Over and Over

Seldom

EL-BAAZ MANSOR

AUGUST, 16th 2023

"Sir, I thought you were feeling cold earlier,"  said zubair after he saw hakeem sitting on the chair that was by the entrance.

"Yeah, I was," he said, rubbing his palms while reading the newspaper that was on the table in front of him.

Just then, the domestic helpers started to pass with huge luggage boxes, "damn" he said in a small voice.

All zubair could do was smile, seeing how helpless he looked, "Sir let's go inside," he said, wanting to see his reaction.

"No, I'm fine here," he hurriedly replied, peeping through the corridor. "Are you waiting for someone, sir?" asked  zubair teasingly.

👻👻👻👻👻👻

Layla who was dressed in a long brown wrap round skirt and a white Cape top walked swiftly to the table to have breakfast just so she could leave early cause she was home sick.

At the dining room, the atmosphere was tense, and no one was talking, I guess it was because his Highness was absent.

The mood shifted instantly when maymun abruptly made her way to the dining. They were all shocked because of her unexpected visit.

Layla quickly approached her so as to collect the baby from her. She did so, and she greeted her also.

The dining suddenly became more lively after her arrival. "Why are they luggage boxes outside is anyone travelling?" she said after she was served.

"Yes, layla is going back to Abuja today," replied Ammi.

After maymun's arrival, hakeem sensed an opportunity of reconciliation. "Layla, why don't you stay a little bit longer then?"  said hakeem, winking at maymun.

"Yes, you can even escort me to the dermatologist," said maymun after hakeem signalled her.

She hesitated before replying, but after maymun pleaded, she agreed to stay till 1:00pm.

After she agreed to stay, maymun dragged her to her room so she could help her to unpack.

Her appointment with the dermatologist got cancelled, and layla's postponement of time became useless.

Soon, it was lunchtime, but they decided to pray before so. The atmosphere at the dining was more peaceful than earlier.

The peace was shattered by the sudden entrance of khadija, they all froze with their spoons in their hands.

"Khadija!" Shouted maymun excited, "how dare you hakeem, " she said, not bothering about maymun's greeting.

"How could you marry this thing hakeem, what is it that she has which I don't?"

"Sense, beauty and morals," he replied swiftly. "I knew that she was up to something since the first day I saw her," she said.

"You are a leech, daughter of a poor, useless man," she said, pointing at layla.
Layla turned to her side to see if she was really talking to her or someone else, but yeah, she was talking to her.

Before she could finish digesting all she said, hakeem intervened abruptly, silencing her with a loud voice, which made her shake.

He ordered the helpers to escort her out and bar her entry, and he started defending layla like always.

Surprisingly, maymun started to fume, and they started arguing with hakeem. Maymun was angry because he disgraced her friend.

Layla tried to talk to her, but she lashed out at her, telling her that she's the cause of everything.

The argument became more serious after she shouted at layla, it was until Ammi intervened that they came to a halt.

"I guess it's time for me to leave,"  said layla to Ammi after the serious scene that occurred.

She patted layla's shoulder while nodding her head. Layla turned and walked slowly, approaching her room to get her bag and veil.

"Layla," called hakeem who was standing by the door as he fixed his rough morning wavy hair, "What do you want?" she asked in a cold voice.

"Are you really leaving now, layla?" he added as he completely immersed himself in the bedroom.

"Are you blind or what?" she replied as she rolled her veil around her head. "Darling, please stay," he said, standing behind her in front of the mirror.

Upon hearing that cheesiness, she quickly turned to warn him about that. "Don't you dare call me that again, you are so shameless," she said, pointing her finger at him.

"Ok," he said, bringing her finger down. And she pulled her finger from his hand without hesitation, and continued what she was doing.

"Zubair add more cars to the convoy and more men," she heard him saying on the phone as he moved around with his left hand in his pocket. "And yes, make sure you protect her," he added.

"You don't have to protect me" she interrupted picking her purse, "just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't protect myself" she added as she dipped her hands inside the purse.

"I'm not protecting you because you're a woman. I'm doing so because you're my woman." he said, moving closer as he fixed the collar of his black coat.

She pushed him aside and made her way out of the room as she was in a hurry. She walked down the hallway in the hope of seeing maymun, but she didn't get to see her.

"Ammi, I'm leaving now," she said as she sat on the seat adjacent to Ammi, "toh layla Allah ya stare, yaushe zaki dawo" she said giving her an elderly stare.

"After the engineering trip," she managed to say, "that is after eid Al adha,"  said Ammi.

"No way," said hakeem, who was standing by the door for some time now. She didn't even pay attention to what he was saying.

"Its currently August now, and you're saying that you want to return June. No way that's happening, " he said, crossing his legs like men do while he scratched his head.

He kept quiet waiting for Ammi to speak like always, this time around, she was also out of ideas, I guess.

"I know she is sensible, and she knows what is right and wrong, so please allow her van," she said, giving layla a warm smile.

Ammi walked her out and layla got into the car after Ammi prayed and blessed her. "Have a safe journey, dear," she said, waving at her.

Hakeem stood behind Ammi and also waved at layla with one hand while the other hand was pocketed like always.

She ignored his wave and walked to the car. "Bye," she said to Ammi waving as they drove past them.