I See Fire

7 | Secrets have legs too

Thursday morning; the whole house fasted. Some for Zayda's return and others just did it because it was a part of their weekly spiritual routine.

Aamanee was the first to be awake. Her boyfriend, Saif has called right after she'd just prayed Fajr. She would've gone back to sleep but he wouldn't stop calling and she knew why.

"What time should I come pick you up?" He yawned, evidence he'd also just woken up if not a while back.

She rolled her eyes and groaned. Today is cultural day fam, she hissed. "Same time."

She meant 10:00am which was her first break of the day as their school has two breaks the whole day so she always used the first break to sneak out before everyone would have to return to class.

Today would be the best day to sneak out because she didn't have to change clothes at the venue they were meeting. She planned to dress in a killer fitted Ankara gown that'd compliment her slim figure and outshine the others but Saif destroyed her plans by coming today which meant she wouldn't be in school long enough to showcase her dress.

At first it was hard but eventually it got easier as she became a smarter crook. Saif was the blueprint she used to execute her escape plans because he was also a student but had graduated the previous year so he now attended a university in the outskirts of the city.

"Same time? Ok." He hummed, chirping excitedly "I can't wait. It's been a while."

She didn't care one bit. He'd been gone for too long and she'd found a replacement for him but he was stinking rich so she stuck by him even if she was seeing other older men she drained of cash. He was just the most genuine so she tended to pity him, hence her agreeing to ditch school for him.

"Yhhhh." She pulled the phone from her eyes and narrowed her eyes at the phone "I've missed you baby."

It wasn't that long she saw him. He was just obsessed with her and what she did to him. It started as a joke—a class ship— her ss2 class and his ss3 set made Saif + Aamanee then they decided why not?

Who knew Saamanee was sinking to the tunes of friends that neither cared about them or their lives—whatever would incite gist and gossip—that was what they enjoyed and Aamanee found it great being with the senior boy everyone wanted. Rich, handsome and packing—a prefect too—she couldn't have asked for a better man. Child. Boy. Friend.

She showered and joined everyone down for breakfast. As usual it was in a rush, she woke up the first but would be the last to leave her room. She'd gone back to sleep after speaking to Saif and bathing.

She'd taken the time to do some light makeup and pick the perfect accessories to compliment her outfit just when it was only 20 minutes left for them to make it to school.

At the breakfast table, everyone chatted as if Zayda hadn't just disappeared except their mother who was lost in her own thoughts and Amira who was only disappointed in them. Their father was absent for a work trip and Yusuf was just getting up.

Amira stares at her mother, silently wishing she could take away her pain of losing one of her daughters but she knows there's nothing she can say or do to make things better.

Nadine drops her mug of coffee after sucking on the tip for the remnants of her Nescafé. It's almost violent, close to breaking the glass of the table and the mug itself. She was engaging in conversation but she's been looking depressed lately—only smiling to visitors and a few jokes her siblings made.

"Get in the car kids so I can drop you." She leaves her chair to touch her mother's shoulder before heading outside.

Farouk followed first and charged for the front seat door then she poked her head outside window and shouted "Kids only."