I'm going MIA after thisssssss

ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

"Maah, a parcel is out here for you!" Adda mama yelled out from downstairs and heard Fatima bouncing down quickly as if she's been waiting for that news since. Adda mama shook her head, Fatima won't change.

"Where is it?" She beamed at the sight of the man outside watching her in awe, his mouth hanging open. She is wearing her husbands uniform, the blue camo he didn't wear that day to office and legging underneath.

The man gave her a notepad to sign on them handed her the parcel with the logos of Hair Loss Topical kit, TCB naturals Indian herbs hair food. Her hair remedy is finally here! She's been waiting since morning after Ahmad received a phone call that what they've ordered is here in Nigeria and it will arrive any moment. Adda mama is leaving the house to go to her own house in two days, her stay there is over because she is imposing herself on the couple. Thought Fatima had stopped her, she cannot just stay knowing Fatima is now her in law and they need privacy for their honeymoon phase.

"My hair is going to grow long now, Adda mams. Just wait and see, it's going to be longer than yours in no time." Fatima bounced on her feet staring inside the leather bags in her hand with shiny eyes. She cannot wait to start applying then and see how they are going to work magic on her head.

Adda mana grinned back at her. "I hope it gets longer than those Indians, dear. Just use it well and not excessively because that won't be the reason it grows longer." She laughed at Fatima's frown though both of them know she's right. Fatima will apply too much of it thinking that is what she needs to do to get her hair flying all around her back or floor.

She ran back to the room where Ahmad is currently attending to a meeting with his laptop. He stared at her excited face the the leather bags in her hand before giving her a thumbs up then face his laptop again. She sat down on the carpeted floor and opened everything out. There is a transparent rubber filled with avocado, egg, honey, castor oil, and coconut oil and on top of it Natural hair mask is written and how she is going to make the mask. Must they send that for her? They could've just have it written down and she will look for the things here in Nigeria but that means lesser work for her. She doesn't go to the market and sending Asabe with this will be a problem.

Another larger transparent rubber is also present there with a bit more different stuff inside but almost the same as the smaller one. Avocado, eggs, castor oil, olive oil, Argan oil, mayonnaise, banana and honey. Instruction is also written so she took the paper and read thoroughly before taking the items downstairs to have them made. She did it step by step with the help of Adda mama then put the paste back inside the rubber. The smell isn't unpleasant which is a bonus because she would've put anything on her head to get it to grow whether it smells like cow's shit or the horse's stable. That's the limit of her obsession for longer hair, just that.

She went back to the room, Ahmad is just rounding up his phone call. She went to the en-suite and place both rubbers inside one of the many rows of cabinets in the bathroom then went outside and bounced on the bed like a child. She beamed at him when he turned around with a perplexed smile on his face wondering why she is so happy and excited to keep hopping up and down like a kangaroo. But whatever it is, he is sure it will make him happy too since a joyous Fatima is equivalent to a happier Ahmad. If it makes her ecstatic, it makes him enthusiastic.

"What's behind such large smile." He settled on the bed after closing his laptop and placing it on the table.

A much larger one formed across her lips if possible then she took the leather bags she's placed on the bedside table and position it in front of him. "The hair remedy. I've already made the paste, it's in the bathroom and I'll use it later before I go to sleep."

Ahmad surveyed the items and read briskly through what is written behind then settle them back inside the leather bags. He groaned inwardly, if this really works then he sure as hell will miss her short hair. Is there anything that will stop her from using these things for a bit longer? He drew her closer and snatch away her head tie from her head, viewed her hair with longing then sheltered his fingers in the depths of them. He buried his face in her hair and smelled the lavender and vanilla shampoo she's been using which is going to change soon with the new ones she's bought.

"I love your hair like this." He mumbled into her hair, his hands taking their position around her stomach feeling how rapidly she is breathing at the effect of his hands around her.

Fatima huffed as if that's the funniest joke she's heard the whole year. "That is what you'll say to make me feel better but there is no way I'm going to let an opportunity slide just like that. I'm going to keep praying it gets longer, I hate my hair like this." She kvetched, her hand flying to touch her short hair in contempt.

"The last thing I'll do is lie to make you happy, you know that." She rolled her eyes in agreement. The man said it to her face that she always looks ugly whenever she is wearing anything other than pink, that's a lie of course but she almost believed him.

