Shadow of Doubt

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
Sa'ad's POV

One thing I realised about Iram, she was restless. She might have a calm exterior and all but her mind was all over the place. She had a knack for catching on quickly and reading people but she wasn't as experienced as I was. Whenever she set her eyes on me, I knew exactly what she was thinking and that would either make me laugh or cringe inwardly.

I called Chef Abu the moment I entered the car and asked Iram what she wanted to eat but she chose to be stubborn.

"You're going to have to eat something." I told her.

"I'm not hungry." She replied in an exasperated tone and I sighed as I realised just how much of my airtime this was consuming.

"Make potato porridge for her please." I told him and he asked me if she'd eat it because she is picky about what she eats. "She'll eat it, don't worry." I said as I hung up the phone and started the car.

The car ride back home was silent and I kept staring at her through the rear view mirror to make sure she was comfortable as I drove slowly. Her eyes were closed but I could tell she was not sleeping from her breathing. "If you don't mind please zaka kai ni gida later."

"I thought you'd be staying with me till tomorrow." Iram answered her slowly from the backseat and Hidayah looked at me before turning around.

"Ai ban fada a gida ba." She said. "And I don't have anything to wear, dole sai naje gida."

"Let's go now, Sa'ad." Iram said and I chuckled.

"No, we're going home and then Hidayah and I will know what to do." Her eyes opened as I said this and she stared at me through the mirror before closing her eyes and keeping quiet for the rest of the ride.

When we arrived at home, surprisingly Iram was quick to get up and out of the car instantly. I realised that she could be really mean and moody when she's sick, problematic also. So I followed her immediately and made sure she stopped when I called out her name. "Iram." I said directly to her for the first time, that made her stop and she actually turned around. "You'd have to eat that food you know, or I'd have to call your dad. Do you know he calls me every evening to know how your day went?"

"He does?" She didn't sound surprised, she sounded more sarcastic than surprised.

"Yes, he does." I told her. "Imagine me telling him that you were sick and I took you to a pharmacy instead of a proper clinic and to top it all off, I didn't make you eat food."

"It's not your job to make me eat."

God! She had an answer for everything. "You don't have to remind me of my job all the damn time, Hafsat but I know one thing, your behaviour could cost me my job and I honestly didn't go through everything to lose my job because of you."

With that, I turned around and walked away from her. When I passed beside Hidayah, she murmured an apology as she rushed after her friend and I didn't stick around either. I dropped the key at the security room and took my leave, I wasn't going to wait around to even take her friend home. Iram's behaviour was cute from the beginning, now she was just downright annoying.

When I arrived at home, the house was quiet meaning only Aunty Asabe was around and she was staying inside in her room. So I got in and prayed Asr', my oldest and first friend from Kano told me he had come for an interview in Abuja and he was already done, he'd be going back tomorrow. I asked for his location and he told me he was staying in Garki for the timebeing and I freshened up to go and meet him.

As I stepped outside of the room I shared with Sadiq and made my way to exit the house, I almost bumped into Hauwa as she was coming in from school. "Yaya." She said in a high pitched tone as her eyes hooded and her cheeks flames up. Now, I knew how Hauwa was around me but today's reaction was heightened.