that.

"Lucky me, what's it that you want

to talk about with me." Lawisa only smiles and says.

"I have ordered food for us, we can eat and discuss things before the meeting."

"Am I safe? this is too much for me to handle, and so much sweetness from you." She glare at him and he swallowed the next question in.

"Stop kidding around, you said that you will tell me about your trip to the north." Bilal stare at her now really confused at her gestures, and thinking that she is being weird today.

"By the way, this is your today's newspaper, i am using it, though."

"You knew i don't read anything news, Bilal."

"Yeah, you're afraid of the news world or the people mentioned in the news. You don't want to find out about something that you're certain, you will find it right there, right?"

"Bilal, stop making assumption and jumping to conclusion, i just don't like the news. That's it, period."

"If you said so, Iron lady."

"BILAL!" She pressed the name.

"Hey, I am sorry, it was just a slip of tongue, okay. "

"Oh come on, don't act dump with me i know you all call me that around here. Just because i don't talk doesn't mean, i am oblivious to what's happening around me."

"I am sorry."

"Don't be, there is nothing to be sorry about. "

He stare at her sadly, she don't even care about the names they called her like iron lady, broken angel, Alien beauty. And so much more, some of their envious colleagues even goes further and called bad names, that he hoped she is not aware of. He had seen Lawisa in a vulnerable condition and he knew better than to judge her. Even though his mother claimed not to know anything about Lawisa, he knew that it wasn't true.