Twice His Age

11: The Plans

Everything unfolded right before her eyes as though it were a dream. She heard them utter things and made arrangements and how everything should be while all she did was cried without even having the strength to wipe at her tears. And what was that again? Yes. Since Idi was usually living in the mansion, she'd just have to move to his room and she would continue working for the mansion, just that she'd get paid now. And to them, their offer of payment was so generous that they expected huge gratitude from her.

Hajia had yelled at her to leave the living room when she had stayed there even after Idi had left and she staggered backwards before she tried as much as she could and got herself up before she trudged out. And as she stared at the stairs, she wondered where she'd go. She didn't know what to do and who to run to, but to Anas. She had to tell someone. She knew that he couldn't find a solution for her, but he'd at least console her.

She trudged to his chamber and knocked on the front door. This was the first time she had come here since when they came back from Damaturu. One, because she didn't even have time for herself and both Waleed and Anas came to her when need be. And two, she was afraid of what Hajia would say. Because already, she had been insinuating that she was trying to seduce Anas, which she wasn't.

It took her a minute knocking before someone opened the door and she had to clear her tears to see who it was; Zaid. "Is Anas inside, please?" Her aching voice slurred and he stared at her longer than a minute before he nodded his head and moved away for her to get in.

"Sit in the living room, I'd go and call him for you." He said and walked away. Sabeeha stared at the living room and wondered if it'd be safe for her to even get in or not. Because from the looks of things, she could be wrong and land herself in a huge trouble by simply breathing.

But at last, because her entire body demanded she sit down so she could cry at the way her heart was squeezing and aching, Sabeeha took dreading steps into the chamber and sat down on the first sofa. Anas walked out immediately and even though she had expected he came along with his friend, who knew so well how to deep his nose into other people's matters, he didn't. And she was glad that he came alone.

The moment he saw her face and the amount of tears that were rushing down her cheeks, he rushed to the sofa beside her and sat down. "Beeha? What's wrong? What happened? Did Mommy do something to you?"

Her heart broke into a thousand pieces at the name of Hajia. She shook her head and wiped at her tears, but more gushed down. Her eyes were now a shade of blood and when she opened her mouth to speak, her lips quivered and she found herself breaking into tears.

"They said they're going to get me married to him, Anas. By Friday, and today is Monday, right?" She asked, wiping her tears and taking a breather. She really thought that by the way she was feeling, her heart was going to explode, but it was beating fine. Just that there were invincible hands clutching painfully at it.

"What? Get you married to who?!" He thundered and she sent him a pathetic smile.

"Idi. That I'm going to move into his room here and would still work in the mansion, but I'd be getting paid now." She sobbed so hard when she told him this part. Because upon all the marriages they had forced down to her throat, Sabeeha had agreed to them because she was going to live states away from these horrible people. But if she married him and she still stayed and worked in the mansion, what would that be? Two hells for her single soul? She couldn't take it. She would surely die if she did.

"What? How could they! Didn't you tell them what happened?! Get up, let's go back to them and I'll explain everything that happened between you guys." She had never seen Anas clouded with so much rage but today. She looked up at him and shook her head.