Saved by my nightmare (A Nigerian Story)

CHAPTER 28

This chapter is dedicated to @ Husna_Malik for being the first to vote and comment.

KADUNA, NIGERIA
2019.

"Ina kwana Ya Rayyan"

Rayyan's half-opened eyes cracked open at the voice that greeted him. Sitting up straighter in his chair, he gripped his phone more tightly in his hands, slowly gaining awareness of his surroundings.

"Morning Rumaysa" He answered his sister, glancing at the clock.

5:02 am

"I hope i'm not disturbing you" She asked in a voice meeker than he was used to.

"What happened?" His icy voice captured Rumaysa with such shock that for a moment, she thought she would pass out.

Struggling to recount the news their father had broken to her, she broke down into sobs.

A feeling of dread and raw, unadultered anger coursed through Rayyan.

"What did dad do?" He ground out, trying and failing to keep intact his wavering composure.

It all came back to him, the man they called their father.

"I-it's n-nn-not his fault, Ya Rayyan" His anger only spiked at this.

He hadn't expected anything else.

He'd always hated Rumaysa's naivety, she'd always make up excuse for their worthless excuse of a father. Every single time.

It never mattered what he did, or how apparent it was that he had infact done something wrong.

Rumaysa never believed her 'perfect-father' could do such things, at least that's what she wanted everyone to think.

Rayyan always saw the anger that lurked behind his sister's facade of calmness.

He couldn't not see it.

Her expression would flicker every few seconds, first her usual sweet smile everyone knew her for, but then in moments she thought no one was looking, the anger she felt would peek through, taking over her countenance, soiling the innocence of her smile.

And it was just that.

That numbing anger, that singular trait they shared that made him realise that maybe, just maybe she understood him.

"What did he do?. Answer me Rumaysa or so help me God, i will hang up and never answer any more of your calls" Rayyan said, more annoyed with her constant crying now than angry.

"Dad told me to be in Kano by next week, he's fixed my engagement with a son of his friend's" Rumaysa finally said.

Silence greeted her back in form of Rayyan's response.

"Rayyan?" She called out, pulling the phone away from her ears to see if he had already hung up.

He hadn't.

More than his response, Rumaysa was more on edge at his silence. It wracked her nerves.

The mere thought of what went on in Rayyan's brain scared her. She'd only called him knowing he alone could try to get through to their father.

Despite the obvious hatred he had for their father, and their father for him, he was the only one who could get the man to change his decisions.

Their father's final decisions were set in stone. And no one could ever change them.

That is.....no one, excluding Rayyan.

She'd witnessed first hand, one of such their 'battles' as she liked to call them.