Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Two weeks later, dalia was up on her feet and well again. Yusuf called her a couple of times but only to check up on her. He had came twice to the house to check up on her also. He never spoke about his feelings for her again. He believed the time is yet to come but it will surely come.

She arranged the last thing on the table which was the plates before she went back to the kitchen and started cleaning the mess she had made. She hadn't started with the main cleaning but she was already tired from cooking breakfast for them.

He walked downstairs as he wondered where the perplexing aroma was coming from. He glanced at the time from his phone. It was was barely eleven in the morning. Amira cooked for them? He asked himself. That cannot be, he laughed it off. He continued walking downstairs and headed to the dining room. There were warmers arranged on the table. He didn't open it, instead, he walked into the kitchen. "Amira you cooked...." He paused when he saw the little figure mopping the tiles.

"Dalia?" He asked astonished. "What are you doing here on a Friday and this early?" He asked her. "Aunty amira called me to clean the house today since we're still on mid semester break. Good morning." She squatted a bit as she smiled at him. "When did you come back from Kuje?" He questioned, folding his hand on his chest while he rested his back on the fridge. "I came back last night," she retorted and returned her gaze to the floor, and continued mopping. The kitchen door swung open and Amira appeared fully decked out and ready to head out.

"Babe, I'm going out now," she said to him as she moved towards him. He shifted when he realized she wanted to take something from the fridge. She brought out one bottle of orange juice before she walked out of the kitchen. He hissed slightly and followed her outside to her car. He held the door when she was about to close it. She looked up and him, "what is it? I thought she had finished breakfast."

"Amira we met during subh, you never told me you were going out today. Do you take me as some joke or what?" He was infuriated by the way she disrespected him, And skipped his rules. "Look babe, we are having a get together this evening and I have to be there early for the decorations. And besides, it's not like I'm going out to see a man. They are all my female friends which you have met during our wedding." She pulled the door and closed it. She killed the engine before rolling down the glass window. "You can tell that girl to cook whatever it is you want for lunch and dinner."

He shook his head and turned away without a back glance. In his heart he was enraged, no doubts. But he should be used to it by now because she was not going to change, she doesn't even show any sign of changing. She was not even afraid to leave him with an eighteen year old girl alone in their house? Her house? The house that she was supposed to be the one doing everything not some eighteen year old.

He entered the house and met her sweeping the living room. She quickly stood up when she heard the door being closed. "What are you going to do next after sweeping?" He holds her gaze the whole time. "I.. I will mop and then clean the TV set and the rest." She lowered her gaze when he wasn't ready to stop the staring contest. "Let me help, what should I help you with now?" He asked folding his shirt sleeves and moved further into the living room. "But I can do everything myself and you haven't eaten breakfast." She tried to reason with him.

"Have you eaten breakfast yourself?" He asked her and she stuttered. "well.. I was going to after I finish with the work." She looked at him and searched for his facial expression and she got what she expected. He looked pleased and relaxed but there was some parts of him that said he was not okay. He stared into her eyes, her eyes spoke of a beautiful soul. He marched to her and claimed the broom before he started sweeping. "Please Yaya Muhsin, I will do it just give me the broom. You can clean the centre table and TV set if you insist." He rise up and gave her a galvanised look. "Yaya Muhsin? Hmm... I have never heard someone called my name so perfectly like you just did. Please say it again, it made me feel so relieved."

She could feel the heat growing in her cheeks. By now they must be beyond an attractive rosiness. "Let me get a clean towel and water for you." She hurriedly said and charged towards the kitchen. She took her time before coming out. He was already half way through the sweeping when she came back. He stood tall, already sweating like he had swept the entire house. "You didn't tell me this was hard." He breathed for air as he dropped the broom and placed his hands on his waist. She giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand. "I told you I would do it but you still insisted."

He took the soft, small towel away from her and started cleaning the centre table like she showed him. She continued sweeping as she told him about her short holiday in Kuje. "But this husband of hers, why can't she report him to her parents, let them end the marriage because by the way you have said, he wouldn't change."

She plumped down on the couch as she breathed out tiredly. "His parents threatened her parents that if they separated them, then his father would stop feeding her parents and siblings, and his father is the only person they depend on. That's why she's still with the monster." She stared at the blank space as she thought of her friend, maybe she might be there crying over something he had done to her again or she was there sitting overthinking like she had always done. "She really needs help," she murmured softly. "And we will help her in sha Allah." She heard him uttered.

She glanced at him in awe. "Really? You'll help her?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. He smiled and nodded, "In sha Allah." She stood up and squealed. "May Allah reward ceaselessly and grant you all that you ever wished for." He retorted with the right answer as he smiled. If only she knew what he prayed for now and wished to have as his. They continued to clean the living room till it was spotless clean.

"What next?" He asked her. She shook her head at him, smiling, "Today is Friday, it's almost time for Jumma'at prayers. You should hurry up and bath, eat and go to the Masjid. The only part remaining is aunty amira's room and I will be done in no time." His heart nearly fell out of his when he heard what she had uttered. He had never seen a girl so considerate and caring. There was so much to admire about Dalia, especially how she shows so much care to everyone without even knowing she did. He loves how her words spill out of her mouth, so gently and smooth.

He could only nod his head at her before he left the living room. He found himself collapsing on the bed with a sigh, a pleasing one. He closed his eyes for few minutes as her face kept appearing in his mind together with her soothing words.

He got off the bed when he glanced at the time to realize he only had less than an hour to get ready. He had his bath and dressed in one of his fanciable white Kaftaan. He looked well formed and well proportioned. He combed his hair and put on a matching cap before he sprayed his body with well fragranced colognes.

