Chapter 26 Humairah

Ever since I heard about Ahmad's wedding with Rania, things hadn't been easy for me. Nothing tasted good and my mind was always filled with his thoughts. I wished I never knew him, I wished I could just get rid of him from my heart but it was impossible. I could only try but loving him was a habit I could never get over with. I loved Ahmad, I truly loved him!

I sniffed as I wiped off the tears in my face while covering myself with a blanket. I thought Ahmad loved me because he bought me an expensive phone and turned himself into my driver. We also had lots of fun together in Brimstone and we ate in the dining area too. I really showed him lots of love though I never told him I loved him, he also did the same thing. I really thought we were meant for each other but...

Buzzzz!

Buzzzz!!

Buzzzz!!!

The vibration of my phone interrupted my thought. It was Ahmad, he called me with his second number after having tried almost five times with his first number recently. I actually didn't want to talk to him but now I don't think I have any other choice, if I didn't pick the call he would keep disturbing me.

"AsSalama Alaykum (peace be upon you)" I said as soon as I picked the call. Judging from the noise I was perceiving, he was kind of driving. I could hear accelerations.

"Wa'alaykumusSalam (peace be upon you too), Humairah. I have been calling you since, is everything okay?" He said.

"Yeah" I sniffed and continued. "Did Sarah delivered my message to you?" I queried.

"Yes, she told me you are sick" He said.

"Yeah, I am" I muttered.

"Subhanallah!" He grieved. "Are you at home?"

"Yeah" I muttered again.

"Okay Humairah please stay right there I am coming over to take you to the hospital, okay?" He said.

"No sir, it's just a minor..."

"Humairah, your health matters to me!" He quickly cut in and continued. "I am already on my way so just stay calm, okay?"

"Okay sir, but are you not supposed to be at the Walimah?" I said reminding him that today was his walimatul nikka (marriage banquet).

"Yes, I took excuse from Rania. I just want to check on you, you've been absent for the past few days now!" He said laying emphasis on his last words, maybe he was angry too.

I wanted asking him why he didn't care to check on me until today but promptly changed my mind. He supposed to check on me the day Sarah delivered my message to him but since he never truly cared, he hesitated.

"I am sorry, sir" I said as I terminated the call.

He called again but I quickly declined his call. The next thing I received was his text message saying he was already by our house. I heaved a sigh as I gently withdrew from the bed. My uncle and his wife had gone to work. The kids were in school. I was the only one left in the house, so I quickly wore a simple top, put on my longest hijab and then headed out of the house.

Ahmad was leaning by his car and swiping through his phone. Immediately he saw me, he rushed to me. "Hey, Humairah" He placed his hardel on my neck to check my temperature.

My temperature wasn't hot and that made him to wrinkled one of his brows. Well, I already told him it was a normal thing. Perhaps not just a normal thing, but it was something that had to do with my fragile heart - feelings, not my body.

"Your body ain't hot, Humairah" He said.

"Yeah, I really don't know how to describe how I am feeling right now. I just need to be alone" I said.

"Alone you say?" He wrinkled a brow. "Tell me what's really wrong with you Humairah, is it your salary? Okay, I will increase it" He said.

That moment, I didn't even know when tears rolled down my cheeks while looking deep into his eyes. All the care he was showing me was for nothing since he couldn't grasp what was going on with me. His hunch was something else and that pained me more. Maybe he was just playing hard to get or not willing to tell his best cook he loved her. Should I just tell him the truth? Yes, I should. After all I was already tired of keeping it to myself, I was in pain.

"I love you" I sniffed with my eyes fixed at him.

"What??" His jaw dropped in astonishment.

"I love you, Ahmad and that's what is killing me. Goodbye!" I said about leaving when he held my hand so tight that I couldn't extricate.

"When did it started?" He finally said after a prolonged silence that had crept between us.

"Didn't you noticed it?" I managed to ask.

"This is ridiculous, I thought it was just... OMG, you should have just told me" He blamed me.

"Just let me go, please..." I implored him. "My heart aches whenever I am with you, Ahmad"

"But I need you, I need your food, I need your..." He was blabbering when I quickly turned and gave him a resounding slap.

"I am done serving you, goodbye!" I said as I walked back into the house in tears. I knew it was over between us, I shouldn't have slapped him but I think he deserved even more than that.

That day I cried until my uncle and his family returned back home, hence I wiped off my tears and pretended like nothing really happened.

That was the last time I saw Ahmad. I didn't return back to his house and he never called or texted me. I lied to my uncle and his wife that I was tired of the job. One miraculous thing was Ahmad never stopped sending me monthly salary, but he reduced it to N40k. Not bad, right?

I decided to further my education so I wrote my SSCE (Waec/Neco) and eventually applied for Niger State College Of Arts and Social Sciences. I never finished my secondary school though, I just wrote my SSCE and got the result I needed.