Jahdiel

Chapter 4

"GIVE ME FIVE MORE MINUTES" Ziba shouted so he can be heard over the loud voices of the children trying to drag him back to play with them.

We've been on four dates already and I am no closer to getting him to open up to me. And I know that is not how he is because so far everywhere we've been to he is like a totally different person to everyone else. Like our present situation where he is making a bunch of toddlers laugh hysterically and I am left standing at the side like some loyal PA.

The nursery is where babies and toddlers are kept while their mothers go to work. Every woman has to work as long as you are between the age of 18 and 70 to support the family since every pay is low, with the exception of the women whose husbands don't want them to work like Mama. So the ones with babies leave them with the women assigned at the nursery until they get back.

Five minutes turned into half hour, whenever we want to leave the children start crying, when he sits on the mat with them they stop. We played with them until their mothers came to pick them up one by one. As the last baby left with her mother we walked back to my house. Since it wasn't far from my house Ziba decided that we should walk on foot so he can greet people he hasn't seen in a while on our way. Could he be anymore perfect? Well he would be if he isn't treating me like a business associate.

"Did I do something wrong?" I heard myself ask.
" no you didn't " he looked puzzled
"I know we weren't friends before but since we got engaged but don't you think we should at least try to make this work?" I explained " I know the point of the engagement is to help my father get better. For the past one week I watch my father cough and be in pain, while you act like you couldn't care less."

He cleared his throat "I care about your father, he is a decent man who doesn't deserve this but the deal was made with my father and I don't know anything about that."

That kind of shut me up, though getting him to say more than I sentence at a time to me is an improvement, even though he ignored the first thing I said.
" just be ready tomorrow when I come." I seem to have hit a nerve. He features hardened.
The rest of the walk home was quiet. He said bye when we got to our doorstep. When I walked in Daramis who was sitting on our cushion turned to look at me still a little pissed with me.

"I am back" hoping to lighten the mood with a smile

"you are late" at least she is talking to me
"Sorry it took longer than I was expecting. Those children are so cute and adorable. There was one of them who tried to..."
" I don't care. What I care about is the fact that you are accepting this as your faith. I know you are not big on romance but you also hate blindly following decisions others make for you. When papa wanted you to go to a school just because it is closer to home you fought him on it until he allowed you to be in the same school with Farida. So why are you accepting this?" it didn't occur to me to reply until she said "Talk to me" she walked to me. her eyes shining in the poorly lit room.

"I don't know, I really don't know " I hugged her tight as a gut retching sound filled the room, it took a few seconds before I realised it came for me, I started bawling like a baby.

Mama entered the living room "what is going on here? " upon seeing my tears she rushed to hug me.
"it's okay, it's going to be alright" she held me as I cried my heart out not asking for any explanation.

* * *

The next morning came faster than I would have hoped, I sat up so fast I felt a little faint which was followed by a splitting headache. I sat up with my feet on the ground.