During night time, Fatima didn't forget to take out the hair creams and sit down on the carpeted floor while Ahmad occupied the edge of the bed, both his legs around her as she yawed her back to him. She gave him the two creams that are supposed to be massaged from root to tip and he began the operation with vigor. They were talking about everything and nothing when he slipped in between their past and ask about her own. It was quiet in the room, he expected her to stay like that for the rest of the hair massage session but she surprised him when she started.

"There is nothing much about my past to be honest. You know my mother is not here, my father loathes me and that is just it about me. I was a bitter child, I still am to be very honest. I get tempted to snatch away other people's happiness once in awhile but it hasn't occur in a long time, that doesn't mean I've changed. I hate the sight of happy people though I'm now being a hypocrite since I'm always happy nowadays. That's it." She shrugged her shoulders, hitting his calf so he can continue with the massage. He's paused thinking she was going to tell him everything.

"No, you don't wish to talk about it and I understand. Your past can't just be said in just a few words, my love. Depleted eyes, those were the first things I noticed the very first day I met you. Your eyes were blank, empty and lonely, I knew instantly that your past wasn't easy and all you are doing is venting it out on innocent people." He continued, his fingers gliding in her scalp in oily pills making her sleepy.

Fatima thought, what is there about her past that she won't be able to talk about? It's filled with pain and that is it. She is over everything that has happened to her and maybe this is what she needs, opening up to let it go. She is about to graduate and she knew that after that graduation, things are going to change rapidly because she won't be the other Fatima Musa Babagana but another one from another realm. She is willing to sacrifice a lot of things for the sake of her feelings, for the sake of her husband. She won't run away from herself anymore, done with that.

Biting back a yawn, she blinked her hazy sleepy eyes and stretched her legs a bit to keep her exhausted self energized for the next few minutes. "When I was four, I knew I had a brother named Rashid, we were extremely close. More than twins are to one another actually... don't think that's untrue because I sometimes still feel the connection I had with him those years ago and trust me, had he been alive now, I would die for him so he can continue to live.

"Well, we went to the pool at the back of Babagana mansion, it's filled up now because of the terrible thing that's happened there almost twenty years ago. As I was saying, my mom and dad were busy trying to get us a plate of sandwich inside the house forgetting that we were still just kids. Rashid was six years old then. He fell inside the water more like tried touching the water with his hands and fell inside in process. I started cheering him in baby voice, I think that was what I was doing until no bubbles were coming up from the water and Rashid was nowhere in sight." Fatima widened her eyes and flared her nose to stop the tears from rolling down and it worked successfully.

There is no day she would think about her brother that she won't cry herself to sleep. She's missed him so much. Had he been alive, her life wouldn't have been as rough and dirty as it is. She would've had loving parents and a perfect family filled with protective males since she can remember how possessive her father was of both his children and wife. The little fragments of good memories faded away from Fatima's head leaving behind the broken ones that will forever torment her life. She's tried conjuring good memories with her parents but it just wouldn't stay in her head, they're hallucinations.

Ahmad's continuous probing in her head got her lips moving to spill out some more. "My parents came back when I was trying to fall inside the water to search for Rashid, my dad stopped me. He jumped inside the water and brought out a limp Rashid from the water, I started clapping my hands again and cheering. My mom was shouting, my dad hurrying out of the garden to his car with my mother and me hot on his tails. Before they entered the car though, a woman stood by the side and smiled at them then they exchanged few quarrels and my father entered the car with my mother leaving the woman watching us leave for hospital.

"I don't know what's happened after that, I was distracted with something I think because the next thing I know is my mother sitting on the hospital floor crying while I sit on the waiting chair staring cluelessly around. My dad was standing beside the waiting chair with his forehead placed on the cool wall. I was just four! I am not supposed to remember every single detail but it was stuck in my head. I couldn't remember when we were so happy but the painful ones..." she trailed off and dropped her forehead on her knees which she's brought up to her chest.

Ahmad stilled, his hands midair since she's jerked her head away from his hold. There are times when someone needs a hug and times when someone needs to be jeered, Ahmad is clueless though. What should he do? Cuddle her in his arms? Then she won't be able to let it out again.

"Or maybe because you are just too stubborn to remember. Or you're more into pain like... bdsm?" He commented dryly, carrying her up from the floor and place her gently on the bed still in her position.

