ENSHROUDED

29

Abba looked at Nuriyya and smiled at himself. It had been a month already, and even though Nuriyya spent almost all her time together with him, in his house; he felt he still hadn't gotten enough of her. They were seated in the balcony, and just like they had made Aisha, she had become their maid and a piece of garbage their threw their dirty clothes on. She was walking in the kitchen, barefooted with hands holding colander while the other holding a plate. She was in a rush to cook them breakfast so she can finally rest.

Throughout this month, she hadn't rest. And she had been seeing the worst part of Abba there is. She got used to seeing Nuriyya in the house that she no more felt surprised or in pain when she saw them together. She even got tired of crying at all the things Abba did for her. He hadn't taken her to school up till now, because Nuriyya made sure she made a scene that would cause even a greater hole between them every morning.

Aisha finished setting the table and walked to the balcony with tentative steps as she watched them cuddled together as though Nuriyya was the real wife. She gulped down a lump in her throat, she didn't mind whatever it is Abba might do to her as long as he didn't touch her. She had grown disgusted and despair for him ever since the first day she saw him kissing Nuriyya, and she wouldn't mind if Nuriyya was to bore him, kids.

"I'm done with the dinner, Ya Abba." She uttered and before she was able to decamp from the balcony, a call came through his phone and he picked it up at the instant. He sat upright and held Nuriyya with one hand, "Good evening, Mama." He greeted, and that's what stopped Aisha in her tracks.

"I no more need your greetings, Abba. I called at night because I know you're home. Give Aisha the phone now, I need to speak to her!" Mama thundered, and Abba glared at Aisha. She shuddered and tried walking away when he called her name with a soft voice Aisha knew was surely not his. This kind of voice belonged to Nasir, but when Abba used it, he was surely referring to Nuriyya but never her.

She walked back into the balcony and collected the phone he handed her. Aisha rushed back into the living room and looked around to see whether they might hear her. She saw as Abba tried walking towards her but Nuriyya held him back, and Aisha decided she entered her room and locked it up. "Mama," she called out and broke into tears.

Mama's voice softened at how she heard Aisha's voice, "What happened, Aisha? He did something wrong? He's treating you right, right?" She asked, and Aisha shook her head as if Mama could see her.

"I haven't gone to school ever since we came here, Mama. He has even stopped talking about it." She cried even more, she wished Mama can see through her tears and console her the ways she deserved, but that was never going to happen unless she spoke it ut. And she wasn't reading to bring a word out of her mouth.

Mama stood up, the way Aisha was crying she was sure something was up. She looked at Baba and told him what Aisha had said, and he collected the phone. "Aisha, how are you?" Aisha heard Baba's voice and she broke even more.

He tried to console her but it wasn't working. "Look, Aisha, take him the phone and I'll talk to him. By Monday he'll take you to school and even but your phone, so you could always contact us right?"

She freaked out, she didn't want him to do anything to her, but she was sure if Baba spoke to him it would anger him and that wouldn't be any good on her. "Baba, you shouldn't talk to him, I'll tell him what you said." Baba knew Abba better than anyone, from the way he heard her voice he knew she wasn't living well with Abba. And she was even afraid to let them talk to him?

"Give him the phone, Aisha." His voice was straight and strict that Aisha dared not do what he said. She unlocked her room and met them at the balcony, staring at the stars as they spoke lovely to each other.