Embraced (#2 Natives series) #ProjectNigeria

Chapter Fifteen

*Chapter dedicated to oyiza27. Sorry for the super late update.*

Chapter Fifteen

            FATIHA WAITED WITH BATED BREATH for what Munir had to say. A strong wave of unsettlement rested at the apex of her stomach, taking away the calm she had been feeling just seconds ago.

What could he have to say? she wondered. What else was there to say?

Restlessly, she shifted from one foot to the other. She hoped Basmah really didn't need the drugs at the moment because it looked like whatever Munir had to say was going to be a long.

Fatiha glanced briefly at her companion as she wondered what the delay could possibly be.

She had known Munir since she was little and all through her entire life she'd never seen him so anxious before. Back when they were younger and he had been nicer, Munir had been confidence itself. She had never seen anyone other than him at that age who was so full of assertiveness; be it in his looks or brains.

Seeing him struggling for what to say now left Fatiha baffled. So much so it made her wonder what could cause him such distress.

Other than being overly confident, Munir had never liked involving himself in difficult situations. It wasn't just part of his carefree nature. But, Fatiha thought with a pause, the last time she'd seen him was years ago. Who knows what traits he'd picked up during that time?

Tired of waiting, she opened her mouth to say something when he suddenly—and finally, Alhamdulillahi—spoke up.

"Can you give me a second?" He asked her but before she could respond he was already gone.

Fatiha sighed. "Sure, take your time." She muttered sarcastically under her breath, then told herself she would wait for just five minutes and if he wasn't back by then, she was gone.

He came back out after four minutes. Fatiha frowned. She really despised his ability of showing up when not needed. Plus she really didn't want to have a conversation-turned-confrontation with him.

She watched from under the shade of a tree as he searched for her. She shifted uncomfortably when he spotted her and smiled. Scrunching up her nose, Fatiha threw her face to the side, refusing to watch as he crossed the street and made his way over to her.

Two goats ate mindlessly at the side of the deserted road. A small wind blew a little swirl of dirt, paper and discarded polythene bags down the street before scattering its contents around in the air.

Fatiha dodged two raining nylons just as Munir reached her side. He gave a flighty apology for keeping her as he dug into a second nylon bag she hadn't seen him with before.

"Here," he said, handing out a pack of Mentos to her.

Fatiha stared befuddled for a moment at the mint flavored sweet in his hand before she looked back up at him. "What do you want to say, Munir?" she asked plainly.

He dropped his hand, the sweet rattling in the process. His eyes wandered and his brows knitted as he thought of the best way to say what he had to say. The light and chirpy tone he'd been using earlier was gone, and a heaviness settled around them like a cloak.