Chapter 44

She curled up in a ball and buried her face in her knees thinking of every possible way she could have her old life back. It was too devastating. Because her parents weren't rich? Because she was an orphan? Or because she was too soft and never showed her anger? But she had no power over anything or anyone. She was controlled. She had to wait to be given orders. She had to wait till she was told to do something, all because of a life she wished not to have. She would choose a thousand times to have her old life back. Where she lived with her parents in their small world filled with joy and happiness. No disturbance, just peace. "Dalia? What are you doing here? What happened?" She heard his voice from no where. She slowly sat up and glanced at him with her bloodshot eyes. "Please take me home. I'm begging you." Her sobs increased, making him more panicked. He just arrived home from work even though it was the weekend, just to find her in the middle of the living room sobbing. "Get up let's go." She followed him out to the car. He found himself parking by the roadside when her sobs didn't stop and he kept asking but she ever responded. "Please just take me to any nearby car park, I want to go back to Kuje." He was perplexed for a minute. Amira did something, he mused. But what? What would dalia even do to her? "What did amira do to you?" He questioned her but she answered with another question. "Can you please just take me to the car park?" "I can't take you dalia. Why should I? What do you want me to tell daddy when he finds out you're not around or you went back home?" He threw the questions at her. "He doesn't have to know you were the one that took me there. Please just do me this favour. I want to go see my mother." He looked around the road as he sighed. "I will take you there but I have to call daddy first." He fetched out his phone but she shook her head. "He doesn't have to know, I don't want to get him worried." No one needed to know what has happened. Not even muhsin. All she wanted was to be with her mother, why can't he get it? She attempted to open the door but luckily he had locked it. "Where are you going?" He asked holding her wrist. She snatched it away. "Can you tell me what is going on please? What did amira do? I am confidently sure she has something to do with your panic attack." As if she was waiting, the tears came rushing down her rest already pink face. He stared at her face and observed the finger print on both her cheeks and some bruises on her neck. He swallowed hard, heart pounding against his chest. What would he do to amira now? What has the innocent girl done to her now. "I just want to see my mother. She is the only one that will calm me down and give me advices that I need. I.... I just need to see my mother now." He heard her say between tears. "If I take you there, you promise to tell me what happened and you will stop crying?" It was a tough one for her. If she said no he might not take her to go see her mother. If she said yes, it meant trouble for amira and more trouble for her. "I promise you no one will touch you again as long as I am there." As if he knew that was what she wanted to hear. She slowly nodded her head and he smiled. "I will take you there and come pick you up before maghrib." He started driving and did a U-turn. Like he promised, he dropped her off at their house in Kuje and left. She entered the house and met her mother on the weaved mat together with Amrah. They both scrambled up, alarmed when they just saw a human being appeared in the compound . Amina heaved a sigh, hands both on her chest. "Subahanallah, Dalia? What happened?" You didn't call and told me you were coming." She hugged her mother and placed her head on amina's chest, just what she needed first before she tells her everything. Amrah left the place knowing they needed some space. Amina sat her down as she asked her again. Dalia narrated everything that has been happening to her to what happened between her and amira. "Dalia, I am glad you told me this but all I can say is you should be more patient because I cannot just tell this man I want my daughter back after he had spend tons of money for your school and everything. That will be so unfair and like you said, he doesn't have an idea of what his daughter and her mother are doing to you right?" Dalia nodded her head as se sniffed. "Patience is all you need to do surely this will pass. No one said you will always be happy, dear. No one said your stay in Abuja was going to be a good one. Sure you have to go through some trails and all you need to keep doing is Du'a and exercise patience, that's the only solution." "But mama, I don't want to go back. That lady hates my guts and I don't know what I have done to her. She keeps saying that I am trying to snatch her husband away." Amina couldn't help but chuckle. She continued to say soothing words to dalia till she had stopped the tears and calmed down. She urged her to pray Asr before she ate her lunch and they continued conversing after Amrah had joined them.