WHATEVER, POLICE OFFICER

Fifty Seven.

ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

"You think you can now get dressed because you are able to have compromise me?" Fatima walked into their room with a mocha three tiered food serving trolley ladened with their breakfast -pancakes, waffles, bottle of apple syrup, two cups of coffee, sausages, ham with honeyed mustard Mayo. She stopped the wheels beside the bed on a table they've brought up from the living room close to the couch in the room.

Ahmad yawed around to look at his bedraggled wife in her rosewood yoga pants and coral cotton shirt that's changed color after many visits to the laundry. Like every time, Fatima manage to take his breath away yet again even with her disheveled self. Her hair flying all around, her face rid of any artificial makeup except for the slimy oily thing she's applied on her face -savor beauty organic anti-acne kit she's bought. She stood beside the trolley and busied herself with unloading it like she didn't stop him from wearing his shirt. His heart ached at the sight of her working for him, trying and making it.

For the last few days, a week to be precise, she's taken it upon her to help him from the hospital till they finally got back home four days ago. She will help with his bath, dressing him up and even arranging the room because he said he doesn't like filth and disarray. Ahmad was shocked to say the least when she asked him to sit on the bed while she arrange the bed back to it's perfect order. She didn't ask for anyone's help which is another Fatima's behavior, her pride won't let her. She didn't do it well but she's tried, there is no doubt this is her first time making a bed.

"You should've asked me to help you. The edges should be tucked inside the bed not folded underneath." He gulped then when she pivoted around and shoot him a glare that had him raising both hands up in surrender, wincing at the pain that jolted from his chest during the process.

After unloading everything, she sashayed to where he is standing beside the bathroom door and took the shirt he is about to wear. She helped snug his arms into the sleeves of the shirt then button it all the way down with routine efficiency. Ahmad could only survey her bent head then bend down some more to take a whiff of the scent of her hair.

She straightened up unexpectedly and bump into his jaw, she winced with a grimace and glare up at him. "Why are you always bumping and hitting people? Seems like you are getting more and more clumsy. Now come let's have breakfast, I'm starving."

Ahmad sulked, she didn't give him any morning kiss neither had she said anything sweet to him the whole morning, that that he should've expected something like this from Fatima. She won't be that cliche sort of type which makes her his perfect woman. He followed her wordlessly to the couch and sat down close to her just to smell her some more. God, what is wrong with him now acting like a pregnant wanton woman? He cleared his throat and shift away, yawing his attention back to the breakfast in front of him. Nothing moved him, he wants the person sitting beside him.

Something is different today about Fatima but Ahmad wants to think that she is just being her grumpy self. He's noticed that once in a while, she gets moody and refuse to talk to anyone and when he asked why she does that, she told him she's always been like that. Sometimes she hates the sight of everyone around her while the next second she is clingy and in need of excessive attention. Whenever she gets into that mood, he keeps his distance till he is sure she is back to her old self then harangue her. It usually happens in the morning too, drawn in her shell for a few hours.

They've continued their Quran memorization, Fatima pumping up more ginger as if she is planning something. She's given him the whole Al-Imraan few days ago, he only get to ask her to repeat two to three times when he's thought she's made a mistake but in reality, he couldn't believe that she is bringing the whole Surah from her head. The sudden seriousness filled him with pride because with the phase she is moving, she'd complete the whole Quran in just a few weeks. How he wished he's memorized the holy book off-head so he can compete with her but sadly, he knew he cannot do it now. Not because it's too late but because his memory isn't fresh and new, too many things are fixated there.