Ruha

CHAPTER TWENTY

"We just have to let go, to forgive and choose the path of moving on, dwelling in the past will only hinder our future" Aiyla

23rd August. The day Ruha was born. The day she dreaded the most. The day it all went down. The house was dead silent, everyone was awake but they knew they were walking on thin glass that Ruha's breakdown was close to happening. She was dressed in black, from head to toe seated beside the therapist staring into space, Na'im was there today, he didn't know why but he has been with her since the night before hovering over her protectively

She knew he assumed something but didn't know and he was confused

"Doc. Wanna hear a story?" She asked finally breaking the tense silence

"What kind of story Ruha?" He asked skeptically

"Wanna hear the story of how it all ended" she smiled sadly and stood up "but for you to know the end, we have to go to where it all began"

Ruha walked out and the confused doctor and Na'im followed beside her, she went to Na'im's car and opened it, the key was at the ignition, he had left it there. She let them in and drove off through the familiar Abuja street, through the places she knew by heart no matter how many years it had been to the place she once could home, it was calling her, whispering her name, the laughter was getting clearer, the familiar laughter, the familiar hugs, the familiar everything

She parked the car in front of the building, it hasn't changed, its still the same, burnt, she didn't know how they could leave it for almost a decade but they did and she didn't know if she should be

She went down and walked down the familiar driveway which had overgrown hedges to the stone steps leading to the house. She sat there just staring at a place that left soo much to remember, its not about the house but about the memories made there

***flash back***
The day began the same for Ruha, her mother woke her up with a smile and tiny kisses on her face, her moms long hair was packed in a pony tail, Ruha had always been envious of its length. It was something she loved to play with

A single cupcake which had a candle on it was in her mons grasp on a plate "happy birthday hayaati, make a wish"

And Ruha did, a wish for a family to be with her forever, a wish for forever and of course a princess gown

Her mom smiled and gave her her first bite and she did the same, they were happy, the day went beautifully, presents from everyone and lots and lots of prayers for long life, she has answered at least 20 phone calls all from the family members that were unable to make it

Nights came soon for them, signifying the end of the day. They had sat down on the couch watching Aladdin when her father entered swaying, a chill ran down her spine, she had grown accustomed to her father being that way but it scared her

"Hayaati sweetie. Go upstairs to your room and close the door" she kissed her forehead "I love you sweetheart and don't come out no matter what"

Ruha nodded and raced up stairs and went to her room closing the door, she hugged her legs closer to her body in the dark room, the house was silent for a while and then she heard a crash, she closed her eyes and ears tightly hugging herself praying to God for her mother to be okay but the second crash sent her out of the room but she stopped at the edge to the stair case watching her mother pleading to her father to drop the shiny knife in his hand but he was too out of it, he had hit her and mistakenly stabbed her in her stomach, her mothers scream ringed round the house and her father inserted the knife into her again. Ruha screamed at her father trying to stop him from hurting her mother as she raced down the stairs and cradled her limp bloody body in her lap "I told you to go to your room Hayaati, I'm fine please go" her moms tears and hers mixed up

"Mumma no!" She shook her head "you are not fine, we have to get you to the hospital"

Her mom smiled sadly, she was loosing blood fast, her white clothe now red "go far away hayaati, promise me you'll be alright, promise me you'll be happy, I love you you know"

She brought her cold white hand to Ruha's face and dragged it down to her height giving her a kiss on the forehead "I love you hayaati, always I mean always remember that and so does your dad"

Ruha didn't know what happened next, the fact she was thrown by her weak mother or the fact that she was shot dead in the head slumping down on the floor, all she had was her moms shahadah, her scream, the gunshot then the silence after it, her mother had saved her life

She looked at the souless monster who killed her mother, he looked paranoid and for a slight second she saw her father but it was gone and so was he or so she thought, she hurriedly went to her mothers cold limp lifeless body and hugged her crying in her chest when she heard another shot, she saw her father fall limply to the floor and looked around, the house was on fire, her father had done that before he killed himself

She stayed admist the ruins hugging her mother, praying for her, her hands clenched around her. Ruha opened it and picked up the locket which had her whole family in it from her mothers grasp, her favorite possession and stood up weakly kissing her mothers forehead "I love you mumma" she walked away from there but before that gave her father a hug and a prayer, it wasn't his fault he was insane anyway before she did. The minute she was out the whole building collapsed and she watched as everything she ever loved inside that place burn to ashes. She fell down exhausted tired of shouting and of crying and running and welcome the oblivion that engulfed her

****End of flashback****

They all were silent after that, not knowing what to say or do. They just stayed there, mourning for the woman who lost her life to someone she bonded it to forever, for someone she love unconditionally; for the man who not in his right mind had lost the his life and that of the love of his life

They whispered prayers for a daughter who had witnessed something no one should ever witness

And lastly...

They had whispered a prayer for her soul to finally find home

      

        *****

Moment of silence 💔💔💔💔

We finally know Ruha's story

VCSS

~Aiyla😢😭