Impulse

FORTEEN: STRANGE DIRECTIONS

When fire strikes once and misses, you don't expect it to miss the second time, Fateemah ran Fadila home as fast as she could and fled her new house. She always knew how dangerous the Barrister was, seeing it first hand was terrifying all the same. The Barrister's message was clear as the sky, she was dispensable, someone they could just kill and get away with it. She took a few clothes, 2 shirts with jeans, and joggers with a new hoodie she got from corporate plaza. The wind blew in strange directions, the birds flew parallel to reality's fore floors, there was something strange about the car that she noticed behind her a couple of times.

"Goddamn it" she cursed just realizing she was being followed again, She had neither eaten nor drank anything since the attempt on her life. As petrified as she was, her only option was to remain calm and not panic, what had panicking ever done for anyone at all? Nothing! She thought to herself "if I die today then I die today" she whispered

She had one option and one option only, she had to lose the car, the easiest way she knew how to lose them was through KASU, it was a school with people all over, she knew nobody would attack her amidst that much people. She continued driving at medium speed, the car was tailing her still.

Tahira was on the verge of leaving KASU as a student for good, she wrote her final paper in the university, there was nothing more exciting for her that day, even as her wedding to Ajeay was nearing and the threats Abdulmaleek raised on her were still worrisome. She decided to forget all her worries and just be happy she finished that final paper in peace.

The convocation square was full of celebrating final year students, she was having fun and didn't see Teemah's car approach. Immediately Teemah saw a crowded place she could find a way to disappear she stopped the car and dropped from it. Nothing was important but her safe, she left her packed clothes, phone, car keys and everything else except her wallet in the car as she ran through the crowd in an attempt to to lose the people she believed were still following her.

*****
4 days to Tahira's wedding to Ajeay, Today Tahira wrote her final paper, while she was still aware of the threat Abdulmaleek made, she no longer let it bother her and if he still didn't make good on his threat and it was just 4days left then maybe he changed his mind, what she was worried about was now getting married to Ajeay which was still a nightmare for her.

Ajeay met the boys at Abdulzahir's, that was now a hangout for them since he divorced his wife. As usual the shisha smokers were smoking, the chess players were playing and the video game players were playing. Everybody within, outside or merely close to their circle was there. He hoped that Senior would not come as he has of recent been avoiding the boys all together. To his greatest surprise Abdulmaleek was playing chess with Hadi. He wanted to sneak back out and leave but Naz already saw him "Ango! Ango! Ango!" Everbody else noticed his presence afterwards.

The room became a little bit awkward as all of them were now aware of the presence of conflict between Abdulmaleek and Ajeay, Abdulmaleek who looked up immediately after making his move on the game "checkmate"

He then went straight to Ajeay and patted him on the chest "lets go, I need to talk to you"
They stood outside by the door way. "I want my girl back" Senior said, he was doing something Ajeay never saw him do, smoking cigarettes. Of course one or two of the boys smoked but Abdulmaleek was never one of them, the view was strange to Ajeay which made him feel as though Abdulmaleek was going through something and it was affecting his judgement, hense his decision to chase back his ex girlfriend. "It's too late Senior, the wedding is.."

"I want my girl back, and I'm not asking" Senior blow the smoke at Ajeay's face disrespectfully.
"Senior this girl is not a toy"
Abdulmaleek made no attempt to repeat himself, but it was obvious what he was asking from Ajeay. For the next minute or two they both just stood there, Finally Senior asked. "Lemme ask you something, why Tahira?"
Ajeay shook his head "I have no idea, I just been in love with her all the while you guys were together, I'm sorry about that"
Senior looked at him in utter disbelief "you don't love her Ajeay, I know it because I know you, which makes me wonder why you're going through the trouble of marrying her. Do you know the kind of relationship she and I had?" Abdulmaleek asked.

"That you were intimate with her? Everybody knew, at least within and outside our circle. It's incredible you thought all this time that we didn't know" Ajeay replied and his reply confirmed to Senior more than ever that Ajeay had a hidden motive in going after Tahira.

"You see that wasn't even what I was asking, but that was the first thing that came to your mind, why?" Abdulmaleek's curious eyes focused on Ajeay.
"Senior..."
"No! Brother make me understand please, I need to understand why you want her."
"Shouldn't the question be why shouldn't I want her?"
Abdulmaleek shook his head and almost at the same time looked down at the floor. Self control was Abdulmaleek's mastered behavior, a sight of him that showed lack of that would unsettle anyone on the other side of his discomfort. "I didn't want it to come to this between us Ajeay, I wanted you to realize your mistake and withdraw, but it seems you have no humility.." 

Abdulmaleek wasn't a pretty wreck, life had tested him in so many way in such a long time, he was faced with the truth of who his friends really were and who actually cared about him. Now he had no reservations on how to treat those he once held dear. He continued "if you do not call of this marriage I will make life for you a living hell, I will destroy you from the inside out and I will make sure no decent parent would want his daughter to marry you. I didn't want to do that to you Dan Mama because you were my friend. I never wanted to act on Impulse but here we are"

AbdulJabbar's face went blue as traces of fear sat on his nose giving him just enough air to live but not enough to function. He remembered something Anty Hafsat always told him  "there's nothing to fear but fear itself Dan Mama, always remember that" but yet he was afraid, Senior was his friend he doubt that e would do something to really hurt him but perhaps that was when he still had control. "Dan Mama perhaps you don't know what this girl means to me, and that you would talk about her in a way that meant she was indecent alone warrants every hell I decide to raise on you, call of that wedding if you know what is good for you, you have from now till tomorrow "

He threw the cigarette on the floor and stepped on it with his shoe. Abdulmaleek did not go back into the house, only then did Ajeay notice that he was wearing his shirt inside out, he wondered where Senior had parked because he didn't notice his car when coming in.

So many things changed so much, so fast, one day he and Senior were closest of friends and the next senior was making threats like the were never that close, one day Senior was the most calm and collected person and now he walks around in an inside out shirt smoking cigarettes. That was certainly unsettling and it was a reason for him to call of the wedding but how could he, what would he now tell Goggo. Their discussion played in his head several times as he stood by the door and felt the breeze that came off a bit too heavy blowing in strange directions.

Tahira laid on her back, starring at the ceiling, how could life be so cruel. She wasn't particularly happy with how Abdulmaleek handle the whole situation but she was happy he brought her back to her sense, getting married to Ajeay might perhaps would have made her biggest mistake yet but marrying Abdulmaleek was certainly a worse fate than that. She made the decision to call him.

"Baby girl" Abdulmaleek's first two words when he picked up

"Please don't call me that" she begged.
"I'm sorry" he replied, he sounded a bit more approachable than he had been the passed few times they encountered eachother.
"I really did my best to get him to call it off, he refused"
"Don't worry about Ajeay Tahira, I'll handle him"
He sounded very sure, she wondered what threats he made to Ajeay, she had no doubt he did that. "Ok"
The line was dead for a moment as both of the just listened to each other breath. She broke the silence "Abdulmaleek, please don't make me marry you, I wont marry Ajeay if you can get him to back off but please don't force me to marry you"

He didn't reply her for a long while, "hello?" She said again as the silence went too dark.

"I am sorry Tahira, I can't trust you not to chase after any of my friends again"

"I didn't chase after him.."
"I don't trust you, the only way to ensure you don't hurt is to keep you close and make you mine.
"I don't love you" her voice broke as she into bursted into tears.
"I know! Thats ok" then he hung up the call.

***
I am so sorry for the late update ❤️