The Child Bride – Copyright of AryEmber
CHAPTER EIGHT
The tick-tock of the wall clock continued in her head even after the time teller stopped working, she was lost in her thoughts.
“Get grip Ayisat!” she shouted at herself and stood up.
“Get grip Ayisat!” she shouted at herself and stood up.
Weariness was going to kill her first before her mother in law come to finish the job.
“I guess she can always throw out my corpse,” she murmured to herself.
“I guess she can always throw out my corpse,” she murmured to herself.
Ayisat sighed and went to the drawer beside the home theatre; she brought out a new pack of batteries and removed one of it. She walked back to the wall clock, stood on a stool and changed the old and exhausted battery.
Just as she came down and disposed the old battery, the house telephone rang.
Just as she came down and disposed the old battery, the house telephone rang.
“Hello brother Saliu,” she said, no need to wonder who it was, it could only be the gate man calling.
“Aunty Ayisat, there is a boy here who wants to see you.”
“Aunty Ayisat, there is a boy here who wants to see you.”
The word aunty still sound strange coming from him. It probably must be hard for him to call her that, a girl who was no more than his own youngest sister. It was an awkward situation but she decided she would continue to call him brother too, as she would if she was an outsider and not his boss.
“Which man is that brother?” she could not guess who that could be.
She knew no one from here and her husband didn’t tell her anything about entertaining a visitor before his return; if that were the case, even brother Saliu would know the man…..did he say boy?
“It’s a boy oh and he said his name is Ibraheem.”
“It’s a boy oh and he said his name is Ibraheem.”
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest on hearing the name. Which Ibraheem? Stupid question, who else did she knew bear that name if not her friend of three years ago.
Perhaps she was wrong, may be it was someone else….. It had to be! Not her friend, the friend she crushed over for two good years! Her only …..
“What should I do with him? Let him in or send him away?” the man asked, sounding impatient.
“No! p.. please, let him in and…..thank you brother Saliu.”
“No! p.. please, let him in and…..thank you brother Saliu.”
She dropped the phone and waited anxiously for her visitor, hoping and praying it was not him but this was not entirely true. She was having conflicting thoughts in her; a part of her want the visitor to be someone else, the other wanted him to be her Ibraheem.
The doorbell finally rang; she ran to the door and opened it fast.
The doorbell finally rang; she ran to the door and opened it fast.
“Hello Ayisat,” it was him.
She was shocked, so much that she could only stare at him. How did he find out where she lived?
“Can I come in?” he asked when it seemed like she had no intention of inviting him in.
She was shocked, so much that she could only stare at him. How did he find out where she lived?
“Can I come in?” he asked when it seemed like she had no intention of inviting him in.
Ayisat wanted to talk but it felt like her tongue was tied, she nodded quickly and stepped aside for him to enter; she closed the door after he did.
“This place is nice,” he said, looking around.
She nodded again, not sure what to say to that this time.
She nodded again, not sure what to say to that this time.
“H….how did you find me? Was my aunt?”
He shook his head. “No help from there trust me, she didn’t tell me much. All she kept saying was that I should stop looking for you cause you are now in a better place.”
He shook his head. “No help from there trust me, she didn’t tell me much. All she kept saying was that I should stop looking for you cause you are now in a better place.”
She watched as he kept looking round, so he was searching for her? For what?
“Faishat,” he turned back to her and said.
She was confused, what happened to her? She was about to ask when he explained.
She was confused, what happened to her? She was about to ask when he explained.
“She told me you are here now……married,” he hesitated before adding the last word.
“Oh! I see,” she didn’t really see anything.
“Oh! I see,” she didn’t really see anything.
“She is right though…..your aunt, you are in a better place. You look well Ayisat, not as I feared.”
“What were your fears? Tell me Ibraheem, where did you think I would be now…. Did you even care?!” she was angry now, how dare he come out of the blue now and start to judge her?
