I pulled into the parking lot of the local mosque, glancing at the time. I was running a little late for the community event I'd promised my sister I'd attend—a charity drive for a local cause. It wasn't often that I drove to the mosque, but with the event taking place in the afternoon and me living a bit farther out, it made sense today.
As I scanned the lot, I spotted an open space near the entrance and felt a wave of relief. Finally, something going right.
Just as I was about to pull in, a sleek black car zipped into the spot.
"What?" I muttered to myself, hitting the brakes. My fingers hovered over the horn, but I hesitated. I was at a mosque; causing a scene here didn't seem appropriate. Still, my frustration bubbled.
The driver stepped out—a tall guy with dark, curly hair, dressed in casual yet neat clothing. His eyes swept over the lot before they landed on me. He paused, recognition flickering in his gaze for a moment, then a hint of amusement.
I rolled down my window, trying to keep my voice steady. "Excuse me, that was my spot."
He walked over, a friendly smile on his face. "Oh, sorry about that. I didn't realize. I just saw it open and took it."
I raised an eyebrow. "Convenient."
He chuckled lightly. "It's just a parking spot. You can have mine when I leave if you're in a hurry."
His laid-back attitude made my irritation spike, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "What, are you some kind of stalker? You just swoop in like that?"
His eyebrows shot up in surprise, then he grinned. "Stalker? At the mosque? That's a new one."
Embarrassed by my own words, I looked away. "I didn't mean it like that."
He waved it off. "No worries." He walked off toward the entrance, leaving me standing there, flustered.
The mosque's prayer hall was already filled with people by the time I slipped in, scanning the crowd for my sister, Layla. I spotted her near the front, seated with a group of women. She gave me a pointed look as I approached.
"You're late," Layla whispered, raising an eyebrow as I sat down beside her.
I sighed, still a bit flustered from the parking lot incident. "You wouldn't believe what just happened."
She leaned closer, curious. "What happened? Car trouble?"
I shook my head, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "Some guy stole my parking spot. I was about to pull in, and he just zoomed in like he owned the place."
Layla's eyes widened, her lips twitching with amusement. "And? Did you say anything?"
"Yeah, I might've...uh...called him a stalker."
Her jaw dropped, and she stifled a laugh. "You didn't!"
"I did," I admitted, cringing at the memory. "It just came out. He was so laid-back about it, like it was no big deal. And then he joked about me accusing him at a mosque."
Layla shook her head, clearly entertained. "So, how did he react?"
"He was surprisingly chill. Just walked away like nothing happened. But I feel so awkward now. I hope I don't run into him again."
Layla smiled knowingly. "Well, you never know. Maybe he'll turn out to be someone important."
"Please don't say that," I groaned.
She laughed softly. "Anyway, you're here now, so let's focus on the event. You can deal with your parking lot stalker later."
The event at the mosque was winding down, and the imam stood at the front, offering his thanks to the attendees. People were slowly gathering their things to leave, but I stayed seated, listening as the imam continued to speak.
"And now," the imam's voice rang out, "we'd like to acknowledge a very generous donation made by a member of our community. This contribution will greatly assist our ongoing projects, including supporting orphans and building new facilities here at the mosque."
I turned to Layla, who had paused in the middle of putting on her shoes. She looked just as curious as I felt. The imam raised a slip of paper and read aloud, "A special thanks to Amir Al-Mustafa for his generous donation of thirty million naira."
My jaw nearly dropped. Thirty million? That was no small donation. The room buzzed with murmurs of surprise, and I could feel the weight of the moment. Layla gave me a nudge, whispering, "That's a huge sum. Do you know him?"
I shook my head, still processing the amount. Thirty million naira. Whoever this Amir Al-Mustafa was, he must be incredibly successful to give so much without even being present.
The imam went on to explain how the funds would be used for the mosque's charity initiatives and future construction, but my mind wandered. I couldn't help but wonder who Amir was. Was he a businessman? A philanthropist?
"Wow," I muttered under my breath. "I didn't expect that."
Layla leaned in. "It's incredible, isn't it? People like that make a huge difference."
I nodded. "It makes you wonder what he does for a living, to be able to donate that kind of money."
As the imam finished his announcements and the event came to a close, I found myself lingering on the thought of Amir Al-Mustafa. His name seemed to carry weight, even though I had no idea who he was. It was hard not to admire someone who could give so much to help others.
The event at the mosque concluded, and Layla and I walked through the parking lot towards my car. I glanced around, hoping to spot the sleek black car that had taken my parking spot earlier, but it was nowhere to be seen. A sense of relief washed over me as we reached my car.
As we got in, I started the engine, and we began our drive home. The streets were quiet, and the sun was starting to set, casting a warm glow over the city.
Just as I was starting to relax, Layla's phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw it was Adam calling.
"Hey, Adam," she answered, putting the call on speaker.
"Hey, Layla! How was the event?" Adam's voice was cheerful.
"It was great! Hana and I just left. We're on our way home now," Layla replied.
Adam's voice crackled through the speaker. "That's good to hear. Hana, are you still looking for a job?"
I turned slightly towards the speaker, nodding. "Yes, I am."
"Perfect timing, then," Adam said. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that. Why don't you bring your CV to the office tomorrow around noon? I'll introduce you to a few people who might be interested in your skills. We have some open positions, and I'm sure there's something that could be a good fit."
My heart skipped a beat. "Thank you so much, Adam. I really appreciate it."
"No problem at all. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."
As we ended the call, Layla gave me an encouraging smile. "See? Everything's falling into place."
"I'm really grateful," I said, feeling a surge of excitement. "It's a big opportunity."
Layla's eyes twinkled with curiosity. "You never know, you might even run into someone interesting there. Someone like..."
I laughed, cutting her off. "Please, don't start with that again."
Layla laughed along with me as we continued our drive home. My thoughts drifted back to the earlier donation and Amir Al-Mustafa. I couldn't help but wonder if I'd run into him or if our paths would cross in some other way.
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