MARRED

CHAPTER FOUR -A CLOSER GLIMPSE

Ahmad

"No. You cannot be serious!" Sumayyah exclaimed coming to stand in between me and the standing mirror.

"I am afraid I am." I Responded fixing the last button of my shirt.

"Ahmad. You cannot just walk into someone's house and ask their daughter to marry you right before you have even met her." Sumayyah was trying to be reasonable.

"Yes, I can and yes I have met her. She just doesn't know it yet." I answered her two raised concerns, combing through my beard.

"I need her to agree first, and then I will tell mom and dad about her." I took Sumayyah's hands. "You do not know how I feel sister. Even I have not fully comprehended it."

She just rolled her eyes at me and said, "Ahmad, I know she is an angel. I am the one who has met her. But do you not think you should take more time investigating her family lineage first?" She said looking genuinely concerned.

"I mean, besides the fact that She is of Ebira tribe, an orphan who somehow ended up in Kaduna, what else do you know about her? Ahmad, are you sure you are not rushing things?"

"Listen to yourself Summayy. My meeting Amanah will answer all these questions. Our meeting has been predestined. She met you and then walked right in at the same time I used the elevator. I feel like I have known her for a long time. I have this unexplainable feeling of connection with her. This..."

"And Faaiza?" She asked crossing her arms around chest in that way that dares me to give a good explanation.

"What about her?" I asked, fixing my tie.

"Oh do not play dumb with me. That girl has been in love with you since kindergarten. She visits us as much as any relative would...Though Mom has never said anything, she likes her a lot. I am sure Mom and Dad are just waiting for you to say you are ready to marry her."

"What age are we? Stone? The say on whom I marry is totally mine little sis."

"Ahmad..."

"Summayy," I interupted her. "I know Faaiza is your friend, but you also know that I have never encouraged her in any way. Oh come on, you of all people know that I am not the type to be unsure of my feelings." I turned from her to pick my jacket from the closet.

"Wish me luck Sis. I am going to see the woman I will marry In shaa Allah." I winked at her, picked my phone and car keys from the TV stand and with my jacket thrown over my shoulders, I walked out of the room dialing my Secretary.

"Wa'alaykumussalaam Wa RahmatuLlah. Put off all Zoom meetings with Ritsah International until Tuesday In shaa Allah."

"But Sir, the EFCC's visit for the unresolved accounts with their subsidiaries is scheduled for Tuesday." Farid reminded me.

"Then put off the meeting until after Tuesday. We have nothing to tell them anyways."

"Yes Sir." Knowing Farid, he would want to know where I was going on Monday and why our big client's meeting had to be re-scheduled. But he would not ask.
As I drove to the Train Station, I was more certain, this was what I wanted to do.

****

Amanah

I woke to the sweet smell of toast bread. Mom, my favourite person in the world was doing it again. I ooked around the the bed to find that Sophie was already up. That traitor will never wake me up when it's about food. I made my adkaar and went into the bathroom. It was my first weekend since my Job with Amjaad. Mom had promised to make our favourites throughout the day and she was certanly keeping to mine. There was a knock on the door and Sophie peered her head into our room. "Do you smell that?" She asked.