The price we paid, left a mark that stayed and I don't think I'll ever be the same.
•••• •••• •••• ••••
Muhammad helped the driver load their boxes into the car's boot, they'd just arrived Kano and Amirah was a little groggy, she'd slept all through the flight. As they drove off leaving the airport behind them, Muhammad leaned his head on the seat and closed his eyes.
He was looking forward to seeing his parents, it's been almost eight months now and he missed them especially his mother.
"I feel bad." Amirah said interrupting his thoughts, he turned to her,
"If it's about Khadijah, I've told you to stop beating yourself up about it. How long do you want to do that?"
She shook her head, "you don't understand Muhammad, she's my bestfriend, how could I have not known?"
Muhammad understood it perfectly, it was when someone was on the verge of death, you'd realized how uncaring you'd been about the person, it was only when they'd die you'd begin to remember the times you've treated them wrongly and you'd start wishing you could go back and change things but that would then be impossible.
His hand found hers and he squeezed it reassuringly. "It will be fine In Sha Allah, don't worry."
She nodded and pulled away her hand. Muhammad knew Amirah wasn't just worried about Khadijah and her stepmother, it seemed there was something else bothering her, from the corner of his eyes, he watched her uneasy movements as she played with her fingers.
"Is there something else wrong?" He asked and she turned to him with a smile.
"Nothing else."
"Are you sure?" Muhammad asked, he knew Amirah and whatever was making her this way was serious because he was aware that she was someone whom if she has something against you, she'd tell you and then forget about it.
"Ugh! Here we go again." She groaned as she rested her head on his shoulder, "yes Doctor Muhammad, I'm sure."
"Don't mock me." He said lightly hitting her, her laughter made him smile a little.
The car drove into his family's compound and he sighted his mom in front of the house with a smile brightening her face. Beside her was his sister who smiled a little.
He and Amirah got out of the car and greeted his mom who was all smiles as she embraced Amirah and then him.
"You look so beautiful Amirah, MashAllah." His mother praised looking at Amirah who in turn gave her an awkward smile. Muhammad smiled knowing she was feeling uncomfortable again, he put his arms around her and gently pulled her away from his mother.
"Umma where's Baba?" He asked as they moved inside.
"You know your father, he was here with us few minutes ago until they called from the farm and he has run off to them again."
"How's Ruqayya?" Amirah asked Zulaihat.
"She's fine, when I told her you were coming to Kano, she sent her regards."
"Oh she's not in Kano?" Muhammad found himself asking, Ruqayya was just as much as a sister to him.
"Ruqayya and her activism, she went on a girl child campaign in Calabar." Zulaihat replied as she walked away towards the kitchen. He and Amirah settled down on the couch.
"I told her to be careful, you know this igbo people don't like us at all." His mother said with a shrug.
"Calabar isn't Igbo." Amirah said.
YOU ARE READING
FLAWED SOULS
Spirituale"Love isn't enough to make a relationship work, I had to learn that the hard way." Set in the heart of the north, Kano state and the heart of the country, Lagos state. Amirah hails from the typical hausa home and is considered to be the typica...
