Chapter 29

------------- Los Angeles, California.

------------------- Same afternoon( Olyster residence).

" What the hell are you doing here?" I heard Khalid snap as he got up from beside me. He looked extremely angry. " I only came to talk to you and your mother" His voice was still the same. The situation was too intense for me to break down right now. He was Khalid's father. My Husband's Father.

" Talk?, Man I told you to stay away from us" I heard Khalid rage again as I saw him punch his Father to the ground. Deep down in me, I wanted to join him and beat him too. But I was going to make matters worse. Khalid didn't need to know. I was only going to be making matters worse. " Khalid" Sophia screeched as she rushed further to him. I couldn't move from where I stood. I wanted to move but I just couldn't.

" Just listen to me " Khalid's Father said again and I finally moved closer as he pushed Sophia off me and pounced on him. He was going to kill this man. " Khalid stop" I called as I tried pulling him off his Father. He didn't listen to me. He was still trashing his Father. " How the hell does it feel to be beaten huh?" He raged to his Father as he continued beating him. All the maids that were present tried getting Khalid off his Father. The guards from outside were all rushing in and I sighted Mama Zainab, GrandPa Julius and Papa Brandon coming in. Things were going to get tougher than they were. Khalid's Father wasn't even punching him back, he was pouring his anger out on the man. " Khalid stop, get off him" I yelled again as I tried getting him off his Father, but he pushed me to the floor instead making me almost hit my head on the edge of a wooden stool. " Khalid" Sophia called again as she rushed to where I laid on the ground. My head was beginning to hurt me.

" What's going on here?" I heard Papa Brandon asked as they rushed into the living room. " You bastard" I heard him rage again as he rushed to join Khalid with the beating. " Brandon, Stop, get off of him" Mama Zainab called as she rushed to get her husband off her ex husband. " Faryah are you okay?" I wasn't. The pain was increasing, it was coming back to me, It felt like my head was twirling round in circles and explosions were going on. "Ouch, Sophia my pain killers" I cried as I held my head. It was really hurting. Badly. " Faryah" I heard Khalid call as I closed my eyes shut and saw an image of five men beating each other up. I was peeping from the door as a smaller version of me watched a blurry vision of her father get beat up by some strange men.

I opened my eyes and the pain intensified. " Ouch" I screamed again. I couldn't take it. " Faryah" I heard Khalid call worriedly as he rose me up from the floor. He was crying. " Here are the pain killers, Anna bring some water quickly" Sophia said as she put the pain killers in my hand and I quickly put them in my mouth. " Get him out of here this minute" That was GrandPa Julius. " Here, drink it" Sophia said as she handed me a glass of water that I gulped down almost instantly.

" Are you okay?" Khalid asked and I nodded. I needed to talk more to this man, it has been sixteen years, he had to remember the girl he raped. " I only want your forgiveness, I have the right to see my son" I could never forget this voice. Even if I tried, I couldn't. " I am not your son" He said as he helped me get up and the pain subsided. " David please just go, just go and never come back" Mama Zainab. The guards already had him. He was all bloody and messed up. His name was David. " I can't stay away, all I want is for you to forgive me, I only want to spend some quality time with my son" He said again. " If you call me your son again, I swear..." Khalid was about to leave my side but I held him back.

" Get him out of here" Brandon snapped as the guards pulled him out of the living room. " You almost killed your father" Mama Zainab began as she came closer to Khalid and I. " You hurt Faryah too" She added and I held his arm. I didn't want him to react. For all I knew, he was still angry and could do anything. I was supposed to be scared but I understood him. This was what Sophia was talking about. " I didn't mean to hurt her" Khalid answered as he pulled me closer to him, averting is mothers gaze. " And you meant to hurt your father, when are you going to learn how to talk?, instead of solving all your problems with your fists" Mama Zainab snapped at him. " He deserves more than that, he needs to be taken to jail for what he did to you, why did you even not file a case against him after all those years?, why didn't you put him behind bars to get Justice for what he did to you?, he's not my Father. I don't know why you're still trying to see the bright side in him after all what he did to you, or do you still love him, do you want to go back to him?" Khalid snapped back as he let go off me. Mama Zainab slapped him hard on the face. " Mother" Sophia called. " I won't let you talk to me like that" She snapped as Khalid walked up the stairs.

" We need to understand the boy" GrandPa Julius said as Khalid slammed his door shut. " Dad is right Zainab" Papa Brandon added. " He needs to find it in his heart to forgive his father, we can't continue like this, he is still his father" He really was his father. No one could change that. " But he made you go through hell, I still don't understand why you didn't put him in Jail for abuse, I am with Khalid on this one, why?" Papa Brandon asked Mama Zainab. " I don't need to be judged because I forgave David, It was the best thing I could do. I forgot about the pain totally and that is what Khalid needs to do, he needs to forgive him" I understood where everyone here was coming from. Mama Zainab was right. " For now, all we need to do is to talk to the police to give Khalid's father a restraining order" Sophia finally spoke up. " We'll do that" Papa Brandon said. I couldn't leave Khalid alone. " Faryah, are you okay?" Mama Zainab asked as she came closer to me and I nodded. " He didn't mean to do. it" I answered and she smiled before hugging me tight. " Thank you" she whispered into my ear before letting me go. I smiled at her as she walked up the stairs with Brandon.

