RUWAIDA ✔️

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

A confused stare recurred her smooth slightly wrinkled face and she moved in her sit. That was the first time she'd seen Zarah looking apprehensive and nervous at the same time. It baffled her!

It wasn't the only bafflement tho, Zarah had been sitting in her room on the floorcloth with her hands crouched into each other while staring at the floor and her only words were 'uhm Mama can we talk?' And afterwards, seemed to turn tongue-tied, especially because Mama gave her full attention, placing down the bunch of old papers of which she'd been going through after Fajr prayer.

"Zarah, what happened? Is everything alright," Mama inched forward and sat beside Zarah, giving her a questioning look. "Did you fail your medical school exams?" Now Mama's voice rang with alert, thinking about all the possible ways her brother would use to punish her if it was so.

"No! InshaAllah that would never happen," Zarah's mind for bits of seconds was diverted from the main reason why she'd barged into her mother's room as early as six in the morning and to an even bigger problem, her results that were due to be released in a few days.

"Then what is it?,"

"Erm Mama, it's...I don't know how to put the words," she fiddled with her fingers and blushed again, even supposing, her tanned skin did not allow it to show. "Where should I start from," She mumbled incoherently to herself, hoping that all the rehearsals she spent two days working on, would materialize. But the moment she sat her bahookie down that rug, it was as if all the rehearsals flew through Mama's extra large windows, leaving her blank and painfully sheepish.

"You don't know how to put the words? What words?," Mama asked, her patience slowly drained outta her system. It was high time her children stop giving her endless worries. Three days ago, it was Muhammad and now Zarah, as if on a mission to grant her high blood pressure.

"Mama, you see I mm...I want to discuss this thing with you," Zarah went mute again, for more than 20 seconds she made no attempts to speak again and at that stage, Mama had already given up and she tiredly sighed, took the empty bowl of fruits and went out of the room.

When she returned, she wasn't alone. And when Zarah heard the laughter of the person accompanied by Mama, she felt her whole body tense thinking of all the possible ways to leave the room quietly and invisibly, without Mama or Ya Turaad asking her why.

"Ina kwana Ya Turaad," She said flatly, not wanting to sound annoyed or happy to see him; just somewhere in the middle. Being indifferent perhaps.

"Lafiya Zarah how's school?," He did not sound angry' she thought in surprise, glancing upwards to look at him. He was dressed in a black suit, the usual silklike tuxedo trews and it seemed like he was about to leave for work.

"School and studies Alhamdulillah," He nodded with a smile and joined her on the floor, placing his bag somewhere on the bed. His smile flowed through her and she began feeling a sense of solace.

Her brother doesn't hate her!

He had never hate his own sister!

Mama returned to her former position and sat down. "Are you ready to talk now," taking his eyes away from the crumpled papers on the chess table, he looked over at Zarah who's face coined agitatedly and then back at Mama who had both her hands folded to her bosom, staring down at Zarah, a glint of tease contouring her beautiful face.

"Were you two having a mother daughter Pep talk or something? Why does she look like she's about to die?," He released a full blown laughter, and by now, Zarah was supposed to get a hint that Muhammad was no more angry and was ready to put things into manly consideration.

After all, he'd given Abdullah a few punches when he appeared in front of his house to have 'a talk' and then vented his anger on Abdullah for doing things behind his back with his sister, before finally letting him explain how and why it happened. That felt good.

"Nooo! I don't know what this talk is about if you ask me.. she just barged in when I was praying and since then, haven't said anything meaningful," Mama replied him.

Zarah gulped, moving uncomfortably in her place. "It's not like that Mama," She began. "I just wanted us to uhm talk. There's this...,"

"See what I'm saying?," Mama cut in. "This has been exactly her words, nothing significant," 

Muhammad laughed and pinched the gap between his eyes. "Mama, I think I know what she wants to discuss," Zarah in a prompt turned to look at him, horror stricken, she was in the most amount sure he knew nothing about what she wanted to confer about.

Mama's maid walked in with the tea which Mama had went down earlier to ask her for and when Muhammad walked in at the same time as she into the kitchen, she asked for an extra cup. After all, Muhammad never said no to Tea.

She placed a cup beside Turaad then walked to give Mama hers, before tacitly leaving the room. "To be honest, this would be the first time I'm offered tea and repudiating it," He announced out of the blue, whilst knowing that both Mama and Zarah were on his neck to speak about the issue at hand, and not some cup of tea.

But nevertheless, Mama was a bit interested that she asked. "And why is that,"

"I just feel like something is missing in here," He raised it up, took a small sip before placing it far away from him.

"Of course, Sadiya told me about how you don't eat whatever she cooks and sends you to the office. I understand all your tactics Turaad. Wato anyi mata an manta da girkin Sadiya ko? The woman you've praised all your childhood? Ehhh yayi Turaad!," she scolded jestingly making them all to laugh.

For Turaad, it was funny because it was true. A smile crept over his lips on recalling Ruwaida. His wife. His charming shy wife.

"So, aren't you telling me? The thing Zarah is so scared to speak about?,"

"Oh!," He laughed again. "You wouldn't believe if I tell you," He looked at Zarah and smirked at her, suddenly, she was back to staring at the floor which to her, appeared the most interesting art piece in the room. As might be expected, how wouldn't he know? Abdullah was his friend and colleague after all. It was even because of her fervent pleadings that he did not tell Muhammad when things began to get serious between them. In her defense, she'd tell him at the right time.

And sadly, the right time never came...

"Mama, we would be having prominent guests soon, and that with all regards to this munchkin here," He pat Zarah's head teasingly and for the first time, she did not warn him to stop calling her a munchkin. She believed she'd gotten taller, at least, that was what her course mates told her. And at that moment, the strength in her was absolutely not for arguing.

"Muhammad, would you talk to me with clarity?,"

"I've called Uncle Bashari and informed him, he'll be here in two days InshaAllah, I think it's best if you hear things from him," Muhammad smiled and Mama narrowed her eyes
suspiciously at him.

"I hope there are no issues?,"

Muhmmad nodded as he stood up. "Yes Mama, only good news, I'll be on my way now," They talked a few minutes more before he left for work.

Love_
SilentWriter 🦋