----------------Indonesia, Palembang
------------------Next day( airplane )
I shut my eyes tight as the plane took off. This was my very first time and I was so scared, too scared. I had already heard about plane crashes and now I was on one. I didn't want to die young. I felt a warm, tough hand on mine as my eyes were shut. " Breathe in" I heard his deep voice say and I instantly obeyed. " Breathe out" he said again and I obeyed and slowly opened my eyes. His touch sent shivers down my spine. I really wanted to know more about Khalid. He was nice to me, right from the start. He even selected a table under the stars for us to eat, it was a very beautiful view. He was quite really entertaining also and slightly funny. " This is obviously your first time" He said and gave me a small charming smile. He was a very handsome man. I nodded and smiled as I looked at my lap. The cake Ummi packed for us was here. It was my favourite. Chocolate. I offered Khalid some as I opened the container and he didn't hesitate to agree. " It's good, you love chocolate?" he asked and I nodded again as I stuffed my mouth with cake. " Then why aren't you fat?" He questioned my weight yesterday and I ignored it. I was going to do same again.
The journey was becoming tiring. The view of the sky was so beautiful from where I sat. Masha Allah.
---------------Los Angeles, California.
----------------------Airport.
" Faryah " I could identify that voice anywhere now. Deep but so melodious. I slowly opened my eyes, my vision was blurry. Did our plane crash?. I instantly panicked and took my head off the shoulder I was lying on. " We've arrived" he said and smiled at me. Oh good we didn't crash. “Our driver is waiting for us outside" Khalid said as we walked out of the airport. The weather was cool and Favourable, it looked like it was likely going to rain. I followed Khalid towards a big white car with him helping me with my suitcase. I noticed the back plate number of the car was Khalid’s name, It said Khalid Olyster. So this was his. Too fancy.
It was currently 5:40pm.
" Good day Ma'am, Good day sir" He was dressed in white and he looked pretty young. I smiled at him and he smiled back, that was how I said Thank You to people.
Khalid helped me into the car again and sat by my side. The car was so pretty, the seats were all pure white leather. I looked out of the window, the view was nice, the pretty tall trees, good roads, and the traffic was in order, It wasn't a crowded city, I could adapt early.
I watched as two men opened the brown gates of a very big mansion. We drove in and I took in everything. There was a very wide foot path with broad grass carpets at each side, we moved further and stopped at the right side of a large water fountain decorated with rose flowers at the bottom and there were water lilies in the fountain. It was so beautiful, the sight was too beautiful.
" We're here" Khalid announced as he got out of the car and the driver got down to help me open my door but I was faster than him. " Faryah, welcome to your new home" Khalid announced. I loved how free and outgoing he was. I got down and I was pleased by the beauty. I looked at the mansion, there were a few broad stairs before the entrance and there were some large vases at the sides of each step. There were four maids in blue, peach, mint green and pink. " Come on" Khalid said and I followed behind him as we walked up the stairs.
" Good day Ma'am" The maids said in unison as they gave me their best smiles. I smiled at them. I saw another tall figure come out of the mansion. He was pretty tall, with brown hair. He had thick brows and had small dark eyes, he had a small and slightly pointed nose and his lips were small and it looked like he just shaved. His moustache outlined his small lips with his small chin. " Brother" He called and walked up to Khalid to give him a manly hug. They didn't look even a bit alike. “ Faryah, this is Neill, my brother" Khalid introduced and I smiled at him. He sent me a fake smile and turned his face away from me. He was cold. " So Neill, Mom and Sophia?" I heard Khalid ask. " come on ma'am I'll take you to your room" The maid in pink said as she held my bags and led us inside the mansion.