She let out a wet chuckle from her knees then look up, clean her face up with her shirt and continue while rocking herself to and fro. "No one wants pain."

Ahmad readily gave back a sassy reply she would've given had he been in her place. "I just mentioned a certain group of people that enjoy pain if you haven't noticed."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, police officer. As I was saying, they were distraught and then we went home. My mom started talking about murder, I didn't know what she was saying, sucking my thumb while waiting for Rashid to wake up from sleep since I wasn't sleepy or I would've gone to him. Then they were yells from every corner of the house. My mom and dad calling someone murderer then all their eyes focus back on me. They accused me of killing my brother! My only brother! They had the nerve to call me a murderer, a four year old child!"

Fatima swallowed thickly because this is the part that makes her angry. "My brother was bathed and wrapped in white shroud, I asked the woman that washed him to do the same thing to me but she only let out few tears and shook her head. People pooled into our house for the next few days. My parents wouldn't stop calling someone a murderer in the house, their eyes on me all the time. As I grew older, around five to understand that I can ask my teacher if I don't understand something, I asked her what murderer was and she told me.

"Whenever they call me murderer, I would cry very loud and call out for Rashid but he won't appear." A sob wracked her whole body, her tears rushing down like they were chased by the devil. She couldn't hold back the heart wrenching sounds from her throat something close to someone swallowing their own heart. She started shivering, hiccuping and sobbing continuously, Ahmad quickly gathered her in his arms and rock her. He smoothened her oily hair back and rub his palm all over her back.

When the sobs subsided and she could finally listen to her own mind, she opened her mouth. "Rashid was nowhere to be found and the louder I shout out his name, the louder their voices accusing me of taking him away from them. As if they weren't the ones that were irresponsible leaving two little children around water, a pool nonetheless. And then few months later, my mom rolled down two suitcases and left the house, eyes staring daggers at me while my father stared blankly at her." Fatima rolled her head on Ahmad shoulder, her eyes facing upward but tears rolled from the sides and onto his shirt.

"It's alright, hush... you're safe now. You never murdered anyone, shush, my love. Everything is fine now... just breath in and out." Ahmad continue in a soft voice that startled her inner Jedi, she's never heard his voice sounding this soft and gentle.

"She left us and dad started traveling more often then one day brought a woman to our house with two children. I recently found out that I'm still his only daughter and Aalia and Ziyaam are my step siblings. He never told me that neither did the witch. There was never another good interaction with my father again."

It was silent in the room, Fatima now crying in a tight ball in Ahmad's arms as he whispered motivations in her ears. "Never fear, Allah is here. You felt that your life was meaningless and that was why you started reestablishing your connection with Allah, that's what He wanted you to do so everything will make sense. Can't you see what He's done for you? He is merciful, forgiving and beneficent." He kissed her forehead, lingering a little bit longer because she's confessed liking him doing that.

Fatima smiled despite herself, Allah indeed is great. Even when you are going through the toughest trials, He is weaving through something good for you. He can change the most hopeless situations into the best ones, that's Allah, the wisest. Fatima snuggled some more into Ahmad, absorbing more of his body heat to her slightly shivering form. She likes how he is consoling her. Not saying anything too sweet but doing his best to make sure she is not crying needlessly. He wants her to cry but not the type that will cause her headache, her stomach filled up again with those damned butterflies spreading their wings, fluttering.

"I hope you will stop shifting around because... Oh God! For goodness sake sit still." He scolded, his voice smeared and betraying what he is hiding, freaking arousal! What a man, Fatima shook her head with a perplexed giggle. He is always active, on God.

She chuckled and close her eyes trying to bring forth the sleep she's abandoned when she decided to let out few words that elicited full blown breakdown and tears. "Say something sweet to me. Praise me. You've never done that, you know. And husbands are supposed to always make their wives feel good about themselves."

Ahmad grinned ready to obey mainly because she's emotional, something she's never allowed anyone to see. "There is nothing on earth more beautiful to me than your smile... no sound sweeter than your laughter... no pleasure greater than holding you in my arms. I realized long ago that I could never live without you, stubborn little hellion that you are. In this life and the next, you're my only hope of happiness. Tell me, Fatima, dearest love... how can you have reached so far inside my heart? I thought I guarded it after what's happened to me." He paused to kiss her damp oily hair and smiled as the wisp of a feminine snore broke the peaceful silence.