The night air was cool as Maria sat on her bed, her phone pressed to her ear. The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows on the walls. She could hear the faint ticking of the clock on her desk, but her mind was too preoccupied to notice. Ayesha was on the other end of the call, her voice calm but filled with a quiet intensity.
Ayesha: "Maria, I need to ask you something, and I want you to answer honestly."
Maria sat up straighter, sensing the seriousness in Ayesha's tone.
Maria: "Of course. What is it?"
Ayesha: "Had you ever seen Sister Agnes going somewhere outside the church?"
Maria frowned, recalling memories of Agnes's movements.
Maria: "Yes, many times. I often saw her leaving before sunrise and coming back after 8 PM. Sometimes she would leave after sunrise, but her return time was always the same."
Ayesha was silent for a moment, as if piecing something together.
Ayesha: "Did you ever ask her where she was going?"
Maria: "No, I just assumed she had some personal matters to attend to. I never questioned it."
Ayesha took a deep breath before asking her next question.
Ayesha: "Did you ever notice Sister Agnes feeling unwell or in pain?"
Maria nodded instinctively, then realized Ayesha couldn't see her.
Maria: "Yes, she often looked like she was in pain. When I asked her about it, she always gave me the same answer—that it was menstrual pain. She told me that since she was in her late forties, it was her last cycle."
Ayesha hummed thoughtfully.
Ayesha: "And you believed her?"
Maria: "Why wouldn't I? She never made a big deal about it. I just assumed she was telling the truth."
Ayesha's voice was laced with curiosity.
Ayesha: "How many times have you cleaned Sister Agnes's room?"
Maria blinked, slightly taken aback by the question.
Maria: "Many times. She wasn't a messy person, but since we all helped clean each other's rooms occasionally, I did clean hers more than once."
Ayesha's next question sent a chill down Maria's spine.
Ayesha: "Did you find anything strange in her room?"
Maria hesitated before responding.
Maria: "For most people, it might seem strange… but not to me. I found a Quran translated into English, along with several other books. One of them was about the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and another was about his companions."
There was a brief silence.
Ayesha: "Maria, did you ever come across a book on Hadith or Sahih Bukhari?"
Maria thought for a moment before shaking her head.
Maria: "No, I haven't. But to be honest, I've been busy with my studies lately, so I haven't cleaned her room in the past few days."
Ayesha's voice was firm.
Ayesha: "Maria, I want you to clean her room as soon as possible and look for those books. If you find them, I strongly recommend you read them."
Maria's heartbeat quickened.
Maria: "Ayesha… what are you trying to tell me?"
Ayesha took a deep breath before speaking.
Ayesha: "Maria, Agnes had joined our academy—Syedna Abu Bakar Siddiqui Academy—after accepting Islam. In that academy, she learned all the teachings of Islam."
Maria felt a sudden wave of dizziness.
Maria: "What…?"
Ayesha continued, her tone unwavering.
Ayesha: "She learned everything, Maria. She knew how to pray properly, how to fast, how to follow Islamic teachings. She wasn't just curious about Islam—she was fully devoted to it."
Maria's mind raced. Suddenly, a memory surfaced.
Maria: "Wait… I remember something. In her last month, I barely saw her at our prayer sessions."
Ayesha: "Exactly."
Maria gasped as another memory clicked into place.
Maria: "One day, I took her a tray of lunch, and she refused to eat. I asked her why, and she said she was fasting. But when I told her it wasn't a Christian fasting period, she just smiled and didn't say anything."
Ayesha's voice was calm but heavy with meaning.
Ayesha: "Do you remember what month that was?"
Maria felt her chest tighten.
Maria: "Yes… it was October."
Ayesha's next words sent a chill through Maria's entire body.
Ayesha: "That was Ramadan, Maria. The month of fasting for Muslims."
Maria's hands began to tremble.
Maria: "So… that means… when she died… it was the third day of Eid?"
Ayesha's silence confirmed it.
Maria felt her breath hitch. Everything was starting to make sense, yet it raised even more questions.
Maria: "Ayesha… if she was so devoted to Islam, why didn't she tell anyone? Why did she keep it a secret?"
Ayesha sighed.
Ayesha: "Maybe she was afraid. Maybe she knew that if people found out, there would be consequences."
Maria swallowed hard.
Maria: "Are you saying… that someone might have wanted to silence her?"
Ayesha didn't respond right away.
Ayesha: "All I'm saying is that her death was too sudden to be ignored. And if she was fasting… that means she was perfectly healthy before she passed away. People don't just die in their sleep for no reason."
Maria's blood ran cold.
Maria: "I need to find out more."
Ayesha's voice was firm but full of concern.
Ayesha: "Maria, be careful. If Agnes was hiding something, there was a reason for it. Don't put yourself in danger."
Maria took a deep breath.
Maria: "I don't care about the risks. I need to know what really happened to her."
Ayesha sighed again.
Ayesha: "Then promise me you won't act recklessly. Start by searching her room. If you find anything, let me know."
Maria nodded, determination burning in her chest.
Maria: "I will."
As the call ended, Maria sat in silence, her mind racing. The truth was unfolding piece by piece, but something told her she was only scratching the surface.
There was more to Sister Agnes's story.
And Maria was determined to uncover it.