The Search. Day 2

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Southampton. 

April 2 morning from the window of my room. 

Grey Sky, Wet and Cold.

Sister HR and her daughter, my niece, HZ came up to my room. 

We had a light breakfast. 

And discussed our next step.

We came to the UK armed with only an address. Which I found online a few years back. It was a company's address.

But as I searched for more details I was convinced that it was also a house address.

And 

an online contact through an anonymous friend. That has not responded to sent messages for sometimes now.

We informed our Dear Mother of our every step. And we sought her and everybody's du'a. And kind strangers. 

~`~

Niece booked us a hotel online for our next stop.

This time we managed to get a family room. 

The three of us together.

We checked out and booked a taxi.

to 

Portsmouth

~`~

It was about 50 minutes journey. 

Our cab driver was a kind gentleman from Somalia. Who, after our prompting, talked about his life in Britain, his family in Somalia. A daughter in South Korea teaching English.

He talked about us being careful. Because some unfortunate incidents were happening to Muslims in London. He advised us to avoid walking in the street the next few days.

I explained that we were just going from hotel to hotel. 

By Taxi.

He said Inshaa Allah we would be fine.

As we reached our hotel, we sought his du'a. For safe journey and the accomplishment of our search.

~`~

Farmhouse Innlodge, Burfields Road, Portsmouth.

A cosy hotel and warm reception welcomed us.

I was still exhausted from the long flight and nauseating aftermath in the coach.

My sister and niece have been away since 16 March, to Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. In a group tour hunting for Aurora, the Northern Lights, and emerging Tulips. Hence their arrival from Amsterdam to Southampton.

While I flew in direct from Kuala Lumpur because I had prior commitment.

~`~

We checked in and rested. We decided that we should move to a hotel closer to our destination. Unfortunately Niece has booked this hotel. Still some distance away. I preferred that we should locate ourselves in the locality of our destination. Thinking that local cab drivers would be familiar with the local landmarks and roads. And hoping that we would get to know some Muslim drivers who might even know the area.

Nevertheless, we decided to try to recover as much as we could in this hotel.

Later, ravenous, we booked a taxi and went for dinner at a Muslim restaurant a few miles away.

Again slept like a log till early morning for Fajar.

Watching golfers across the field braving the cold and grey morning.

Alhamdulillah.

For another day. Despite our apprehension. Closer to our destination.