Burnt Embers

Chapter Six

A WEEK TO THE WEDDING

Ahmad was in the workshop , with his phone supported by his neck, smiling like a Cheshire cat " yes love, I won't forget to come along with it in shaa Allah, my darling angel, sweet Mrs Ahmad, in a week we will become one, two hearts beating together as one , two souls mashed into one ,I will make you the happiest Cat you'll be so happy till you look me in the eye and tell me that it's enough " the person that parked a tinted Benz  car a few metres away from the workshop gulped down a bottle of bear , adjusting his shades he drove away dialing a number " I'm afraid he's not backing down , it's time  for plan B "
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From the other side somewhere in kano , a deep velvety voice shrieked out in frustration " Babe how can Ahmad do this to me ? After all the things we've done together? The places I took him to? And now he's getting married to that excuse of a female, she's not worth it , she doesn't deserve him, I do !!"

" Hauwa chill mana, I don't even know what you've seen in that pauper, he's too cheap, so not your type, what annoys me more is that he's not even educated ,why waste your money and time over someone that is not even fit to be your security man? If you think you'll ever fall in love you're mistaken my dear" her friend adviced ,taking a drag of cocaine .

" I was his first and I turned him into a beast, just the way I love men ,I trained him, I've been training him for two years how can I stop when I've almost reach the top ?? I'll let him have you for one night Ikram, and you'll know what am talking about " taking a gulp of beer she flopped down on her bed reminiscing over how she first met Ahmad two years back ...

It was at a birthday party of one of her friends,he came in looking confused , as if he's not supposed to be there,his good looks, the innocent eyes ,the way and manner he carries himself made her fall in love at first sight .She was trying to show him to her friends and ask of their opinion when she saw him going out, quickly grabbing her bag ,she followed him and to her astonishment he was crouched beside a car crying. " what happened ?" She asked ,he raised his head and quickly wiped his tears away ,with a fake smile he shook his head NO ."you are crying, there must be something wrong big guys don't cry especially cute ones too " batting her lashes in a seductive way , she thought he will open up to her but he didn't, she tried all she could but to no avail ,then the adhaan for maghrib prayer was called and he excused himself to pray " I will wait here for you ,pray and come to me handsome " she had called after him not knowing he heard her or not .It doesn't matter because he never came back and she had to spend sleepless nights thinking about him , he invaded her mind even in her dreams she dream of him ,that sullen sunken expression, his eyes that captivates her, there's something about him that touch her heart and she's Hauwa ,she's not gonna let him go ,she must have him ,that's a promise .

Almost a month had  passed when she saw him in the workshop where he works, walking up to him with confidence , he embarrassed her by asking whether she needs anything ? She  had felt like a cold water was poured on her ,sucking up her pride she smiled and recounted to him how they met and how he ditched her waiting for him.  He was about to answer her when his alarm blared and without sparing her a glance he excused himself telling the boss that it's time to go pick Cat from school and he sprinted out .

" Who is Cat ?" She asked no one in particular , " Ha! You're new here aren't you ? Cat is the love of his life , someone he could take a bullet for ,their love is the kind you'll envy and wish to have , can't wait for their wedding day " one of the carpenters in the workshop rambled on smoothening a plank of wood. With a heavy heart she left to her car where she sat for a long time thinking of ways to have Ahmad for herself .She's a bad girl and bad girls get whatever they want ,with the help of one of her goons Ahmad was brought to her house and she set her terms. " you'll be my boyfriend, you'll travel with me, you'll love me and give me your body to do as I please with " she had said " Am not a fornicator and I pray that I will never be one , I already have someone I love ,I'm happy with my life please let me be ,go find someone else there are a lot of guys out there who would die to have this opportunity  so I'll pass " he had said with a voice filled with spite .So he's a loyal dog ? That's an added bonus she mused .
" The choice  is yours lover boy , either you do what I ask or you loose your most beloved Cat or whatever the hell you call her and mind you I don't give empty threats "  that was the beginning of  their journey together, because she threatened to have Khadijah. He went to that birthday party looking for a guy whom he had given a 200 thousand naira notes to keep for him, it was given to him by the boss to deposit in the bank, he doesn't have the money to pay back that's why he was crying as an alternative to ease his pain,she gave him the money and he was out of trouble in no time .He has gotten  a lot of money  from her but still living his former life , they will meet at night and spend it together then he will leave at dawn, at first he was reluctant acting all holier than thou but then money can do anything and she's a devil herself no one dared to resist her not the holiest of men and not men like him who are blinded with love something that only hurts and  leave you with nothing but scars .All she needs to do is ask and it shall be given to her until when she heard the news,that the traitor is getting married , when she confronted him, he told her that he no longer love Cat, that he is forced to marry her and he can't say no, she should not worry ,it's her that he loves and no one else ,how can he settle for less when she has more ?she's prettier and way better than Cat so it's just a sham marriage and he vowed to her that it won't work out for long .Knowing fully well how much he loves the so called Cat ,  how most nights he mentions her name in his sleep she didn't believe him and tried all the means she has at her disposal to see that the marriage isn't a success .She wanted to drug him and take him out of the country, but thought against it ,he doesn't drink nor smoke ,he's just so addicted to what she introduced him to and nothing more .