Hearts On Fire

Two: Apology

"What's your name?" Small asked, and she placed her hand at akimbo and glared at him before she replied.

"How many times do I have to tell you my name? My name is Fatima Zarah Tambuwal," she replied with a voice pitched with annoyance. She couldn't understand why she had to be in this frigging police station instead of home together with her Ammi. And now, this useless person is trying to make her even more annoyed than she truly is.

"I need your father's name. Your surname." He inquired, and Fatima Zarah glared at the walking body of Al-mustapha before she turned and answered, this time her annoyance couldn't be suppressed.

"That's my name, even in my school ID card that's what I use. Do I have to tell something that's nonexistent? If you can't put it as Fatima Zarah Tambuwal then let me go, I haven't done anything wrong to start with."

Small walked over to where Al-mustapha was making a phonecall and hung his head down until he was done and he began, "Sir, she isn't going to tell me her surname. And while writing the report, what do I have to write? As her crime?"

Without a single glance at him, Al-mustapha walked over to where Fatima Zarah was seated and he answered the last question Small asked him. "She harassed a police officer, write that down. And also, for her surname, use my name."

"Why the hell do I have to use your name? My name is Fatima Zarah Tambuwal, nothing sort of Al-mustapha whatsoever!" She yelled, but her voice turned to deaf ears because a female officer came and guided her to a cell. An isolated cell where Al-mustapha kept his victims. They always wondered what he felt if he locked innocent victims. But they had never knew what he was feeling or what his next move would be. He was so unpredictable.

It was not until after 9pm that Al-mustapha came inside the cell she was locked in, and looking up to meet his eyes, Fatima Zarah felt rage filling up her heart; but she knew better than to act up to her feelings. She looked away and more tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't believe she was being held up in a police station for a reason as feasible as that. Who the hell did he think he is?

Lower chin streched downwards, tears coming out of her eyes, body trembling; She's in so much pain. He smirked to himself and asked, "Are you crying?" He blurted even though he knew it was a dumb question.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes, and the funny thing is that he didn't even know what that meant. "No. I'm so happy that I can even dance because I'm held in this beautiful place." She glared at him again and Al-mustapha smiled at her.

"That's good then, I guess you don't need anything. Goodnight, incase you need the music, call out to Stephanie." He left the cell even before she acesssed his words in her mind. She wished her scream could be heard in their house, but all was in vain. She was hungry beyond words could tell, and this unreasonable man didn't even thought about what she would eat. He just came and disappeared just like that. She hadn't done anything wrong, she wished she can sue him for this.

❀

Early in the morning, Fatima Zarah didn't know how she had slept, she felt a soft tap on her shoulder and she jerked upright. "What's happening here?" She asked, unaware of her surroundings. She looked around and that was when all came back to her. She slept in the cell he promised to keep her until tomorrow morning. And it was already the tomorrow morning. She didn't know the kind of thing she would do to this man to avenge for what he did to her.

She looked at the woman that was staring down at her and mustered a polite smile, "What do you want, ma?" She asked, and the woman smiled before she placed down a plate of food in front of Fatima Zarah.

"I thought about you all night long, Fatima," she was cut off by Fatima Zarah even before she got to the end of her sentence.

"Sorry, the name is Fatima Zarah." She smiled again, politely and the smile was reciprocated.