That night the whole family gathered in the parlor and were talking about fun times, experiences and ofcourse the bad days. Farooq nowhere to be found. He locked himself up in his room the moment we got back. Came out to pray magrib. The cunning guy used the back door, in a bit to avoid every one. The weather took another turn this night and everywhere was cold. I decided to make hot tea.

I was waiting for the water in the electric jug to boil when I heard Alhaji's voice.

"where is that boy? Why does he keep excluding himself from family time. It is important to know your family better. I thought when he was little, it had been a phase, and that he would outgrow it. But it seems, he's very comfortable being by himself"

I did not hear a reply from Hajiya. It's either she's got nothing to say to him or she just doesn't care. I heard Saratu say something but I couldn't comprehend because of the clanging of the utensils I was using to make tea.

"I don't have time for his childishness.  He will be 20 soon, the earlier he stops behaving like a child, the better for him" Alhaji Baqi said.
I made my presence known by a small greeting. After handing the tea cups to their respective owners, I dropped the tray on the centre table knowing they would all drop their empty cups in it.
I decided to go to my room, not wanting to feel like an intruder. As I slowly stepped away from the parlor, grinning in my head about successfully making an exit without being noticed.

"Going to bed Yasmin? Can Farooq on your way" Alhaji Baqi said.
I froze for some seconds before dreadfully dragging my legs to my his room. Must i always be in the middle of Farooq's drama? I really don't want to go close to him. He's so intimidating. He's bossy and very rude and outstandingly handsome.

Wait a minute! Why is Farooq handsome to me?

I shrugged off that statement before knocking on his door. So i knocked again, and again and again. I kept praying he's asleep. He makes my insides coil with anticipation and want.

"Y..your room is t... that way" Farooq stated startling me from behind. My mouth clamped itself shut. I had to clear my throat. He stood there watching me like some alien. 

"First of all, I wouldn't knock to enter my own room. Secondly, Baba said to call you" I relayed with a plastic smile. I saw him roll his eyes.

"Tell....h... him I'm s.....sleeping and i didn't o... open the d....door" he replied shoving me aside, making attempts to open his door.
"I will not do that. I'll tell him you said i should say all this" I replied angrily.

It's one thing to cover up and another to lie. I will not take part in this drama. I'll simply convey the message and go to bed. I don't even know where all my courage is coming from. I felt the need to keep talking. Hoping he might listen to me.

"He's your father for God sake. Will it kill you to obey him without irritating him. You're always pushing everyone away. What is wrong with_"

He grabbed my arms squeezing it. I yelped as he squeezed tighter making it more painful. His veins popping. He looked mad. I guess even saratu will not talk to him that way. His face inches away from mine. For some reason I wanted him to bring his face closer to mine, to kiss me. I had the strong urge to feel his lips on mine. I wasn't comprehending anything he was saying. He was definitely spewing threats but I wanted him to come closer to me. His cologne piercing my nostrils. I inhaled deeply as I stared at his mouth moving not comprehending a word.

"Leave her alone farooq. What is wrong with you. Is that how to treat a lady. I'm disappointed in you" Hajiya Asiya exclaimed whisper yelling, maybe she saw this coming, that's why she came looking for us herself.

Immediately he stopped panting angrily and it was as if he realized he was squeezing my poor hand. He quickly let it go. I could see regret paint up his face. He looked in my eyes, thinking I would be mad but I saw confusion on his face when he saw how lost I looked. I massaged where he held me slowly.

"I told you to control that stupid anger of yours. You're scaring the poor girl" Hajiya Asiya said tapping her feet. He turned towards me, his expression soften, he came closer and I took a step backwards immediately. If he comes any closer to me again, I might propose to him.

"Y... Yasmin I'm.... r..really sorry. I.... I... wasn't thinking.... I..I.. am sorry. I... I... p..promise not to do i...it again" he pleaded. I nodded slowly staring at the floor. I was still surprised as to why one would pent up a drum of anger waiting to dump it on anyone willing to get a bucket full.

"Let's go hear what your father has to say to you" Hajiya Asiya said patting his back. He nodded and looked at me one more time before moving. I followed suit still slowly rubbing my sore hands.

We all walked back to the sitting room. Alhaji Baqi looked up and gestured for us to sit down. He started his speech about how they promised to look after me and send me to school. While I helped around.

They all listened with keen interest as he tells us what we already know. I have no idea why grown ups love repeating the same thing over and over again.

"Farooq, Abdulhafiz told me you'll be finishing exams in the next 2 weeks. I have assigned you to tutor yasmin. I know the girls will be back in 3 weeks time and a new session starts in just a months time, so..... "
"W...why not Abdullahi, w.. we all know h... he's s...smarter than all of us?" farooq cut him off.
I could hear everyone sigh. It's as if they had many experience of the arguments this two have had. Their facial expressions were "i know what will come next "

"Here we go again" saratu said sadly.

"Keep quiet my friend! We all know you deliberately fail your courses to piss me off. Do you think we are all stupid. This is not a request, its an order" Alhaji Baqi yelled angrily.

"I... I will not t... teach her a.. anything. I... I don't w... want to and you c... cannot f... force me" he said standing up.

"Sit down farooq or i descend on you. Asiya have you seen what you have caused. You pampered this child and now he's talking back at me as though I am not his father" Alhaji Baqi said looking at his wife who wore a bored expression.
"D....don't talk t... to her l... like t... that. I...it's your f..fault for g...giving b.. bir.......

I quickly intervened before someone says something he would regret.
"If it's because of me. Please don't worry. I tend to understand things easily. Just take me to school......
I said so they'd stop bickering.

"You?" coldest laughed humorlessly. Veins popping. Eyes bulged out. I regretted speaking immediately. Saratu was shaking her head sadly at me. It's clear she was trying to sympathize with me for involving myself.

