Seeyah's Library

THE 2AM PHONE CALL By Abdulazeez Asiyat.

Chapter 6: "THE FOUNDATION GROWS"

2 years after Before I Do Foundation started, their phone wouldn’t stop ringing.

1. FROM 10 PEOPLE TO 1000 FAMILIES.

What started with a WhatsApp group of 10 parents became 1000 families across 6 states.

Every Saturday, hospital waiting rooms became their meeting place.
Mothers sharing tips: "Ginger and honey helps with pain."
Fathers sharing bills: "This hospital is cheaper for transfusion."
Children sharing smiles: "I didn’t go to hospital this month!"

Zaynab, now 6, was the MC.
"Assalamualaikum Warriors! Today we will learn 3 things: Drink water, Take your drugs, and Pray!"
The children would shout back: "YES AUNTY ZAYNAB!"

2. THE RADIO INTERVIEW
"Good morning Nigeria. Today we have a couple who turned their pain into purpose. Mr and Mrs Jamal."

Aisha’s hands were shaking.
The host asked: "Why did you start this foundation?"

Jamal took a deep breath. "Because we didn’t listen. We are AS + AS. We got married. And our daughter was born SS. We sat on that hospital floor blaming each other. If one person had told us our story, maybe we would have listened."

Silence on air.

"So now," Aisha continued, "we’re telling our story. So you will listen. Before you say 'I do', do genotype. Love is not enough."

After the program, 400 people DM’d them.
_"We cancelled our wedding."_
_"We went for testing."_
_"Thank you for saving us."_

3. GOVERNMENT ATTENTION
One day, a letter came.
_From: Ministry of Health, Oyo State._
_"We invite Before I Do Foundation to partner with us for Sickle Cell Awareness Month."_

They cried.
Baba said: "Allah is using your mistake to do good."

At the government event, Zaynab was asked to cut the ribbon.
She wore a t-shirt: *"I HAVE SICKLE CELL. I AM NOT BROKEN."*

The Commissioner said: "This is what advocacy looks like. Not shame. Not hiding. But courage."

4. THE HARDEST DAY AND THE PROUDEST DAY.
Hardest Day: Zaynab had another crisis. 1 week in ICU.
Aisha slept on the floor beside her. Jamal didn’t leave the hospital.

Proudest Day: 1 month later, at a school program, a girl of 16 came to them.
"Aunty, Uncle, my finance and I are both AS. We watched your video. We broke up. It hurt. But thank you. We don’t want a child to suffer like your daughter."

Aisha hugged her. "Your pain today will save a child tomorrow."

That night, Jamal told Aisha: "If this is all Zaynab’s life will do, then it was worth it."

We paid, others won’t have to.
This is not the end of our story.
This is the beginning of theirs._

*THE END*
This story is dedicated to all sickle cell warriors. Your trial doesn't define you less. To those who lost their lives in the struggle, God's mercy on your soul.

To be on a safer side before you say you do, know your genotype.

Here are the *GENOTYPE RULES* for marriage 👇
This is the knowledge that can save a child from sickle cell pain.

*THE 4 MAIN GENOTYPES*
1. *AA* - Normal. No sickle cell trait
2. *AS* - Carrier. Has sickle cell trait but healthy
3. *SS* - Sickle Cell Patient
4. *SC* - Another type of sickle cell disorder

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WHO CAN MARRY WHO?

*✅ SAFE COMBINATIONS - Can Marry, Children Will Be Fine*
1. *AA + AA* = All children AA
_Best match. No risk at all._
2. *AA + AS* = 50% AA, 50% AS
_Safe. No SS child. But children can be carriers._
3. *AA + SS* = All children AS
_Safe from SS, but all children will be carriers._
4. *AA + SC* = 50% AA, 50% SC
_Safe from SS._

*⚠️ RISKY COMBINATIONS - Can Marry BUT High Risk of SS Child*
5. *AS + AS* = 25% AA, 50% AS, *25% SS*
_This is the most common risky one. 1 out of 4 children will have sickle cell._
6. *AS + SS* = 50% AS, *50% SS*
_Very high risk. Half your children will have sickle cell._
7. *AS + SC* = 25% AA, 25% AS, 25% SC, *25% SS*
_High risk of SS and SC._

NOT ADVISED - Severe Risk❌❌❌
8. *SS + SS* = All children SS
_All children will have sickle cell._
9. *SS + SC* = 50% SS, 50% SC
_All children will have a sickle cell disorder._
10. *SC + SC* = 25% AA, 50% SC, *25% SS*
_High risk._

