Scarred For Life

Chapter 22

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It took Adnan nearly three weeks to move in completely into his new home. The hardest part was getting the right furniture, a task which he had been looking forward to the least. After much consultation and multiple video chats with his mother, he finally found the right set for the entire house. It was only after the furniture had been brought in that he encountered another problem.

The upstairs living room was finished with a very plain and gruesome beige colour. The chairs and table he had bought just wouldn't go with the colour. The whole set were a bright shade of white, and the colour of the room contrasted very harshly with them, making the room seem dirty in comparison.

Adnan had to get the whole room repainted. While he was at it, the cabinets in the kitchen downstairs just didn't suit his taste. A quick conversation with the agent gave him the opportunity to meet with a carpenter, whom he gave the responsibility of redoing the whole cabinets. The faucet had to be changed as well, and the marble was chipped slightly around the edges. That had to be redone as well.

There was very little to do in his bedroom, except that the door which led to his bathroom had a very irritating squeak around the hinges whenever it was touched. That was fixed immediately, and the carpets were changed to a much darker shade. Adnan spent most of his time here, putting away his clothes while simultaneously deciding which set he ought to give away. By the time he was done, nearly half of his clothes were in the donation pile. He made a mental note to buy some more the next time he went out.

On the weekends, he tended to the garden behind the house. Adnan had learnt how to grow plants from his father ever since he was a little kid. Now that he had an entire house to himself, he made sure to get as many plants as he wanted, each meant to serve a particular purpose. His father always used to say that 'one should plan before they plant'. Adnan found himself smiling whenever he remembered the phrase.

The hibiscuses were all arranged along the Western wall, where they would get ample sunlight. He had bought a sprinkler already, which he fixed right in the middle of the row. The crotons were interspaced at regular intervals along the Northern wall, their red and yellow shades going perfectly with the multicoloured fountain he had built himself. Adnan had bought and fixed the pump himself, and the paint he would need as well as a piantbrush, some cement and a trowel. The rocks he used were leftovers from the previous renovation the owners had done. It had taken him three days, but he was immensely pleased with himself when the work was done. He took some pictures and sent it to his mother, as well as his father.

On the third weekend, he decided to make a swing on the mango tree with a few tires he found in the shed behind the tree. He woke up early in the morning to buy a thick rope which would support the tires once he hung it over a branch. The rope he ended up getting was nearly as thick as his forearm, and he was immensely pleased with it. It was just as he was about to throw it over the branch that he heard the knock on the gates.

Adnan paused to be certain that he had heard correctly. So far, the only person who knew where he lived was Khalifa, and he usually horned whenever he came. Why would he be knocking now?

The knock came again, louder and harsher than before. Adnan set the rope aside and cleaned his hand before heading towards the gate. He made another mental note to find a security man as soon as possible.

Sa'ada was standing with a cool expression in her eyes when he opened the door. She was wearing a native attire, a bright blue colour with flecks of gold swirled around in semi circles all around. She had thrown on a black veil, and the bag she held in her hands was the same one she had carried the last time they had dinner together.

Adnan felt a strange trickling in his throat when his eyes met hers. He was painfully aware that he wasn't wearing a shirt, the black vest he had on exposing his toned arms. He was wearing shorts as well, and the hair on his legs needed a trim. But Sa'ada didn't appear to notice. Her eyes were locked on his, with the intensity of one who thought the world would end if they looked away.