Fansa

Chapter 5

Evening came quickly for him. Mild was the breeze,gentle without seize,soothing to the body and sending it shrills. Everything was calm in contrast to the combustion in the mind of Amir. He sat down in their sprawling parlour too ashamed of the situation he is in to confide in anybody. The parlour was too big to be called one; it'll easily pass for a basketball court. The larger than life size television set made it look like a control centre for a station in space. Beautifully embroidered chairs laid in a U-shape,giving this perspective view to it. The entrance looked small; more of an optical illusion than engineering magic. If riches could be painted on walls,then this parlour will be its home. The white paint gave it a feel of peace and serenity before one encounters the golden part. It's like a reminder for "I'm-still-the-money" screaming with all mnemonic ability. The irony of it all was personified in the sombre face worn by Amir.

His mind danced about and around. That thing. Yeah,when the dance that was supposed to be cathartic turns out to be monotonic to be point where stopping seems impossible and continuing looks very sure to be the only way of getting out of what made the dance in the first place. The dance was happening in his mind and he was scratching his head in the world of his bodily existence. The head scratch was like a rhythm to the dance. When the arm goes up in the air in wiggle,the head scratch comes to complement and complete the move.

Poor Amir. The dance,the bite and scratch was the exercise he undertook to see if a solution will come up. The more he mind-danced, he goes further away from what the solution is. Like that dance move where the dancer holds something and drops it all of a sudden. Rather than going close to pick up,he backslides looking at it,making a very funny face as he does. When he comes back to where the object is,he makes to pick it up but backs out. He then proceeds to moving round the object in circles too long and absurd to describe as an attempt at picking up something on the floor.

Nothing came or anything that came close to coming, always disappears before it did. He later resigned to begging. When a fight becomes too much with the surety of you being overpowered,the only logical thing is to think of a way out. However, when the fight becomes too big with the surety of you being bodied and begging looks like the only damage control option,don't feel too big to beg. He resigned to seeing Kd the next day to beg....

He went to bed not knowing if he should feel better or not. His room wasn't too far. He bounced into the parlour, exchanged pleasantries so as not to arouse suspicions, then sauntered into his bed. His stomach rumbled on emptiness. The owner of the stomach didn't know. When he left the earth,he also didn't know. His phones were in both hands so also was his car keys. His cap was still on his head. He didn't even change to any thing nighty. He just laid like a big letter X ,thankful to the sleep for taking him out of his miseries. Temporary respite.

Strangely, the sleep was uninterrupted. If not for the slap he was given by his stepbrother, he wouldn't have prayed the early morning prayer on time.  When he placed his head on the floor in prostration,tears poured out. His heart opened and his faith strengthened. He first of all asked for forgiveness from the Almighty. Boy done did a lot of bad things. He asked with all emotional power a human can muster,for help from the Almighty. Kd shouldn't go ahead with what she has planned. That everything should be back to the way they were. It should be like they've never met. He prayed. So hard. So long. A patch of green in a wife expanse of desert encroached land.

He ate his breakfast lazily. Put on whites and went out. His fashion sense took little or no beating. He still appeared sweet. Like an eye candy.

Kd was having a breakfast of cereals when she was summoned to the hearing of her father. To say she wasn't apprehensive would be the greatest lie....after the belief that roadside beans cake doesn't taste better than some made at home. She counted her steps as if she was afraid of making the floor squirm in tears.

"Daddy..."

He said nothing. His attention was on a stack of paper he was attending to. He lowered the medicated glasses he had on to the level of his nose and tried to match this height with his eyeball.

"Daddy..?" She asked questioningly.

"Oh,Khadijah?! How're are you?"

"Doing well,thank you.. "

"That's good! Very good"

He continued with what took his attention away. The girl stood there in confusion. More puzzling was the fact that he didn't take notice of her presence.

"Daddy..?"

"What?.... Ah! You're still here!"

"Yes.. You sent for me!"

"Me?...Oh! that! Not to worry. I've got it sorted out"

She turned to go. Hissing was already out of the picture.

"Can't wait to have your grandchildren sir. I'll so do my own..."

She said to herself.

Amir arrived a few minutes after. He wasn't expecting to meet her dad at home. His shock transmutated into boyish confidence when he faced him. He told him that his coming was to see Kd. The father was pleasantly surprised. That a boy, in this generation, would come to a girl's house,seeking her dad's permission to talk to her before he actually did!
"If he wants my attention,he has it overflowing. He looks decent and well to do. Good start" he said to himself.

Word was sent to Kd. Her dad again. She came in to the parlour matching like a soldier, protesting, asking her dad why he didn't tell her what he had to say minutes ago. All her dad did was to look at her with a smile. She saw Amir and froze. From surprise. Daddy saw this and thought "OK,I think I'm done here". He stood up and left them to themselves. " Youths and love" he said to himself.

"...but you're a very good actor" Amir said to her.

" What are you doing here?" She asked.

"You've managed to deceive the old man and the entire family!" He replied not answering the question.

"I asked a question Mr. man. You had better answer it or I'll have you thrown out!" She thundered. Mildly.

" Kd please " he started

"Forgive..." He went on an on. He beged,cried,begged and cried more. The girl wasnt moved. Then he asked "Remember when we first met? Did you? We didn't know each other. We've never seen each other but when i came into the party, I asked after you specifically."

"..and so?"

"Doesn't it say something? You're too blind. You've been too blind by rage that you fail to see your weaknesses. I've said mine. I don't want more trouble. I done did nuff but I'm no pushover. Don't start a fight that will consume every one" He rose and left.

She spent the next 20 minutes trying to make sense of what he just left her with. True to truth,why did he ask after her to be specific? Why not other girls?"

The game was getting tense. The cards she wants to play was known. She had no idea...No idea on the plan of the other people. She started to doubt. She started asking herself question. She started to question the need to avenge. She started to think forgiveness to be a worthy cause. The devil however, has this ability of silently announcing his presence in a noisy manner. He came,whispering into her heart..

"There is no backing out. All the pains I felt must be shared amongst both of them. They'll be shocked. They think they've seen it all. A lion doesn't bother himself with the wailings of a sheep."