He walked down the stairs to the dining area. The house was awfully quiet, he liked it that way. She must be in amira's room, he thought. He removed the foil paper as he licked his fleshy lips. He grabbed a plate and served himself plate full on chips and shredded beef sauce. He went to the fridge and brought out a bottle of cranberry juice and moved back to his seat.

He finished eating his breakfast before he stood up to leave. He stepped out of the house, to his car. And in few minutes, he was at the mosque.

She finished cleaning amira's room before using the burning incense everywhere like she does. She cleared the dining room and went back to eat her own brunch. After she ate, she prayed Dhuhur and went back to the living room.

She roamed around the large living room as an idea popped in her head, but who was she to do something had no audacity to? That was if she wanted the owner of the house, amira to slice her. The front door springs open, and he appeared. He smiled at her as he sauntered into the living room uttering Salam. "What are you doing standing here?" He asked her. "Welcome back," she mouthed instead. He heaved a sigh of relief, smiling. "Thank you, now why are you standing?" He asked again.

"You have a beautiful sitting room but it would be better if the three seater was facing the TV. These vases are supposed to be by the curtains and the entrance. "Mn." He nodded his head. "Good idea, we should do it then." Her eyes bulged out before she shook her head. "But what if Aunty Amira doesn't like it?" She asked him, agitated. "Is she the owner of the house?" He asked and she innocently shook her head, head ducked. "I'm sorry," she murmured under breath but he heard her.

He smiled at her, "now let's rearrange this living room to your taste." She smiled a bit and nodded. They started moving the furnitures together and moved some of the items in the living room.

"What do you think?" She asked as she stared at him to see his reaction. And she got the reaction she wanted, he looked pleased, not to make her happy but he genuinely liked the new arrangement.

"It has never looked this beautiful before, I mean this.... Looks amazing and I am sure amira would like it too." She squealed as her eyes glittered with joy. "I knew it would look beautiful too." He looked at her while she scanned through the living room, smiling. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, he wanted to tell her how he wanted to be with her for the rest of his days but what would the girl take him as? A coward?

He glanced at the time, it was almost three in the afternoon. "What should I cook for lunch?" He heard her tiny, melodious voice. "The shredded beef sauce you made for breakfast, I like it. So why don't you make it again with pasta?" Her lips curved upwards as she nodded. "Let's go, I'll help." He let the way to the kitchen. "Aren't you tired? You didn't even rest when you came back from the masjid." They entered the kitchen before he sashayed into the store and brought out one pack on spaghetti. "If I am going to rest now then you have to rest too, it's that or we cook together."

She stared at him for a short time before she looked away. "But I am not even tired at all, I rested before you came." She moved to where the pots were and brought out a moderate one before she washed it and filled half of the pot with water. She moved to the gas and kept the pot on top. His eyes were on her the whole time. She turned and caught him looking at her, yet the several time she caught him looking at her that day. "Then we cook," he said as he folded his kaftaan sleeve. She sighed defeatedly. She gave him the carrots to cut while she cut the other veggies.

She moved to the pantry afterwards and Brought out all the ingredient they'd need for the sauce. He paid attention to everything she does, he wanted to learn how to cook, at least for future use.

They finished everything in less than an hour and arranged it on the dining table. "You should go pray now, I will head to the masjid." He excused himself and headed upstairs while she went to the guest toilet.

Hours, he was about to head out and drop her off at home when amira finally showed up. She looked at them standing in the living room, she knew clearly they were heading out. "Who the fuck had the audacity to change my living room arrangement?" She bawled. If he could remember, her living room was upstairs, that was his living room not hers. But she had changed everything to hers. "Mind your language please!" He warned. She gawked at Dalia shifting slowing behind him, audibly petrified.

"You," she pointed at dalia. "You did this, didn't you? You idiot, who gave you the right to touch my things? Is this what brought you to this house? Who do you think you are to change my furnitures arrangement?" She clamoured at her, unable to storm towards her knowing muhsin would stop her. "Hey, better mind your words I said. And I was the one that gave her the permission to do that because if you have forgotten, this is my living room, my house not yours," he thundered back at her. Amira shifted her gaze to behind him. "Get out of my house," she spat at her.

"Where do you think you're going? Stay right there," he stopped her when she started walking towards the door. She moved slowly back and hid behind him before amira could think of hitting her. Her whole body trembled with fear of what amira would do to her if she comes next time.

"Muhsin? What are you doing? So you're supporting her to continue disrespecting me?" She asked in disbelief of how he was shouting at her over some village girl. "There is nothing disrespecting here like how you're talking back at me after wandering around the city without my permission." His face looked as calm as it has ever been but in his heart, he was fed up with her. "But... I... how can you allow this local girl to touch our things... you shouldn't have..."

"Why won't you stay at home and do everything if you don't want another woman touching your things, like you claimed."

"So you're trying to blame everything on me now, huh? Because of this cheap rag...."

"Don't you ever called her that again, wallah amira, I am just restraining myself from yelling at you. If you don't want anyone to touch your things, then stay. at. home. and do everything yourself! Why won't you sit your ass home and take care of your house yourself, like you keep claiming it's yours, you have to someone to do it for you, aren't you ashamed of yourself?" His temper was like TNT, once the sparks started sizzling, there was very little time to duck and cover. She knew she should just stay quiet or walk away and wait for the storm to abate, but she couldn't help it, not in front of that cheap little rag he was choosing side over her.

"Alright that's it! I am sick and tired of your bull crap! If you like add another wife, I do not care anymore, I am done. Done! I am not your maid, and I way too big to do such thing, if you can't live this way then go add another wife to do the cleaning for you, I don't give two shits if you do that!"

He let out a soft chuckle out of anger. Just what he needed to hear. "Is that so? Then I will show I am the man of the house. Dalia, let's go." He walked calmly out of the house with dalia tailing behind him.