I walked up the stairs to Khalid’s room. I contemplated on knocking or just going and I found myself knocking on his door. " Go away" I heard him say from inside. It wasn't safe to leave him all alone in his bedroom. I turned the door knob and saw it wasn't locked, so I opened the door and walked in. " Hey" I called as I slowly locked the door from behind me. He was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head buried in his palms. I walked over and sat beside him. He needed someone by his side even though he was angry. " Did I really hurt you?" He asked as he removed his face from his palms. " You didn't" I answered as I stared at my skirt. " Your headache came back because I pushed you to the ground, I'm sorry" He said softly. " It's okay, I understand you" I answered and carefully comforted my head on his shoulder. He put my tiny hand in his large hand, just like on our wedding day and intertwined them. " I love you so much" He said and I looked at the blood on his knuckles. " You're hurt" I said as I rose my head up from his shoulder. " It's just blood, I'm not hurt" He answered and smiled at me. " Where's your First aid kit?" I asked as I let go of his hold. " In the bathroom, second shelf above the mirror" He answered as I headed towards his bathroom and got the kit. I only needed cotton wool and methylated spirit.

" Let me see your hands" I ordered and watched him obey me. He placed his hands on my thighs and I slowly cleaned the blood stains from them. " You almost killed him" I began. " He deserves to rot in hell, he deserves more than death, he maltreated my mother" He answered. " I was just a baby when he always beat my mother every night for six years, Faryah six years of my life I watched him maltreat her, It destroyed me Faryah. I even wonder why he is my Father" He said as I dropped the stained cotton wool in a small plate. " You wouldn't have been born without him, I get it you're angry, but learn how to control it, you really need to learn how to control your anger. It won't do you much good" I replied and packed up the first aid kit. I was done with him. " I don't know how to" he answered as I kept the kit aside. " How did you have friends back in your school days?" I asked as I intertwined our hands.

" Making friends was hard for me. Back then, I was feared by all the people I attended school with, I only had a few but I lost them eventually. I was feared because of the way I beat people if they touched my siblings. I didn't take shit from anyone" He said as he placed my head on his shoulder and moved closer to me. He was traumatised, he couldn't get over it. I am sure he didn't seek medical assistance for it. " It was only Ethan I had and I am grateful" He added and I sighed. " It's okay, you'll overcome it, I know you can" I said and I felt him smile. " I'm glad you came into my life" I was too. " Me too" I answered and smiled widely.

" Khalid, your father, what's his full name?" I asked as we stayed comfortably in our positions. " David Myles, or Salman Myles" he was a Muslim?. " Salman?" I asked again. " he goes by that at times, most people call him David, but why are you asking?" I was going to find him and talk to him. I really hoped he could be of good help to me in finding my real parents. I hoped he wasn't going to deny me when I found him. " I was just curious I guess" I answered. " Even if I try bringing myself to forgive him, I just can't. I can't face him without raging out. I've tried but I just can't, It doesn't look hard to do but deep down Faryah it is" He added again. I used my right hand to slowly caress his back. " I understand and I'm willing to help you, it is possible that your father has changed and that he wants to make amends, you just have to calm yourself and have a heart to heart talk with him" Maybe I was right. Everyone deserved a second chance, we had to forgive and forget. Who were we not to that when Allah always did. Even if he does confess to me that he did what he did to me, I was going to forgive him and he was going to have to tell me who my Parents were. If I told Khalid about all this, he was going to harm himself more.

I had to this on my own. " No" he answered. " For me?" I answered and heard him sigh. " You'll come with me?" He answered and I smiled widely. " Of course" I answered and looked at him right in the face and I used my fingers to caress his cheek. " I hope I don't regret this" He answered as he placed his hand on mine. " We won't, have faith" I replied and smiled at him. He was so handsome, I could never get tired of looking at him. He had the perfect lips, the long pointy nose, the moustache and small beard. His eyes held immense affection for me as I looked into them. I loved him so much.