The couches were all royal like, the house was painted Cream and a pretty shade of brown. I followed the maid up the stairs, the stairs were covered with glass, with wooden handles, there were some artistic boring photos on the wall. I walked up the stairs following the maid and she walked further more and stopped at a door at the left end of the hall way, there was another room that was directly in front of mine. " Here miss this is your room" The maid announced as I followed her in. The room was quite big, it was painted dark purple, there was a medium sized bed at the middle end of the room. The floor was white carpeted, and there was a large window on the right, beside the bed. There were some white couches at the front that surrounded a small purple table. There was also a TV in the room. " Ma'am you can freshen up and rest, I'll go downstairs now" she said, smiled at me and left the room. She was tall and skinny, with dark hair and full brows. I moved my bags to find the closet, it was pretty large. I found the bathroom which was split in two, a toilet and bathroom. They were living comfortably here. I never thought I was going to live in a place like this.
I quickly organised my clothes and others and went to take a bath. I always used Olive soap, it made me my skin glow. I liked it that way. I brushed my teeth and got into my pyjamas. There was a full length mirror in the bedroom and I stood to look at myself, I was still skinny and still beautiful. I had no doubt that I was beautiful, that was one of the facts about myself. I combed my hair and fixed it into a bun. My side burns always brought out the beauty of my eyes. I took out a long dark blue hijab from the closet and wore it over me and prayed Zuhr, Asr, and Maghrib, I have never combined my prayers like this, it was such a hassle. I took my phone and texted Ummi when I was done.
Faryah
• Ummi, I'm here in Los Angeles now, I'm doing fine and my regards to GrandPa.
I sent it and checked my phone. I didn't have much friends, I had a Nigerian Friend in Business School, Raihanna, according to her, she was from Kano, in Nigeria. She was not dark, like brown chocolate and she was very pretty. She was short and kind of skinny, she had more flesh than I did. She was fun to be with and she talked a lot and she understood my situation. She was still in Indonesia, her parents were business people and they resided in Malaysia, and they usually visited Nigeria once in a while. She said Nigeria was a fun place to be, and she also enjoyed their local meals.
We haven't spoken since a week before my wedding after she helped me with my wedding dress. She had to urgently go back to Malaysia, for some personal reasons.
Faryah
• Hey!
• Are you back from Malaysia?
I sent the text to her, she wasn't online. I heard a small knock on the door and went to open it, it was the maid from earlier on. " Ma'am I thought you could use some lemonade, dinner will be served after 8" She said as she handed a glass of lemonade over to me. I smiled at her and bowed my head to thank her. She smiled back and walked away from me. I took the glass in and took a sip, I wasn't a fan of lemon. The house was big but boring, I was going to stay here for the rest of my life, doing nothing. I could learn a skill, I didn't want to be a burden to any one.
The lemon juice was going to be a waste here, I walked out of my room slowly and shut the door. I couldn't see anyone around, I walked down the stairs bare footed and with the lemonade glass in my hand. I took my last step down the stairs and instantly bumped into someone. The glass fell to the ground and made a pretty loud noise. I couldn't believe I was already causing trouble on my arrival.
" Holy shit, look what you've done" I heard a masculine voice rage and looked up from the broken glass to see who it was. My eyes fell on his amazing beautiful small dark eyes, they were currently filled with rage. " Aside from being mute, are you also blind?" He raged again and poked my forehead with his middle finger and I stumbled backwards a little. I wanted to cry and run away from all this. " next time, watch where you're going " he raged again as he held my arm and shook me as I stepped on some glass. I closed my eyes tight shut to bear the pain as the glass penetrated my skin. I had to hold back the tears, but I couldn't. " You're crying, open your eyes and look at me" he raged and dragged me closer to him as I stepped on more glass. Why was he being cruel to me?.
" Neill" I heard a feminine voice scream and heard the fast clicking of heels coming to where we stood. I felt him take his hand off my arm and pushed me backwards as I fell on the last step of the stairs. My feet hurt a lot, I could only walk on my toes and they hurt too. " Neill, why did you that, you made her step on glass, how could you" I heard the voice scream again. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a tall, dark haired girl in a pretty dress and heels. She was pretty. " Anna!!" the lady called again and a maid rushed from outside the house. " Clean this mess" She ordered and I watched as she came to seat my be on the stairs and check my feet. " Neill, this is bad, how could you do this" she shot at Neill as she pulled out small glass from my feet. I shut my eyes tight to bear the pain. " She should watch where she's going next time" I heard Neill say and walked past me up the stairs. " My goodness, Faryah I am so sorry, can you walk a little?, Let's go to your room" She said as she helped me up the stairs and we walked to my room.
