A few hours has gone by since we got the devastating news about Abe’s disappearance. Ismail was able to get the pilot to get the ne ready in record time. We are currently flying back to America. Fatima has been crying so much I feared she might make herself sick. She is sleeping now, finally agreeing to rest. I can’t imagine what Fatima is going through at the moment. The uncertainty of what is happening to your loved one makes the imagination go wild. You don’t know if the person is well or is being treated well. You don’t know if the person is fed or not. You don’t know if they are torturing your loved one or not. The horrors the person might be facing might be unbearable. The uncertainties are so many, you might lose your mind. I can’t imagine anyone from my family getting kidnapped, like maybe Waheeda’s children or even Ismail. No! I should not let my imagination even go there. My life would feel like it’s been shattered from the horrors I will face if I were to lose him. Ismail. He never had the chance to tell me what he meant when he said I mean a lot to him. I wonder if he was going to tell me he likes me or even tells me he loves me. What if he loves me? Do I love him? How do you know you love someone? I don’t know if what I feel for Ismail is love yet, but I know after the conversation we had a few hours ago my feelings for him are growing. I don’t where it is all going to lead to.


    I step out of the bedroom to get a ss of water. I walk to the kitchen area on the ne and walk towards the fridge. I am closing the fridge after taking a bottle of water when I see Udar sitting on one of the kitchen stools.


    “You scared me,” I say, holding my bottle of water close to my chest.


    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. How is Fatima doing?” Udar is looking forlorn like we all are.


    “She is better, she is sleeping,” I say sitting on a stool opposite him.


    “Alhamdulih (Praise be to Ah). I know Fatima mes herself for what is happening to her sister. I me myself too. I wish I could do something,” Udar says, talking about the fact that we are guessing Liz might be the one behind Abe’s kidnapping.


    “You guys have not done anything wrong by being in love with one another. And we might be wrong about Liz being the one responsible for Abe’s kidnapping. We just have to wait until we get back to be sure. And what we can do now is to pray a lot for Abe. I suggest we all wake up for night prayers.”


    “Yeah, you might be right. I will keep praying for us to find her soon.”


    “Alright, that’s good. I will head back to check on Fatima,” I say walking towards the bedroom. I walk back to the room to sleep and the next time I open my eyes, we arending in America. Alhamdulih (Praise be to Ah) we are back safely.


    As soon as wend, we all drive to Fatima’s house. Udar already had cars waiting, so we did not have to call anyone toe and pick us up. Fatima is awake and she is not crying, but she is in deep thought and has not said much since we arrived. I don’t even know how to help my friend. Ya Ah, please let us find Abe soon and safe.


    It is in the evening, so we must wait till tomorrow to meet the detective in charge of Abe’s case, but we are still going to meet with Fatima’s mom to find out what happened.


    We reach Fatima’s house. Fatima does not wait for anyone before she runs out of the car and pulls her mom into a deep hug as she starts crying again. Her parents were waiting at the front door for us. We say Sm to them before stepping inside. Once we are seated, Fatima is the one who breaks the silence.


    “How did you know Abe was kidnapped?” Fatima says, finally speaking more than three words since everything happened.


    “Abe went out yesterday to see a friend, but she did note back on time. I kept calling her, but she didn’t answer her phone or texts. Then I received a message, and it was a video. I will y the video for you,” Aisha, Fatima’s mom says.


    The video she ys shows a woman. She is a brte and looks older than I am, maybe Ismail’s age. She looks like she has not slept in days with bags under her eyes, and her eyes are bloodshot. She is blocking the camera so we can’t see anything but her. I wonder who she is. I hope that is not Liz, because I can’t imagine the guilt Udar and Fatima would feel if it’s her who kidnapped Abe. She re-adjusts the camera before she starts speaking. I also get a better view of where she is. The room she is in is dark, like a basement or something. I can’t really tell. There is not much lighting, but there is enough to see her face. She begins by saying.


