MARRED

CHAPTER TWO - A LITTLE OF BOTH SIDES

It was dark. But for the chirping sound of the birds and the howling sound of the wind, It was dead quiet. This street was never quiet. I went to the window to look down from our dilapidating estate. The usual lights which showed the bubbly allies of Idi-Oro streets of Mushin were all put out. Never had this being the case. The lanes and the balconies of our clustered neighborhood were all empty.

I shut the only window and door in our living room and went to the room to do the same. The eerie feeling of being alone and being watched crept upon me. I had finished cooking dinner. Any moment from now, Mama and Charity would be back from the shop. But why on earth was it so quiet?

As if nature heard my question, I heard the sound of footsteps in our hallway. Maybe it was Mama and Charity. But I had learnt the hard way to wait for the person on the other side to talk before opening the door. So I went to the bedroom and waited for the knock on the door to come. When it did, I called out, willing my voice not to shake. "Who is it?"

Deafening Silence!

Then the stealth sound of open and closed door and then rustling clothes and wet boots in the living room gave me the response I needed. Papa! I hurried to lock the door to our bedroom, removed the key and clutched it like my life depended on it. I know I cannot fight Papa off. I had been lucky all along. Mama always sent Charity to make dinner while I stayed back with her at the shop. But Mama said I would make a useless woman if I still could not cook at 9 and so she sent me home to handle dinner today. Not that I didn't know how to cook, I had learnt to since I was 7. Mama had made certain of that. But I had not wanted to return home alone because of Papa for I had always sensed it. Papa's lingering eyes when I walked past him. The way he opened and closed the door when I was in the bathroom and the way he made me bend over to pick up his dishes after eating.

"Why did you lock it up Little one?" The slurred voice of an alcoholic came from outside the door. "Just imagine all the fun we can have together and you lock the door?" The door knob turned slowly, It was locked. Thank God Mama had repaired it three days ago. "You know I have a spare key baby. But what fun would it be to just unlock and come in when the resistance you put up is so..." I heard him inhale deeply. "Appealing? Almost as appealing as your innocence."

I gasped, horrified by the evil of his intent. That was nothing like the kind man who had treated me to meals and protected me from the physical abuse of my foster mother and sister. I was earnestly scared. Besides Papa's heavy breathing and slurred words, there was still a ghostly silence. It was almost... Ominous.

"I know what you are thinking baby." Came the drunk voice again. "Open the door and you will find out. Don't you want to be Papa's little girl anymore?" He asked and chuckled as if realizing the sarcasm in the statement. "Ok. Let's make a deal. From now on, your mother and sister will not hurt you again. Wouldn't you want to be free? To be my wife? You just turned eleven. You know I have a right to more than one wife right? Didn't your Mu'allim teach you that?" He chuckled and crocked. "Maybe he didn't. I would be angry if that old toothless old man says he wants to make you his fourth wife." He responded to his own question. "But I swear that I have a right to four wives. So I am going to unlock the door now and make you my second wife..."

True to his words, I heard the sound of a key bunch and then, the lock turned and the door began to slowly open...

RING RING... Was that.... A PHONE? WE DO NOT HAVE A PHONE HERE. "AMANAH! AMANAH! WAKE UP! YOU WILL MISS THE CALL. I THINK IT'S THE LAW FIRM!"

Law Firm... Papa and the door... LAW FIRM! I jumped up the bed and grabbed the phone from Mom's hands my heart pounding in KY chest.

"Wa'alaykumussalaam Wa RahmatuLlaah. Yes, this is her." My heart was literally in my mouth and I couldn't tell if it was the nightmare or the long awaited call. Subconsciously, Mom raised her hands in silent dua while Sophia was practically frozen in her place. It was the call we had all been waiting for. "Yes, OK. JazakumuLlaahu Khairan. "My heart was still pounding in my ears when I went right on my forehead in sujjud-ul-shukr. Bye the time I came back up, two pair of impatient eyes took me in. Usually, I did sujjud-ul-shukr whether I get the result I wanted or not. So clearly, I had not given anything away. I shouldn't, but the mischievous part of me wanted so badly to prank them.