Chapter Fifteen

Sufyan parked his car in the garage and got down from it, he entered the main house. Faridah was seating on a bean bag with a bowl of popcorn, she was on airpod and watching a movie on her laptop.

He walked up to her and screamed in her ear, she yelled and jumped up with a start.

"Brother Sufyan I hate you." She complained angrily.

"No you don't." He said laughing as he picked fetched a handful of popcorn from the bowl. He munched it I

"You wish, don't touch that?" Sufyan warned but she took the box of Swiss rolls and ran off with it before he could even get up.

"Sufyan! Faridah! What's all these noise for?" He heard his mother asked from the kitchen.

"Your daughter is a petty thief." He yelled out. He picked up the popcorn bowl and walked into the kitchen, he immediately crouched down and greeted his mother.

"Oko mi, how was work?"

"Welcome back Brother Sufyan." The maid greeted respectfully. He simply smiled at her in response.

"Work was fine, what are you cooking?" He asked looking at the ingredients set out.

"Beef stew or do you want us to leave the kitchen for you?" His mother asked with an expectant expression.

"No, no, I only cook when I feel like it." He said jumping down from the kitchen stool.

"You never feel like, just waste of money on culinary school." She complained grumpily.

"Shebi it's my money?"

"It's indirectly mine." She replied laughing. "Oya gist me, how was your day? What new thing happened?"

Sufyan shrugged. "I met with Zubayr and Hadassah for lunch, the rest was work."

"Hadassah has refused to come and visit me, that girl." His mother said frowning slightly.

Sufyan simply laughed, his mother and Hadassah rarely agreed. His mother  continuously criticized everything Hadassah did so she'd simply decided to stay away to avoid being disrespectful.

"When nothing she does pleases you."

"I only speak the truth, why would she be giving Firdaus her phone to play games on? That's how these kids grow up and before you know it they become addicted to electronic gadgets and always have their eyes glued to a screen, just like one of my daughters." She yelled out the last part for Faridah's hearing.

"Firdaus is an only child and you know Hadassah just wants to keep her occupied, and besides being in front of a screen all day isn't bad, everything goes on online these days."

"Firdaus is too young for the life Hadassah is exposing her to." She handed the help a bowl of freshly washed tomatoes.

"It's just games Maami, just games." Sufyan said laughing at his mother's extremism.

"It starts from there, it's online you people see absurd things like you deciding to learn how to cook."

Sufyan rolled his eyes. "But you like it when I actually save you and Titi the stress of cooking."

The help, Titi gave looked away so his mother won't see her smile.

"It doesn't mean it's normal but what can I do? I had to just accept it, we the older generations have seen a lot of things, we just have to swallow some eitherways."

"I'm going up to refresh." Was the last thing Sufyan said before walking up to his bedroom. When he got out, he splayed the praying mat and performed Asr prayers, he made a dua to Allah to not attach his heart to that which isn't meant for him and yet again, he refreshed his phone and there was still no text or call from Sabeerah.

The phone rang as if on cue and his heart jolted when he saw it was an unknown number, he cleared his throat repeatedly.

"Assalamualaikum." He greeted in the most nicest he's ever heard his voice be.

"Really Sufyan? You won't unblock my number?" Hassan's voice on the other sliced through Sufyan's excitement and his expression saddened.

"What do you want Hassan?" He asked in a disinterested voice unlike the first one he'd used.

"God! Man, it's been months and I've learnt my lesson. Why am I still blocked? Did you have something against me even before this?"

"Have you apologised to her?"

"For God's sake you know I can't do that and she was equally rude to me, I might have taken mine a little further."

"A little Hassan? You told her mother to hire a gigolo for her daughter and you accused them of being prideful." Sufyan slowly massaged his forehead, this wasn't a conversation he'd expected to be having.

"In my defense I was angry and I had acted like a fool thereby embarrassing you but let bygones be bygones man, you really want to let a lady get in between our years of friendship? And she's unimportant in our lives, she really isn't worth it anymore."

Sufyan wanted to tell him how wrong he was but he couldn't imagine how Hassan would take the news so he kept it to himself, it wasn't as if it was actually anything big.

"It's okay that you've realized your mistake but just know that I'll never escort you to go see a lady ever again."

"C'mon Sufyan you're taking this more serious than it is. You know you're my favorite person to go with to see these ladies, you make me likeable." Hassan said with a hint of whining in his voice

"I'm serious, it's not me you'll go and embarrass again wallahi."

