Her Boyfriend, My Husband

CHAPTER 11

Abdallah's POV

The Maghreb adhan was the only thing that could get me out of bed right now. I had been driving around town, doing random errands aunty Hajaru put me on and picking up guests from the carpark, airport or trainstation through out the day.

It was going to be a small event, just some friends and family they said! But these past few days, the house had completely transformed into a marketplace so much so that I've been contemplating moving out to a hotel till my stay's over.

The mu'azzam's voice once again echoed through the horizon ringing in my ears and urging me to abandon my laziness and pull myself to my feet.

The cold night's harmattan breeze brushed past me and penetrated my layers of cloths livening me up the moment I went out through the gates.

At first my eyes were too set on the path to the mosque to notice the sight beside me but right in front of me, stood Maryam and someone else. Someone though I've never met before, I recognized instantly and my heart ached to acknowledge.

My first impulse was to change courses which I almost did pretending not to notice them. Until my conscience scolded me and made me pull back and face my demons. Who in this case was a 6"6' tall man dressed in a grey T-shirt and khaki trousers looking at Maryam in a rather infatuated way through his thin rimmed RayBans.

I took each step with caution, as if I was walking into a lion's den and as I gotplan.ser, I couldn't help overhearing fragments of their conversations.

The chatter of young boys hurrying to the mosque and distant horns blaring all interrupted but still, I managed to hold on to pluck off the pieces from the air especially the most striking one I heard of Maryam's voice.

"...that wasn't part of the plan..."

As if by a razor, my hearing was cut short from there, it couldn't hold it's own against the rickety rackety sound of the busted Peugeot that just sped past me.

I cursed under my breath and found myself walking faster towards them, my curiosity and worry over powering my dread to meet the Yusuf fellow. My ears however caught nothing of their voices this time and I figured it must've been cause Maryam sensed my arrival and kept mute.

By the time I stood right beside Maryam, I noticed she was tense in her silence. Maybe she was worried I was here to look for faults in this one too as I always did. I did notice countless of flaws in him that had already made him not deserving of her. One of them was obviously this "plan" I heard and the other was the fact that he was driving an Audi of all car models. Everyone knows Audis are for spoilt college kids but oh well, I promised to behave myself and that I will.

I continued standing by Maryam's side who was probably anxious to introduce me to her "fiance" since she knew my reputation of being extra finicky of her suitors. I made it a point to be nice to him in front of her and show her I like and support her choice this time. Maybe then, she would let go of the anger she had towards me for a week now.

When I noticed she was probably never going to introduce us, I extended my hand to him and he shook it rather lightly or was it just me since I expected a tougher handshake from a soldier.

An invite to the mosque was the most friendly gesture I could think of at the moment but the guy stood me up and zoomed off in his lousy RS3 I could beat in a race any day. But I was somehow glad, at least I won't have to pretend to like him for any longer.

"Well that was rude."

"He's still better than some people" It hurt how Maryam made it clear she was referring to me.