In a spacious courtyard, a group of girls has gathered, and they have been veiling their hands and feet for about a decade. Among them, one girl stands out due to her exceptional beauty, which draws the attention of the others. She teases them playfully, wearing a smile. Nearby, some people who are also waiting in line start to gossip about her.
“The truth is, the bride is beautiful, but she appears to be naive,” remarks Amina. Another adds, “She does have that innocent look, like an Arab girl. Did you notice how her hair is neatly braided all the way to the back of her head?”
“If that’s the case, they should invite us to a party or take a picture with her,” one of them suggests.
“Indeed, they should reveal the location of this event. Can you imagine being there when the seal of victory is broken?” They were interrupted by a greeting from the door, prompting them to turn their heads, including the bride and groom. Two elegantly dressed young women enter the scene, wearing necklaces worth sixty thousand, gold earrings adorning their ears, and golden bracelets on their wrists.
As they approach, the bride is awestruck and can’t take her eyes off them. The sweet fragrance of one of the women fills her senses, snapping her out of her reverie. They exchange greetings with a handshake, and she is captivated by their beauty. She’s trembling as she greets them, not knowing where they came from, and she embraces them. Overwhelmed, she mentions that twenty thousand is missing.
One of the women, Fareeda, smiles and reassures her, “Don’t worry, Hanne. Just let us finish with the formalities.”
“Okay, you’re welcome. Let me quickly finish this part,” she responds eagerly.
As she turns around, she notices Amina and Binta sitting nearby, watching them closely. Fareeda informs them, “Excuse us, please come back tomorrow. I’ll give you Dan when I’m done with these ladies.”
This prompts Dan to realize that they are not offering a substantial sum. She then asks them to join her in contributing five hundred.
“Why didn’t you tell us when people with money arrived?” Amina inquires.
Amina hastily stands up and takes Binta’s hand, leaving the premises. She retrieves her iPhone 7 from her pocket, noting it had not rung for a while. In her mind, she contemplates how those with less money often have the least. She gazes at Fareeda’s purse, which is placed beside her, and hopes for a blessing. Hanne’s voice brings her back to reality.
“Hajiya, come closer; let’s talk,” Hanne says as she signals where they should sit.
Fadeela rises and takes a seat next to Hanne. Ten minutes into the conversation, they all head to the middle of the courtyard to perform ablutions. This gives Fareeda an opportunity to approach her sister. Dan eyes the money she has been given, not caring about the denomination, and tucks it into her skirt. She quickly moves away, which astonishes Jameela’s friend. Frustrated, she shakes her head at her friend’s behavior.
The woman stands up, expressing her need to use the restroom. She heads to the restroom with five-five D’ari, feeling relieved. “Alhamdulillah, this money will help reduce my debts,” she murmurs. She reaches into her rubber vest to retrieve the money.
Meanwhile, Fareeda’s phone starts ringing. She reaches for her Jakarta phone and holds it to her ear. The others return to their conversations. Fareeda finally turns to Fadeela and says, “Our money is missing.”
Fadeela responds in shock, “What? How?”
Hanne interjects, “Someone stole our money. Well, I have to frisk every young girl here.” She runs towards the K’ofa door, making everyone tense.