"We'll talk about that some other time, now that you've unblocked me, I need your help, check your WhatsApp."

"No free jobs Hassan." Sufyan warned.

Hassan laughed. "Check it out first and thanks man, I owe you a lot."

The call ended and Sufyan flung his phone on the bed. He changed into joggers pants and a black T-shirt as he thought about Sabeerah again, he knew he'd told Hadassah she might not call but he hadn't fully believed she wouldn't. He wished he hadn't seen her today, then he might have still been holding on to his dreams that they might one day end up together.

His phone rang again and Sufyan dived on the bed and once again his excitement was killed, it was Halima. He left the phone still ringing and went downstairs.

"Brother Sufyan what's that snack?" Faridah asked smacking her lips and licking her nails. "It's really sweet."

He eyed her. "The audacity." He lunged at her and she ran away screaming again.

"Sufyan! Faridah! I'm too old for the stress the two of you are trying to cause me." His mother screamed out again still in the kitchen.

"You're being stingy, you already ate half from it." Faridah said coming back to sit next to him.

"Did I buy it for us?" He asked her with a ruffle of her hair.

She rubbed her hands on it attempting to fix it. "It's just us two left, a snack for one is a snack for all."

"Do and leave this house too." He said.

"You're stuck with me." She poked her tongue at him.

"Sufyan you don't have shame, take your advice and get married ejor- please."

His mother said slapping him slightly on the head. She sank into the seat opposite him.

"I want to talk to you."

Sufyan groaned and ran his hands through his hair, Faridah laughed as she stood up.

"I'll be in my room." She picked up her laptop and walked out still laughing.

"Maami please let this not be about marriage. I didn't come home early for this."

He pleaded.

"This is about Halima, Sufyan what is your plan with that girl?"

"I know it's not the same as hers."

Her expression turned serious. "I'm not joking now Sufyan. Talk to me, what is the problem? Halima is a good girl, her family are our friends, she cooks well, she's beautiful and very respectful. Why are you treating her like this?"

"I want to get married to someone I love enough to and I don't love Halima, not a bit. I've tried breaking things with her but that has proved harder each time, is it hard to understand when a man isn't interested?"Sufyan asked in a frustrated tone.

"There is absolutely no reason for you to not like that girl o, none at all. There's something you're not telling me, that can be the only explanation." She insisted.

"There's nothing that I'm not saying Maami, Halima deserves someone else, why's that hard to understand?"

"Yes." She said sitting upright. "Why can't she deserve you? Don't you want something good? It's only badluck you want in your life?"

"What's the meaning of all these Maami?"

"The meaning is that the someone Halima deserves is you and you can't run from it, she's an excellent girl and you both deserve each other, you can't tell me anything else, I'm done with your silly excuses." She said her voice louder this time.

Sufyan stared incredulously. "I respect you so much Maami but this is wrong on all levels. If Halima has refused to understand, I expect you to and..."

She interrupted. "Understand what? All your younger ones are married, even Aamir that is always claiming he's busy is now engaged and you want me to fold my arms and watch you lose a beautiful girl like Halima? What kind of mother would I be if I let my son make a costly mistake like that?"

"The kind who lets their grown children actually decide for themselves?" Sufyan asked in a grumpy tone.

She shook her head. "No o! Not in this case, we've let you do whatever you want. I and your father can no longer grant you that."

At this point, Sufyan was angry and he knew if this conversation with his mother continued, the situation may escalate and he'll say things he didn't mean.

"I'm not having this talk with you anymore Maami." He said, she yelled at him to come back but he ignored her and made his way upstairs.

"Useless boy! I'm too old for this unnecessary stress? Come back here Sufyan!" He could still hear her yelling, he entered his room and shut the door.

He picked up his phone from ontop the bed, on it he saw he'd missed six calls from Halima, he sighed and called her back.

"Sufyan if anything happens to my daughter, just know that you're the one to blame." He heard Halima's mother yelling amidst tears.

"I will ruin your life, I promise you. I will..."

Her talk was cut short and he heard another voice at the other end, this one was calmer and more composed. The phone fell from his hand as the severity of the situation dawned on him.

"She attempted suicide and left a suicide note but alhamdulilah, we got her to a hospital immediately and she's stable now although she's still not awake but we're hoping and praying, please do the same."