---

*SUMMARY TABLE*
**Your Genotype** **Can Marry** **Avoid**
**AA** AA, AS, SS, SC No restriction
**AS** AA AS, SS, SC
**SS** AA AS, SS, SC
**SC** AA AS, SS, SC
*Golden Rule*: `AS should only marry AA`
`SS/SC should only marry AA`

---

*IMPORTANT NOTES*
1. *Test before love gets serious.* Do genotype test before engagement. Not after.
2. *Counseling helps.* If you’re AS+AS and already in love, meet a doctor. Options like IVF, adoption, or being ready for the responsibility exist.
3. *Love is not enough.* Love won’t do blood transfusion at 2am. Love won’t pay hospital bills. Wisdom + Love = Better future.
4. *You are not cursed.* SS people can live, marry, work, and be great. They just need proper care.

Like we showed in the story.
`1 minute of testing can save 20 years of pain.`

THE 2AM PHONE CALL BY ABDULAZEEZ ASIYAT.

CHAPTER 5: "ZAYNAB GROWS"

Zaynab was 5.

Big eyes. Loud laugh. And a hospital card she knew by heart.

"Good morning Nurse Aunty," she would say every time they entered the hospital. "I’m here for checkup. Don’t forget to be gentle with my vein o."

Aisha and Jamal smiled, but their hearts broke a little each time.

1. SCHOOL DAYS.
First day of Nursery 2.
Aisha held Zaynab’s hand tightly. "If you feel pain, tell your teacher immediately. Drink water every 30 minutes. Don’t play too much under the sun."

Zaynab nodded seriously. "Yes mummy. I’m a warrior."

By 2pm, the call came.
"Mrs Tunde, Zaynab said her leg is paining her."

Emergency. Crisis. 3 days admission.

That night, Zaynab asked: "Mummy, why am I always sick? Why can’t I run like Yusuf?"

Aisha’s heart shattered. She pulled Zaynab close.
"Baby, Allah made you special. Your blood is fighting a battle, and you are the strongest soldier. Some people run with their legs. You run with your heart."

Zaynab thought about it. "So I’m like Iron Man?"
Aisha laughed through tears. "Yes. Iron Zaynab."

2. THE "WHY" QUESTIONS
"Why is your head tied?"
"Why are you not in assembly?"
"Why do you carry water bottle everywhere?"
"Are you going to die?"

Children can be cruel without meaning to be.

One day Yusuf came home angry. "Mummy, one boy said Zaynab is cursed. That’s why she’s always in hospital."

Jamal knelt to Yusuf’s level. "And what did you say?"
"I said my sister is not cursed. She is chosen. And if he says it again, I’ll fight him."

That night, Jamal and Aisha decided: It’s time to tell her class.

3. AWARENESS DAY
They went to Zaynab’s school. With permission.

Jamal stood in front of 30 five-year-olds.
"Good morning. My name is Mr Jamal Said. This is my daughter Zaynab. Some of you have noticed she’s not always in school."

Zaynab stood beside him, holding his hand.

"Zaynab has something called Sickle Cell. It means her blood cells are shaped like a sickle, like this." He showed a picture. "Sometimes they block and cause pain. But Zaynab is very brave. She drinks water, eats well, and prays."

He paused. "Zaynab is not sick because she’s bad. She’s not cursed. She just needs friends who understand. Can you be those friends?"

30 small voices: "YES!"

After that, everything changed.
Children started reminding her: "Zaynab, drink water."
"Zaynab, sit in the shade."
"Zaynab, do you want to play gentle game with us?"

4. THE LETTER.
On Children’s Day, Zaynab came home with a letter.

It was from her teacher.
_"Dear Mr and Mrs Jamal.
Zaynab is the most courageous child in my class. She teaches other children about kindness. She told them ‘everyone has something they are fighting’. We are proud of her. Please keep being amazing parents."_

Aisha cried. Jamal hugged her.
This. This was why they kept going.

Last line of the chapter:
_Zaynab didn’t choose sickle cell. But she chose not to let sickle cell choose who she becomes._

---------------------------------------------

WHAT NEXT?
To be continued.

The 2am Phone Call by Abdulazeez Asiyat

Chapter 4: "FORGIVENESS"*

The hardest part wasn’t Zaynab’s pain.
It was the eyes of people.

“_That’s the couple that didn’t listen._”
“_AS + AS and they still married. See now._”
“May God not let me go through what they’re going through.”

Every hospital visit. Every family gathering. Every mosque program.

1. FORGIVING THE IN-LAWS.
Jamal’s mother was not also in support of their marriage because of the health challenge. Still hadn’t forgiven them. Not fully.

One day she came to the house with soup. She didn’t say much. Just dropped it and was leaving.

