ENSHROUDED

03

From that day, Aisha made sure 7:30 am clicked while she was at school. She would rather sleep on the benches and waited for him and the rest of her course mates than to do that in her own home. She had cried without number to Mommy about that course but all she could do was consoled her. Because from the way she saw the thing on the day they met, she was sure that lecturer of Aisha would never take off his words.

Life went on, and Aisha now used Mommy's car to the school. No matter how she urged Mommy to take the car on the rest days of the week except for Monday, she had never agreed. As she would always say, "My car is yours, I'm hustling for all my money just because of you. Take it, Humaira. I'll be fine by myself." And Aisha had always felt overwhelmed whenever Mommy said that. Mothers are surely a blessing to us.

She was already writing her exams for the semester, and Jaafar's course was the last course on her timetable. She didn't know what to do, she had read hard together with Safiyya for the course. And yesterday, she stayed at school until it was six in the evening so she could get to see him and ask him for the favour and also to apologize. Throughout her exams period, she had never gone home early even if she finished reading early. She had to wait in front of his office to see if he would take a look at her, he never did.

The exams were to be held at 11 am and it will finish at 1:30 pm. That made it two hours thirty minutes of exams. She was already at school when nine clocked. They kept reading together with Safiyya until it was finally time for the exams and they all sat down on their seats. Her heart was pounding, she kept praying to the almighty that Jaafar forgot about that test he took as his attendance, but she guessed he never did.

She saw as he walked into the hall and halted the invigilators that had already started distributing the question papers and answer. "Hasbinallahu wa ni'imal wakeel!" She prayed and felt as her heart broke, she knew she would never get to write this exam.

He stood in front of the hall and began calling out their names, and whoever was fortunate and his name fell into the list, he would walk into the hall and sit down. He had them walked out already. He finished calling the names on his list and it remained only Aisha and two guys. They guys moved forwards and complained to him that they did their registration late that's why they weren't able to make it to his test, and he asked them to sit down.

She gulped down the lump in her throat and fought the tears threatening to spill on her cheeks. She took halting steps towards where he stood. Before she was even close enough, Jaafar had already raised his hand at her and spoke. "Don't even come near me, young lady. Get out of my sight, as you can see, we're writing an exam."

The tears she had been fighting with rolled down her cheeks and Aisha knelt on her knees, she was crying bitterly. "Sir, please. I know I've wronged you when we first met, but please don't punish me this way. Please, sir."

The other invigilator came to her aid, he asked her to stand up and she did. "Malam Jaafar please forgive her, I know yes her name isn't on the list but please pardon her for my sake." The lecturer spoke. And with tears on her cheeks, Aisha watched as Jaafar shook his head sideways.

"Malam you know how strict I am with my rules, there's no way I'm letting her write this exam. Those two guys that complained about late registration, didn't I let them in? What of her? She was always coming late to do class." Jaafar said and walked away from there before any other invigilator came and started asking him again.

He looked at her and shook his head, "I'm sorry young lady, but you can try asking him privately, maybe he can have a way of favouring you. But for now, I'll advice you to leave." No matter how Aisha tried to, they made her went out of the hall, and she cried a bitter cry she had never done in her life. All that he did to her, because of what? Just because she said he was the one being senseless? And it was crystal clear then. She had apologized. What kind of an unforgiving heart did he have?