THE MASKED GIRL

23

The way he looked at me says he has seen everything, we stood on the road staring at each other for quite a time before he went into the house shutting the door with a loud bang that the gate shook.

Seriously?!

He cannot shut me out on the streets this late in the night. The God damn gate is really hard that knocking will just leave me with broken knuckles so I stand waiting for him to open up, I have no time with me for my phone being dead but I can say I spent more than thirty minutes standing before I started knocking with my shoe something I should have done earlier. I spent another hellish minute knocking before the gate man opened the gate.

"Oh Hafsat I am very sorry I didn't hear --

I shut him off as I passed through and stormed inside and just like I thought he had locked the front door. To say I am furious is an underestimation.

The gateman came to me as I sat on the staircase, my legs were aching. "I didn't know you will return"

"It's okay" I stopped him from saying anything again because I don't want to take my anger out on him, he has no hands in it. I asked him what the time is.

"1:20 am"

I am going to fucking slaughter Suhail. I watched the gateman get on the corridor and started knocking on the door and ringing the bell which should wake him up no matter how deep his sleep was and I doubt if he was even sleeping.

"Just stop" I told Malam Lawal before I lose my patience.

"But it's not safe-

"I'm already inside the house just go"

He still stayed with me and I didn't want to shout at him so I let him until he made me lose my patience by telling me how worried Suhail had been the entire day, I send him to his room on the spot. I know going out of the town without telling him is wrong but he knew who I was out with. I would still be on the street if not for Malam Lawal, did he want me to sleep outside?

To cut the story short, I spent the night outside in my own house on the corridor for a silly reason. I couldn't do anything when he opened the door to go to the mosque for fajr prayer. I just watched him, I watched him lock the door again and go out.

He has the nerve.

He didn't return till, after sunrise, it was already morning. He opened the door and I quickly get up but he close it before I get in shutting the door on my face. I just stood there too surprised to even move a muscle.

He opened it again.

"You coming in or not?"

God forgive me if I kill this man. I wanted to ignore him but when I saw him closing it I quickly entered and he chuckled, the son of a bitch.

The first thing I did was checked the time and it says "08:23 am". I calculated the hours I spent outside. "I was outside for ten fucking hours Suhail"

He sat on the couch as if I wasn't talking to him. "You made me sleep outside" I hit him with the thing that was next to me which is a box of tissue paper. I walked to where he was sitting and hit him again, this time with a pillow. "What if something have happen to me?"

I hate being ignored in an argument especially when I'm annoyed. "It's almost nine in the morning and I haven't said my Subh prayer"

I punched him on his chest which to him was a mere touch. "I cannot believe you punish me like this for a little thing"

I hit him again and he held my hand in the process.

"A little thing?"

He questioned as he stands up. "You called what you did a little thing" He shouted very hard that I flinched. "You left the house at six in the morning without telling me"

"I left you a note" I take my hand out of his and he scoffed "A note"

"You went to Kaduna Hafsat. You were out of the fucking city and your goddamn phone was off" He stated. "What if something had happened? What will I have tell Mommy and Daddy? When they have entrusted you to me?"

I was quiet because he was right but I still don't see why he has to locked me out. "You returned after 10 pm with some guy who kissed you right in front of my eyes. Yet you called that a little thing"

He moved away from me like talking about it makes him more angry.

"I cannot believe you" I started speaking as I also walked away from the parlor to where he was standing. "Scold me. Shout at me. Beat me if there's a need to Suhail. Tell me what I did was wrong. But you locked me outside for a whole night without hearing why I didn't contact you whether I have a reason or not"

My eyes were already watering as I speak to him. I cannot believe that he locked me out when he actually had. "I am thankful for seeing this side of you at least you have shown me how you act when angry"

I think we just had our first fight.

I stormed to my room and locked myself in the bathroom. I cried till I ran out of tears until all the energy in me was drained. I've been in love with his perfect side all this while. Is this how things will go in the future? Would he just punish me without hearing from me?

I showered and performed ablution. I'm going to get Suhail out of my mind. I need someone to make me forget him, I think I'm going to give Muhammad a chance.