Future Husband
885 Words
There was no show: Lilia was diligently watering the flowers by the time they arrived.
Noticing Yasmin, she apologized profusely and blamed everything on her colleague. Yasmin already annoyed not enjoying any show shut her up. "That's enough. Bring us some coffee."
***
Yasmin was pensively turning her now-empty cup in her hands. 'I wish I can sit like this, without thinking about any guests.' she begins her normal routine of thinking.
"what an interesting pattern your coffee has made. want me to tell your fortune?" zuleka offered. Yasmin did not believe in such things, but to pass away time she agreed.
zuleka took her cup and peered into the remains. she has a surprised look. "it's been a long time since I've seen something like this..." Zuleka's voice was filled with disbelief.
"Don't keep me in suspense. what do you see?" Yasmin asked impatiently.
"I see one, four and nine." Zuleka told her.
Yasmin curiousity instantly vanished. "Are you sure you are looking into the cup, not solving a math problem." she said sarcastically.
"someone is thinking about you, and someone will come into your life. you'll have to give up your empty hopes." Zuleka said but stopped abruptly as if trying to figure out something. "oh, there's also a bull..."
"A bull?" Yasmin has no idea of how a bull got to do with her. As Zuleka was about to explain, she got distracted by the noise outside.
"oh, what's going on today?" Zuleka asked with a sight. she just can't understand why everyone just keep shouting.
"I wonder why the guards are making so much noise." Yasmin muttered as she looked at the direction of the noise.
"There're good for nothing! Arguing while the master's away again." Zuleka left the house to reprimand the guards .
'i wonder what happened.' Yasmin suddenly had a mischievous smirk as she went outside to interfare.
Zulieka was pale-faced and confused when Yasmin emerged, already engaged in an argument with a stranger. "I owe...a man?! you?!"
Yasmin came outside to witnesses this. "what's going on here? who's this?" Yasmin points to a handsome man with deep blue eyes. A guard comes forward.
"miss, he assures me that Zulieka owes him."
The stranger stared at the woman. He looked too clean to be homeless. Yasmin looked at the stranger. " And what does she owe you?" Yasmin asked expecting a large sum of money, but was surprised by the stranger next words.
"she owes me a fortune-telling."
'Did he hear her telling my fortune?' Zulieka clearly didn't understand what this is all about. Her face grew even paler.
"wrap this up." Yasmin said, annoyed.
"I'm sorry, miss, we'll escort this lunatic out." A guard said.
"Too late. He already got what he wanted." Yasmin told the guards.
"Really, my lady princess? where's my divination?" He bowed slightly, wearing an expression of arrogant mockery.
Yasmin face got even more ugly. "I'm the one telling your fortune here. you're going to get in trouble tonight. You'd better get out of here and go...to the square."
"Are you...?" The stranger was interrupted by an angry Yasmin.
"I'm not done." she pointed at confused Zulieka. "Making fun of such an easily confused woman is heartless. You should apologize."
The stranger looked down, then smiled. His smile was good-natured. "I'm sorry, Zulieka. I didn't mean to offend you."
Zulieka turned to Yasmin. "Thank you Yasmin."
'someday I will teach her not to be afraid.'
The stranger bowed slightly again, then turned around and left.
Yasmin and Zulieka went inside. They were still shaken.
***
Yasmin was sitting on the sofa trying to suppress her anxiety. 'what a strange day this is...scary.'
Nothing was going well today. she couldn't sneak away for a walk. she usually had to come up with various excuses or straight-up lie in order to leave the house. 'But it did teach me not to be afraid--and how to run fast.' However, today the fear didn't want to subside.
'peharps it's the fault if the article from that strange newspaper?' she had found it recently, crumpled inside a wastebasket with the front page missing. But it contained the latest news.
Her mind went back to the disturbing line she had read, written in English.
"A strange virus is sweeping Morocco. The death rate is climbing rapidly." 'why would someone write about this? why was there a detailed description of the symptoms?'
The rest of the article was the usual: the opening of a new boutique, and a piece about Mr. Blackmort, a philanthropist who once again supported the development of the word culture.
A harsh sound pulled her out of her thoughts. "Is everything ready?"
The maid began to fuss, which always annoyed him. Zulieka was standing at a distance, not wanting to attract attention.
'You can instantly tell when he comes back home. Even the air is different.'
"Hurry up. Go take care of dinner." Mr. Kabir said
'He is speaking in a clipped, decisive voice. something has already ruined his mood.'
kadir sat in the armchair next to her. it was suddenly hard to breathe. 'sometimes it's hard to be in my father's presence.'
"Yasmin, this is an important day for our family." Kabir started.
'ominious words... what's going on?"
"Today you will meet your future husband."
- Writer
