Hearts On Fire

Five: Decision

He was in his khaki, looking around the living room as he waited to see the place where Umma would come out from. He was in the office when she called him and asked him to come back home, that she was already at his house, and Al-mustapha had no oher choice but to do what she said, because he knew it was something huge, whatever brought Umma to his house. She walked out of his room and her head was held up high until she came to the living room and she sat down.

He sat down on the sofa beside her and crossed his legs, "Umma you called me while I'm in the middle of a serious meeting, I hope all is fine." He asked, but as he looked closely at her face, he read her facial expression and it was a mixture of different feelings. She was angry, nervous, and sad. What happened?

She crossed her legs as he did and looked directly into his eyes, because she knew that was the only way he could understand what she had in mind. "Because I stopped you from taking actions yesterday that's why you resort to not greeting me anymore? Al-mustapha, if you feel too proud of yourself because of the royal blood that runs through your veins, don't forget that I was in the royal bloodline long before you were born." She tilted her head upright so he could truly read her expression.

She pointed at his crossed legs and ordered, "Now, get yourself down and kneal before me. Greet me like every servant in the palace do, then we can proceed and talk."

Orders from Hadiza Muhammad Maiturare was something no matter how he couldn't feel or understand emotions, they were something he can never go against. And despite his khaki and the badge on his right breast that had 'Acp. Al-mustapha Muhammad Maccido', his knees went south and he knelt before her.

"Good morning, Mama Fulani, Allah shi kara maki girma da daukaka." He greeted, with his head hung down just like she ordered.

She didn't speak until she was fully satisfied with how he knelt before her and she cleared her voice, "Get back to your seat." he did, and she continued, "What I want you to always have in mind is, just because you're my son doesn't mean I won't punish you the royal way, I can be malicious, much more enigmatic than you could ever imagine. Now, what happened to your room? You came here and made a mess over what happened?"

He didn't argue, because that was struly what happened. If not because of Umma, he didn't know what he would have done to Fatima Zarah, but still, he was not going to relent. If she lived in the Sokoto that he lived, and she went to court, where he usually visited, their next meeting might have already been scheduled.

"Why don't you try atleast for once and be a normal human, Mustapha? Why did you have her locked up in the station just because she brushed off your shoulder unintentionally?! Mustapha do you know that's something only monsters could do?! Do you want to reveal your true self to the world?!!!" Whenever she called him Mustapha with a harsh tone, he knew it was the end of it. He had done something that was surely unacceptable, not just in the royal house, humanity at large.

He still didn't speak, and she continued. "Who the hell you are that you won't be brushed off on? When someone bumped into you and mistakenly knock you down, will you send that person to the prison or you'll kill him right in the spot? Look, Al-mustapha, you aren't anybody until you fight for what is truly yours, and what happened yesterday might get along your pursuit!"

"Umma..." he began to speak but she cut him off immediately. "Haven't I told you that it's unethical when elders are talking and you talk right back at them? How many times do i have to teach you the way of live, Al-mustapha? Do you want us to start over? From the way a smile looks, sadness and everything?" He quickly shook his head, and she took a breather before she continued.

"The elders of the palace have called me yesterday about what happend, and I made a decision. You can't go against it if you want the seat of the caliphate. You must do as I say, get back what is rightfully yours! Fight for the Seat Of The Caliphate, Al-mustapha Muhammad Maccido!" Sometimes, she had to become a thunder, scaring off the demons of his sky until he understood what she meant, and now was among the times she had to be that bad mother to him.