Unsealed Fate

Chapter 37: Her Judging Mind

HER JUDGING MIND

★★★★★

Saturday was here. I woke up to my phone alarm at 8 am, feeling a familiar ache around my lower abdominal region. I realized I was off salah, which explained the reason for my mood swings the previous day. I lazily got out of bed and as I headed toward the bathroom to clean myself up, the episode I had at Imran's family house suddenly replayed in my head and I recalled the reason I had slept angry the night before.

Imran tried to get my attention while I was at their place but I kept ignoring him the whole time and pretended to be busy with the older women-talking to Inna had never been less boring. I deliberately refused to even spare him a glance. After learning what he had done, I was too upset to even breathe the same air with him.

When I got out of the bathroom, I stumbled on my heels and purse which I had tossed on the floor anyhow, when we got back the night before. I had a habit of throwing things when I was in a bad mood. I remember Zainab kept asking what was wrong, I couldn't explain. Imran and Salma had called me countless times, I just stared at the phone as it rang on, then set it on silent and left it on my headboard. And as always, I refused to call back.

I picked up my stuff, put them away where they belonged, and then went over to my bedside drawer to pick up my phone. As I walked out of my room, I checked the notification bar for missed calls and of course, there were many of them from Imran, Salma, Kulthum, and...Khalid? My movement slowed down upon catching his name. I had no idea, I had his number saved on my phone. It must be Salma's doing, she had borrowed my phone to call him one time.

I closed the door behind me, Ignoring the thought as I scrolled up to dial Kulthum's line. I knew she'd be up by now. She was not the type that slept till the sun rose. That was how we were raised by our parents, never to sleep after fajr. If I hadn't woken up early, my mother would be on her way to my room any moment now. And just like I predicted my eyes were inadvertently met by Umma's hard ones, watching me from the foot of the stairs, no doubt she was coming to my room.

"Sannu Sarauniya( Hello, Queen)" She acknowledged me and said through tight jaws,"Sai yanzu kin tashi (now you are up)" And without warning, I knew what my offense was-it was early in the morning, and I was pressing my phone. She had a huge problem with that.

"Umma, ina kwana (good morning)" I greeted her with a long face as I closed the distance between us. Instead of answering my greeting, what I got was a reproachful glare.

"You should have waited for me to come and drag you out of your bed since you don't know what today is." Of course, I was aware but I didn't think it was necessary to wake up early.

I shot my eyebrows up. "Sai mai (so what?)" I grumbled, frowning even. "Na me dey do wedding (am I the one getting married?)" I lowered my voice and assumed she didn't hear the last part of my sentence before she turned away from me.

"Allah ya shirieki(may God help you.)" She said as she walked away, shaking her head in the process. That was when my cramps intensified a little. This was not a good way to start my morning but I could manage the pain, it was not as severe as the previous ones. I followed my mother toward the guest room where she was heading. She wanted me to assist her in wrapping some gifts.

The smell of turaren wuta (incense) wafted through my nostrils, making me pause for a moment. The whole house was ablaze with excitement. I could hear my cousins and aunties chatter away as they got ready for the wedding. Maybe I was the only one who was not as eager to attend the aqdu nikkah (main marriage ceremony).

"Hajiya Umma, why aren't you ready yet?" I heard Aunty Fatima calling out to my mother from the open guest room door as we strode in. That was where all the chattering noise came from.