Hearts On Fire

Nine: A Promise Of Hell

She quickly stood up, even though Uncle Garba was one of her favorite people, he was still one of her least likeable. She hated being in his company, he was that kind of people that knew how to get on people's nerve and she had nothing to do about it. Because Hajjo always made it clear to her that she had no better father figure in her life than him. And whenever she was about to get married, which that time Hajjo had always mentioned had came, he would step up as her father.

"I think we have to leave, Uncle Garba, Hajjo is waiting for him with his breakfast and he has to leave for Sokoto today." Al-mustapha stood up even before she closed her lips and he quickly bade his goodbye to Uncle Garba and walked out of the living room.

Fatima Zarah did the same to the rest of the family and when she went out she met him as he paced to and fro while clutching so hard onto his fists. It looked like he wanted something to hit so bad but something was holding him bad. She saw no reason for this outraging anger. No reason at all.

He couldn't wait for her to come toward her and he snatched her handbag out of her hand. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she clamored and Al-mustapha looked up from the bag he was searching and laid his bloodshot eyes on her face. He nearly burnt her soul.

"One word from you, and wallahi I'll make you regret ever thinking of coming to Tambuwal. Where's my key?!" his voice was low but it was weighing something that nearly scared Fatima Zarah, but she held a stoic expression and placed her both hands across her chest, looking away from him.

He got the keys in her bag and threw the bag at her, which she was so quick at catching. "How dare you search my bag and later on throw it on my face? Who the hell do you think you are, Al-mustapha?!" She was beyond angry, because she could now feel her anger boiling within the locks of her heart and it was freezing hot, nearly suffocating her soul. She had to leash it out, be the fire she had always been.

She immediately got into the car and turned completely at him, but he had his eyes fixed on the road and his brows were brought up together in an expression that revealed how angry he was. "Listen, just because you think of yourself as the frigging assisstant commisioner of police, it doesn't give you the right to do whatever you like! You can't snatch my bag away, search through my belongings and later throw it on my frigging face! Because man, that Acp hanging loosely around your name is nothing but a piece of rag in my eyes. And if you think your royal title gave you that right, you're wrong. if you like, you can be Acp or the royal prince, whatever you like, but never to Fatima Zarah Tambuwal. Get your idiotic head right and know who you're dealing with and where your shit will be appreciated!"

Now that she looked around, she noticed they were already in the outskirts of Tambuwal, and her heart lost a beat. Where was he taking her to? To kill her? Perhaps throw her to the wolves as he claimed? She shuddered within and looked at his hands that were around the steering wheel, he was clutching it real hard, as if it was the one raging the anger in his mind.

She looked around through the window and then back at his face, "Al-mustapha, when I said you have no right, I mean no right! Get a hold of yourself and take me back to Tambuwal now!" She screamed at the pitch of her voice and the next thing she heard was Al-mustapha pulling the brake in such an impromptu speed and she wasn't back from the shock when he slapped her right across her left cheek.

He parked the car beside the road and turned to look at her shocked self, "Listen, because I'm going to say this again. Whenever you are talking to me, whatver your name may be, it can be Fatima,Zarah, or Fatima Zarah altogether, I don't care. I want you to know this now, I've agreed to marry you not because I have some feelings for you whatsoever, but because I want you to learn your lessons the hard way, and with each words you say to me, you're making your life in my house tenfold painful than I've initially planned it for you. It's either you set your dumbass head right and know the type of person you're dealing with, or you'll live a life of regret. And one thing, I don't even see you as human, not even a woman for sympathy to come along our way, know your limits."

Fatima Zarah was about to speak when he cut her off, "And also, it's either you shut the frig off and let me drive in peace or you get the hell out of my car. If you aren't ready for me, don't even start, because beneath this flesh you see that covers my entire being, I'm the kind of monster you've never seen or heard of. Take care of yourself."

She couldn't speak and he was silent for a few seconds, as if he was trying to recollect the embers that sorrounded him. And within a few seconds, he had ignited the car on and they were already back on the road. Fatima Zarah wanted to feel something, may be a little bit of fear, but nothing came. It was as if his words added more strength and rigidness to the rock risiding in her heart and that got her lips tied.

They already entered Sokoto and she watched as he swerved the steering wheel and took the turn that lead to Mabera, she chuckled inwardly, despite having a fire spitting in hr soul. Because she really thought he was taking her directly to the police station and then she would show him she would have shown him how much of a fire she was.

He parked in front of their house and she got down from the car, she even forgot she had left her trolley in Tambuwal and there were tons of thing she wanted to talk to Hajjo about. She closed the door with a bang and before she turned to leave, she heard his mocking voice.

"I'll see you in a month, and welcome to hell in advance."

Fatima Zarah chuckled outwardly and she walked back to the car, leaned into the car through the window and stared directly into his eyes with the look she knew was capable of unnerving his soul, but he seemed unwavered. "If it will be a hell for me, I was used to loving fire that I even have it residing in my soul, Al-mustapha. So, I'm in the right position to welcome you to the hell, because monsters are meant to be burnt down by fires able to scar their souls forever. I'll see you in a month."

She smiled enigmatically and turned to leave. Al-mustapha sat in his car watching her retreating back until she disappeared into the house and he smiled widely. "Your fire isn't powerful to burn down my soul, Drakaina. Welcome Abode, where fire is the only way to leave."