“Mama, wait,” Aisha said.

Jamal's mother turned. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” Aisha cried. “I’m sorry we didn’t listen. I’m sorry for the pain we caused you. I’m sorry for Zaynab.”

Silence.

Then Mama Jamal walked back, sat down, and for the first time in 2 years, she touched Aisha’s hand.
“I was angry,” she said. “Because I was scared. I watched my brother die from sickle cell. I didn’t want that for my grandchild.”
They both cried.

That day, something healed.

*2. FORGIVING THEMSELVES*
Nights were the worst.

Jamal would wake up at 3am and go check Zaynab. Is she breathing? Is she in pain?
Aisha would scroll through old photos — their wedding, Yusuf’s birthday — and think _“If only...”_

One night Jamal found her awake.
“Stop,” he said softly.
“Stop what?”
“Stop punishing yourself. We made a decision with the knowledge we had then. We can’t change it. But we can decide what we do _now_.”

He pulled her close. “Allah doesn’t waste pain. Maybe Zaynab is here to save a thousand other children.”

Aisha nodded into his chest. “I forgive us.”

*3. FACING THE COMMUNITY*
"BEFORE I DO FOUNDATION" was growing, but so was the backlash.

At a school awareness program, one teacher stood up.
“With all due respect, why should we listen to you? You made this choice. Why are you now warning others?”

The room went quiet. 200 people watching.

Jamal stood. Calm.
“You’re right sir. We were wrong. We disobeyed. And we are paying for it every single day in that hospital.
But if our mistake can stop one other mistake, then our pain will not be wasted.
Don’t listen to us because we’re perfect. Listen because we’ve bled.”

The teacher sat down. People clapped.

After the program, 14 students came to do genotype testing. 3 AS+AS couples cancelled their weddings.

*THE BREAKTHROUGH*
On Zaynab’s 4th birthday, they did something big.

They invited both families. Jamal’s mother. Aisha’s mother. Everyone who said "I told you".

In the living room, with cake and balloons, Zaynab — small but bright — stood up with a mic.

“Thank you for coming to my birthday,” she said in her small voice. “I have sickle cell. But I am strong. And my mummy and daddy are telling people so other children won’t be sick like me. Please drink water.”

The whole room cried.

Baba stood up. “I was wrong to abandon you. A father doesn’t abandon his child because of a mistake. From today, we are one family again.”

*Last line of the chapter:*
_Forgiveness didn’t erase the pain. But it made the pain lighter to carry._

---

*WHAT NEXT?*
To be continued

Welcome new followers.

May God bless you. Aamin

Please, like, share and invite us to this page.

Thank you.

The 2am Phone Call by Abdulazeez Asiyat

*CHAPTER 3: "OUR MINISTRY OF PAIN"*

Three months after Zaynab was diagnosed, Aisha and Jamal walked into Aisha’s parents’ house.

The room went silent. Mama was cooking. Baba was reading Quran.

"Baba, Mama," Aisha started, voice shaking. "We came to beg for forgiveness."

Tunde knelt. "We were stubborn. We thought love was enough. We were wrong."

Baba closed his Quran slowly. He looked at them. Then at Zaynab in Aisha’s arms — small, wearing mittens because her hands swelled often.

For a long time, no one spoke.

Then Mama stood up and pulled Aisha into a hug. She was crying. "I was angry because I was scared for you. Not because I don’t love you."

Baba sighed. "The damage is done. Now what? Will you run away from it? Or will you face it?"

That night, something shifted.

*6 MONTHS LATER*

*" FOUNDATION"*
A small flyer on WhatsApp. A logo of two hands holding a child.
Caption: _“We disobeyed. We paid. Now we want to save you from the same pain. Free genotype counseling + support for SS warriors.”_

The comments were brutal.
_"You people caused this yourselves. Now you want sympathy?"_
_"This is what happens when you don’t listen to elders."_
_"Using sick child to get money."_

Aisha cried the first night. "Maybe we shouldn’t—"
Jamal held her hand. "Fatima said people will talk. Let them. One person will listen. And that one person is enough."

And someone did listen.

Hafsat, 22, AS. Her fiancé, AS. They sent a DM:
_"We saw your story. We were about to get married next month. We’ve cancelled it. Thank you for saving our children."_

That DM made all the shame worth it.

*THE BIGGEST TEST*
Zaynab was 2 when she had her worst crisis.
2am. Cold. Screaming. "Mummy my leg! Mummy it’s burning!"

Emergency. Oxygen. Morphine. 4 bags of blood.
Tunde broke down in the hallway. "God, if You’re there, please..."