"You don't know anything, this was here before you were even conceived. And why am i explaining myself to you. You don't deserve an explanation so stay out of it" Farooq yelled at me. Making me shudder.

"Farooq, what did i tell you about talking to anyone when you're angry" Hajiya Asiya said angrily. I guess she's had enough of his drama for a day. She masked the anger with sadness immediately. That seemed to get Farooq's attention.

Like magic, he calmed down. He stopped talking used his hands to brush his head and he walked to the direction of his room. The he stopped.
"I'll t..teach her aa...after exams" he said calmly.

I was dumbfounded. How could he be so angry with everyone in the room.
Everywhere was quiet for a moment before Alhaji Baqi turned his attention to his wife.

"Asiya, what you're doing is harmful. Look at the way he's blabbering rubbish and you just let him....
"Bello, I've told you several times, talk with your son and try understanding him. He's been through a lot" she explained sitting down.

"I will not. If you'll excuse me" he said leaving also. At that moment I realized, I missed Runji, there's drama but this one is rather disturbing. The frustrating part is, I've spent less than 4 months here and look what I'm going through. When there's a fight at home, the counterparts are called upon and everyone is asked to relay their side of the story.

From hearing both sides, the one with the fault would easily acknowledge his fault and voila! Everything is patched. They're all so angry here.

Hajiya Asiya smiled at us. Abdullahi was already shaken up. I noticed he gets emotional easily.

"Did you notice Farooq spoke to yasmin without stammering" Well that got our attention as we all kept mute to think about it. Of course he did. But what was so special about it?

Saratu grinned widely. As the other 2 did. I was lost so I smiled a little.
"It means he's not mad at her. So she can try and get through to him" Hajiya Asiya said confusing me a whole lot more.

Get through to him?

I laughed in my head. Farooq would tear me into pieces if I dare myself into annoying him. I don't want to be anywhere close to him. Learning from will be hell. With the rate at which he gets angry, I am so sure he will murder me from the very first session. Hajiya sat up straight gaining our attention. We all faced her, waiting to hear what she wanted to say.

"Farooq is going through a rough phase. He believes he was cheated different, he believes God shouldn't have created him. Not because he isn't grateful but because he wants to be dark. Like the rest of his family so, they might accept him" Hajiya Asiya said calmly. I scrunched my face because it doesn't make sense. I would kill to be as handsome and attractive as he is as a guy.

"Mama we all know that. But this is something non of us can fix. This is something God ordained. Who dares question God?" saratu answered  exasperatedly.
I shrugged. We all knew the answer to her rhetorical question.

"That's why you should give him time. And I feel, non of you is trying hard enough. If you ask him to come eat and he says no you just let him be. Stop trying to coerse him into eating with you. I've watch you for 19 years and I've noticed non of you respect his space" Hajiya Asiya explained again. That actually made me nod. I could swear everyone from this family does not respect boundaries.

"Mama, he practically doesn't give us time to plead with him. Instead, he says no and bang his door. With no regard whatsoever for our feelings" Ya Abdulhafiz complained. I related his statement to a scenerio of mine.
I took notice that his room is his life. He doesn't want you to even touch the wall of his room. The time he almost pounce on me for using his bathroom remains fresh in my memory.

"He's shy..... " Hajiya Asiya started to say but was cut off.

"He's mean and very rude. He won't even care we are older than him, he'd open the door and ask us if we don't have anything to do with our time." Abdulhafiz said furrowing his eyebrows.

I kept shut listening to what everyone has to say about this current issue.
"I understand how you feel about his behavior but try harder. I urge you to. Farooq is a very good person. He's just hurt. Do you know how hurtful it is not to be accepted? Do you know how it pains not to feel wanted in a place. To feel inferior?" Hajiya Asiya asked the four of us.

We shook our heads indicating we did not know.

"Do you know that farooq has lived all his life trying to get accepted? He's angry with his dad because he thinks if he never met his mum, we all wouldn't be having this conversation. He's mad at you guys because you were lucky enough to be dark. He's angry with his dad again because Alhaji was not here to mend his broken heart when your father's family insulted and jeered at him. I was the one that's always been around to console him when he hid away to cry. That's why he defends me" Hajiya Asiya relayed lowly.

"There was a day, Farooq and I went to the family house, thinking mama Luba and the rest had gone for a family friend's wedding. Well to my greatest surprise they were all around. I wanted to go back home, I thought about it then decided to say hello and leave. You all know your Aunt. She kept badmouthing the poor boy. Others joined calling his dead mom a husband snatcher. Saying all sort of things to the poor boy. I was heartbroken when I saw my 12 year-old Farooq crying as they threw insults to him and his mother" she paused as if she was trying to shake off the bad memories.

"I made sure I reported them to Baba Baqi before leaving" she smiled painfully.

"When we got home, my poor boy used the oil paint, painted himself black. Starting from his head down to his legs" she said again. I was already sniffing by then. I had no idea it was this bad.

"I bathed him and I told him that he was the most prettiest person I've ever seen. I told him, I would protect him. I told him it was I and him against the world" she said looking at all of us. I noticed saratu was weeping as Abdullahi and Abdulhafiz were as quiet as the night.

"I didn't tell you this because I didn't want you to pity him..."

"Did you inform Baba about this? " Abdullahi asked after clearing his throat.
"I only told him to have a talk with his son. I told him, his son needed him but your father kept postponing that talk, and here we are today. Seven good years passed and the rift between them is something only the almighty can mend" she concluded wiping her tears. I felt bad for Farooq nontheless. I had no idea he was grieving. I had no idea he was in so much pain. With a heavy heart, I decided I will bury the hatchet and be as nice as I could to him.