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Ruwaida turned to the boy and gave him a perplexed look, drying her wet hands on her wrapper. "Are you sure it's me," she asked again, pointing doubtingly at herself. The boy gave a quick nod and then rushed out of the house. As all the boys will end up playing football without him.
She pouted with a confused expression and just at that, her mother strode out of the zinc roofed kitchen, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. "What was Tanko saying? the boy rarely comes to even greet me, I was quite surprised when I heard his voice," Barira complained as she sat her self on the large stone beside Ruwaida.
"Hmmph," Ruwaida grunted taking up her hijaab. "He said someone asked him to call me,"
Barira threw back her head and laughed. "Well, go and see who it's, I'm sure they're playing their endless pranks again, I'll check up on Barra," Ruwaida gave a quick nod, hoping that Tanko isn't playing games with her. She's busy with laundry and any waste of time will make her late for her afternoon lectures. Even tho, Abby had clearly told her to rest till she gets better, she couldn't afford to miss so many lectures. Not when she's trying to be a first class graduate.
She stopped to look around her, placing both her hands akimbo in an angry manner. There was absolutely no one. Only a car parked at the farthest corner of their entrance.
"Or perhaps that's the someone," the insistent voice in her started. "What! Of course not," She argued back, keeping a keen eye at the glasses that rolled down, just to take a glimpse of the driver. And then, her poor heart had done it again.
At that moment, he was hurrying out of the car, thrashing his keys in his trouser pockets. His serene grin made it even harder for her to breath. "Ruwaida," he called and smiled, and she smiled back, not caring whether or not her shaken expression is quite evident.
"Yes, Doctor Muhammad," she replied, placing both her hands together. "Are you looking for someone," she asked, trying to block the thoughts that had her hoping he's the someone.
"Yes, And You've kept me waiting, plus you didn't show up in the hospital as scheduled," he said, mostly like he'd known her all his life. He spoke with a confident conviction. It kept her wondering why he was been so formal. And not to mention the thousands of questions beginning to brood her mind.
He looked up at her. "You know the examinations are quite necessary right,"
"I really didn't know," she said, a little breathlessly. She couldn't bring herself to tell him the reason why she refused to show up. The hospital bills are quite much, and Abby will not here of it when she goes to any of the clinics that had a bunch of fake nurses. The last time a diabetic patient was being treated with BP drugs, they spent the whole week listening to their father rant on and on about how he ended up loosing his life.
"Well, that's okay, hope you're feeling better," he asked, folding his arms to his bosom. The black blazer he wore fitted his square body perfectly.
She gave a slight nod. "Alhamdulillah, how did you come to find our house," she asked, wondering why he even wasted his time in checking up on her. She admits to notice when ever he leaves work to pick up Zarah in the university since it wasn't far from his work place. And then seeing him in her compound quite surprised her. Very much.
He just stood arms still folded and looked directly at Ruwaida with a twist to his mouth that showed a fine fondness. "Why do you talk like that," he asked out of the blue. He had to ask. It's quite unusual how her eyes keep flickering from a dark shade of brown to golden whenever she blinks, and how she keeps talking softly like her words are being counted.
"What," she asked, raising her head up to meet his eyes. "Like what,"
"Like you don't like talking,"
She smiled and bit her lower lip abruptly, hoping he didn't see her smile like that. "Oh-maybe it's because I don't,"
"What? How do you cope with Zarah then," he asked and they both laughed. The girl can talk to the Great Wall Of China and never get tired. Their laughter brought the passers by to stare at them as they pass by the numerous lim trees that stood straight around the small neighborhood.
As their laughter died down, it would have been awkward but thankfully, Muhammad's mobile rang from inside his pocket and he rushed to pick the call. "Excuse me," he whispered and Ruwaida gave a slight nod watching as he placed the phone to his ear.
"Hello, Yes, errr-I'm just a few meters way, okay, but isn't Abeola around...yes, okay sure I'll be there in a few," he ended the call and sighed, whispering incoherent words to himself grumpily. "Since you look absolutely fine, I'll take my leave now, the Doctor for today's shift decided not to show up at the last minute ,"
"Sure, sai anjima," She replied, finding it hard to push her legs to movement. "Do convey my greetings to Zarah," she added.
"I'll, do take care of yourself," he answered, and she gave a quick nod and Ruwaida watched as he walked back to his car and drove away. She rushed back into the house and met Mama feeding Barra while they enjoyed the cool breeze of late summer.
Mama raised her head up feeling a presence at the entrance. "You stayed out long, who was it," she asked, handing over the plate of dambu to Ruwaida.
"Err-it was Zarah's driver...she wanted to ask me a few things regarding the assignments," Ruwaida lied, hating everything about how she flopped at it. "We all actually offer gens, that's why,"
"Oh okay then, please help me feed this girl, she's been acting moodily today," Barira complained, and as if Barra understood what she'd just said, she crawled to Ruwaida and opened her mouth.
"Aww, she wants me to feed her, Mama look," Ruwaida ensued and laughed, Dr Muhammad Turaad Ibrahim, long forgotten.
Love_
Silentwriter ☕️