The Scars They Hide

Chapter Fifteen - Questions Unanswered

Chapter Fifteen – Questions Unanswered

They say that curiosity killed the cat but no one ever completed the proverb to say that satisfaction brought it back to life.

At that moment, despite having had a full day of hearing about stress problems, Lutfiyah was still curious to know who in the world Aysh was.

But she knew better than to go digging. He had a life and she had one too. One that she had to get back to because lately it had become all about her neighbour and she was beginning to worry about herself.

“Mama, today Uncle Jerry came and Aunty Jane was sad and they were shouting each other.”

Lutfiyah frowned. May was eating her supper peacefully, calmly informing her mother of the news as if it was no biggie.

“What do you mean, shouting at each other, sweetie?”

May shrugged and shovelled more macaroni into her mouth, chewed and swallowed before smiling at her mother and shrugging. “I don’t know. The door was closed.”

Lutfiyah nodded and sighed with relief. Whatever issues Jane had, as long as she kept May out of it. She had met Jerry a time or two and he was a sweet enough man if not still a little immature. Only a few years her elder, he had flitted from job to job after his divorce and would always end up on Jane’s doorstep asking for money. Luckily enough for him, Jane was not a gullible woman and would set him straight before sending him off.

“If that happens again, you need to let me know, okay May?”

May nodded and stuffed her mouth again, devouring her food like she hadn’t eaten in decades. Truth of the fact was, she just loved cheese and any opportunity to eat it, was paradise for the little girl.

There was a knock on the door and Lutfiyah felt a shiver of excitement going through her before she mentally slapped herself. There was no need to get excited. It could be anyone.

It was Jaafar.

“Assalamualaikum, Lutfiyah.”

Her name rolled off his tongue and Lutfiyah knew that she was lost. If even the way this man said her name made her feel like this, then she might as well throw in the towel now.

“Waalaikumusalaam. How are you?”

He looked down and shuffled back almost unconsciously. Almost as if wondering what he was doing at her doorstep in the first place.

“Alhamdullilah. Uhm, I actually came to apologise for this morning. Aaliyah is…uhm well, she considers herself my protector and-

“Why?” The word slipped out before she could catch herself but now that she had asked, it gave her courage to ask more.

“I’m sorry?”

“Why does she consider herself your protector? Did something happen? Does it have to do with Ayesha?”

Jaafar’s eyes widened and she knew that she had overstepped. She felt a wave of frustration hit her. She had promised herself not to ask. What was wrong with her? Should she apologise? Should she wait to see what he would say?

“I thought you said to act like that never happened,” he said, eyes narrowing as he folded his arms.

He was ticked off. She had said that. But something about him made her push. Her mouth opened as if it was it’s own being, not caring that her brain was glaring daggers at it.

“I know, it’s just…no one knows a thing about you and I was curious.”

She saw the ire flicker across his eyes like ice flashing in the sun. “I’ve never asked about your life, Miss Abbas and I prefer that you refrain from asking about mine. Jazakillah for everything. Assalamualaikum.”