Patsy (the victim)

15

"Ke Zahra'u!" Ammi call banging on the bedroom door making zahra'u to stand up with a sigh.

"Who's going to wash all the dirty plates for you?" Ammi yell once zahra'u open the door making her to sigh

"I will do it i just want to rest for a while i am having a bad headache."zahra'u say and ammi glare at her.

"Get out of that room and go clean up my kitchen,
You are having a bad headache how is that my problem?
Useless girl if care is not taken i will kick you out of this house, don't think because Bashir said he's going to marry you that make's you a part of this family." Ammi yell and zahra'u nod.

"I will go and clean up the kitchen right away." Zahra'u say and ammi just give her a deadly glare and walk out of the front of the bedroom.

Zahra'u sigh and exit the bedroom with a sigh, for the past 3weeks since ammi kicked her out of the apartment her routine completely changes, ammi has dismissed all the maid leaving her to do all the chores in the house, there are days zahra'u find it so stressful that she breakdown after retiring to her bedroom, the only thing that keeps pushing her is the voice of bashir that always ring in her head "wait for me no matter what it takes" he say to her and zahra'u knows she can endure all hardship because she believe once the only man that sees through past her indifference comes she will be happy again.

She stare at the pile of plates with a sigh and decide to tidy up the kittcjen before she wash the plates, halfway throw the chores mama's blaring crying voice begin echoing around the house making her to sigh, mama has become so cranky lately the little girl barely let her do her chores in peace.
Zahra'u quickly head to the bedroom and carry her daughter, she put her on her back before sashaying back to the kitchen and continue her chores.

"Ke zahra'u!" One of Ammi daughter's call entering the kitchen gaining zahra'u attention from where she's standing washing the plates in front of the sink.

"Ummah say you should wash this clothes the washing machine has breakdown." Amal say as khakifa enters the kitchen.

"Meye haka!" He yell at his sister giving zahra'u and her daughter a pitiful look.

"Come on park this things and get out of this kitchen,
The next time anyone makes her uncomfortable in this house you won't like the consequences,
Zahra'u leave the chores i don't understand why all the maid are dismissed,
Zahra'u won't do anything assuming ya Bashir is around none of you will do this nonsense you all have been doing." Khalid's say dragging zahra'u from the sink as his mum comes inside the kitchen.

"Meye na ke gani haka?
Khalifah how dare you question my authority in this house, I guess this witch also bewitched you as well,
Will you let go her hand let her finish that chores or do you want me to give you a dirty slap?" Ammi say and zahra'u quickly wiggle her grip out his hand..

"But mum this is not fair what if ya Bashir comes an.........

" and so what?
Let the bashir come and meet her doing the chores so i can see what he can do, useless boy."ammi say and mamah begin crying as zahra'u wash the plate and sway her on her back to keep quiet.

"Dan iskan yaro kawai
The next time something like this will repeat itself you won't like the new side of me." His mum warn and leave the kitchen with his junior sister making him to sigh.

"Zahra'u,
Please bring mamah let me help you with her, I can take her for a small walk around the compound, look at how she's sweating in this kitchen." Khalifah say with a sigh staring at the little girl crying.

Zahra'u untie her daughter and khalifah collect her making the little girl to keep quiet and zahra'u smile at her, she give khalifah a little bit insecure look.

"I will take care of her i promise." He say and zahra'u nod, she watch as khalifah exit the kitchen with her daughter and she releases a deep breathe of exhaustion.

Khalifah is the only person that seems to care about her wellbeing, he's always come to her rescue whenever his mum and his sister's are on her but somehow she just doesn't feel that connection of sympathy that he has for her, for some reason she doesn't know why especially if the severe warning bashir gave to her ring in her ear, sometimes she think maybe bashir is over reacting about khalifah because he seems like a nice guy.

She spend the next two hours doing her chores and by the time she's done khalifah is back with her daughter who's fast asleep on his shoulder with a bunch of unnecessary children stuff that he bought for her, zahra'u thank him before collecting her daughter and retire to the bedroom to take some medication and rest for the day.

For the next few days khalifah always offer to babysit mamah as zahra'u do her chores, there are days where mamah stay the entire day with him, even do sometimes the little girl throw tantrum because she doesn't want to go with him zahra'u didn't bring anything to her mind because khalifah seems like a good boy to her or so she thinks.

It is a Monday evening as zahra'u quickly round up the cooking and arrange everything into the warmers as ammi instructed she quickly keep everything om the dinning table before exiting the main building to go get her daughter from khalifah, they've been together since afternoon and with the lightening in the sky zahra'u knows it will soon be rain with how angry the evening cloud looks.

"Baba garba is ya khalifah inside?" Zahra'u ask the old security man in the post and the man node.

"Yes i just saw him going in with your daughter to his apartment." Baba garba say and zahra'u quickly saunter to the apartment, she glance at the place she used to call her home aunty ammi just find a way to get rid of her but her so called mum never show up so the apartment is still vacant, zahra'u glance at the two storey building and shake all the thoughts in her head and walk to the front porch of the bungalow, she raise her hand to knock on the door but stop as she hear the indistinctive noise coming from inside, for some minutes she feel her heart stops, with a trembling hand she quietly open the parlour door and walk to the bedroom door where the noise is coming from, she creak the door open and what she sees it's every mother's worst nightmare and she knows that image will continue to hunt her for the rest of her life.

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