Chapter Fourteen

Sabeerah was sure her face expressed the dislike she was feeling. She hated parties majorly because she hated socializing and that was what these sort of parties were for. She was dressed beautifully in a gold colored sequined gown that flowed effortlessly behind her, a maroon colored turban was tied on her hair and her face was well made up.

Her date -Aakhil- had dumped her once they walked into the hall, he was by the bar with two older men and he looked like he was enjoying himself unlike her. She was sitting alone and on her forehead was probably a notice that screamed; talk to me, because that'll explain why people kept coming up to her even after she'd fend the previous ones off.

Sabeerah knew she was making a mistake, she was supposed to be mixing up, looking for business associates and tune in to her charming side but she was too tired to actually stand up from her seat and pretend to smile for the rest of the night. She placed her black clutch on the seat next to her, her expression was that of sheer boredom.

She sighted an older man look at her with interest then he began walking towards her, Sabeerah scowled.

"Sabeerah AbdulMalik from Shar'ib." He said as soon as he got to her front.

"Hello." Her voice was flat, uninviting.

"I'm Alhaji Umar Ado, a senior partner at Faliz farms."

Her expression remained the same even though Faliz farms was one of the most leading companies in Africa when it comes to agriculture and importation and this man in front of her could be highly important for work.

"Nice to meet you." Her tone was still as before.

"Can I sit?" He asked indicating the seat where her clutch was, she stared it and then him.

"Yes of course." She picked up her clutch and placed it on the table, he settled himself on it.

"How is your father?" He asked trying to start up a conversation.

Sabeerah sighed, she couldn't escape it.

"He's fine alhamdulilah. I've heard so much about Faliz, I visited it once, it's amazing what goes on there." Her wide smile didn't look fake.

"Well I'll have to take you on a tour someday, visiting just once isn't enough." He said looking less tensed.

"Oh you would?" Her voice was breezy. "That would be nice, I'll try to make time. I get so busy with Shar'ib, it's do anything that else. You've been to Shar'ib, right?"

He shook his head. "wrong, I'm equally a very busy man but I'll like to know more about it. I heard it's a real estate and a construction company."

"Yes it is, at Shar'ib construction, we deal more in building materials and properties. Our clients contact us if they need to build a new property, we provide building plans and designs and if it's to the client's taste, we take full authority of building from foundation level to the finishing. We have professional architects and building engineers with us, all our clients need do is give the idea of what type of building they want on their land and we provide it." 

Her speaking was eloquent, she'd done this a lot of times and she spoke with the true passion she felt for the company. Alhaji Umar looked at her with fascination.

"That's interesting, and do you work on a time frame? Or it's as fast as you can get it done because I imagine Shar'ib will be working with many other clients at the same time."

She smiled coyly. "I really need to take you on a tour of Shar'ib construction. We have over 100 architects and engineers with us Alhaji Umar, there's nothing like too busy for our clients, you give us your time frame and we provide on or before then, it's never been in our history that we've lagged."

He nodded his head as her words digested. "And the real estate?"

"Here we acquire properties in good locations, renovate or demolish the old ones and construct buildings in Sharib's name. We have many properties under the company's name, Malls, Hotels, Restaurants, Oil stations, Plazas. Sometimes we sell some of these properties to willing clients who don't have the patient to wait for a building to start from scratch, it's all just simple, our goal is to make things easier for everyone."

"That is brilliant Sabeerah." He looked interested. "Indeed many buildings bear the name of Shar'ib, your father must be a very smart man, I've met him a couple of times but I've never really had a conversation about his companies with him, I wasn't exactly interested in anything buildings but with your explanation and zeal, I think I should be."

"Trust me, real estate is one investment you want to be involved in. When it comes to housing, there's barely any loss incurred, a property in a good location is a lifetime of earning and at Shar'ib we take location into serious consideration. Like my father says, first location, then construction."

She finished off with a hearty smile, there was nothing that gave her life more importance than buildings and constructions and Alhaji Umar could see it in her eyes, the obvious passion.

"Your father is correct, so how do I know if my land is in a good location?" He asked leaning back on his chair. From the corner of her eyes, Sabeerah noticed Aakhil staring at her, she smirked.

"You give us the photocopy of your land papers and we do the investigation for you." She said with a nonchalant shrug.

His eyes were thoughtful. "I'll definitely be coming by for that you and you my dear is one brilliant young lady, your father must be proud."

"I simply try my best." She said with a modesty she didn't feel, he should be even more than proud!

