Saved by my nightmare (A Nigerian Story)

CHAPTER 31

Lagos, Nigeria
2019.

"When is your flight for?" Maliya asked, concern lacing her voice as Rumaysa's sobs faded into silence.

"Around nine-thirty am" she whispered brokenly, struggling to keep her tears at bay.

"Ruma, i know this is hard for you, it's going to be hellish and you'll probably never recover fro--" Rumaysa glared at her phone, cutting Maliya off.

"Are you counselling or swearing for me?" She exclaimed, fighting a smile as Maliya laughed.

There was silence on the other side for a few moments, before Maliya spoke again, her tone serious and soothing.

"Rumaysa, i'm just going to tell you straight up that you should go home with an open mind. Try to hear your parents out. Let them know that you might not accept the proposal, but that you will consider it" Rumaysa bit back a sob.

She couldn't bring herself to tell Maliya that her dad didn't care about her opinion, that he'd even go as far as getting her married to his friend, a man old enough to birth her.

The perception Maliya had of her father was a retired officer, who loved his family so much that he went as far as suggesting suitors for his daughter, something most fathers never bothered to do.

Vain as it may be, Rumaysa didn't want Maliya to have a glimpse at that sour part of her life. She was aware that Maliya already knew that Rayyan and their father never got along, but she had no idea as to the extent the enmity in their family had reached.

"Maliya, i can't get married. I don't want to. And moreover it won't be fair to the guy, having a wife who's absent emotionally" she blurted.

Her mother had sent her the picture of the man she was supposed to be meeting in an attempt to lift her spirits.

Yes, the man was young, good looking and from what her mother told her, a successful bussiness man.

But she knew she couldn't ever give him her heart, even if she wanted to. And she did, so badly.

It'd been years since she last visited her therapist, but the last time they met, and a quite a few sessions before that, the woman had told her that she was a strong person, and could get over the loss that tore at her heart.

But till date, she'd never been able to look at any man with any emotion apart from respect or admiration, no matter how much she willed herself to try and see them in a romantic light.

She'd thought it a long time ago, but now she was sure of it.

Zahar had ruined her for everyone else.

His absense from her life had never been more pronounced than it'd been in the last few years.

She wanted it to be her Zahar, and not her brother that stood up to her father for her.

To tell him that he wanted to make her his wife, like he'd promised her years back.

But he was gone, he'd left her years ago with no apologies, no goodbyes......nothing!.

He'd left her ruined, her heart crushed and mind crazed. She'd yearned for him as she travelled from therapist to therapist, each telling her the same things, looking at her the same way.

She was tired of all the stares, the faux pity in their eyes, their apprehension when she'd lose her calm and destroy everything in sight.

Most of all, she was tired of their useless 'Everything will be fine(s)'.

'Nothing was fine. And she didn't think it ever would be' she thought as the juggernaut of unrealised dreams smashed into her.

"Rumaysa" Maliya began in the tone Rumaysa had come to recognise as her 'lecture voice'.Rumaysa groaned internally as she prepared herself for the speech that was to come.