Dark clouds, dark morning, dark mood for the Abdullah Mudi'. They were back at the dining table again with an extra seat missing and that's not counting Yusuf.
Those who were too ashamed would be left alone upstairs and the one true—secretly untrue to his 'father'—last born and his no-result sister were the ones who could actually say they had no problems. For now.
Hajiya Waleeda has served everyone and was just seating down beside her husband. The troubles of the previous day and months before stirred a storm in their aging heads that would only keep them worrying because the family was destroying itself from within.
They didn't know which cases to try and work on first. Farouk? Zayda? Or finally get over Nadine? Oh! That was still fresh in their minds. The only people who were lucky to not have seen her dead body were Zayda, Amira, Aamanee and Usama. The rest all saw what had to be seen eventually, the hollow bitterness in the gruesome suicide of their child and sister.
They fought so hard to contain whatever life threw at them. Family would come to visit and it was one lie to the other covering the previous lies and creating more. All just to protect the image of Alhaji Mudi's sham of a perfect family.
Left to Hajiya Waleeda she would've confided in one of her closest friends but he warned her against it and now they shared a burden even their extended family wasn't allowed to know.
As they munched on their food quietly they hear a knock on the door and they send Amira to open it. The gateman comes in and greets them.
"Some people are here ma."
"People?" she looks at her husband, puzzled when he shrugged giving her the 'its nothing' look. He continued eating as if all was well.
He lowered his voice "Police."
"Ask them, from where?"
"No need," Alhaji Mudi drops his fork and pushes the plate "Let them in."
Hajiya Waleeda looks at him for an explanation as the gateman leaves. Amira closes the door and sits back to finish her food.
"Yes?" She put her hands on her waist.
"They're here to find our son."
She sat down and didn't say anything after. The food turned cold and she discarded it in the kitchen. The policemen joined them and began their interrogation.
"Who was here when the money was stolen?"
Amira's eyes open wide "Someone stole money?"
"Yes." The first policemen says.
"We traveled; I and my wife." Alhaji Abdullah begins.
Hajiya Waleeda refuses to add anything to what her husband says. She was mute for the whole interrogation even as no one said anything to her which was better for them because she would've let out all her anger on the wrong people.
"Who have you seen entering daddy's room when they travelled?" They stood with hands behind their backs straight like soldiers in line for a march. Both sounded as if they were talking to only kids. It irritated the hell out of Hajiya Waleeda.
YOU ARE READING
I See Fire
ChickLitFather, mother and children all have secrets. A child finds out and decides to use it to help them. She decides to run away but without forgetting to write each of them a letter so who's going to find what first? It's a fight to the death. Everyone...
