Muhammad stood by the door of his room with a bright smile, a little awkwardly in the still lingering of her berry perfume, while he stared across the bed at Ruwaida as she laid, curled up like a ball under his blue duvet, her hands crooked round her iPhone 11. His head imagined a million and one ways to wake her up, but he knew not one of them could he attempt. He wouldn't even dare do any of such.
Finally felt at ease after searching the whole house to find her, he timidly made his way into the room so not to wake her, it was just a little past 8 in the morning when he returned, and it could only be around 10 minutes more by then. And looking at how peaceful she seemed, even he wouldn't like to disrupt her slumber.
But as he slowly knelt to take off his shoes, he heard her sneeze and he was fast to look up. He watched as she stirred and turned to her right, still unconscious of her surrounding. Then she sneezed again, this time, her eyes peeled open and she grazed them as if that will make the sleeping spell that she had been cast with to disappear. And it sure helped because somehow, she saw Muhammad place his shoe on the rack and tiredly unknotting his tie, while backing her.
And she used that opportunity to glance at the time on her phone, and seeing that it was earlier than she expected, she slowly closed back her eyes so she could forge being asleep. And also if it could help her high-toned temperature, which was causing her to feel feverish.
Thinking of it, she can't explain why she decided to sleep in his room, and she inwardly caused her stars for putting her in such a tribulation. If only she'd not, then she wouldn't have to face any deride early in the morning. But knowing Muhammad, she was sure he'll definitely find amusement in whatever happened.
She turned her head to look at him, not knowing he was sitting on the other side of the bed and watching her with an intensity that made her want to jump out of the bed and rush out, but she did not, rather she smiled awkwardly then greeted him. "Ina kwana,"
"Lafiya lau, How are you?," He moved his arm up and took off the wristwatch, gently placing it on the bedside drawer.
"I'm good, how was work," Ruwaida asked, straightening up to rest her back on the headboard.
He raised his brows dramatically and huffed. "Hectic I tell you, even with me not been around, they decided to keep loads of work on my desk, which awaited my return," if not for Abdullah that came to his office to talk, then suddenly became silent, he wouldn't have been able to finish early; Dr A helped him pretty much.
Ruwaida wanted to speak but again, she sneezed, raising her both hands to cover her nose. "Are you okay?," He stood up and walked round the bed to sit beside her. "Your eyes look dull too," He gave her a closer look before feeling her temperature. And he instantly looked worried. "Your body temperature is to a great extent out of order, have you slept with the AC on? Let me get you a cup of ginger tea," She nodded affably as he sauntered out of the room and in no time, returned with the tea.
"Precisely," Muhammad started, handing over the cup to her, then gently sat in his former position. "It would be better if we go to the hospital, anyway, you have a few examinations in two days,"
Ruwaida looked unhappy at the mention of the hospital, but she howbeit hummed in reply and took a few sips of the ginger tea. "But you just came from the hospital, let's wait until two days, I...,"
Muhammad shook his head. "Don't worry about me, your health is of most importance, finish the tea, I'll make some toasts then we leave around 12:00, okay,"
She once again nodded, plunging the tea cup under her nose. And for the next few hours, they began getting ready to leave for the hospital. She fumbled drastically to find the most suitable clothes to wear, tho, it had surprised her too much that she'd intended to get dressed, but it was only when a knock came at their door that she found out the reason. And if she hadn't, she would have regretted her actions badly.
While she arranged back her clothes in her room, Muhammad sitting in the living room, made his way to open the door. And from her room, she could here a roar of female laughter as unknown voices made their entrance boom across the walls.
She still could hear their faint voices as they conversed merrily with Turaad and a few minutes later, he came walking in to her room. "You won't believe who came," he started, pushing his hands into his trouser pockets.
