Hearts On Fire

Nine: A Promise Of Hell

She felt a soft tap on her shoulders and she groaned before she turned to the other side of the bed. "It's weekend, Ammi. For the sake of Allah, allow me to sleep." She mumbled sleepily but the next thing she felt was a soft smack on her bare laps. To Hajjo, that was rather a soft smack, but Fatima Zarah knew better.

"Ouch, Hajjo! Why are you always like this for godsake?!" She whined and sat upright, taking a look at where Hajjo's palm had already made a mark. "See, your fingers left a mark on my laps, Hajjo. You always want me to come, but you're the one bullying my entire being when I do. I think I'll follow that Idiot back to Sokoto today, I won't wait until tomorrow."

Hajjo took a hold of her right ear and she squeezed it harshly that Fatima Zarah had to yelp. "Ouch, for godsake, Hajjo!"

"Audu has been calling you endlessly Fadimatu and you ignored the call clearly knowing you come along with Mustapha's car key and the car as well. Do you want him to trek down from Garba's house to here?" Hajjo asked and she sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at how Fatima Zarah was scrunching up her face as though she wanted to cry. But that's something Hajjo rarely saw, her tears.

"Why can't he trek? He's just a royal figure by name and a police officer by uniform. He can't be treated differently just because he has Muhammad Maccido attached to his name, Hajjo. I wonder why you value this guy so much. I'll call Audu and ask him to escort him here, if he really wants his car and the key." She stood up from the bed and walked to where she kept her towel. This room was Ammi's room when she was young, but Fatima Zarah had lived more in it than Ammi had ever lived.

"Fadimatu don't let me vent my anger out on you. You have to be snappy and get ready in not less than thirty minutes. Go to your Uncle's house and bring him over here for breakfast, unless you want to see the bitter side of me, you know me that much." Hajjo was out of the room in the blink of an eye and Fatima Zarah stared at the retreating back of the old woman and wished she could go against her words, but even if she's inebriated, she could never cross a line which Hajjo had lain.

She did as she said, and in not less than thirty minutes she was leaning on the kitchen door and saying her farewell to Hajjo, even though her heart was in turmoil. She drove silently to Hajjo's house, admiring the subtle neatness and scent of the car. May be some of his seargents did it for me, she thought and a mischievious smile and she swerved the steering wheel.

She parked in front of Uncle Garba's house and heaved a sigh, ready to meet his ugly face and to hear his vented anger. She knew she did him wrong and she was sure the outcome, wouldn't be sweet for them. Because there was no way she would say for her alone, because the moment he did something she didn't seat with, she would have to retaliate, and she'd rather spend the rest of her life playing the game than to let a single bad deed from him go astray without her retaliating and making him feel as much pain as he did for her.

She entered the house and greeted Uncle Garba's wives, exchanged pleasantries with her cousins before she was directed to Uncle Garba's living room, saying Al-mustapha was there together with him. She entered the living room with a smile and ducked her head down until she reached a sofa and sat down. Uncle Garba was among the people she saw as a father figure ever since she knew her own self. But that didn't make her use his name in school even though he was the one that first took her to school.

"Good morning, Uncle Garba. I hope I met you in good health?" She asked and did all she can not to look at the direction where Al-mustapha sat. She could see it from where she was, how he was clutching his fist and anger was evident on his face even though he was trying so hard to cover it up.

"I'm fine, Fatima Zarah. How are you doing? Doctor told me that you're already in Law School, right? That's very good, Zahra'u, May Allah bless your entire life." She knew he called her Zahra'u to hit a nerve and he did, because she could see the way he was smiling when she scrunched up her face and she answered his prayers with a silent 'Ameen.'