Fansa

Chapter 4.

Amir was rattled to the bones. How he managed to get drive home would easily pass for the 8th wonder of the 21st century. His life paused.  Everything he did left a bad taste in his mouth. His appetite ran away and so did his sleep. He laid down on his bed,changing sides and increasing sighs in futile attempts to call on the gods of sleep. When they do come,it always ends in nightmares that makes him want to stay awake for the rest of his life. He once dreamt that she hired some boys to kidnap him. He could see himself begging. He could see her painting her nails. He was thrown into a pot of boiling water. His screams and cries did nothing to arouse pity in the heart of Kd. She didn't even look at him. She did one thing though - call the boys to kindle the fire and add more firewood. He woke up sweating. His eyes were swollen. Nothing made sense to him.

  At times, he felt she was just bluffing. He sometimes felt he was just being scared over nothing. That he was subjecting himself to a mental torture of his consciousness by subconsciously torturing his own consciousness. Then,like a drop of thunder, his heart will cleft asunder, body will shake to the point of him peeing in his pants. These are moments when things as small as a matchstick looks as big as a shovel...to him.

   This sequence went on for 5 days. He was starting to enjoy the thought that his bodily absence will be a good substitute to this torture. Or rather, that he should seek help. He scanned through the names of possible helpers and realized that virtually everyone he called "friend" were people he gave money or to put rather succinctly, were people who followed his every move because they saw he has money. When they heard of Kd's threat and his present state,they stayed away thinking it to be the manifestation of what she threatened to do. Since they weren't part of the eating, why should they go get a beating?

He juggled with numerous possibilities and even went as far as placing a call across some of them. Nothing or no one cared. He paused for a while.... to cry. He came to terms with reality that instant. He was an arrogant and spoilt brat who'll only have "Yes-men" as friends. Anyone who challenges or makes effort to, as little as talk back at him,will be thrown out a moving car,that,after a downpour of insults on the persons of his parents...Now he needed a friend and no one seems to care. He freed his head back wards and laid on his bed. He used his arms to cover his face, allowing his wrist to dangle away from the head. Tears gushed like a tap,new,being tasted for it's efficiency. When he drifted into the honourable realms of unconsciousness often referred to as sleep,he didn't know. He only dreamt of himself snoring his sorrows away.

  He felt a strong desire,sudden yet enveloping, to see Nafisah on waking up. If not for anything, at least for the fact that they're opposite sides of a coin. For the fact that she was best friends with Kd too. Leveraging on that relationship and for old times sake,maybe....maybe...just maybe.

He hurried his a bath and threw a Jallabiyah on. He was systematic in the manner he combed his hair. The hair cream he applied gave his very dark hair a glow in the mirror's reflections. Perfume was such that the smell stays with you even after his absence. He wore a leisure slippers and drove to Nafisah's. What he saw there was an aberration, at least to what he presently felt and saw .
He asked after her and was taken to her quarters. Music blazing from speakers greeted him first. His guide,a small boy of 12years shook his head in defeat. That was more poignant than any other thing there will ever be.
He walked in after shouting and knocking. She was still oblivious of his presence. The very amazing thing with this is that she didn't even dance. She just sat nodding her head to the rhythm of the beats while painting her nails. Amir went to where the sound emanated from and killed it. The sudden silence frightened her to the point of shock.."That is more like it." Amir thought.

"Amir.." She said absentmindedly. She done recovered from the shock and returned back to her painting.

"Nafisah,there is fire on the mountain. Nothing is normal. I'm even surprised you're this " free". There is a problem"

Now she was interested. "What is it" she asked. Amir sat down and narrated to the minutest if details everything that transpired. Everything.

"Is there more to the story? Like climax? Or is this the real end?"

"Yes" he answered despite his confusion. "I want us,me and you,to you know...."

"Know what?"

"...go beg her. Apologize to her. You know you're her best friend..."

" was...I was her best friend " She corrected.

"Ok. And you know she loves me too. So if we can leverage on this emotional weakness and apologize, in as much as everything won't be as fine as they were,we will be able to sleep in peace.."

She said nothing for a while and  "I'm not going..anywhere" came out. Amir was shocked despite all the signs she showed.

"Why?" He asked.

"I revenged. Yes,I revenged. I sought vengeance everyday I was with her. She is very nasty with words and looks down on everybody. She took everything I owned and never left or gave any in return. She is Satan. If he had a wife, then she was her mother. How I longed to tear her heart. How l longed to jump on her neck and tear her down. How I wanted to strike her in the place it'll hurt for eternity. Try as much as I may,she seemed to have no weakness.... until you came. When you did,she loved you instantly. And I took my chance. I'm not sorry. "

She was engrossed in reliving her vengeance that she forgot who she was talking to. Amir supported his head with his chin. His hands were akimbo. "I've been played. I'm now an object.." and many other things played out in his head. She noticed and said something close to "it's not my fault.." The rest,he didn't care. He couldn't be less bothered. He stood up and started to pace mechanically. He looked at this girl. He turned back and fixed his gaze on nothingness. He looked at her once more.

"I'm now an object, isn't it Nafy? An object! To be played around"

  He wiggled his hands to show seriousness.

"It's not like that...I didn't mean to...'

" Oh my beloved Nafisah" He interrupted. "  A child in his innocence sees charm and calls it bitter leaf. A dog once attacked his master. He was enjoying his victory till he remembered how his master bought him from the market. That a chameleon changes it's skin to blend in doesn't mean it's less dangerous. Oh,Nafy. I'll crush you. I'll pieces you. I'll grind your bones into calcium supplement and mix it with salt to be used in your funeral. I'll bring you down. The game is the game,so they said. It'll be foolish to compare a retired player and one who is just starting out. Game on "

She sat speechless as he walked out. She went in to relieve herself. It was the longest urine emission known in the history of human existence.