Noorur-rahman

All For Nothing

Exactly two days ago, Baban Naana returned from whatever he was doing for a living. Though, my first encounter with him was quite unpleasant. The man almost run me over with his car the first time we met. And of course I ran my mouth as usual.

"You should open your eyes even walking on the streets." The man said poking his head outside the window. I was having a stroll down the street that day, and my mind was clearly not on me since I didn't saw the car coming.

"Just go about your business, Sir. Be glad you didn't hit me. Don't try to teach me how to walk!"

"What an insolent girl!" He said sternly, his brows almost touching each other.

"I'm sure you don't want me saying anything back, so please get going, I forgive you!" I hissed and left. I don't know what he did afterward, but I when returned back to the house that day, he was there in the living room. Him and his wife were talking about how manner less children can be these days.

"You again?" The man questioned surprisingly, and I didn't missed the disappointment in Maman Naana's eyes. They were obviously talking about the insolent girl. Good for them, all their children were out that day. They'll went to Islamiyya. Mubin inclusive, who's a teacher by the way.

"What did you do again, Noor?"

"Why not asked him what he did instead."
Of course when I saw him sitting there I have an idea of who is. Well, all that happened a day after Mubin had stood in front of his room door that evening, I thought he was there to nag me about his room again. I haven't seen him since our last encounter, which was two days prior to that day. Naana said he went to the near by town to greet his birth mother's relatives and he returned earlier that day.

"Is this about your room again?" I had asked. His lips only crook into a small smile that was barely there. "I'm not in the mood for that." I added dismissively, thinking he would go away.

"Did you realize we have been fighting since the first day we met?"

"And whose fault is that?"

"Yours!" He'd chuckled finding amusement in my voice, maybe. I was seated on his reading table doing nothing in particular.  Mama Naana went out to visit a sick neighbor that evening. So I assumed I was alone until Khalifa came looking for me, and later the bigger version of him.

"Leave me alone then!"

"Hey!" He'd paused as if having second thought to what he's about to said next. "About that night, I really didn't notice how bad you were breathing. I'm sorry!"

"I'm glad you didn't. You're not supposed to noticed anything. But you did anyways."

"I'm sorry once again."

"Mubin, I'm not your responsibility and you're not oblige to look after me. It's nothing big, all asthmatic patient get attacks, it's not the end of the world." I told him, I have been bored to my skull that day and the last thing I needed was Mubin feeling sorry for me. Lately, I see less of Naana and her siblings and that evening was no exception. The kids have been busy with their studies, only the little boy that came down with a flu that morning was left behind. 

"I worry about you sometimes. I have been feeling bad about it. I just want you to know that, I'm not that kind of person that overlook things like that, especially when someone is hurting." A small smile had spread across my face at his discomfort. I could have used that to tease him but he's looked sincere that I couldn't brought herself to do it. Well, not just that. He'd also made me felt weird inside my stomach. Even weirder in the past few days.

I only replied to him with an okay as I tried hard to avoid his eyes that was penetrating into mine like a hawk. 

"Noor!" He'd called after a while, his face carried as much discomfort than when he first stood by the door.