Flawed Perfection

Chapter Eighteen: Mini_Death Phase

Evening,
Abuja, Nigeria.

Abdullah released a pent_ up breath, glancing at his wrist watch to find the timer on eight pm_ thirty eight minutes over that actually and Aisha wasn't home.

There were just about a million ways things could've gone wrong and Abdullah was sure he'd seen the horrible scenario after the millionth one playing in his head. Guilt crawled over his skin and infested on his heart and mind with every passing second.

He knew he deserved to be killed the minute leaving Aisha behind crossed his mind and knew a death sentence would be well_seated with the law the minute he drove off and left her to a heavy rain, with no cover nor some appropriate clothing. She might've managed to go back to the foundation, but even that would leave her with a serious fever. Knowing Hajiya, Abdullah knew she would have made minced meat out of him if Aisha had gone back, she would've already bombarded him with calls and summons, he would have already been dead in advance. Besides, he knew Aisha had to be killed to let his family see her like that.

He expected her to reach out to him, call after him and try to iron out things with him, like every girl he'd been around would do. What he'd overlooked was the fact that Aisha Ahmad Makama had a pride even her head could not contain, she wasn't just a woman who gave colours an entirely different meaning, she was the girl who, when given anything would ask what was needed in exchange before she allowed herself mouth a hesitant ' thank you.'

They would talk about her life and she would level the topic to a pot without even realizing it. As if she'd never had a clear head, as if conversations about the silliest things in life carried on in her head every time she was quiet. As if she was never really quiet, as if she was never just free enough to speak about all that was in her mind. How the hell did he even allow his pride get the better of his head? When had Aisha Ahmad Makama ever done anything he'd expected?

She was changing him, all he ever did was ' not hate her' and now he hated to see her talking to another man, or smiling for another man, or laughing or wearing the most beautiful pout he'd ever seen if it wasn't for him. Aisha had such an effect on him, on his moods even while she frowned or acted nonchalant. The thought about how her cousin must've felt while his own wife spoke about giving him detailed hugs sickened him to his core. Now, he was scared of how far 'not disliking Aisha' was driving him and how hard that might destroy her and how her destruction would crush him whole.

What had he done to her?

Knowing he wouldn't last another second waiting, Abdullah pocketed Aisha's phone and carried his own along with his car keys, dialling Nafeesah's number as he made his way out in huge strides. The phone kept ringing to a missed call. He made a mental note to punish Nafeesah after he found his wife before placing the riskiest call of his entire life. Leaving his fragile wife alone, in between somewhere and nowhere, under a heavy downpour of rain was insane but maybe shamelessly calling his mother to ask if she'd found or seen her made him officially insane, in a way that was all signed, stamped and sealed. Abdullah knew he deserved to be killed or wasted. But what choices was he left with?

Hajiya's phone rang and thankfully, unlike the sister he was so going to waste, she answered after the second ring. But now she would kill him.

"Salaamu Alaykum. Good evening Hajiya." He said into the phone, the minute he knew he would speak and be heard.

"Wa'alaykumu Salaam. Good evening." She answered casually. Abdullah was unsure if he should be relieved he was safe or scream because his wife was probably dead or burried somewhere as he spoke to his mother.

"Hajiya please is Aisha there with you?" His tone was fragile and hesitant, as if he was threading water atop a crisp leaf and a single wrong move would drown him.