I woke up as early as possible. Today would be my first day being tutored by Farooq. I've been looking forward to today for so long. I prepared breakfast, washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. Saratu cleaned the main house with my help. At exactly 11am, I had bathed already. I used the oil perfume Hajiya Asiya bought for me. Wore a baggy pink t-shirt which stopped mid thigh, paired with a black leggings. Covered my hair with a head tie then jogged to the gazebo where the lesson is supposed to take place.

I sat down confidently waiting for him to come. Didn't hear when he came but his voice startled me. I stood up quickly beaming like some idiot.
I saw him look at me for a moment, then groaned irritatingly.

"Where's you book and pen?"

I blinked multiple of times realizing I look stupid, then I swallowed with a small smile.

"You have the time to bath and use perfume but you forgot you're going to read and write. From which part of the country did they ship a dummy like you from?" He glared at me. I felt the little hope I had for under him wash away from my heart. Tears brimmed my eyes but I didn't let it pour. I bit my lips so hard, I thought I drew blood.

"Go to Hajiya and tell her to give you a book and a pencil" Farooq gritted while typing away on his phone. I nodded with the little strength I had and slowly dragged my feet to the house. I heard him hiss and mumbled incoherent words as he dragged his chair.

Farooq left home the next day after we had our talk with Hajiya, I haven't laid my eyes on him, not until yesterday. His siblings came back a week before he finally agreed to come back. Alhaji baqi was also grumpy for a whole week. I made sure to stay clear. I didn't want him to shout at me the way he did to the security guard.

Hajiya Asiya was so happy he came back home. She even had his favorite dish prepared, which ended up untouched because of the yelling fit he had with his father. Alhaji had demanded he tell him why he didn't come back home with his siblings. Farooq stood his ground that he had things to attend to in school. We all stayed clear of both of them after their fight.

When I got back with the book and pen. He rolled his eyes seeing I stood.
"Sit down now! Will you?"

I did as instructed. After two good hours, I could only read alphabets A to G. I was finding it hard to identify them. They somewhat sounded alike to me. Farooq started getting irritated. He started yelling at me. I ended up having a crying fit.

"This things are like alif and Baa(alphabets in Arabic)" he yelled angrily.
"Shouting at her won't make her know it" Abdulhafiz came to my rescue.

"W..why don't y..you teach her y..yourself!" he said standing up angrily. I started crying harder. He stormed away leaving I and Ya Abdulhafiz.

"Don't cry yasmin. I'll teach you" Abdulhafiz said settling down. Before the end of the day i could identify A to D and that's because Abdulhafiz used Arabic alphabets to put me through.

"I wonder how Farooq talks to you without stammering. He can read a whole novel and not stutter once if he's reading it to you" Abdulhafiz said to me.
"Probably because, he hates me so much that he wants me to be intimidated by him" I replied snorting.

"Or maybe he likes you" Abdulhafiz said smiling. I actually started laughing hard. He watched me laugh with humour in his eyes.
"I don't know much about love. I've watched alot of movies and trust me, that's not how like works"

Ya Abdulhafiz smiled softly. "It would surprise you that everyone has a way of showing their feelings"
"And I am sure this is not the case" I replied smiling.

After that day with Ya Abdulhafiz, our lessons with Farooq always ended up with me crying and him angry.
But I did learn a little faster, because I wanted to impress Farooq so much. It's just that the alphabets don't feel like my thing. I did try but it's as if they travel to Antarctica after each lesson. I would not be able to recall most the things we've studied. Maybe because I could not comprehend English. It felt foreign.

We were through with another anger and crying session when Hajiya Asiya said to go get her some things from the mall. Apparently her 2 daughters were coming back home tomorrow and she's very sure they'd attack her provision and finish it in a night. She needed it to be reimbursed.

Farooq pleaded with his mum to let him go alone, that I was a pain in the butt, she refused and forced him to take me along. He frowned all through the way. He later got a phone call from whom I suspect to be a girl, because he was smiling like a loon. He didn't say much, just ehn, hmmm, mmmm and other sound filled answers. I felt a tingle of jealousy. He's never ever smiled with me. Just plain grunts and barked orders.

We got to the shop in no time. I stood behind him as he told them what he wanted to buy and they picked everything out for him.

They started adding up the money, i don't know what happened but i found myself focusing on it. They were about to add up the 7th item when the calculator started to misbehave. The guy hit it hoping it would work but no avail.

The guy asked the second sales boy to check for their spare calculator but they couldn't find it. He asked the guy to go to the next shop and borrow one but they said they were using it.

Due to this drama the guy forgot the amount he'd calculated the first time. Farooq was too busy with his phone to care. The list of things he had added together were quite much and he had already packaged them in a disposable bag. He was irked that he'd have to bring all the items down and start from the beginning again.

"It's 9850 naira" I said lowly. Farooq looked up with a frown wondering what I was talking about. He's always hated me mumbling.

