CHAPTER 08- When Situations Change
1123 Words
••••••••
Fatimah's P O V
The following morning I woke up feeling more than satisfied at myself, I rinsed my mouth and took out one of the meds. As far as I am concerned despite my illiteracy one cannot take medicines in an empty stomach.
And I can bet my whole life Uwale would never feed me again.
"All that is left for me now is to die and rot"
Blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, I rose up and made my way outside. I promised myself to be a changed person, a braver person. One who stands for herself. Not the one who self-pitys', who lets everyone thrash her anyhow they want.
"Ga abun kari (Here's your breakfast)" Uwale's voice came, a deceitful smile on her face.
"I'm not hungry" I answered, not ready to be poisoned.
Uwale smiling at me- Fatimah, the one with no surname. I'm believing it.
Incase she has forgotten, the last time something similar to what happened yesterday happened Uwale treated me like a daughter of hers and tried to poison me with Kosai (Akara/ Beans cake). Musa was the one who stopped me from feeding on it that day. Why that happened is still a mystery to me till date.
He threw my food away and said "It is infected" despite the fact that he tried to kill me the previous day.
Why did he save me then? I ask myself this question at all times but now I'm beginning to understand his motive. He wants something I have which is something he would never ever get.
Right now she's insisting that I eat so in order to not burst her little bubble I collected the bowl and walked to my room with what I was expected to sell today.
There's also something I'm anticipating for and I do not know what to do about it. I can't wait to see Bashir, I don't even know if it's proper for me to call him that. He looks 10 years older than me so I guess I would settle on referring him to Yaya. That's if he's comfortable with that.
Who told you he's staying in your life? A voice in my head asked and I shook it as fast as I could.
I don't want to sound selfish but I'm not ready to lose someone who cares about me. I've spent the last three years of my life with no shoulder to lean on, to cry on and now that I've got one I don't think I would be able to let him go easily.
I moved the food from the plate to one of the black nylons I had. After taking gulps of water I arranged the nuts in a tray and walked out of the house.
As usual the people around jeered at me, something that doesn't bother me anymore. But today a conversation caught my attention and it cut through me, deep.
"Itacce annoban da uwale ta ajje a gidanta. Shegiyar pyade taso yiwa bawan Allah 'dan Uwale mema sunan nasa, yawwa Musa (She's the nuisance that Uwale is keeping in her house. The bastard child even tried to r**e uwale's son, what's his name I can't remember. Oh it's Musa)" the first woman said in a supposedly hushed voice.
"Can you imagine? A girl trying to r**e a boy this world is coming to an end" the second one replied, her voice loud.
My steps faltered and I stopped. The accusation once again getting to me. My heart boiled with anger at their ignorance.
"Excuse me" I uttered, my voice shaking. The second woman turned to look at me, a permanent sneer on her face.
"What?" the second woman asked arrogantly.
"Are you by chance referring to me?" I asked keeping my tray down.
I'm fed up with everyone around here. I have no reputation to hold.
"So what if we were referring to you? Uban me zaki iya kucaka dake? (What the hell can you do?)" she replied heatedly. The first woman whispered something to her ear and dragged her away.
I took my tray from the ground and walked off to my destination.
The white car parked by the side of the road made my heart skip a beat before it began hitting my ribcage furiously.
"You are late" were the first words he uttered as soon as I settled down.
"Good morning. I didn't think you would come"
"Here I am. How are you feeling now, Better?" he asked. Sitting beside me.
"Never been better. Alhamdulillah"
"Hope you took your medicines this morning" he asked folding the sleeve of his kaftan.
"Y-Yes. I did" I lied.
He narrowed his eyes at me before responding. "You did not"
"I forgot" escaped my lips as I fumbled with the edge of my hijab.
"Fatimah" the way he called my name made shivers run down my spine.
"I don't like it when you're not telling me the truth"
I felt ashamed.
"Why?" he asked and I got confused- Why do I lie or why did I not take my medicines. "What stopped you from taking them?" he completed the sentence.
"I didn't eat anything this morning and I always knew that one can't take drugs in an empty stomach" I confessed.
"That makes us even. I ate nothing this morning too. Why don't we go take breakfast somewhere?" he asked pressing something attached to his car key and the car made a sound.
I stared at it in awe as a sad smile made its way to my lips.
"I can't. You can just leave. I have work to do" I bit my trembling lip.
He sighed and got up without saying another word. After a while he came back with his phone in hand.
"Then I guess we would both suffer in hunger"
"No. There's no way that's going to happen I can't let that happen. You shouldn't deprive yourself of food it's not healthy" He threw me a sharp incredulous look before chuckling.
"And it's healthy for you?" he asked.
"No I don't mean it like that but people like us are..."
"Do not downgrade yourself ever Fatimah. Don't. You and I are the same, never do that again please" he shook his head.
"I'm sorry" I replied, once again feeling ashamed.
"It's okay"
I parted my lips to say something but stopped myself before I could utter a single word. He however noticed and urged me to speak. I gulped before speaking. "Why do you come here?"
He stared at me for minutes before answering. "Do you want me to stop coming?"
I shook my head vehemently at that.
"I care for you Fatimah. You intrigue me alot"
••••••••
- Writer