    “Hello, Mrs. Haruna. I am sure by now you would be wondering where your precious little daughter is. I will tell you where she is. Here.” she says andughs an evil, wickedugh.


    She steps back from the camera and we see Abe behind her. She is tied to a chair. She looks exhausted but other than that she looks fine. Alhamdulih (Praise be to Ah) that crazy woman did not do anything to harm her. Oh, Ah, please keep our dear Abe safe. After the woman in the room finishesughing, she continues speaking.


    “If you want your precious little daughter back, tell your other daughter and her lover toe back from wherever they eloped to. Bye, see you when theye back.” she says, waving like a maniac while the video ends.


    “I knew it was because of me. It’s entirely my fault.” Fatima deres and starts crying, and this time I don’t think it’s only because Abe was kidnapped but about who kidnapped Abe and why.


    That tells me the woman in the video was Liz, the woman obsessed with Udar. Fatima is going to feel like everything is her fault, but it’s not. I can’t let my friend drown in guilt. I will have to talk to her. I am about to speak, but Udar beats me to it.


    “Fatima if anyone should be at fault it should be me. I am…” Udar starts, giving voice to the same guilt Fatima is feeling.


    I can’t let these two people feel guilty for something that is clearly not their fault. I don’t allow Udar to finish talking before I cut him off.


    “No! Neither of you are at fault!” I state firmly, but they look at me like as if what I am saying is rubbish.


    “Umit, how can you say that? You clearly heard her say she kidnapped Abe because of us,” Fatima says.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    “Yes, I heard her. But that does not make it your fault. And do you know why?”


    “No,” Udar and Fatima both answer.


    “Because that psychopathic mad woman thinks you guys eloped and we all know you guys did not. We all went on a business trip. I know Fatima that you might think if you hadn’t gone on the trip none of it would have happened. But I need to remind you when something bad happens, and you start thinking of ‘what if’ that is Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) work. He wants you to feel guilty for something you can never go back and change. Ah has decreed that what has happened to Abe is to happen. There is nothing we can do to change it. We all know you would never have joined the trip if you even had a suspicion anything like this could happen. You were not even meant toe, but you did at thest minute, and Ah knows why. We don’t know the future, but by Ah’s mercy and grace, we will find Abe safe and sound and soon,” I say tearing up and getting emotional.


    “Ameen!” everyone in the room answers.


    “And Udar, I am not done. I know you might also be thinking that if you hadn’t hired Liz, all of this wouldn’t be happening. But I will tell you the same as I told Fatima. That is Shaytaan’s (Satan) work so don’t think like that. I know you feel guiltier than Fatima, but it’s not your fault. You did not know Liz was going to turn out like this when you hired her. Ah has already decreed what happens, happens, so don’t me yourself. And I also know you think that if you hadn’t invited Fatima on this trip, maybe Liz would not have thought you guys eloped. But who could have guessed she would think like that? We all know Fatima was not meant toe on this trip, but Ah made here at thest minute for a reason. So, don’t beat yourself up for things you can’t change and could not have known. All we can do now is pray hard and look for Abe, and In Shaa Ah everything will be fine soon,” I say sending him an assuring smile. I don’t even know where the words I said came from, but I knew I had to say something before I lose good friends to guilt.


    “Umit, I don’t know what to say to you but thank you, you made me feel better,” Fatima gives me a hug and smiles a little.


    “You don’t have to thank me. I am always here to help you, and I am happy I made you feel better,” I say hugging her back while Udar sends me a soft smile. That alone tells me he also feels better.


    After the conversation we all eat dinner and pray before saying bye to Udar and Ismail. I am not going home tonight. I will spend the night at Fatima’s house. I don’t want her to feel the void of her sister not being around too much. I tell Ismail to exin everything to Waheeda when he gets home and to say hi to everyone for me. Udar and Fatima n to go and meet the detective in charge of Abe’s case tomorrow. In Shaa Ah the police will have good news tomorrow.