Endurance

CHAPTER THIRTY

The next morning after aunt Salma left for work Layla took it upon herself to get ready too with a plot in her mind that was deemed to be embarrassing but there was nothing that was shaking her out of her determination to do so. She had asked her aunt all the questions that bugged her the whole of yesterday, but her aunt's answers hadn't quenched her mind enough so she tried seeking them herself.

"The woman opposite here is married right auntie?." Layla had asked as aunt Salma raised her eyes to her niece and shook her head no then swallowed her food.

"No, she just works here."

"And she doesn't have her parents here?."

"Her parents are in Lagos. She told me she is an assistant lecturer in the University of Dell." And just like that the missing puzzle clicked. That was where Layla knew her from, she was the same woman that she had seen Mansoor with at the parking space when she had been at the school with Ray, the same woman she had questioned herself over and over again about what kind of relationship went between the two. Mansoor doesn't get this comfortable with a woman.

Or does he?. With a mind as blank as a black hole, she cleared her throat and dug her fork into the eggs.

"Wow. She is in another state entirely from where her parents live." Layla tried to kill the judgement in her voice but she could hear it dripping in large doses out of her gut.

"Did she try to make your acquaintance?." Aunt Salma asked, clearly unfazed by the turmoil that was brewing in her niece's mind.

"Oh no. I didn't even take a walk yesterday. Maybe today. I was just by the window yesterday and I saw her with another person. I thought he was her husband but then he left." Layla pressed and almost gagged at having to call Mansoor the woman's husband but she took a sip of tea instead. She knew she was acting like a jealous teenager and she hated herself for it but she just couldn't stop.

"Could be her fiancée. Or just a relative." Her aunt explained with a wave without seemingly seeing anything wrong with the situation.

This woman is making my morning worse. Fiancée? Allah! But what do you expect? Haven't you heard of his engagement?. Her inner voice mocked.

"I'll get going now before I get late. Maman Hassana will be here by 10 to clean up the house and prepare lunch. Do your exercises and take your medication Layla." Her aunt patted her shoulder affectionately before taking her keys then heading out. Layla abandoned her own breakfast and checked the time before doing a quick touch up then standing by the window to see if he'd be in the premises again.

She had bit her lip and tapped her foot for what felt like eternity but it was only eleven minutes when the gates opened and she could barely breathe due to the intensity of her heart beat. The same car pulled up and she quickly turned and took the back door connected to the kitchen grimacing at the pain that shot through her rib cage and shoulder while at it.

Mansoor sat in the car waiting for Zahira to appear as he went over the list of presentation topics he had ticked off to have the students research on when a figure appeared in front of his car. To say he was shocked was an understatement as he squinted his eyes to make sure he was right about what he saw.

Layla. What is she doing here?.

She waved at another woman that was out to water her plants with a big smile then turned her face in the direction of his car but seemed to not have been aware of who was in it. She raised her flowing gown a little and adjusted the veil that had framed her face and he did the one thing he knew he couldn't resist doing when it came to her. Unbuckling the seatbelt, he hopped off the car and strode in her direction after shutting the door. Zahira was taking longer than usual to get ready, he might as well use the spared minutes and speak with Layla.