Chapter Five

           IT WAS ALREADY PAST ISHA time when Fatiha announced that she was leaving the Madaki's residence. Nooriya had fallen asleep a few minutes in to the movie. Even though they hadn't spoken a word during those few minutes, Fatiha had felt more alone after her friend hit the sack.

They say an idle mind is the devil's workshop; Fatiha's mind was anything but idle, however, it was definitely the devil's workshop. The thoughts came back like an explosion, causing her to be sick to her stomach. She hadn't been able to eat more than the single cookie Nooriya had handed her during the beginning of the movie for fear of throwing up.

By the time the end credits were rolling in, she realized for the first time that she hadn't sympathized with Jo March like she always did everytime she re-watched the movie. Nooriya woke up apologetic, then promised to make it up to Fatiha and that she did.

Fatiha thought her friend was trying too hard but her honest efforts were more appreciated than she could ever know. For the rest of the day they talked about everything and anything, keeping away from talks about Faisal, and for the first time in a while Fatiha felt relaxed. However, that ended when Hussaina Ibrahim called out to her son.

"Na'am?"

Munir trudged into the kitchen cladded in a grey sweat shirt and softly wrinkled sweatpants. His eyes which were slightly bloodshot and hooded from sleep perked up the moment they landed on Fatiha.

Caught staring, Fatiha flinched then quickly darted her gaze from him to his mother, but not before she caught the curve of his lips. She didn't like the look in his eyes one bit.

"Fatiha," Munir called, his soothing voice thick with the evidence of his slumber. "Asalamualaykum."

"Wa'alaykum salaam." Fatiha responded quietly without sparing him a glance. She was suddenly reminded again of the time she'd spent with him in Abuja. There was no way on earth she was going to let herself be alone with him again, she vowed.

"You look well." Munir noted, cutting into her thoughts.

Fatiha turned her head slightly to look at him, not sure what he'd meant by that. He grinned when he saw that he'd gotten her attention.

"How have you been?" he asked, settling his six-foot fit self down onto a kitchen stool so close to the one she was seated on. "After what happened the last time we met, I've been hoping to run into you again."

Fatiha opened her mouth to tell him to keep quiet, but Nooriya beat her to it. "She's not here for you. Never will be." His sister told him off with crossed eyes. A funny look behind her cat rimmed glasses.

"Ouch." He feigned hurt, that lone dimple popping as he grinned. "I think my heart just got broken. Is that right, Fatty? You didn't come to see me?"

"What do you think?" Fatiha reiterated without looking at him as she clambered off the stool. He was way too close for civilized discussions. Not that they ever had such a thing to begin with.

Under the kitchen's bright light, she could see how light the brown of his eyes were; like a pool of freshly produced honey. She also noticed how long and thick his eyelashes were and she found herself tracing them as they grazed his high cheekbones ever so softly whenever he blinked. His was straight and aligned unlike her curled and messy ones.

Under the florescent light, Fatiha was able to notice details she hadn't before. Munir had a scar on the side of his nose. It was small and barely noticeable but it was there and if it was anymore bolder it would have ruined the near perfection of his handsome face. But it had his once straight nose. The scar, she figured could have been from a punch because she remembered Munir having a long and straight nose. Now it was crooked.

Fatiha found herself surprised that she liked how the scar gave his too boyish features a fierce look. She was also intrigued by how he'd gotten it and was so close to asking for a tale.

"Exactly my point," Nooriya piped in, the sharpness of her voice jerking Fatiha from her musings.

Startled by her train of thoughts, Fatiha cleared her throat and blinked to get the image out of her head but it was smeared in her brain, unwilling to move. She looked up and found Munir watching her intently with a gaze she'd never seen on him before. She felt an unfamiliar tingling sensation deep in her stomach before sweeping her gaze up to his sister.

"And what do you mean the last time you met?" Noor was still talking. "The last time the both of you even got close to each other was ages ago." She looked between her brother and friend, then paused on her friend with a quirked brow. "What is he talking about?"

Yet again, Fatiha was slow in responding.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Munir looked elated as he related to the listening audience the story behind his and Fatiha's latest encounter which was just weeks ago, leaving behind their journey to the suya joint and the context thereof.

Fatiha felt her tightened muscle ease in relief when he kept that part to himself.

However, Hussaina Ibrahim was getting thrilled by the current situation, and she was getting thrilled fast. "Have the both of you started talking then? Did you make up already?" She beamed.

