Tale In The Red Sand

Chapter Three

Late into the summery morning, a firm knock sounded at the front door of the Cali residence. Warsame was the one who opened it to Abdihakeem Muse, appearing weary and burdened with distress.

"Salamualaikum." He greeted.

"Walaikumasalam, what's the matter, Adeer"? Warsame asked, scrutinising the man with concern. Abdihakeem discounted the worry with a sham grin on his handsome face.

"I promised Hibaaq a while ago, I'd fix the broken pipe in your kitchen, Adeer." Abdihakeem stated, holding up his tool box. It was Saturday and Abdihakeem finally managed to escape his mother's tenacious clutches. Pestered as if it were a daily ritual into saying 'yes' to a marriage he did not want, though he's yet to give an answer to the anticipating family or his own.

Abdihakeem was an ace mechanical genius, he worked with automobiles and planes and the occasional plumbing. Not only was he extremely accomplished, he was also very handsome and well heeled. The classic eligible bachelor women would throw themselves at, but he only had eyes for one woman. Even so, that one woman probably hated him with how fast his younger sister worked in delivering news to her best friend.

"Is that so, you better get started then, come in." Warsame hurried back to his study after letting Abdihakeem in, having an important business call to attend to.

Knowing his way around the extensive house due to many visits when he was younger, Abdihakeem headed straight for the kitchen. It was about time he fixed that faulty plumbing. He carefully inspected the old pipe below the sink before getting to work. As he toiled away at the structure, Abdihakeem simply couldn't disregard the erratic beating in his chest. He was beyond anxious. 'Hibaaq probably already heard the news by now' he thought, his triceps flexing as he twisted a screw in place.

"Abdihakeem"? Hibaaq voiced, bewildered, noticing his tall figure hunched under the sink. She held an empty plate in hand, collected from her grandmother's bedroom. She placed the plate down on the countertop, crossing her arms for some stability as she watched him turn around, and he looked as though he was agitated.

"Salamualaikum, Hibaaq." Abdihakeem greeted indifferently, as if all was fine and it was just another day he came to visit. He rose from his crouched position, instantly towering over her frame. Hibaaq cleared her throat and took a step or two back to create a respectful distance. The close proximity made her heart beat disorderly.

"Alaikumasalam... you're finally getting the pipe fixed." She observed, the abrupt inability to relax when talking to him felt strange. Hibaaq had never felt anxious around Abdihakeem nor was there any awkward tension between them until presently, they were once inseparable.

So, she cursed this feeling.

"I'm all done, it was just a couple of loose bolts." He stated, fixating his doting gaze on her, but feeling criminal for the cause of her distance. "Is there anything else I can do for you"? He asked a few lengthy seconds later.

Hibaaq was aware she shouldn't ask for too much, and in spite of the obvious tension between them, she only wanted to look upon him a while longer before he left perhaps for good this time. She knew that she needed to lower her gaze and be modest about her obvious feelings for him, but she wasn't perfect, especially around Abdihakeem Muse.

She was so sure in herself that he felt the same way, and one day, commend these emotions rather than feeling shameful for it. One day, where he finally asked to marry her, of course.

"Actually, I was meaning to pick the coconuts, but you know I'm hopeless with the picking rod." She clasped her hands in front of her, tightly, to suppress the urges of palming her face from her foolishness.