LOST IDENTITY

Chapter Fifteen

MUKARRAM

I'll be lying to say that I've not been thinking about her every waking day of my life. She's just everywhere. When I close my eyes, her innocent face comes to view,  when asleep I always dream about her and whenever Ahmad talks about his niece Maryam,  I recall the conversations we had and it makes me feel the need to have those kind with her till the end of time. When Ahmad asked me to accompany him to school to pick Maryam,  I didn't protest because I wanted to see her even if it is from a distance. Imagine my disappointment when I found out that she had an accident and went home early.

Ahmad knows that to talk about her is like to give me a punch in the guts, so he never even try. Maryam insisted that we should branch to her house first when we reached Kaduna but Ahmad said no. After some crocodile tears he gave in but only after telling her to not waste our time. She came out of the house with a murderous look muttering some profanities.

"That woman is too rude for my liking. I don't know how something as sweet as Tasneem came out of her womb" 

"What happened?" Ahmad asked and she narrated how Umma isn't hospitable at all, how she didn't even return her greetings and how she shouted at her,  giving her a warning to not ever set foot in her house again saying that Tasneem no longer lives in that house.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun! That's too bad Maryam but don't worry. We will call her dad later okay? Stop crying it's enough" Ahmad consoled Maryam who started crying hard the moment she finished narrating the story.

On my part, I felt like killing her mother. That's an extreme form of cruelty towards an innocent child,  at least my parents only neglected me but never openly show that they don't care about me and I am also a man,  I can handle it but Tasneem? Nah,  she's too young and way too sweet to go through this kind of ordeal in her life.

The next few days have been so busy that I don't even have the time to  ponder much about Tasneem's whereabouts and what she must be going through. Both Ahmad and I have been given a deadline to finish a contract, so we gave it our all.

Today at lunch break,  Ahmad invited me home for lunch saying he's tired of eating the bland cafeteria food and he wants Mamma's delish for a job well done so I drive us to his house feeling the same need to have Mamma's food. I no longer feel like a stranger there. I just hardly ever talk and luckily for me Mamma has made peace with that.

"Uncle A, welcome back! Am 100% sure you're less busy today so let me get my veil so that you'll take me to Tasneem's house right away" Maryam pounced on Ahmad the moment we entered. If she has seen me she didn't let off.

"Yahsalam! Maryam you're just too much wallahi. Please allow me to eat. And we only come here for lunch break" Ahmad protested taking her off of him.

"I hear ya! Now eat and take me there on your way back to the office. I won't budge today Uncle A, you just have to take me there. I have a feeling that something terrible is happening and I need to be there for her" she  bursts into tears which she seems to be doing a lot whenever she wants something to be done her way.

"Okay shhhh I'll take you " I chipped into their conversation. Ahmad gave me a you're a life saver kinda look.

"Yawwa Uncle Mukarram, thank you,  thank you, thank you soooo very much. Now let's go"  she squealed unplugging her phone from its charger.

"I didn't say right now " I raised a brow.

" I don't think so. Please let's go,  you can eat while driving " She stated adamantly.