Burnt Embers

Chapter Sixteen

Ummie came into the room and broke their staring contest by clearing her voice. Kaybee suddenly bowed his head in shame while Khadijah's heartbeats increased ' What just happened?' Is what she kept asking herself till Afreen called her attention to continue plaiting her hair .

" Barka da Zuwa Ya Kaybee ,how was your trip ?" She finally summoned the courage to talk. Hoping that her voice sounded normal and didn't give away the foreign things she was feeling inside .

" Thanks , Alhamdulillah it was fine, can I get some food please?am hungry " he replied her greetings flopping down on the couch with a tired sigh .

" I don't think so. Let me whip something up for you real quick or do you have anything in mind ?" She asked packing the unplaited part of Afreen's hair with a small band .

"I will take whatever you cook as far as it's food "

After 15 minutes. The sweet aroma of a well garnished jollof spaghetti wafted from the kitchen and Kabeer couldn't help but inhale the aroma with a satisfied smile. Seeing her made him so happy he felt like a lovestruck teenager whose crush just agreed to go on a date with him .He wish with the whole of his heart that he will be sitting on a couch as he was at that moment inhaling the sweet aroma of her delish cooking everyday . Sensing that his thoughts are going wild and so out of control he came back to his senses by asking of the twins whom he was told were taking their afternoon nap .

" It's ready, bon appetite" Khadijah said with a smile , asking Afreen whether she would like to eat, the girl said she will but after she finish
plaiting her hair .

Kaybee went to the table and ate to his feel, relishing every bit of the food, he can swear that it's the best he has ever tasted in his life .

All the while , Ummie was watching the drama unfold right in her house with a satisfied smile, wishing that her beloved sister was there to see for her self, after all, seeing is believing .

" Alhamdulillah thanks Mamie , I need to shower let me go in " Kaybee said with a yawn making a beeline to the guest room , he was stopped halfway by Khadijah's cool voice .

" I think it's dusty, let me clear it for you ,but you can use Baba's room before then am almost done here " she said gesturing to Afreen's head and wishing she will have the courage to tell him to stop calling her Mamie.

With a nod at her direction he went into Baba's room Still asking why this is happening to him and what he was thinking that made him come to kano as an impromptu decision .

Afreen knocked on the door thirty minutes later to tell her dad that the guest room is ready ,he took her in his arms and asked how she was doing, with so much happiness glinting in her eyes the little girl told her dad all the details she can remember .

" Abba Mamie loves Me so much and she is nicer than my nanny, I don't want to leave her. Please let me stay here Abba " the girl pleaded with a pout and kaybee pretends to be thinking .

" I will ask Jaddatie and Daddu about it. But you know that they love you so much too and will not be happy without you at home "

" Then can I take Mamie and my sister's with me ?don't say no please Abba " she started crying and it took a lot of effort and fake promises from him before she finally shut up and slept in his arms. He gently laid her on the bed and went out to talk with Ummie.

The look Ummie was giving him from the moment he sat down started giving him creeps until Baba came to his rescue and they finally went to the masjid .

" In shaa Allah I will invite Alhaji Sani and his eldest son to dinner tomorrow " Baba declared when they were having dinner, Afreen was still sleeping while Kaybee was holding one of the twins Khadijah with the other .

" May we live to witness tomorrow, what do you suggest we Cook for them " Ummie asked after chewing her food.

" Anything special, am sure Khadijah have all the modern ideas ,don't you ?" Khadijah nodded suddenly feeling uncomfortable, heck ! She is uncomfortable because Kaybee has been giving her looks that gives her goosebumps and their little staring contest earlier is still making her palpitate .

The next day was a busy day for both mother and daughter who are trying to make everything perfect for the man that changed their lives. Kaybee helped in babysitting the kids and Khadijah has to admit that he is good at that .

Mommy called Kaybee asking whether he had eaten when she got the news that made her prostrate in the middle of the road which made people give her weird looks but she is too happy to care, daddy chuckled when she told him that Kaybee is at kano which means that he's already smitten by Khadijah .

" Don't start celebrating, you might be wrong. Besides Afreen is there, he probably went to see his daughter since he will be leaving soon" Daddy tried to reason but mommy would not take any of it, she kept mumbling that daddy should celebrate with her not burst her bubble .

Immediately after ishaa the guests were invited into the house and they were served in the living room. Alhaji Sani's son kept staring at Khadijah while she was serving them which gave her creeps  while kaybee felt like strangling him to death, from the short conversation they had from the short distance coming back from the masjid, kaybee had come to learn that he's married with two wives.

Dinner went smoothly without a hitch, and Alhaji Sani was happy because of the kind of reception they had. Baba and him discussed about work and childhood days  while kaybee and Haroun were discussing about sports and foreign politics.

Haroun kept craning his head to get a glimpse of Khadijah before they left until kaybee got tired of his ungentlemanly attitude and asked what the matter is .

" Nothing!" Haroun said suddenly feeling shy.

" She's married if that's what you're gloating over, with kids and you wouldn't want someone to be looking at your wives like that would you ?" He tried hard not to sound rude to Baba's special guest but can't help it .The man irritates him and he cannot wait for them to leave and never come back again .

Meanwhile Haroun didn't believe a word kaybee said , Khadijah looks so young and voluptuous to be a married woman.  He cannot loose her at any cost even if she's married he can make her leave her husband for him because that's what he does best.  Seduce married women to break their marriage , marry them for a short while and divorce them, the two wives at home are his newest addition ,the 9th and 10th .

He is nothing like his father and sometimes Alhaji Sani used to wonder whether Haroun is really his flesh and blood, they have nothing in common and he had given up on trying to make him a better person but his prayers are always with him .

The next few days went in a  blur, kaybee tried all ways he could devise to spend time with Khadijah who is now avoiding him for reasons unknown to him.

" Afreen go and call Mamie ,tell her to bring the math problems "

" Okay Abba " the little girl ambled to Khadijah's room and relayed the message to Khadijah who felt like crying out in frustration .

" Am coming " she mumbled putting on her hijab ,pen ,jotter and maths past questions .

" let's treat integration today " she handed the book to him with a look of indifference .

" D please stop frowning you look ugly without a smile etched on your beautiful face " Kaybee said giving her his killer smile.

" Am not feeling fine " she lied deepening her frown

" If that's the case ,go and rest then we shall continue with the lessons tomorrow "  he knew she just lied .

" No just do it, am feeling much better I can manage "

" okay " with a shrug he taught her everything about integration and the easiest methods in solving them.

They heard some noise coming from  outside but didn't bother check what was going on. Few minutes later Nabeeha came into the living room dragging her trolley with a murderous look .

°•°

Manage this.  Am super busy, till next week in shaa Allah .

Thank you .