A LOVE LIKE PHOENIX

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

(ALHAJI ABDULRAHMAN’S HOUSE)

“Hajia, What are we preparing for Hajia Maira’s in-laws who are bringing the lefe tomorrow?” Safarau asked

“Call Maira for me, so she can share her ideas with me” Hajia Mardiya told Safarau, who in turn hurried to carry out her boss’s order, in less than a minute Maira appeared before her mother.

“Maira darling, tell me, what do you think we should arrange for your in-laws in terms of refreshments?” Hajia Mardiya told her

“I think we should order some snacks from our pastry maker chef Halimaz, then maybe prepare some jollof rice, peppered chicken, garden salad, and some refreshing drinks, preferably, fresh Orange and pineapple juices. Oh and Ummah, please make arrangements for the food to be packed in such a way that it will taken with them, as they would not want to eat here because of Filaako (shyness)” Maira replied.

Hajia Mardiya was excited for this wedding, as few years ago if anyone told her that she would witness a time that there is so much calmness and peace in their home she would doubt it, because so for long Maira battled with Atherosclerosis, (a health condition that prevents flow of blood in to the heart, and combust the artery concerned) she was diagnosed with the ailment at the age of 14. She was operated on in Cleveland clinic, United State of America. She was always handled with extra care, attention and affection, ever since she was diagnosed with the ailment. She always had her monthly medical check-up in Murtala Muhammad Hospital, Kano State that was where she met Zayyad, as he was the assistant doctor in charge of her case file, he was always helpful, kind, he always make her smile and made her feel assured. However, she did not want to raise her hopes too high, her being alive in itself is a miracle and she always heard people say that marriage can be quite extolling and demanding, she doesn’t want to put herself in that risk considering her health, anything can trigger her heart condition, she does not want that, but she loves the way Dr. Zayyad made her smile and assured her. She wants that for herself. So she informed Ummah who in turn informed Abbah, they were both excited at the prospect of their daughter getting married but they were only skeptical about one thing “can Maira handle what being a married woman, entail?” They were glad however, that she fell in love with a doctor, who is familiar with the antecedents of her illness, so they were rest assured that he would not do anything that will affect her health, as he knows what that would mean.

“I am so happy for you dear daughter” Hajia Mardiya said with a smile on her face as she smothered Maira with kisses.

“Likewise me, Ummah, Likewise me” Maira responded

But deep down inside of her something felt off, regarding the whole relationship, Zayyad seemed too perfect and calm, although there are times when he lost his temper and yelled at her over something as trivial as not using the specific brand of perfume he wants. Secondly, he is always enquiring about her Dad, Alhaji Abdulrahman, in a way that does not suggests the usual Father-in-law/Son-in-law relationship, he is always asking her what her dad was up to, who he met with and what contract he is working on. That seems a little bit fishy. Maybe, she is the one imagining things and Zayyad is just being affectionate and caring about his soon too-be Father-in-law.

“There are things you should know about Conjugal rights” Hajia Mardiya started

“No, Ummah, No” Maira said, while blocking her ears with her hands and running to her room

“Keep running, Maira, one day you will seek this precious knowledge of mine and I will not be there to put you through”

“Let’s wait till that day Ummah”

As Maira, entered her room she noticed that, her phone’s screen light is on, which meant that either she just missed a call or a message just came in. She picked phone and Zayyad’s name appeared as the caller whose phone call she missed, she smiled as she called him back,

“Where were you?” he asked immediately she picked up the phone, he did not even bother to respond to her salaam, she was quiet for a second as she was not expecting that reaction from him.

“I believe I asked you a question, Where were you?” he asked her again, she could his temper rising, as his voice was rising already

“I…uhmm… I was with Ummah, we were making arrangements against tomorrow” she replied almost timidly

“And you could not pick your phone? What if what I wanted to tell you was really important? How non-challant can you be? How many times will I tell you to take always take your phone along with you anywhere you go” he continued

“Anyways, I wanted to tell you to be prepared as I will be coming around, after my aunties leave”

“Okay what should I prepare for you?” she asked excited that she will see the love of her life

“Did I tell you that I am hungry? What I am coming for tomorrow is very serious and important, I need you to pay all of your attention” he said

“Okay, babe”

“Alright then see you tomorrow” he said

“Alright, lov…….” The phone beeped, meaning one thing, he hung up on her. To her that meant one thing, he was angry, but she has not done anything to annoy him, maybe he is just looking for someone to pour his frustration on or maybe he is stressed. She resolved to send him an apology text message with the hope that that will appease him. She prayed silently to herself that, he stops this newly found behavior of his, getting angry un-necessarily.

The last time he was this angry was when she showed him the picture of the furniture her parents intend to get as Kayan Daki, he was livid, and he condemned the choice of her parents while saying that “it is better if they do not bother with the furnitures, if this is the trash they will be adorning his house with” it was not until she explained to him that that was the latest design of furniture released by Emirati designers, whose base of operation is in Dubai and that is where the furniture will be shipped in from, that was when he calmed him down.

This recent development was bothering her, as Zayyad was not like before, she knew that one of the things he will definitely, talk to her about tomorrow when he comes around, is the issue of getting her father to award the Soukuk Contract to his father, it is a multi-billionaire contract the entails, exploration, mining, and export of gold in Zamfara State, whoever gets awarded that contract has hit a jackpot and that is why Alhaji Abdulrahman is stalling the awarding of the contract, how Zayyad and his father got to know about the contract will never cease to surprise her, who knows…? She quickly shunned the thought “Zayyad loves her, because he is caring, kind and patient man, and he is not marrying her because of some stupid contract” I will await his arrival tomorrow and see what he has to say.

The next day, she got Safarau and the rest of the maids to clean up the sitting room where she and Zayyad meet for their tadi, and also to prepare snacks and drinks, everything was arranged and put in place, she was expecting him to be around by 4:00 pm because that was his usual arrival time, but till 9:00pm she didn’t see him neither did she receive any communication from him as to his where about, her call were un-responded, neither was her text message and her w******p messages, later that night he called, initially she didn’t want to pick, but she was worried so she pick the call, his first word of contact was

“Why are you blasting my phone with your calls?” he asked exasperatedly

“Do you want to know why I did not go through with my plans?” he continued

“Because I was horny, and there was nothing you could have done about it, tomorrow is your Doctor’s appointment at the hospital, we’ll meet and talk then. Goodnight Maira” and as he recently evolved, beep, the called ended in her ears without her saying as much as a word to him. She sat on her bed and placed her hand underneath her jaws, she was soon lost in a world of thought.

“What do I do now?” she asked herself the inevitable question, it may seem that simple but, what could she do? What could she do? What could she do?