A Trial On Love

15

She had thought that after coming to Abuja, all her problems would vanish. That she would be more like a different person leading a different life than the one she had lived or is currently living. But why did it felt as though she had gotten herself from frying pan to fire? Living with Uwar Mata was one thing Rayhan would never wish upon even the greatest of her enemies. Because, not even Inna could come close to being this malicious.

It had been over a month and none, from the thousand of homes they had been taken to, had she been accepted. And it wasn't because she had done something bad or anything. The other five girls they had come with, four of them had already been hired in the first week they were there and it was left of only Rayhan with another girl called Khultum.

The reason they always gave about not hiring Rayhan was that she was too beautiful and didn't in any way looked like someone that could work as a maid. She really wished she could tell them that this fair skin was nothing but a scam. A gift given to her by Allah and her looks weren't in any way reflecting how much she had had to endure in her life. It wasn't until Uwar Mata explained to her that it was because none of those women could trust both their husbands and sons enough around such girls, and that's why they didn't hire her.

She felt relieved knowing that Allah was protecting her, yet again. Because she wouldn't know what she would have to do from running from one sexual assault to the other all her life. And maybe if she had been hired, someone would've succeeded in destroying her life, once again. Not that it wasn't destroyed already.

But the ill treatments started coming when they had reached two weeks and she wasn't hired. She was now the only one left and it felt as though life wanted to taste her with something worse than what she had endured with her stay with Inna. Uwar Mata made her do all the work in the house, which she really didn't mind considering that she was being fed by this woman. And she made her wash the dishes and clothes of the other people residing in the never ending rooms of the house and the money they paid her for her service was used for her feeding, as Uwar Mata had said.

Today, she had came to her and flung a dress at her. Rayhan really thought she was going to wash it and had already started getting to her feet when Uwar Mata made a degrading gesture. "It's new, so there's no need for you to wash it. We're invited to work in a wedding and I figured I could get you to some use. At least washing and clearing the mess in that rich people's wedding will be much more than doing it for these poor ones. Get ready."

And even though what Rayhan hated the most in her life was social gatherings, she knew that she really didn't have a say in this one and the best thing to do was not to get on Uwar Mata's bad book since at home. Because she wouldn't want her to be knowingly trying to make life hard for her in the event. So, briskly, she got ready as she admired how modestly beautiful the dress was.

It was no where near the kind of clothes Ninah and Sofy had gotten for her in the past years, not in the same price range or beauty, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. And she was ready before Uwar Mata came back to her room and ordered for her to get out so they could leave. On their way there, she kept telling her the do's and don'ts in a rich wedding and how she had no right to look like she was enjoying it, just being obedient and working tirelessly.

She had also told her outwardly that she would try and get her to be hired because one month is all she could accommodate her for and if it failed this time, then there was no point in trying, she'd either call Rakiyar Abuja to take her back home or take her to a friend's house who might succeed in doing so. All Rayhan had to do was nod her head obediently, because what would she really say?

From the area the rickshaw had driven, Rayhan knew for a fact that these people, whoever they were, weren't just rich, they're wealthy and powerful and she felt as her heart lost a beat. Normally, these type of people would always be malicious and treat people as though they were trash, it wasn't like she was treated humanely with Uwar Mata, but still.