Destined Hearts

Chapter 1

I really hated my life at times. Sometimes I would pray to Allah to take me away from all this misery and sometimes I would beg Him to give me another chance at life. But most times I just thanked Him for the things I had.

As Anty landed another slap on my face and another kick to my ribs, I begged Him to take me away. I held back my sobs and I didn't shed a single tear even as my heart tore apart.

All I could hear was her screaming at me as she aimed another kick into my stomach and I heaved. She screamed at me for doing as she told me not to. She cursed my dead mother for creating a child such as me, and leaving me to her to handle. She cursed my father for burdening her with me. And all I did was plead to my heart t to last a little bit longer. It would be over soon.

"I'm going to kill you in this house!! You dare try to disrespect me?! Zan chi kaniyan ki a gidan nan!!" She yells as she dragged me by the hair and aimed another slap at me.
(I'm going to deal with you in this house).

I knew the neighbors could hear her but they were all used to the abuse in this house. No one interfered anymore, it's not that they didn't care, it's that they didn't want to involve themselves in issues that could come back to bite them. They did always take care of me whenever she was done hitting me. The women would clean my wounds and any blood on my body, they would give me food when she starved me and would give me their old clothes when she burned mine. They tried, but sometimes I hated them for not trying more.

From the way she was hitting me and the ache in my ribs, I knew that if they didn't stop her then she was going to kill me. I guess I pushed her too far this time. I didn't think that the simple act of my father paying for my university education was an act of disrespect towards her.

I knew she didn't want me to keep on going to school and 'wasting my father's money' and instead she wanted me married off. She had warned me to not talk of school to my father again but I still did. It was the only escape I had from the hell I lived in everyday. I had friends there, and I could read whatever books I wanted, I had professors who pushed me to be my full potential. So I spoke to baba and he promised to pay for my tuition at school, I thought maybe he wouldn't tell her. I had just come back from the market when I heard her yelling my name from the courtyard. I quickly ran in and met myself with the first of her hits.

"P-please s-stop." I finally wheezed as I tried to take a breath. Blood seeped out of my mouth and landed on the floor by her feet.

I could feel myself losing consciousness as my blood seeped out of my mouth, I couldn't hear what she was saying anymore but I did feel the sharp slap she sent to my face. I sprawled on the floor in my own blood, too weak to move even an inch. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe this was Allah's way of answering my dua. My vision was getting darker and darker and I just wanted to give up.

"Innalilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un!" I heard a voice scream from the doorway. I tried to blink my eyes open to see but all I could make out was the silhouette of a woman. "What have you done to her?! Oh my God. What have you done?!" The woman pushed aside Anty and bent down to me.

She lifted my head unto her lap as she moved my hair out of my face. I struggled to blink my eyes open but I finally did it. A woman's worried face looked down at me, her dark skin in contrast to her light brown eyes. Light brown eyes just like mine. Her lashed fanned across her cheeks and her lips rested against my forehead.

"Madeenah. Madeenah, please wake up." She sobbed and quickly brought out her phone from her bag. My eyes fluttered shut. "Adamu, danallah kayi sauri ka shigo. Madeenah. Za mu kayta asibiti. Danallah kayi sauri!" (please hurry up and come inside. Madeenah. We're taking her to the hospital. Please hurry)

All I could feel was pain. My thoughts were rampant as I imagined if this was my death. Would I die by her hand? I guess she finally got what she wished for. Maybe baba will actually finally see her for who she is. Will I be mourned at all? My thoughts vanished as I sunk into darkness.

"Madeenah. Please wake up." A quiet voice whispers to me and my eyes popped open.

I was in a white room, there was light everywhere. I wasn't in my hijab anymore, my hair had been put in a bun on my head and the same woman was holding onto my hand. I flexed my fingers that the woman was holding and she snapped her head up to look at me. Her eyes met mine and she quicky wiped away the tears on hers. I tried to speak but found that I couldn't, there was an oxygen mask over my head.

I slowly raised my other hand, which was attached to a drip, and lowered the mask from my face. It was hard to breathe but I managed.

"Madeenah, you don't have to talk, okay? Just rest." Her voice sounds vaguely familiar and I knew that I had met her before. My memory was foggy but I could see her.

"I know you." I rasp.

She gives me a soft smile, "Yes you do. I'm your mom's sister. Salmah. I haven't seen you since your mom's funeral when you were 10. You probably don't remember me."

"I do. Y-you send me clothes every E-eid." My voice felt scratchy as though I had been screaming for hours.

"I wish I did more." She cried, "I knew your father's wife was a horrible woman. I knew it and I still didn't do anything to protect you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Your mom would never forgive me." She squeezed my hand as she sobbed.

"It's okay. I understand." I said quietly as I squeezed her hand back.

"Ki yafe min. I will protect you this time around. I don't care what your father is going to say, you are coming back with me to Abuja." She wiped her tears and steeled her voice as she promised to take me away from this hell. (Forgive me)

Hi. This is my first work and it has been a story that I've been playing around with for a few weeks and I decided to just jump the gun and write.

It's a pretty short chapter but it's the prologue so not too much to write. :)

I hope you enjoy it.

WORD COUNT: 1,160
xxxwannabewriterxxx