After the truth

~18~

"One would think of this as a date."

Zayad looked up from his phone. He raised a brow at the blonde haired lady. She didn't look as good as when her hair was red. He didn't respond, he just stayed seated and watched her settle.

Fauziyah had on a sky blue bodycon dress at knee length while a square cut patterned kimono rested just below her hips making it seem like she was wearing a top and skirt.

"No compliment, no getting up from your seat to pull mine. Male chivalry is dead." She sighed dramatically, pulling her seat backwards.

Zayad had a bored look on his face as he studied her. She didn't look that much appealing anymore. He wasn't sure if it was because of the figure hugging dress she had on or the face assault going on.

"You don't look that good." He blurted out, eyes going back to his phone. "It's not a date, it's more of a meeting than that."

After a beat of a second or two, when Fauziyah thought he would apologize or claim it was a joke, he said, "We came here for a reason."

Fauziyah smiled to herself. For some reason still unknown to her, she was attracted to men that had zero interest in her. Despite this, the anomaly that he didn't find her attractive like she found him, made something crack in her. She was beautiful. She had always been beautiful and she almost always found ways to flaunt it. It was a usual for men to try to get her attention. But the men she wanted never did any of that. This was the exact situation that made her older brother look down on her.

"What do you mean by I don't look that good?" She felt insulted and didn't want to drop it. This was embarrassing but Fauziyah didn't care. She liked him, ever since he ignored her at the airport.

"I'm sure I spoke simpler English?" It was a rhetorical question but Zayad looked done with the whole conversation. He was itching to get out of there and find his mother. She suddenly left home without a word or nothing.

"I'm very beautiful Zayad. A lot of people will agree with me. So what ...." She stopped when the man threw his head back and started to laugh like the maniac he was. He was breathtakingly handsome. He had dimples! Fauziyah swooned.

"Your natural red head was beautiful. When you had no make up on at the airport as well as at the hotel. When your skin was covered and you weren't flaunting it. Seems you want some validation, miss Fauziyah. Respectfully giving it to you, you don't look attractive nor appealing. My personal opinion, you shouldn't care but you would cos yet again, you're seeking male validation." Zayad stated, all the while looking down at his phone. He was typing furiously.

Fauziyah had her mouth hanging when he was done. She stared down at her folded arms on the sleek rainbow glass table. Her eyes watered and she had no idea why she was crying. Her crush just butchered her and she brought it upon herself.

"Seems like you shouldn't be handling pressing matters like this. Do you always try to flirt with your business associates?" He asked, finally looking up. "Anyways, I have somewhere to be, perhaps another day." Zayad sighed tiredly. His forehead held lines that made him appear much more older.

"Where do Zayn meet crazy people like this?" She heard him whisper as he left.

Damn! He was harsh with his words, had a temper that rivaled with kids and an attitude like that of a spoilt child. Yet, she felt more drawn to him. Was she cursed? She let a tear drop before collecting herself with a promise to teach him a lesson

**********
Marwa was almost done with the cabin hence her early dismissal from work since she worked onsite rather than in the office. She and Belinda sat outside the elementary school waiting for the kids to come pouring out. She studied the dark skinned lady and a smile graced her face. She was very pretty.

"You are very pretty." She stated. She could see the girl bow her head feeling shy.

"So as you miss Marwa." Belinda's voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"Call me Marwa please. We're basically the same age." She chuckled. "Or is it because I have a child?"

"No. No. No. Not at all. Not that. I - I"

Marwa busted out laughing. It was cute how she got bothered. It was very easy to tease her. Marwa loved the lady's presence. She wondered if they would have been friends had they met earlier.

"I was just pulling your legs."

"Oh." Belinda sighed.

"I find it weird that Mukhlisa and Mariam are friends. Just like that." Marwa suddenly said. "But I'm grateful about that. I was worried about her but it's nice seeing their friendship blossom."

"Mariam is an amazing kid. She's wicked with her words though." Belinda sighed, a smile on her face. "I've always seen her as my baby sister seeing that her mum is a distant cousin of mine."

Marwa was surprised. The woman wasn't one of many words.

"I came from a poor family and had no means of feeding nor education. Suddenly, opportunity came when my mum pushed me to join my distant cousin here in Missouri to help around the house, she wanted a familiar face. In return I would get to work and have access to education. I was 15 when I came here."

Marwa noticed Belinda had a faraway look in her eyes. She reached out a supporting hand and placed it on her bunched up ones.

"Her husband began molesting me. I tried telling her but she ignored me. Somehow, she believed when her husband said I was seducing him to take her spot. I wasn't sent to school as promised. I had wanted to end my life but that changed when Mariam was born. Mr Shafi was disappointed by the fact that his wife had bore him a female, not a heir. Mariam's mother was angry and had tried to kill her then I intervened."

Belinda managed a small smile at Marwa's bewildered expression. She had no idea why she was informing the lady about her whole life but it felt nice.

"She told me that I would care for her without any help since I wanted to play hero so bad. It didn't matter. I made sure to care for Mariam and would boldly ask her father for her upkeep and payment to me just so I'd have some savings. The worst happened on my eighteenth birthday. He raped me." She clamped her hands to her mouth as she bit back a sob. "Before you know it, I became pregnant and had a son who was taken from me immediately he was born. Ever since, I've been in charge of caring for Mariam. We haven't set eyes on her mother and father for a while now but the servants who usually travel with them always comes back with a story. That's where Mariam gets the whole gist from. My life has been a whole lot of hell but at least I get to go to school." She grinned stretching her arms in front of her.

Marwa bit her lips then bust into tears. She thought she had it so hard. Maybe that's why they clicked well. She cried so hard even she began to wonder what the tears was all about.

"I was raped too and disowned by my father but Lisa wasn't taken from me. I'm so sorry." She cried, hiding her face behind her palms.

Belinda, for the first time in years, cried. The two ladies held each other and let out the emotions they've had in for so long. Belinda felt hope and relief course through her. She wasn't alone, nor was Maryam.