A Trial On Love

14

There was no way he was going to show Yasmeen or whatever her name was that he didn't know about the wedding. He didn't answer her and that didn't make her stop talking. She kept on rambling on how they had been planning the wedding for more than two months now and it was left only one month to go. He thought she was sent into his car for the sole purpose of learning from her senior in the medical field? What was all this again?

She had probably gotten the message his silence was trying to send, for she had been silent for the remainder of the day and he was thankful about that. His heart was throbbing with pain and anger as he kept on thinking of how Nimra had been engaged for two months now and none of his family felt that he needed to know. What else? A week before the wedding he'd be called and forced to go back home because that was what was expectant of him?

When he took her back to their hotel as they were done for the day, Nameer sighed heavily and just waited for her to get the hell out of his car. But it seemed she had the annoying habits of her mother. For she turned to him with the edges of her lips trying to lift into the beginning of a smile.

"You still haven't said a word to me and I've been talking nonstop." She pointed out, more like accused him as if she was expecting an apology or some sort of explanation.

"I still won't talk to you. Can you kindly get out of my car? I have alot of things on my plate but was forced to come and spend my precious time with y'all." She had opened her mouth to speak when he crunched his face and the anger became evident on him. "Kindly get out of my car. What's your name again? Yeah, Yasmeen. Out, before I lose my calm on you."

It seemed, from her expression, that she wasn't expecting that. Or maybe simply because she had been told that he did whatever his mother asked him to, he wouldn't have it in him to ever be angry or speak in such manner. He watched her gulped down a lump in her throat and gently got out of his car. He roared the engine to life and drove off in a high speed, knowingly ignoring the way Aunty Fatimah kept on waving her hand to stop him.

He had had enough of that woman in an entire day and one more second, he would burst out on her. The anger was sizzling in his heart and he knew in the condition he was in, he wasn't fit for driving so he went to the roadside and parked. He pulled his phone out and dialed Hajia's number because that was the only thing he could think of doing and she was the only person that could help him calm down.

"Hajia, Nimra has been engaged for two months now and no one felt it necessary to let me know?" Those were the first words he had uttered, because he really couldn't have it in him to start any sort of pleasantries with her. He knew she'd understand.

He heard the sigh that had escaped her lips and wondered what she had in mind even before she opened her mouth to speak. "This is what I was just going to call you about. I thought you knew and didn't tell me too, Nameer. Your father just called me, not even ten minutes ago and told me Yasmeen's wedding is to be held exactly a month from today. That your mother forgot to tell his father for the two months since the wedding was fixed, I should help spread the information. Turns out, you weren't informed, either."

"I was just hearing about it some moments ago. How can they do this? We even spoke with Nimra yesterday when she called, Hajia. Can't she at least tell me that she was to be wedded?" The lump in his throat wasn't unmoving and he wished he could cry to make everything melt away. He knew it wasn't supposed to hurt as much as it did, but he felt that if his mother didn't find him worthy of the information, what about their father? And Nimra herself? He was her twin brother, for heaven's sake.

"I know you're probably tired of me saying that you should keep on being patient, Nameer, but that's the only thing I can tell you. You have to be patient and continue being patient, okay? Everything will be a story to tell one day and don't do anything to wrong your mother because of this, okay?"