A Trial On Love

18

It all felt like a dream. As if she hadn't been wondering of what would be of her life if Uwar Mata got tired of feeding her and like she said, she was close to being tired. She wondered what would've become of her life. If she was to be taken back to Katsina or be pushed to the streets. Or maybe she had to be forced into another route she would have rather killed herself instead.

But now, as they got down from the rickshaw with no luggage to call her own, a humungous house staring back at her, Rayhan wondered what was with these rich people and building houses that looked as though they could accommodate the entire world. And the funny part? Mostly these type of houses didn't have much people in the family. It was always three, four or five kids highest. But they lived in such a place that outwardly could be called a mansion.

"You need to behave yourself here, Rayhan, did you hear me? I won't take any sort of misbehavior from you or a complain and if you dare make the mistake that would have them fire you? Look for another place, certainly not mine. As I've done the best thing I could do to you." Uwar Mata had been warning her since the very day they had went to that house, and it had been less than 48hrs since then.

Rayhan had tried all she could to block out the memories of what had happened there from her mind. A part of her wished she had stayed there and maybe listened to him. Or maybe just pretend that everything was fine since she knew she was never going to see him again. But instead, she did all that she did. Not that she had regretted it.

But she regretted slapping him. Because no matter what, he was still her Dan Bature, still Dr Kurfi and would forever be Nameer. A name her heart softly called alone, mingled along with the faint whispers of the night.

They were ushered into the living room by an older looking lady that seemed so jovial, making Rayhan feel almost at home. They both sat down on the lush carpet that nearly lulled her to sleep while the woman went upstairs to call the woman Uwar Mata had been ranting about nonstop for 48hrs. And when she came down, the first smile she had flashed Rayhan made her instantly feel at ease and at home.

They immediately rose to their feet and she smiled, waving at them dismissively. "Come on, please y'all should sit down," she said, finding herself a spot on the sofa.

Uwar Mata pulled Rayhan down and they sat down as they exchanged pleasantries. Even though Rayhan felt at ease and slightly calm, her anxiousness reducing a fold, her heart still beta in some type of way. As if there was something more than what she was seeing. As if staying with this woman would be a great discovery to her.

"What's your name, young lady?" She asked, obviously directing her question towards her and that's when she noticed that she had dulled out their conversation and had been thinking about everything and nothing in her mind.

"My name is Rayhan, Hajia," she had called her with the name she heard Uwar Mata referring to her with, not that she could think of another name to call her with.

"That's a nice name, Rayhan. My name is Hajia Rabi, but you can call me Hajia. I live here alone with my husband and daughter, she's schooling so you won't be seeing much of her. My other kids are all married and mostly visit us during the weekends with their kids. And I have a nephew that mostly live with me than his parents, so we're possibly the two faces you might get tired of seeing in this house." Hajia said with a hint of laughter in her voice and all Rayhan did was smiled at her.

She only nodded and ducked her head down while they kept on conversing with war Mata about how much Hajia was willing to pay. She heard as Hajia argued when Uwar Mata said that the salary would be paid to her because she as owning her a lot of money and right there, Hajia told her she'd pay for whatever it is she was owning her and from then, she'd be paying Rayhan herself.