It was weeks past. It took everything in her to not catch the next flight back to Rimi, back to him. She didn't know how or when or when or what it was but she felt something for Mubasshir. Something intense. And for that reason, Yasmeen constantly felt a vicious panic in her chest. It felt like a huge part of her had been violently cut off. She missed him terribly.
Saddam kept telling her it was for the best, and she knew it was.
What ever Mubasshir said he feels for her is probably just pity.
***
Mubasshir
The mechanical sound of my uncle's electronic wheelchair pulled me out of my Yasmeen induced reverie. His male nurse followed him close behind. How the mighty have fallen.
He had asked me "why i got him a male nurse" and i ignored him. Over my dead body am i letting another woman near him. Though severely incapacitated, he is still the devil.
"I don't see Yasmeen anywhere " he says. I ignore him.
"Not today Sani. Please" i said to him.
Since he returned from the hospital, he has dedicated his life to making mine hell in this place. Somedays he will try to offer me advice and coach me on how to be the emir, other days like today, he will decide to taunt me with Yasmeen.
"You ruined my life for someone and she still didn't want you" he laughed although his anger and hate was evident. Somedays he cries himself to sleep his nurse had told me. Sometimes i wish his vocal cords got paralyzed too. God forgive me.
"Look at your tag on your foot and remember where you're supposed to be. So do not push me"
He is supposed to be in a prison but because of his ailment and my will to not be as vindictive and cruel as he is, he got a house arrest. 45 years. House arrest or not, it was long. Basically the rest of his miserable life . There were police men stationed at his door at all times.
He scowled at me and wheeled away.
"Keep him in his room. I don't want to see him for the next next week" i said to the nurse. I said i didn't want to be like him, doesn't mean i can't be a tad evil.
***
I sat and listened to people talk about their trivial issues. Quarrels between this one and that one, inheritance, sibling squabble and people offering up their daughters for marriage. Most of the problems, they can solve by just talking or ignoring. I can't do this for the rest of my life, what was i thinking?
After three hours of endurance i couldn't take it anymore. I ended the meeting.
"Prepare the cars. We are going to the Kaduna "
****
Yasmeen
I had just finished preparing to go run errands, although I was reluctant to go out in the blazing sun. Why didn't I leave earlier?
The sound of the gate opening startled me.
I peeked out the window and was greeted by glinting Prado SUVs with "Rimi" as their plate numbers. Time froze. This is either a bad dream, or a bad de ja vu.
Saddam joined Mubasshir outside in seconds. He didn't look happy to see him which was the opposite of what I was feeling. I bit back the smile that was threatening to split my face. Even though I was the one that left, I was bummed that he didn't come after me. That he didn't put up a fight.
I joined them outside as Saddam wouldn't let Mubasshir into the house.
"What are you doing here your highness?" I asked.
"You can't get rid of me that easily. You should know better" I bit my bottom lip to stop the smile but it ripped right through. Why am I smiling?