“What were your fears? Tell me Ibraheem, where did you think I would be now…. Did you even care?!” she was angry now, how dare he come out of the blue now and start to judge her?
“Of course I care! I thought of you always Ayi, always!” his voice was high too.
He should not call her that; another man was already fond of calling her that now.
He should not call her that; another man was already fond of calling her that now.
“Did you? When? Why did you think of poor orphan Ayisat? Was it when you were amidst your new friends? Was it when you were about to eat? Did you wonder if I had eaten anything at all?!”
“Ayi….” She cut him off.
“Ayi….” She cut him off.
“Don’t call me that! You left Ibraheem! You got the admission you’ve always wanted and left without looking back at your dear friend, now you come back looking at me like I am a bad person because I got married!” she didn’t realise she was already crying.
“Ayisat, I’m not looking at you that! I’m just surprised! What did you want me to do; I had to go to school!”
“It’s been three years! Three horrible years….” She couldn’t stop the tears from falling, she burst into tears.
“It’s been three years! Three horrible years….” She couldn’t stop the tears from falling, she burst into tears.
He closed the distance between and embraced her, she wept like a baby in his arms. All the tears she should have shed when told she would marry a man old enough to father her, when separated from her brothers. He shouldn’t have come back.
Ayisat cried hard, pouring out her pains with the tears. He didn’t not mind that she was messing up his shirt; he let her cried and consoled her as she did.
They stayed like that for a while till she stopped crying, she later disentangled from his embrace after she calmed down.
Ibraheem sighed. “I don’t know what to say Ayisat …….all I can really say is that I’m sorry.”
Ibraheem sighed. “I don’t know what to say Ayisat …….all I can really say is that I’m sorry.”
She cleaned her face and smiled weakly. “That was childish of me, blaming you when you’ve done nothing wrong really. You could not forfeit your admission just because my parent died; you did what you should have done. Thank you for thinking of me always and it is very thoughtful of you to visit me.”
He smiled. “Can I sit now? My feet are killing me.”
Ayisat burst into laughter; one could not guess she had been the one crying a moment ago.
“Silly me! Forgive my poor manners, please take a seat.”
Ayisat burst into laughter; one could not guess she had been the one crying a moment ago.
“Silly me! Forgive my poor manners, please take a seat.”
He did and muttered “thank you” to her.
“Do you want me to get you anything?” she asked.
“No……let’s just talk Ayisat, I have a lot to tell you and I want to hear everything you have to tell me too.”
“Do you want me to get you anything?” she asked.
“No……let’s just talk Ayisat, I have a lot to tell you and I want to hear everything you have to tell me too.”
She sat beside him. “Okay then, let’s talk. Tell me about your school, how is school life? How is it different from our secondary school? Do you have new friends? How many are they? What does it…..”
“Slow down Ayisat, I forgot how curious you can be sometimes.”
They talked and talked like they used to, Ayisat soon lost the number of times she laughed. She totally forgot her worries and poured out everything to him…… all these before the door suddenly opened.
They talked and talked like they used to, Ayisat soon lost the number of times she laughed. She totally forgot her worries and poured out everything to him…… all these before the door suddenly opened.
***********************
Khalid noticed the difference in the way his gatekeeper greeted him and wondered what was wrong with him. Saliu always asked how his trip was and tried to engage him in small talks but today, he hurriedly greeted him and him and went in.
He was glad though; he won’t have to stay back a bit and replied him, he was too tired anyways. Khalid thought he heard laughter when he got closer to the front door, he was convinced he heard right when the person laughed again.
Ayisat had her head thrown back in laughter when he opened the door but the moment he walked in, her laughter died.
He looked at her, from her to the person beside her. She brought a boy to his house? Did this girl know anything? No wonder Saliu behaved strange when he greeted him.
Ayisat stood up immediately and rushed to his side, the boy stood up too nervously.
“W…welcome back,” she managed to greet him.
“W…welcome back,” she managed to greet him.
