Twelve
1088 Words
Zahra checked her wrist watch again as she looked out the window for any signs of Haidar. She had finished her exam twenty minutes ago and left him in the hall.
"I'm coming" she said to the two men seating in front of the car and quickly got out before being objected. She strolled towards the venue and was about reaching when her name was called. Zahra swiftly turned and her veil hit Halima on the face making Halimas frown grow as she heaved in annoyance.
"Any problem?"
"I want you to stay away from Alee" Halima firmly crossed her arms as she addressed her. Zahra looked at Hafsy and back at Halima before letting out a wild laugh clapping her hands together in the process, she ended with a chuckle before turning around and walking away not bothering to say anything which left the duo confused. She met Haidar before entering the building and they both made their way to the car completely ignoring the boring stares Halima and Hafsy were sending their way.
"So how was it?" Haidar asked while putting on his glasses.
"Alhamdulillah. How was yours?"
"It was good. Any plans for today?"
"Actually-" she glanced down at her wrist watch "-I have to escort Abba to the airport in like ten minutes"
"Daddies girl. I'll see you tomorrow then"
"Tutorials later today or aren't you coming"
"I'm tired, I need to sleep"
"Don't be lazy, I'll pick you up so you can't even use your lame 'I don't like driving at night' excuse"
"First of all, I do not sound like that. Secondly Its not driving at night I don't like its going out at night completely"
"What kind of person doesn't like going out at night?"
"This guy" he pointed to his head with both thumbs. "You should get going so you don't delay Abba" they said their goodbyes, Zahra hopped into the back of the car and he walked back to his.
"Baba yane toh (Dude what's up)?" Haidar shook his three friends standing by his car.
"Dan uban ka, ka zama woman wrapper ko" Friend one said.
"She's got you wrapped around her finger" Friend two commented while Friend three kept laughing at Haidar.
"Ga maiyar nan tana zuwa (That witch is coming)" The four boys turned their heads to where the voice came from and then to where friend four who just got there was looking. They saw Halima swaying her hips towards them and all four cooked up excuses to immediately leave before Halima got to where they were standing.
"Guys... Really?" Haidar shouted but no one answered him, they all dispersed.
"Alee" she said lowly
"What do you want Halima?" he said his usual response. She sighed and there was a moment of silence which was very unusual.
"What's wrong with you?" he regretted letting those words leave his mouth.
"I'm tired of living like this"
"Get in" he said holding open the door to his car. She looked up at him in awe only to be greeted by his smile, something she hadn't seen for a very long time. He shut the door and walked to the other side of the car to get in. Haidar knew Halima could burst into tears and didn't want any unwanted attention from the gossiping mouths of students.
"What's up?"
She again sighed "Let's get back together"
"No offense but you're insane, you almost killed someone fa"
"My jealousy got the best of me and I apologized"
"Its not all about apologies. You have to be willing to change"
"I am! Wallahi I am. No more drama or tantrums, I'm ready to be a better person"
"I'm happy for you"
"Is that all you have to say?"
"What else do you want to hear?"
"Aliyu you broke up with me. I never wanted to live like this" as expected she started sobbing.
"Halima what we had was worthwhile but you have to understand, I've moved on and you should too"
Halima sucked in a breath and snatched a piece of tissue from his hand slowly dabbing on her tears "It's okay. All I wanted was to set things straight, you don't have to be mean to me all the time. I have feelings too" Haidars face turned into a replica of a sad emoji as her words dawned on him. He knew he was being mean even for Halima.
"I'm sorry" she gave him a tight lip smile in appreciation "Friends?"
"Friends *sob* *sob*"
✊✊✊
Maryam looked at her ringing phone for the third time; anger, confusion and mostly fear enveloping her senses. She stretched her hand out to pick the phone but retracted immediately and let go of a sigh of relief when it stopped ringing. She wondered how he got her phone number and why he was calling after so many years. Her thoughts were again cut short by the piercing ring of her phone, she again read the number that displayed on the screen knowing fully well who the caller was. Even after sixteen years she still recalled the digits of his phone number.
She sighed again when she was sure he wasn't calling again and proceeded to call Sahabi and inform him she was turning off her phone because she didn't want any disturbance before closing her eyes to sleep away the annoyance.
Maryams not so peaceful sleep was interrupted by the intercom. She grudgingly used her hand to pick up the telephone with her face still buried into the soft pillow, the sleep not leaving her eyes.
"Yes?"
"Ma'am there's an Adam Mubi here to see you" with the sentence cleared her sleep and she sat up immediately.
"Don't let him in and if he comes back let me know"
A week had gone by since the whole Adam drama but Maryam still had no peace of mind, she knew better than to forget what happened for Adam was sure to return.
"What is bothering you?" Zahra asked her thinking mother who was paying no attention to what she was telling her.
"Its nothing" she lied. They heard a few voices arguing from outside and were startled when a man looking in his early seventies barged into the living room making Maryam rise up from her sitting position.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Zahra asked the man standing before her who from all indications had something to do her mother's current state of shock.
"I'm here for my son"
xoxo hairanumar
- Writer