Aisha sat beside Zaynab, reciting Yasin, wiping her forehead with cold water.
She remembered Mama’s words: _"Love will not go to hospital at 2am..."_
And she whispered: "But love is here at 2am. So we won’t leave."

After 5 days, Zaynab smiled again. Weak, but smiling.
The doctor said: "You’re doing a good job. Hydration, no cold, regular folic acid. She can live a good life."

Outside, Jamal hugged Aisha. Hard.
"We can’t change the past," he said. "But we can give her a future. And give hope to others."

*1 YEAR LATER*
Tears Of Joy Foundation had 200 members.
Monthly support meetings. Free genotype testing in schools.
Zaynab, now 3, was the "face" of the foundation. She would wave at the camera and say "Drink water!"

At one seminar, a father stood up crying. "My wife and I are AS. We almost married. Your video stopped us. Thank you."

Aisha looked at Jamal. Tears in both their eyes.
This was it. This was why.

*Last line of the chapter:*
_We didn’t listen. And our daughter paid the price. But because she paid, other children won’t have to._

*CHAPTER 2: "THE BLAME"*

The hospital smelled like antiseptic and fear.

Zaynab was asleep on the small bed, an IV in her tiny arm. She was only 1 year and 3 months. Too small to understand why her body kept betraying her.

Aisha hadn’t slept in 3 days. Her eyes were red. Her hijab was untidy.

Jamal stood by the window. He hadn’t touched her since the doctor said "SS".

The silence was louder than shouting.

"You knew," Aisha said finally. Her voice was hoarse.
Jamal didn’t turn. "Knew what?"
"That this could happen. We’re both AS. We knew the risk."

Jamal turned now. His jaw was tight. "And you agreed to marry me anyway. Don’t put this on me alone, Aisha."

Aisha flinched like she’d been slapped. "So it’s my fault?"
"I didn’t say that!"
"Then whose fault is it? God’s?" She stood up, voice shaking. "Our parents warned us! My own mother begged on her knees!"

"Stop!" Jamal snapped. "Yelling won’t cure her."

Zaynab stirred in her sleep and whimpered. Both of them froze.

Aisha sank back to the chair, covering her face. The tears came hot and fast. "I’m sorry... I’m so sorry baby... I did this to you."

Jamal exhaled and sat beside her. Not touching. "We both did this."

For 2 weeks, that was their marriage. Hospital. Blame. Silence.
Jamal’s mother came every day with food but wouldn’t look Aisha in the eye.
Aisha’s mother called and cried on the phone: "I warned you my daughter."

Yusuf, their 5-year-old, kept asking "When is Zaynab coming home? Is she okay?"
Aisha had no answer.

*The Turning Point*
On the 15th day, a nurse brought in another patient to the next bed. A woman, late 30s, with a boy about 7. Thin, but smiling. He had an IV too.

The woman noticed Aisha crying. She smiled softly. "First time?"
Aisha nodded.
"I’m Fatima. This is Musa. He’s SS. We’ve been doing this for 7 years."

Aisha wiped her eyes. "Does it... does it get easier?"

Fatima laughed, but it wasn’t a sad laugh. "The pain doesn’t get easier. _You_ get stronger. Come, let me show you something."

That evening, Fatima showed Aisha her phone. A YouTube channel. "Sickle Cell Warriors Nigeria".
Videos of children dancing during good days. Tips on hydration. Foods that help. Prayers.
"We started this after our second child was diagnosed," Fatima said. "We blamed each other for 1 year. Then we decided: our pain will save someone else."

Aisha looked at Zaynab sleeping.

That night, for the first time, Jamal reached for her hand.
"I’m sorry I blamed you," he whispered.
"I’m sorry I didn’t listen," she whispered back.

They both cried. But this time, together.

Jamal looked at Zaynab. "We can’t change how she was born. But we can decide how she lives."

Aisha nodded. "And how many others we can save."

Outside the hospital, Jamal made a decision.
"We’re going to tell our story. So no other couple has to sit on this floor blaming each other."

To be continued.

Abdulazeez Asiyat.

THE 2AM PHONE CALL
BY ABDULAZEEZ ASIYAT.

*CHAPTER 1: "THE WARNING"*

The sitting room was too quiet.

Aisha sat on the edge of the brown sofa, her hands twisting the hem of her hijab. Across from her, Mama and Baba exchanged looks that made her stomach drop.

It was supposed to be a happy day. She came to introduce Jamal. The man she loved. The man she planned to marry.

Baba cleared his throat. "Aisha, we like Jamal. He’s a good boy. Respectful. God-fearing."

Aisha smiled, relief flooding her. "Alhamdulillah, Baba—"

"But," Mama cut in, her voice soft but heavy. "You both did genotype?"