Ruwaida picked her large brown veil from the bed and shawled herself. She looked at him curiously. "Fatima and Nadia, Maman Magaji's twins," In realization, Waida smiled and walked a bit further closer to him. "You remember them right,"
"Of course I do, are they in the sitting room," He nodded and soon, they both made their way to where the twins were.
Ruwaida on reaching the living room found out that someone was with them. She couldn't see her face, for she was sitting on the couch which backed Ruwaida. She became more baffled because Muhammad did not mention of a third party, and she found herself walking tentatively to sit on the unengaged couch.
"Ina wunin Ku," They stopped talking to look at her, and she smiled shyly, seeing how their smiles broadened on seeing her, silently gushing at her pretty face.
"Lafiya lau," They chorused, except the mysterious lady that kept glaring into thin air and wouldn't look at Ruwaida. She looked nothing less than intimidating, appearing immensely gorgeous with make up and her matching attire.
"Let me get you something to drink," Ruwaida abruptly made to stand up when they stopped her.
"You don't have to worry, Ai mu ba baqi bane," one said, her smile unfaltering. Muhammad returned into the sitting room and sat beside Ruwaida.
"Ruwaida, this is Fatima and Nadia," he introduced, pointing first at the one closest to them. "And this is Aisha, she's Nadiah's friend and her mother is also Ammi's childhood confidant," He added and looked a bit uneasy, masking it with a loud laugh. Aisha slowly looked up, she gave a small grin then looked away too. And all that seemed to Ruwaida, mostly out of place.
She didn't give it much scrutiny. Even when she noticed the weird looks Aisha had been rendering towards Turaad, she did not mind. She also wasn't good with unfamiliar people so she gave Aisha the benefit of the doubts. But it did not any less decrease her bafflement.
She had agreed to trust her instincts the moment she understood what the girl was upto. It was minutes later when they decided they'll take their leave and Muhammad went on to escort them, that it happened. Ruwaida from the kitchen window could view the parking lot and she saw how Aisha had walked from the car back to stand with Muhammad, trying to talk to him in a coquettish manner, smiling like she'd won a lottery. She said something and when he laughed, she hit his arm and laughed too. It had made Ruwaida feel a boiling anger for the first time.
She turned on the tap and began scrubbing the cups they used, a scrunch to her face as Aisha's claret-colored lipstick struck over her eyes once more. And when Muhammad returned, her anger seemed to have teleported to him, she found herself ignoring him when he talked to her.
"Ruwaida, is something wrong?," He bent and rested his back on the counter, looking at her face while she ignored him, scrubbing the cups stormily as if she was erasing what she saw.
"Nothing, I'll just finsh this and we will leave," she answered, but he did not believe her. He asked again, but she totally snubbed him. He lifted his body from the counter and pulled her by her shoulders, and now, he knew that her attention was right back.
"What happened,"
"Nothing, leave me alone Ya Turaad," she stared back candidly at him, wishing he'll just let the matter slide. Now, she totally remorseful of how she let anger ridicule her. And when he also did not stop staring at her, she sighed and spoke. "What?,"
"Why do I have a feeling that this is about Aisha," He asked, and narrowed his eyes at her, daring her to say otherwise. She wiggled to pull out of his hold but it proved futile and eventually, she stopped trying. "Answer me,"
"Why did she have to stand so close to you? Hm," His questioning gaze turned into amusement and soon, he began laughing hysterically. He least expected Ruwaida to show spite over him, but he was loving it. "You think this is funny?," she mused.
Ruwaid finally pushed his hands away and tried to walk back into the living room but he hastily grabbed her hand. "No, it's not funny, erm...I'm sorry,"
"You don't look like you're," She angrily bellowed, turning to face him, but the amused expression was still lined over his face, and she unconsciously chuckled, until it turned into a full blown laughter. Her actions had shocked her to her bones, that on recalling her words, she felt unusually embarrassed. "We should leave for the hospital," she reversed the topic, sheepishly walking away from him.
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SilentWriter 🦋