OCEAN EYES

TWENTY FOUR

He looked around and sent nabeel, sameer and salaha out of the room. He turned to Dawood and sighed.

"When will you be serious with your life? Do you know that you will never get the days you spent back?

When you brought your degree after you passed the bar I told you to be a part of Vintage official law team what did you say?"

"I said I didn't want to practice law before becoming a SAN and I would like to do business for now."

"And?"

"And that I don't want to fall into business without experience and asked to be your PA in order to learn."

"What did I tell you?"

"That I can't learn under you because I won't realize my mistakes as the staff would try to gain favor Dawood answered"

"Good. Then I suggested isah and you agreed. Isah came to Lagos to finish a deal which took him just three days.

He has been waiting for you to join him and talk about stuff but here you are wasting time on a presentation that would be approved only after you gain experience"

"I am sorry ya Naseem I will contact him right away."

No don't contact him let me do it for you. Sit there and waste your life."

He turned around and left the room angrily. Ya Sahla looked at Dawood and said "you are dumb you idiot."

The three daughter-in-laws who were seated downstairs saw Naseem calmly walking down the stairs with Naseem Jnr.

He walked passed them and didn't spare them a glance. Salma raised an eyebrow and said what's wrong with him?

It wasn't till much later after they got home that she found out what happened. She looked upstairs in the direction of his room thinking about what to do.

Do I sympathize or what? She sighed and ran some fingers through her hair. "You seem stressed" he said and sat down opposite to her.

She looked up and saw him all freshened up. She smiled hesitantly and he caught that but ignored it.

"Where is Naseem?"

"Oh he's asleep in my room they are installing his bed." He nodded and said "ya Sahla would bring his clothes but we still have to buy a lot."

Salma smiled and said "leave that to me. I want to say I am sorry about your station that caught fire."

"It's fine" he said and stared at her.

"Ahhh-I saw the alert you sent to me at the end of last month so I wanted to ask what it was for?"

He just stared blankly at her which made her a bit nervous at first.

"Your hair is beautiful" he said so suddenly making her blush. As a reflex action she covered her face and blushed.

Naseem didn't know why but he found her action cute.

"Thank you" she said and touched her hair. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before he said to her "it's yours.

I figured you might need money for something but now that junior is here you'll need more. I'll add an extra hundred incase he needs something as well."

"But I don't need anything also if I need cash I'll just have to call baba Adam."

Naseem smiled and said "that's your problem salmah but you're married to me. The day you got married to me you became my responsibility.

You can do as you see fit with the money it's your right and you will get it monthly. If it's not enough then you can tell me."

She just looked at him somewhat impressed by his action. He went back to his iPad and kept reading mails.

Salma said "thank you and left to go upstairs."He watched her go before saying to himself what's she going on about?

She's my wife or does she think we're roommates just cause she I don't love her or what?

He smiled before turning back to his business.

Salma was shocked by actions. Does Naseem know that he's giving me mixed signals? What about all he did?

First he interfered with the inheritance then my WAEC and now monthly allowance. You don't do that to a girl unless you love her.

She looked at Naseem JNR who was sleeping peacefully in his crib and said I'd better get him some necessities.

She took her phone and dialed Khalid's number. Yes please the SUV I'll be downstairs in a jiffy.

She grabbed the telephone and pressed a couple of numbers and Basira answered. She left her with instructions and entered her bathroom.

After finishing her business she came out and saw Basira sitting by Naseem's crib. Take care of him I won't be long.

Salma grabbed veil and handbag and left the room. She saw Naseem downstairs in the position she left him.

She looked at him before thinking to herself is all he does work? Does his life revolve around work?

She shrugged it off and walked to him. "I would like to go and buy junior some necessities before it's late."

He looked at her and said "you didn't think to tell me until you got all dressed and came down?

You were here not more than ten minutes ago and you didn't feel the need to tell me until you came down?"

"I am sorry I thou-"

"lets see if you own yourself or I own you." He said and left the living room angrily.

Salma stood there stunned but decided to follow him to see what his issue was. On her way inside Anna stopped her.

You can't meet him at the moment maybe later.

In a fit of anger salma looked her up and down. "Who do you think you are to tell me when I can and cannot meet my husband?

What gives you the guts to speak to me like that? How can a small assistant like you tell ME when I get to meet my husband?

It either am too soft on you or your brain simply has a problem. You misunderstood my silence for my weakness.

Listen and smarten up. Naseem might be your employer but I am the one who has the final say.

I decided who stays and who goes. I run this house and right now I say you go. You have exactly ten minutes to pack your bags and leave this house and never return."

Naseem stood inside at the upstairs balcony looking at them.

"You might be my boss's wife but you can't fire me. Mr Naseem hired me and only he has the right to fire me.

I get that you're jealous your husband sees more of my face than yours but rest assured Miss nothing is g-" Salma's hand slipped and slapped her.

"That's it your role ends here." She walked to the telephone and grabbed it and dialed a number.

After the call was picked she spoke "hello, this is the side house please send in some guards there's some trash they need to clean up."

She hung up and looked at Anna. "It is incredibly embarrassing for Naseem to have an employee like you. And just so you know Anna.

My marriage might not be a full one but even if my husband wants to sleep around and cheat on me I believe he won't go so low to sleep with the likes of you.

Look at yourself in the mirror and you'll know you don't count as even -10 on the scale. Rating you on a scale of one to ten is an insult of the ratings.

Pride aside I am a perfect ten out of ten and not just the beauty and shape. Brains included which is obviously something you lack."

She looked behind her and saw Bilal coming with four guards behind him. "You called for security ma'am?"

"Yes. I would like you to escort this garbage out of my house. And on your way do make sure she doesn't leave any litters around. Thank you in advance for your hard work."