As always, on the days when Nanna came to pick them up from school, today too he peeked out, saw her car, and went back inside the school. He waited for almost fifteen minutes before coming out, knowing nobody would say they were looking for him except Khalid. Even then, Nanna would eventually win him over after a few minutes, and he’d have no choice but to go home with them.

He headed for the road and stopped a motorbike that would take him from Greenfield School in Sharada to Hotoro. It didn’t take him long to get one. Today was actually his last day at the school since he had just finished his Junior Secondary Three exams, though he heard they would be given another test after a week to use for class placement without waiting for the JSCE results.

That was the usual pattern in private schools. He didn’t care much since he wouldn’t be continuing there anyway. They had already agreed with Daddy that he would go on to Science and Technical, and Daddy had approved it.

At the roadside, he got off the bike, paid the rider, and walked toward the corner that led to their house. He hated going home early; he preferred wandering the neighborhood until after Maghrib. If Daddy came home right around that time, he would return and enter with him. But he had no choice. He had no friends he could visit.

He knocked at the gate, and their old gateman opened it.

“Nawfal, you’re back?”

That was Baba Isa, as they called the gateman, his face bright with a smile. Nawfal responded with a small one of his own.

“I’m back, Baba Isa. Thank you for your work.”

Then he went inside, to their own section of the house, which had three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a living room, and a medium kitchen. He pulled a key from the pocket of his school uniform trousers and opened the door. Daddy had said the section was for the four of them when they moved into this house four months ago. He said it in front of everyone, yet Nawfal was the only one who slept there. Even though Daddy knew, he never said anything. Nawfal himself didn’t mind—he had long gotten used to a life of solitude.

He knew no one would stop him from entering the main house without greeting. He dropped his schoolbag in the living room and headed into his chosen room, then straight to the bathroom. This wasn’t a day to joke around. He splashed water on himself, performed ablution for Asr prayer, and came out.