As Sabeerah drove home, the voice of Sheikh Hassan Ali's preaching kept her company. It was darker and the roads were almost deserted, she and Aakhil had arrived in their respective cars so they drove separately too back home.

The hefty security man came out, greeted her and slowly the large black gate opened up, she drove in.

"That was Alhaji Umar from Faliz farms, you seemed chummy with him."

Aakhil said to her as soon as she got down from the car, she silently wondered how come her brother knew him and she didn't, that information didn't sit well with her. She knew the important people, Aakhil was just a walkng idiot.

She shrugged and began to walk ahead, he followed her. "we just met tonight, he seemed taken by me and Shar'ib."

"He's married, to two women!" Aakhil's tone was clipped.

"It might seem shocking but Muslim men usually go as far as four." 

"Is he going to do business with Shar'ib?" 

"You should ask him." She walked down the hallway swinging her hips in a confident manner, she knew her brother hated it.

"I'm asking you now."

She turned to him abruptly. "Listen here Aakhil, we both went there for the same reasons and that is fit business. You met and spoke with people and so did I so whatever I discussed with whomever I'd met is none of your business."

She walked up the stairs leaving him behind her, swinging the glass door of her bedroom, she went in. 

"Tired doesn't even cut it." Sabeerah muttered as she began to undress, she got into the shower and closed her eyes enjoying the feel of the water on her skin.

The past few days hadn't been as busy but she was still stressed out, her father was yet to come back even though she'd confirmed from other sources that the seminar finished five days ago. She wondered if he was with another of his mistress while her mother bothered herself here with him making sure to not forget his drugs and that he was careful with the hygiene involved in the food, he shouldn't get sick again.

Her poor Umma, it might kill her if she finds out that her husband was cheating for years now. Her mother loved her father with everything in her, she'd been with him even before the money came, his first business sponsor had been her father, he had also granted him a loan to help enlarge the business.

Sabeerah was no fool, she could never put her trust in any man. Her mother had done that and look at what that had caused her, Sabeerah had no love left to waste on the male species, they were capable of using that same intense feelings you had for them against you. Sabeerah believed only a fool would fall in love with the full awareness that they were giving another person the chance to destroy them.

Relationships has never interested her and neither has the male species. Whatever flirting and dates she'd been to was solely because of business, men could be gullible and she used her beauty and wit to influence them to work with Shar'ib, apart from that, there was nothing else she could do with them. She turned off the shower and wrapped herself in her big towel then she stepped out.

In front of the mirror she poured out her moisturizing cream into her palms and slowly massaged her face, the one thing she didn't joke with was her physical looks, looking good was her favorite thing to do.

As Sabeerah laid down on the bed, she went through social media and made a post on Instagram then she went off and checked WhatsApp, Hannah and Umama were talking excitedly about a fashion show that was to hold next week. Sabeerah rolled her eyes, she knew this was another outing that she'll be forced to attend.

She sent a message to Matt before switching off her phone and keeping it aside. Sleep didn't come easily as usual so she got off her bed and went downstairs to make a cup of tea.

"... Of course not baby, you know you're an important part of me." She heard Huda say with a small laugh, she walked directly into the kitchen and froze when she caught sight of her sister.

"Go on." Sabeerah said pouring milk into the mug.

"I'll call you back." Huda ended her call.

"Ya Beerah, I thought you'll be tired and would've gone straight to bed." Huda said settling herself on the long kitchen stool.

"I have work to do." She simply replied.

"I have something to ask you about."

"I'm listening."

Huda cleared her throat. "Would you mind if I got married before you?"

Sabeerah sipped her tea and gave her a mock smile. "Yes actually because if you're thinking of getting married now, I want you to know you're still too young "

"I'm 23 Ya Beerah!" Huda protested.

"You still have a long way to go and numerous lessons about life hasn't been learned yet." 

Huda's face morphed into a frown, "I'm not dumb, I know what I want and I'm capable of interpreting my feelings."

"You're in love?" Sabeerah asked with a raise of a brow.

"Yes I am and madly so." Huda answered bravely.

Sabeerah chuckled. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into Huda but maybe I should leave you to experience the heartbreak you're aching for."

"Not everyone is Aliyu Ya Beerah, it's been years now and he has moved on with his life but you..."

The mug fell from Sabeerah's hands and shattered on the floor, Huda yelled out of fright. Sabeerah stared calmly at her mess then to her sister before stomping out of the kitchen.