I sat carefully on the bed and took a good look at my feet, I was bleeding. " Should we just take you to the hospital?" she asked and I shook my head. I just got here and I didn't want to be a burden to them. " I'll go get the first aid kit and tell the maids to clean the blood stains quickly" She said and smiled at me and walked out of my room. She was back in no time with a big first aid kit, she dropped it on my bed and sat beside me as she carefully placed my feet on her thighs. My left foot wasn't that bad, it could hopefully heel over night. " I'm so sorry Faryah, my brothers tend to be inconsiderate when they get angry, they get angry over little issues, especially Khalid" She was their sister, no wonder she looked like Khalid. But had dark curly, long hair. " Sorry I haven't introduced myself" she said as she looked up at me from my feet. " I am Sophia, Khalid and Neill's younger sister" she said and smiled at me, I tried smiling back but the pain from my feet was unbearable. I removed my hijab and folded my pyjama trousers so she could help me well. " Why didn't you wear slippers?" She asked and I looked at her. I never wore slippers at home back in Indonesia, I was used to walking bare footed. " You don't have some I guess" she said as she pulled out glass from my feet. It was really painful. “ I'll lend you mine, but I'll get you yours tomorrow, you shouldn't walk around the house barefooted" She said as a maid walked in with a bowl of water. I nodded at her and she smiled at me. The maid kept the bowl of water beside the bed and Sophia put my feet in it. The water stung my cuts, it was very painful. " Sorry, I couldn't believe Neill could do such a thing to someone, he rarely gets angry, unlike Khalid" Khalid seemed nice, I wasn't sure he had anger issues.
The maid helped Sophia wash my feet and she later left to clean the trail of blood. " After this, I'll tell them to serve you dinner, you should get an early bed rest" She said as she applied some disinfectant on my cuts. It stung badly. " They'll hopefully heel in four days" she said as she disinfected the cuts.
"Sophia!!" we heard another feminine voice call from downstairs. I watched as Sophia sighed and rolled her eyes. Miss Zainab barged into my room and looked at me in shock. " Oh my goodness, how could Neill do this, oh he's going to hear from me" Miss Zainab said angrily as she checked my feet. " Mom she's alright, Neill won't listen to you and how did you know she was hurt?" Sophia said as she massaged my feet carefully. I watched Miss Zainab sigh and rub her eyes. " I saw blood and Anna filled me in, are you okay Faryah?" she asked me as she patted my back. I nodded and smiled at her. " She's so pretty mother" Sophia said and smiled at me, she had a beautiful smile, her shining white teeth brought made her small dark eyes glitter.
I blushed at the comment. " She is, she'll make beautiful kids with Khalid" Miss Zainab said and I immediately covered my face. That was never part of my plans. I heard the two ladies laugh and I smiled genuinely at them. They were great company.
Sophia applied an ointment on my cuts and covered them with plasters. " Faryah, I'll make you some hot chicken soup and I hope you like potatoes, I'll prepare it myself, you'll enjoy it and it will be good for your cuts okay" Miss Zainab said and I nodded at her. " Good girl, Sophia you want some?" Miss Zainab asked her. "Yes, I'll join you when I bandage her feet, and mother please can you ask Anna to get my pink bunny slippers for Faryah, they should fit her" Sophia said as she brought out a bandage from the first aid kit. " Sure" Miss Zainab said and kissed my forehead. " You'll be fine" she said and walked out of the room.
Firdaus always bullied me, but she never got physical, why did Neill hate me so much?, he was so cold to me when Khalid introduced us. I really hoped this wasn't going to happen again, I had already forgiven him, but if he was going to keep on bullying me, I wasn't sure if I could adjust. I mean why wasn't he like Miss Zainab and Sophia.
Ya Allah please protect me.