None of them replied to the question. Fatiha glanced over at Munir and saw that the playful gleam in his eyes had evaporated. He was probably reminiscing the end of their get together just as she was. He hadn't given Noor the information she'd asked for, so it meant Fatiha still owed him and Noor didn't know a thing.

"You didn't say anything," Noor pointed out. "Did you guys really meet?" she enquired. 

Fatiha nodded once but waved dismissively. "It wasn't important," she said. "Besides, you know I have other things to worry about. It completely slipped my mind. We only ran into each other, but that's it." She looked discreetly at Munir hoping he got the message she was sending his way. When he checked out her statement, Fatiha once again breathed in relief.

Noor had on such a flat look, Fatiha didn't know what to make of it. But then her voice cut through the stillness as she warned, "Stay away from my friend, you bully. We had an agreement; you stay away from my friends and I'll leave those dummies you call friends alone."

"Nooriya." Their mother rebuked. "Don't talk about your brother's friends like that."

"But that's what they are, dummies." Noor grumbled with a glower directed at her brother, but then she sighed and mumbled something about being respectful when her mother pinned her with a look as identical as the one she had just given her brother. Pocketing her phone, Noor got down from the tiled counter where she had been seated as she announced, "I'm going with them just in case. I'll be right back, let me go put on my hijab."

"There's no need, I can drop her off alone just fine." Munir argued after his sister. 

"You're still a non-mahram. Plus she needs a wali and a friend." Noor yelled as she hurried down the corridor. Munir looked to his mother for backup.

The older, darker, and calmer version of Nooriya shrugged in resignation. "She's right, Munir." She told him as she scooped out a pounded mix of fresh pepper, onion, ginger, garlic and crayfish from a small wooded mortal and into the pan of heated groundnut oil. "If people see only the both of you together this late, they'll talk. And you know how people like talking here. It's best if your sister goes with you."

Fatiha didn't know she had been holding her breath until her friend's mother spoke up. She released the air with a whoosh gratefully. She didn't like the idea of being seen alone with Munir one bit herself. The thought alone made her shudder. What would Faisal say if he ever found out? Faisal was usually calm, but as was normal he was also a very jealous person.

Once during Eid he had ignored all her messages. Fatiha had gone to Kano with her sisters to visit a sick auntie and there she'd met Salman, one of her male cousins whom she had always been close with as a kid but had grown out of touch with. Since they had barely seen each other for years, Fatiha had used the three days journey to bond with him. And since Salman was older, he had treated the girls to movies, lunch and other fun activities. Unknowingly, Madinah, Fatiha's younger sister had posted a picture she had taken of both of them laughing and pointing at a monkey in a zoo on WhatsApp.

Faisal had given her the silent treatment for about a week before finally telling her how he hated seeing her smiling with other guys. He had even made sure she deleted every picture she'd taken with her cousin, saying if he could delete him from her life he would have done it. And Fatiha believed he would have done it had he been privileged to and even though it disturbed her, she was sure she would have listened because she loved him and because he loved her.

"Why can't people here mind their own business?"

Munir's grumbled words in their native tongue had Fatiha turning to him. The earlier unknown expression she'd seen on his face was gone, but it had been replaced with something else. He had his elbow propped on the table with his chin cradled in the palm of his hand as he stared back at her. The sides of his lips were turned down and there was something close to frustration in his eyes.

Fatiha swallowed, unnerved by the nameless look he had on. "You don't have to drive me home. I can go by myself, it's not even that far." She told him, hoping desperately in her mind that he would also agree. He didn't.

The frustration fled and steel determination replaced it. "Oh, but I do. I do want to drive you home."

"I'm serious. You really don't have to." Fatiha tried again.

"Oh, Fatiha!" The older woman chastised, hitting the stew coated spatula in her hand against the pot cover with a grimace. "Let him drive you. Ever since he came back he has only been sleeping and has nothing to do. I would have appreciated it if he could stay out longer but it is late already. Maybe next time. Just let him drive you home, kinji?"

Fatiha shifted her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably, her eyes darting from a pleading mother to her excited kid. With a sigh of resignation and only because she couldn't disobey an elder, Fatiha said, "Alright."

Besides, she thought as she chewed on her bottom lip, what could happen with her close friend right by her side?

***
Asalamu alaykum guys! I know, it's a super, super late update. I'm so sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long, I hope you can forgive me and I hope you enjoy the chapter. I'll try my best to write more, Insha Allah.

Stat safe
Ma salaam 😘