"It's 9850 naira" I said again
The sales man looked puzzled, jonthel he continued adding up, I don't know how i did it but it felt as though i was adding 1 and 1 together. I calculated everything off head within 2minutes i was done. It felt normal to me but the way farooq and the other guy were looking at me, I became a bit scared.

"How the heck did you know how to add up things like this?" Farooq said breathlessly. I shrugged. He stared at me for a moment before paying up the bills. The goods were loaded in our booth then we headed home. Through out our drive back home, Farooq remained puzzled.

I did not set my eyes on Farooq for the rest of the day. He didn't come down for dinner and thankfully no one asked. I cleared the table, washed and dried the towel. Saratu cleaned the island and mopped the floor. We all slept off the moment our head hit our pillows.

I shot up fast breathing heavily. I had a very strange dream. I saw a woman patting my head, singing a lullaby. She laughed softly as she pinched my cheeks playfully. I felt as though something I've been missing my entire life came to check up on me. She called me a name, a name which I couldn't place after waking up.

I looked up at the clock on the wall. It was barely 12am. I slept around 10pm. I picked up my book and my pen. I know if I should switch on the light, saratu would wake up. So I left the room and went to the living room. Made myself comfortable on the sofa. I started writing down what I suddenly could remember from all of Farooq's lessons. Then I pointed and called out each alphabet and it's sound. I practiced it over and over. I could even say it and picture it offhand without looking at it. It suddenly started making sense.

I was ecstatic. I giggled a little then went ahead to write down the two letter words he had taught me today. I had no idea it was all in my head. I would pronounce the letter and the sound and make it into a single sound.

I had no idea an hour had passed with all my practice, not until I yawned tiredly. I needed a glass of water before going back to bed. I stood up and headed to the kitchen, I didn't need to switch on the lights as i already know where everything is situated.

I picked up a cup, opened the tap, the water filled the cup then I started gulping down the water as i made my way to the living room, I was by the door when when Farooq switched on the light making me choke. He looked startled too. I am very sure he got scared. Where the heck is he coming from. Why is he awake by this time? I started having a coughing fit.

"God! You scared the living daylights out of me. Why are you up by this time?" he whisper-yelled with a scowl.

I was still coughing, the water passed through my air trachea. It was painfully peppery. I eyed him angrily as the coughing subsided. He kept mute and mumbled a sorry.

"If you had switch on the lights, non of this would have happened for your information" he said walking to the kitchen to get God knows what. He couldn't even pat my back to make the pain go away. Jerk!!

When I felt better I walked to the living room, picked up my books. I was about to go back to my bed when he came with a bowl of popcorn. He saw how prepared I was to go back to bed.
"Would you like to watch a movie with me?" he offered popping a few popcorn into his mouth. I eyed him with disdain.
"No I don't" I said starting to walk away.

"It's not like you even understand what they are saying" he said scoffing. I paused, then stormed towards him. I looked up at him because he's really taller than me.
"You are very very mean and bitter" I seethed poking his chest.

He caught my finger and twisted it, making me tell in pain. I hid his chest with all the strength I could muster but he did not budge, instead he cocked a brow and flung my hands away.
"Don't ever try poking me. I am not your mate and I am not someone you want to get physical with" he said frowning.
"What will you do about it?" I dated moving dangerously close to him. I would simply cry if he beats me up but this bullying stops tonight.

He looked down at me, then sighed tiredly. I had placed my hand on my waist looking up with a big scowl on my face.
"I am sorry. I am being a jerk to you. I would really like it if you watch this movie with me. I don't want to watch it alone" he said nicely with a small smile. I can't believe he found me amusing. I wanted to say no, then I realized he was actually reaching out to me.

I nodded, then we settled down on the sofa as he played the movie. The person in the movie must have said something funny because Farooq laughed a little. I stared at him shamelessly. He looked breathtaking as he smiled. I wondered why he felt he isn't what he wants to be. I would kill to be as attractive as he is.

"You should laugh more often. You look finer when you do" I said making him look at me. He smiled again.
"I frown because I am always angry. I can not help it. I'm just so angry with my life and how it is. Everything would have been so much better if I was not this fair" he said looking straight at the TV. I felt my heart swell. I can not believe he was actually opening up to me.

"Do you know how many girls would bleach their skins to look like you? Being fair is what people like now. No one likes dark people" I stated trying to cheer him up. I heard him scoff.
"How ironic. I want to be dark. If they'd produce that cream, I'll be the first to buy it" he said turning his attention to me. I was lost in his eyes. Instinctively, I licked my lips as I stared at his. I saw him swallow. Then he quickly looked away breaking our few second trance. He fetched a handful of popcorn and stuffed his mouth with it. I guess the conversation is over. Neither of us said word again. We watched until I slept off. I could remember shuffling around me. And I could remember feeling someone's pals on my cheeks but I was too tired to actually care.

I was unable to understand a thing happening in the movie, I had watched their movements until I couldn't again. They were speaking English for God's sake. What would you have me do? I don't understand English. Ofcourse sleeping off is the best thing I can do for myself.

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