The smile froze on Aisha’s face.

"AS and AS," Aisha whispered.

The room went still. You could hear the wall clock. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Baba leaned forward, elbows on his knees. His eyes were wet. "My daughter, do you know what that means?"

" Baba, we love each other—"

"Love!" Mama stood up suddenly. "Love will not go to hospital at 2am when your child is crying from bone pain! Love will not watch your baby turn yellow and be rushed to emergency! Love will not pay millions for blood transfusion!"

Aisha flinched.

"Aisha, we’re not saying don’t marry," Baba said, gentler now. "We’re saying don’t marry _him_. Not because he’s bad. But because your blood will fight. And the child in between will suffer."

Tears burned Aisha’s eyes.

"We want you to save a child’s heart," Mama replied. "The one that hasn’t been born yet."

That night, Aisha cried in her room. Her phone kept buzzing.
_Jamal: what did they say?_ Are you okay?_

She typed, deleted, typed again.
_They said no._

His reply came immediately.
_Then we’ll prove them wrong. God is bigger than genotype. I love you, Aisha. I’m not letting you go._

Two months later, after much pressure and pleaded with the parents, They gave their consent. Though, the mother was not too happy and still re-visit the conversation.
Finally, they got married.
"At last, we are husband and wife" Jamal said happily.

Aisha nodded, but in her heart, Mama’s words before the wedding echoed: _"Love will not go to hospital at 2am..."_

She pushed the thought away.

*Five years passed.*

The first child, Yusuf, came out AA. Healthy. Strong. Laughing.
"See?" Jamal carried him up. "God did it. Our parents were wrong."

Aisha smiled, but a small fear stayed in her chest.

Then came Zaynab.

At 4 months, the fever started.
At 6 months, her tiny hands swelled.
At 1 year, the diagnosis came.

Doctor looked at them over his glasses. "I’m sorry. Your daughter is SS. Sickle Cell."

The room spun.
Jamal didn’t speak.
Aisha couldn’t breathe.

Outside the hospital, Aisha's mother was waiting. She didn’t shout. She didn’t curse.
She just looked at Aisha and said three words that broke her:

*"I told you."*

That night, Aisha sat on the floor of the hospital, holding Zaynab who was on drip. Jamal stood by the window, silent.

The warning they ignored was now a child in pain.

And the worst part? They couldn’t blame anyone but themselves.

_To be continued..._

---

*WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN CHAPTER 2:

Mother and Child Pain

By Abdulazeez O. Asiyat

It was a beautiful morning. Little Nina, who was only two years old, and Z**i, who was three years old, woke up excited for another day at school. Though they came from different families, the two girls were very close friends and loved spending time together.

Dressed neatly in their school uniforms, they happily left their homes with their teachers. As they walked away, they turned around and waved at their mothers.

"Goodbye, Mama!" they shouted joyfully.

Their mothers smiled and waved back, unaware that those cheerful smiles would soon become painful memories.

Hours passed, and the time came for the children to return home. Nina's mother stood outside her house, eagerly waiting to see her little daughter running toward her. Z**i's mother was also waiting, preparing her favorite meal.

But the children never returned.

Panic spread throughout the community when the shocking news arrived. Nina, Z**i, and their teachers had been abducted by unknown people.

The mothers' hearts broke instantly. Their homes, once filled with laughter and happiness, became places of sorrow and endless tears.

Far away from home, the children were suffering. They endured heavy rain that soaked their clothes. During the day, the scorching sun burned their skin. At night, darkness surrounded them, and fear filled their tiny hearts. Mosquitoes and insects bit them repeatedly, leaving them uncomfortable and weak.

To make matters worse, they were given little or no food. Hungry and exhausted, the girls cried for their mothers.

"Mama, where are you?" Nina whispered through her tears.

"I want to go home," Z**i cried softly.

Back at home, their mothers could not sleep. Every morning, they woke up with hope, and every night they went to bed with tears in their eyes. They prayed endlessly for the safety of their daughters.

Days turned into weeks. The pain grew deeper, but their hope remained alive. The mothers refused to stop believing that one day they would see their precious children again.

A mother's love is powerful. No matter how far her child may be, her heart remains connected. Though Nina and Z**i were separated from their families by fear and hardship, their mothers continued to pray and wait faithfully.

The pain of a mother and child separated by tragedy is difficult to describe. Yet even in the darkest moments, hope shines like a small light, reminding us never to give up.

For as long as love exists, a mother's prayers will continue to reach her child, wherever that child may be.

Ya Allah, bring the teachers, children in captivity home safely. Aamin