Adawiya was filled with dread at the fierce look Abdallah was giving her. She began to back away slowly as she noticed him advancing toward her.

“Y…y…Yah Ab, I swear by Allah, I didn’t do anything with your phone. Please, for the sake of Allah, don’t hit—”

She couldn’t finish her plea because the phone rang. Abdallah also stopped in his tracks, staring at the screen. (Sweet Momy) was clearly displayed as the saved caller ID. He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes for a moment. The call ended, and another one came in. Neither of them moved—just standing frozen, staring at the phone, as if it were a ticking bomb.

Momy called Abdallah five times, but he didn’t answer even once. Finally, in a fit of frustration, he stormed over to the phone and stomped on it with his foot. Instantly, the screen shattered with a loud crack.

Adawiya quickly stepped back, her eyes wide in shock, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. The situation escalated when she saw him pick up the phone, remove the SIM card, break it in half, and head toward the toilet, where he flushed it away.

With her heart racing, Adawiya returned to her previous spot, overwhelmed by a new wave of fear toward Abdallah. She never imagined he could be so volatile. She knew their family had a tendency toward stubbornness, but she had thought he was one of the calmer ones since she rarely saw him angry. Without another glance at her, Abdallah walked past and out of the room. He slammed the door behind him with such force that Adawiya flinched, her entire body trembling.

NIGERIA

Momy stared at her phone in disbelief, as if it might explode. In her mind, she was wondering, What happened to Abdallah’s phone? She had been trying to reach him, but he wasn’t answering, and now his phone was turned off.

“Momy, is everything okay?” Omar asked as he entered the living room and noticed her anxiously fiddling with her phone.

She glanced up at him quickly, then sighed and said softly, “Omar, it’s your older brother. He called me earlier when I wasn’t here. I think one of the kids, maybe Amal or someone else, picked up. Now that I’m back, I tried calling him, but despite five missed calls, he hasn’t answered. And now, his phone is off.”

Omar chuckled as he settled into a chair. “Oh, Momy, maybe he’s just busy. You know how Yah Abdallah is—he always has a lot going on. I’m sure he’ll get back to you.”

Momy shook her head. “Omar, it’s not just that he didn’t pick up my calls that worries me. It’s the fact that his phone is off after all those attempts.”

“Momy, please don’t stress too much. I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Maybe his phone died, or there’s a network issue.”

She wanted to say more but decided against it, nodding instead. She placed her phone on the charger and went back to the kitchen, where she continued working with her two housemaids, leaving Omar on the couch flipping through TV channels. Still, she couldn’t shake the uneasiness that lingered in her heart.

By nightfall, Momy was still waiting for Abdallah’s call, but there was only silence. She tried calling him again, but his phone remained off. At first, she kept her worry to herself, but soon it became clear. Noticing her distress, Abbah, who had been watching her for a while, finally asked if something was wrong.

She didn’t hesitate to explain what had happened.

Abbah, however, found her concern amusing. “You’re acting like Abdallah has disappeared,” he said with a chuckle, shaking his head as he continued eating.

“Abban Abdallah, please, can you call him with your phone?” she asked, desperation creeping into her voice.

He gave her a long look before clearing his throat and glancing away. “Khadija, you need to stop worrying so much. Do you think Abdallah is a child? Maybe his phone battery died, or he got caught up in something important. Just be patient until morning.”