Colourful clothes, as she looked at Summayyah, she walked over and touched her.

“Your brother said you should get ready. He will come now and you will travel to Kano.”

Quickly she got down and went into the bathroom. She did not spend long there before she finished getting ready. She looked beautiful, her beauty shining like that of a twenty-five-year-old girl. Her eyes looked as if they had been carefully drawn with kohl; however she moved them, they always captured the attention of anyone who looked at her.

She had barely come out when Ammar entered. His face showed neither praise nor expression. She slightly bowed and greeted him.

“Good morning.”

“Are you well?”

Without looking at her again, he turned toward the door. Quickly she asked:

“Where are my things? Where were they put?”

He did not look at her. He only glanced at his diamond watch.

“Throw them away. We don’t need them. Come, I’m in the car.”

Before she could speak again, he had already left. She looked at her belongings for a moment and then went outside. In the car he sat in the front while she sat at the back, and he drove straight to the airport.

Fear and anxiety filled her heart when she heard that she would board an airplane. When they reached the staircase of the aircraft, she stood still. Ammar turned back in surprise when he noticed she had stopped.

“The plane is not a car that will wait for you.”

Instead of answering, she burst into tears. Annoyed, he returned angrily and grabbed her hand tightly.

“Are you crying because you miss your village, or do you want me to return you to where I picked you from?”

She quickly shook her head. With a childish, trembling voice she said:

“I’m scared… please, can’t we go on foot instead? I think it would be better.”

Ammar suddenly laughed—a rare laugh that even his parents seldom saw. Because of his usual seriousness, it was hard to tell whether he was happy or troubled.

She looked at him carefully. His appearance reminded her of actors from Indian films—very handsome, yet clearly of Arab descent. His fair complexion was different from theirs, and his large eyes were intense; when he fixed them on someone, it was hard to look away.

Finally he said coldly:

“Then try walking on the ground. We’ll meet there.”

Thinking he meant it, she quickly removed her sandals and ran toward him, holding tightly onto his clothes like someone preparing to fight wolves. She closed her eyes as they entered the plane, not letting go until he said:

“Release me before you tear my clothes.”

Slowly she opened her eyes. His large eyes were still fixed on her. He sighed and sat down. Soon they were served snacks.

After the announcement, their plane took off from Lagos to Kano. Sunlight shone through the airplane window. Summayyah looked down at the ground, feeling as if a new life was beginning.

Beside her, Ammar was checking his phone. Yet his eyes kept returning to her. A thought crossed his mind:

“Perhaps her eyes hide a secret stronger than mine.”

Out loud he murmured, “No… that’s impossible.”

Summayyah looked at him curiously but lacked the courage to ask what he meant. When he turned and met her gaze, she quickly looked away, smiling shyly while her heart beat fast.

Watching her play with her fingers beneath the long dress that covered her body, Ammar sighed and thought to himself:

“This girl is not like others. Destiny brought us together. May God give me the strength to return her safely to her parents without harming her.”

---

At 3:30 p.m., their plane landed at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The air was cool and calm.

Summayyah stepped out of the plane quietly, wearing a long black abaya and a soft scarf that Ammar had bought for her in Lagos.

From a distance, Hajiya Maryam stepped out of a car smiling warmly. Her face carried dignity and kindness. She was fair-skinned like a Fulani woman, unlike Ammar’s complexion.

Ammar approached her respectfully and embraced her.

“I missed you, Hajiya.”

She touched his hair happily.

“I missed you too, Ammar.”

He then turned to Summayyah.

“Hajiya, this is the girl I told you about. She needs rest and care.”

Hajiya Maryam smiled gently at Summayyah.

“Peace be upon you, my daughter. Come here. Feel the warmth of your mother. Don’t be afraid of Ammar.”

Summayyah could not step forward immediately. Instead she knelt respectfully.

“Peace be upon you too. Good afternoon. I hope you are well.”

Hajiya held her hand and pulled her up lovingly.

“Stand up, my daughter. Be calm. You are home now. Think of me as your mother. There is no need to be afraid.”

Tears filled Summayyah’s eyes. She could only nod.

Ammar smiled quietly, happy that Hajiya welcomed her with such kindness.

---

When they arrived at the house, Summayyah looked around in amazement. The house was beautifully designed in an Arabian style, with three gardens filled with flowers and fountains flowing in the center.

Hajiya said:

“Summayyah, go to the second room upstairs. That will be your room. Take a bath. I will ask the housemaid to bring you clothes. Then come and eat.”

Summayyah thanked her and entered the room in surprise. Everything inside showed luxury—perfumes, a large mirror, a green bed with white decorations, and curtains of the same color.

She stood in the middle of the room like someone dreaming.

Slowly tears rolled down her face.

“Oh God… I am still alive. I am in a real house, not a dream. If only my mother could see this place. If only she could come here, even for one day.”

She sat on the bed and covered her face with her hands, crying quietly.

---

Two days after arriving, Summayyah began to get used to the house. Hajiya taught her how to care for flowers, cook Lebanese and Hausa dishes, and recite morning and evening prayers.

One Saturday evening they were sitting in the garden while the sun was setting. Ammar came out of his part of the house wearing jeans shorts and a t-shirt. He smelled of perfume and walked confidently.

He stopped when he saw Summayyah watering the flowers with a peaceful smile.

Hajiya noticed the way he looked at her and smiled knowingly.

“Ammar,” she called softly.

“Yes, Hajiya?”

“I feel that God brought Summayyah to us for a reason. Take care of her. One day you will understand why. Please, do not let her cry again.”

He remained silent for a moment, thinking.

“In sha Allah, Hajiya. I will try.”

---

That night Summayyah lay on the bed thinking about everything that had happened—her time in the house of Alhaji Dan Dubai, the trafficking of girls, and how Ammar had rescued her.

She whispered:

“Oh God, if this is the beginning of a new life for me, give me strength and reward the one who saved me. Protect my mother.”

Meanwhile Ammar sat in his room reviewing some documents, but his mind kept returning to her words when he rescued her:

“Thank you… you saved my life.”

He closed the papers, leaned back, and whispered softly:

“Summayyah…”

Soon afterward she fell asleep and had a nightmare about her mother in danger. She screamed loudly in her sleep.

Ammar heard the cry in the quiet night and rushed out of his room.

“Summayyah! What’s happening to her?”

By the time he arrived, Hajiya was already there, holding Summayyah and reciting verses of the Qur’an to calm her.

“Hajiya, what happened to her?” Ammar asked.

“I don’t know,” Hajiya replied worriedly. “I heard her crying while I was sleeping.”

Summayyah kept crying.

“Please take me back to my mother. She has no one except me. I’m afraid something has happened to her.”

Her crying made Hajiya even more concerned.

Hajiya comforted her gently.

“Don’t worry. Tomorrow I will ask Ammar to take you back to see her.”

Finally Summayyah calmed down and went back to sleep after praying.

---

Early the next morning she was already awake, walking around the room. After a while she sighed and said:

“Rich people don’t like waking up early. Maybe it’s already nine o’clock and they are still asleep.”

Soon Hajiya’s maid called her downstairs. When she entered the dining area, Hajiya smiled warmly.

“Welcome, my daughter. I hope you slept well.”

Summayyah could not hold back her tears. Hajiya hugged her like a small child.

“May God return the happiness that was taken from you. Do not be weak—be a strong and patient woman.”

Hajiya said gently.