“Good evening sir,” the boy bowed a little.
“Evening,” he hated the feeling rousing inside him.
“Evening,” he hated the feeling rousing inside him.
“This is Ibraheem, we w…want to the same school together,” Ayisat stammered out an explanation.
School friend? Or boyfriend? He shook off his thought; it should not matter to him any ways. He was dissolving this marriage as soon as he had the time.
School friend? Or boyfriend? He shook off his thought; it should not matter to him any ways. He was dissolving this marriage as soon as he had the time.
“How are you and your studies?” he extended his hand out for a handshake.
“F…fine, I’m doing fine sir.”
“F…fine, I’m doing fine sir.”
“It’s alright, you can call me Khalid,” he told him as they shook.
“Okay? Uhm, nice to meet you sir…. Khalid”
“Okay? Uhm, nice to meet you sir…. Khalid”
He forced a smile. “I hope Ayisat has welcomed you well?”
Ibraheem nodded. ”Yes Yes,” he repeated nervously.
Ibraheem nodded. ”Yes Yes,” he repeated nervously.
“Well then, you will have to excuse me now. It is good to meet you,” he said but he didn’t wait to hear what the boy had to say or allow Ayisat to take his suitcase up.
Ibraheem scratched his head. “I have gotten you in trouble, haven’t I?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. Khalid isn’t like that; he is nice actually and does not mind.”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. Khalid isn’t like that; he is nice actually and does not mind.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “You like him?”
The question took her off guard. “I….I just told you he’s nice to me and besides, he is my husband. Am I supposed to hate him?”
The question took her off guard. “I….I just told you he’s nice to me and besides, he is my husband. Am I supposed to hate him?”
He sighed. “I should go.”
“Yes….thanks for visiting.” She said nervously.
“Yes….thanks for visiting.” She said nervously.
“I will see you again Ayisat, that’s a promise,” he said before walking out.
Ayisat rested her body on the door the moment she closed the door after him, she closed her eyes.
“Am I not in deep trouble?”
Ayisat rested her body on the door the moment she closed the door after him, she closed her eyes.
“Am I not in deep trouble?”
**************************
She waited and waited for him to come down but he didn’t, he had not left the room since he came back and this worried her.
Ayisat had quickly warmed the soup and set his dinner on the table, with the hope that he would come down and eat like he normally did but he didn’t. He didn’t go his study room either like he does after his meal.
She wondered what he was doing up, why he had not come down for his food yet. Even if he was pissed at her, should that make him not come down for his food? Perhaps he was too tired to and was already sleeping.
Ayisat decided to go up and check, she left the dinning room and went up. She had not been to his room since he rejected her and since he travelled, not even to clean the place up.
“Come in,” he said before she could even knock.
She opened the door and walked in, closing the door after her. He was dressing up.
She opened the door and walked in, closing the door after her. He was dressing up.
“Are you going out?” she asked clearly surprised.
“Hmm,” he hummed and nodded.
“Hmm,” he hummed and nodded.
“Y… you just got back, are you not tired?”
“I won’t be going out if I am, don’t you think?”
She wanted to ask where he was going but decided against, she might anger him with the question.
“I won’t be going out if I am, don’t you think?”
She wanted to ask where he was going but decided against, she might anger him with the question.
“I prepared dinner and I have set the table, are you not hungry?” she asked.
“I will be fine Ayisat, go and eat if you are hungry.” He said and moved towards her, she was still at the door.
“I will be fine Ayisat, go and eat if you are hungry.” He said and moved towards her, she was still at the door.
Ayisat looked into his eyes, she could not read any emotions in them and she hated this. Was he angry? She had no idea! She swallowed hard and moved away from the door.
He opened the door, “don’t wait up for me,” he said before walking out.
He opened the door, “don’t wait up for me,” he said before walking out.
She was scared and confused; she was in trouble….definitely! He never reject her food, he always ate….always! She went to the window and watched as he drove out, she was screwed.
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