------------ Los Angeles, California

-------------------Next Monday( UCLA)

" You won't have much problem in this school, all you have to do is to be independent, be careful when you make friends" Sophia continued lecturing as we entered department of BA, with Khalid by my side. " You really don't need to make friends with boys, listen to me, no male friends" Khalid said and I smiled at him. " Sure" I answered. " Bear in mind we have rich girls who pay people for their assignments and other stuff, and FYI, a group of students will be moving round each department today to collect nominees for Miss UCLA 2019, don't mind them okay" she added and I nodded. " Every girl wants to be Miss UCLA 2019, so you just keep calm and don't even look at them" she added and I nodded again. " My wife is beautiful, she's obviously going to get nominated" Khalid added and I smiled a little. " It's just a title, it won't take me anywhere" I answered and I watched Sophia smile. " Besides, I can't be nominated, I just arrived" I added and watched the both of them smile at me. " You so can" She answered and paused a little.

" Good luck okay, make me proud. I'll come pick you up when you're done okay" Khalid said as he placed a kiss on my forehead. " I'll be done by 2 or 3 hopefully" I answered as I took a look at the watch he got me. It looked simple but according to Khalid, it was pure diamonds. It was heavy though, but I liked it, a lot. " Bye, Bye Sophia" I called as she gave me a light hug before throwing her lab coat on. " I'll see you at home, bye" she called and rushed away from us. " Have a nice day at work, make sure you eat what I packed for you okay" I say as I bid Khalid goodbye. " I will, I love you" He said and I blushed. " I love you too" I answered and watched him walk away before heading to find my first lecture. Well I was continuing.

I walked in and found ladies and men sitting. The only seat that was available was at the back, in the second row, behind a guy that was paying close attention to his phone. I walked over as I ignored the stares from people and kept my bag on the table and took out my MacBook, IPad and IPhone that Khalid got me. The lecture hall was not that big . There were ten rows, each with a desk and its chair. It was fully air-conditioned, there were two open windows by the side of the class. The board was large and we were waiting for the lecturer.

3:00pm

Today was not so bad, I didn't make any friends or talk to anyone. As usual. Back in Indonesia, it was only RiRi I had with me always. I walked out of my department and waited a little on a bench. I sat down and watched the view. There wasn't much to look at actually, just students walking around, chatting in groups. " Hey, I've been looking all over for you" I heard a feminine voice as she appeared in front of me. Why was she looking for me. " I know you're new, and you're not so used to all this, but I'm part of the crew that selects nominees for Miss UCLA, and we came over to your department but you weren't really paying attention to us, so I traced you down and here, what's your name?" She asked as she sat beside me on the bench.

I didn't even notice when they arrived at our department. But it was fine, I had no chances of winning. " Uhmm, Okay, Faryah, Faryah Mustapha" I answered finally and smiled at her. " Ohh that's nice, you're Arabian?" she asked. " Indo.." I shut myself up as a thought came across my mind. I was really Fauziyyah from Malaysia. " Malaysian" I answered and smiled at her. She had long red curly hair, with green eyes, with a thin nose and small lips that made her long chin fit her. She was beautiful. I don't really see the need of a beauty contest. " oh, I'm Natalie by the way" She replied and smiled wider. " Oh, are you in the contest too?" I asked and smiled back. " Oh my goodness" she was laughing now. She looked really pretty. " Those in the crew aren't supposed to be part of the nominees silly" she answered and smiled at me again. " Okay then" I answered and watched her get up. " I'll see you around" she chirped as she walked away from me.

I got up from the bench and decided to move further towards the front gate. The weather was changing, it suddenly became windy. Luckily my hijab covered my arms and my trousers were baggy enough to bear the wind.

I suddenly felt a small push from beside me, making me stagger a little bit backward before losing my balance and falling to the ground. " Ouch" I cried as I held my right ankle. " I'm sorry" I heard a masculine voice as I looked up and found him just standing and staring at me. " Uhmm, you pushed me?" I said as I took a closer look at his face. He was black, not really black American, he looked like RiRi. Weirdly. So he was Nigerian. " You were in my way" he answered back rudely. " You have really got to be joking, I sprained my ankle cause of you" I answered and watched him roll his perfect white eyes. He had a pretty handsome face. With the thin nose, the full brows and the pink lips. Khalid was more handsome. " I didn't push you. what?, you expect me to carry you to the nearest clinic" He answered and rolled his eyes. Why was he being so rude?. He really reminded me of Late Neill. And what was with him and eye rolling?.

He turned to walk away and I heard my name being called. My husband. " What are you doing on the floor?" he asked as I watched him rush further to me. " I fell, my ankle hurts" I answered as he knelt beside me. " Did someone push you?" he asked and I looked above his shoulder. The rude dude was walking away. " No, I fell, accidentally" I answered and looked at him. If I was to say the truth, I would have caused trouble. " Come, I'll carry you to the car" He said as he swiftly carried me like a baby into his arms. I couldn't stop my cheeks from burning up. I could already picture the looks passers by were giving us. " Hey, you could've just helped me walk" I whispered as he carried my bag. " Nah, it's better this way" he answered as he walked towards the exit. My hands were wrapped around his neck as I held a big smile on my face. I wouldn't trade this moment for anything.