| Life of a fraudster | ✔

▪LOAF 9▪

I look around the house while Mohammad led me inside his house. So this is how the Tafida house looks like. I walked confidently, walked with him while I smiled to the workers.

"Do you have to smile to everyone?" He asks as we arrived at the sitting room. It had this elegant interior design and it looks beautiful.

"Well, that will make people like me more. I bet they'll be saying she seems nice or something like that. I have to capture their hearts. Your mother might ask anyone how I am acting."

I stand holding hands with Mohammad in awe of the decorations even though I intentionally showed it. "You are dangerous." He says obviously impressed.

I shrug feeling myself. "After 6 years, I am supposed to know or is it seven I don't know." I say looking at him. He looks back at me before scoffing while smiling.

"You must be Anisah,  Mohammad told me very little about you." His mother walks in with a tray of cups with appetizers and shot Mohammad a glare.

"Yes, good afternoon." I say pulling my hand away clearly so she would notice. "Good afternoon to you too. Mohammad didn't tell me much about you so please, spill." She says sitting down.

I look at Mohammad before i look back at her. I sit beside her as Mohammad sighed. "I'll be upstairs in my room if you need anything." He says looking at me.

I widened my eyes to signal him to stay but he just gave me a smile. He walked out and I close my eyes in anger. I'm going to kill him.

"Don't worry,  he will come back. It is not like I'm going to kill you." His mom says as I snapped my head to her direction. "No, no, no. It is just that I'm nervous." I say acting shy and nervous.

Well, I am a little bit nervous.

"Please don't be. I know how it feels not wanting to ruin anything or to make your mother in law happy or to like you. I try not to be that but I am not sure whether I am." She says with a smile plastered on her face.

"Thank god, you understand." I say sighing, placing a hand on my chest.

"So, Mohammad said that you are a doctor. How's work and the rest? You performed surgery?" His mom says crossing her legs.

"My mother is smart, she detects things easily even before you know. You have to be very careful." I remember what Mohammad told me.

"Alhamdulillah. It has been very hectic studying it. I have not started surgery yet, I watch the higher doctors do it.  I assist them." I say playing with my fingers.

She nods lightly. "I wanted my son to be a doctor but he wanted to be just like his father and he hated seeing the sight of blood." She says serving tea in a small cup with a saucer.

It's aroma is filled with mint leaves, lemon and ginger. "I usually drink this to calm my nerves or when I have a cold most especially. Sorry if I try to make this about me. I don't have guests much, only clients." She says handing me the cup.

I take it from her carefully.  "Thank you." I say before taking a sip.

"What about your family? Siblings?" She asks taking a sip and placing it on the table in front of her. "Well, I am an only child and I am an orphan. The rest of my family left me, only my aunt but she passed away four years ago."

I lie, acting broken. "I'm sorry for your loss." She says with a pitiful look on her face. "Thankfully Mohammad was there to comfort me at that time." I say smiling weakly.

"Why do you like my son?" She asks. I try to think about what I can pull. "it feel really weird asking that since he's your son and all." I say looking downwards.

"Nonsense. I will not judge you besides that is why I asked you." She says her hand leaning on her hand. "Mohammad is a caring, understanding, funny, reliable, responsible and smart." I say not looking at his mother's eyes.

I heard her chuckle. "Who knew that someday my child would be called all this?" She muttered. "Anyways, I would assume that you haven't eaten, shall we?"

She stood up, using her hand to show me the way. "There? Okay." I say weakly. 

We walk into the dining room and the table is half full of food. "The house is usually empty but I decided to stay at home today so I could meet up with you." She says looking at me.

I liked this woman's taste in clothing because of her bubu. God, she has taste in fashion. She wore a bubu colored white with black flowers around it including the lining. Her jewelries are simple yet very beautiful and she has no makeup on.

I smile sitting down as Mohammad walked in. He wore a three quater shorts and a shirt. He sat down at the other end of the table, sitting directly opposite his mother.

"I was just about to call you so you could come eat." She says smiling.

"I'm not hungry, thank you." He says looking at me for a split second before looking at his mom. Do they talk formally all day everyday? 

"Okay." She says. "Shall we?" She turns to face me "I ate before coming here." I apologize and she shrugged.

"Okay, if you say so but if you are nervous or shy you shouldn't." She warns as I nod. She served herself salad filled with shrimps and poured herself some grape juice.

"So, when are you planning to get married?" She asks eating a fork of her salad. Mohammad and I locked eyes. "Anytime you prefer." Mohammad says scrolling his phone. 

"You're leaving it to me, okay. Is next week okay?" She asks looking at the both of us but I looked at Mohammad. "Yes." He answered and I smiled.

"Perfect, I should start preparing." His mother says eagerly. "Can I ask for a favor please?" I say to his mother. "Please do," She says focusing on me.

"Can we just do it only with close family? The celebration." I ask as she furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?" She asks. "I don't really like big crowds and I feel bad having to do this without any family of mine beside me. I understand if you insist."

I say to her as she nods weakly. "Sure, if it makes the bride comfortable." She holds my hand, giving me a weak smile. Her phone rang.

"Excuse me." She says before leaving. I look at her while she answered her phone call. I turn to face Mohammad and saw him looking at me.

"What?" I ask shrugging my shoulders. He just smiled, shaking his head as he stood up. "What did I do?" I ask confused, smiling.
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