Choices

Chapter 16 (Maya)

No,it's a lie he couldn't have left. My Nurah isn't like that, he isn't such a coward that he will leave me to sort out this mess on my own! He must have stepped out to pick a call or something. yeah, he's probably right outside the door. I moved towards the door in a hurry, he needs to be in here before they made some more life altering decisions without him.
Where are you going? Dad shouts after me but I paid him no mind and ran outside, he wasn't in the compound, he must be out on the street so I made for the gate, I looked left to right and right to left but there was no hide nor here of him.
He can't just disappear like this! He just can't! I thought I knew despair before but this, what I am feeling in this moment goes beyond anything I have felt before.
What should I do now, should I go back in and explain but what do I even say. The man I gave up everything for disappeared without a trace. What exactly does he mean by pulling this stunt, he didn't even bother to explain himself he just left.
A tap on my shoulder startled me, I turned to find my uncle looking down at me in pity.
" He's gone Maya, let's go back in you look like you're about to pass out"
I shake my head in denial "no, he won't just leave me behind like that, not after everything we went through"
"Wake up and smell the coffee!" He snaps " what more will it take before you finally realize that man was just stringing you along, he is just a selfish little boy that got you entangled in his web of lies" his eyes spoke of so much anger that I'm sure if Nurah had been here he'll probably beat him to pulp for the stunt he pulled today.
I felt deflated all my energy gone as my legs gave way under me, uncle Muhammadu was by my side in a heartbeat breaking my fall.
"Pull yourself together, people are watching" he said dragging my scarf that has fallen to my shoulder back to my head. I didn't even realize it fell off until then, I looked up and sure enough passerbys have stated giving us suspicious glances and slowing their steps to ascertain what was wrong.
He led me back inside away from the prying eyes. I held his hand to stop him from pushing the sitting room door open.
"Please don't make me go back in there. I don't know what I could possibly say to them. I've messed up everybody's lives and I have nothing to show for it" my voice sounded foreign to my own ears,it crackled and broke as i chocked out the sentence. My face is now dry, the tears refusing to fall.
"We have to go in and settle this matter, we all messed up and we have to fix it, but if you want my advice I think you should forget that boy, use this opportunity to build a new life for yourself away from all the negativity surrounding our family. I know it seems impossible right now but something tells me the misunderstanding that happened today is destined and who are we to mess with destiny"
He didn't let me reply, he pushed open the door and back to the battle ground we went.
I'm not even being catty the scene that awaited us resembled a battle ground with all the elders shouting at each other at the top of their lungs you could barely make out a word. While Nurrain the main architect of today's drama stood alone to the left away from the crowd engrossed by something on his phone while my world fell apart in front of me. And that pissed me off more than anything! How dare he be playing around on his phone after everything!
I charged forward and snatched the phone from him as I got in his face "are you serious right now, with all this ruckus going on you still have time to be messing with your phone!"
He didn't react though, he just stood there looking through me, trapped in thoughts I can not reach. It scared me.
"Hey are you okay" I waved my hand in front of his face to get a reaction but nothing. So I poked him in the stomach hard, I would have poked his cheeks but I couldn't reach.
It was like poking a rock, what those he have hiding under that shirt. My fingers didn't sink into his stomach like I hoped, only abs greeted me but it got the necessary reaction.
"Ouch!" He glared down at me.
"Finally got your attention, what's up with the zombie routine. I know the screaming match is a lot but we still have to find common ground" I told him as I made a place for myself next to him to avoid his blazing gaze.
"So Nurah left" he said it like a statement not a question but I still answered.
"Yes he did, I never thought in a million years he'll disappear on me like that. I know things went from bad to worst just now but I thought we could somehow fix it together, but he just left me beh....."
"He didn't live you behind, he's just misguided but he still loves you. I was reading his message just now when you came, he knew you two don't stand a chance to he choose to.. fucking coward!" He spat out, his fury evident in his voice "I can't believe he still pulled this stunt after i expressly told him I want no part in it! What did he think was going to happen he lives and I have no choice but to put up with it"
I cut him off, I can't stand the suspense anymore "what are you going on about? What exactly did he say to you" he didn't answer, I didn't realize I was still clutching his phone in my hands till he encircled it in his large paws and took it from me.
I tried to slap his hands away "what are you doing, stay away from me, who said you could touch me"
He glared " you think I care about touching you, look at the message" he thrust the phone at me and snapped "just take a look and then see if you care about a meaningless touch afterwards!"
I read the words with shaking hands and in that moment I knew my life as I know it is about to change, all my dreams and aspirations, the life I always envisioned for myself with the love of my life went up in flames.
He wrote 'i am sorry for doing this to you Nurrain I really am but please do this last favor for me for the sake of our years of brotherhood pls don't forsake me, Maya is my world, she is my everything and it pains me that I can't give her everything she deserves right now but that is our reality, I know you already said no and by disappearing I am putting you in an impossible situation but don't let my mistake affect the life of an innocent girl, you might despise Maya but she doesn't deserve to be trapped in a loveless marriage, nobody no matter how horrible they are deserves that so I implore you set the anger you feel right now aside and save her, I'm not asking you to do it for my sake, lord knows you have done more than enough for me but do it for her sake. Hold on to her and keep her safe for six months, don't think of her as a wife but keep her with you as Amanah entrusted to you by your brother. I won't blame you if you don't hold on to this marriage but I really hope you do because you are my only hope, you have always been the strong one between us so please be strong this time as well for her sake. You don't owe her help or any kindness I know that but you of all people know what it's like to live in a prison masquerading as married life, don't let her live that reality I'm begging you. You probably think I'm a spineless coward for bringing up your past right now and I won't deny that, I deserve every bit of your hatred but I'll be back for her soon I promise, until then try to forgive me and I believe one day we will find our way back to being brothers"