The Colors Of Love - Episode 10

 

Love... And it's colors 

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Have you ever wondered how mundane and boring life would be without problems? If life was always perfect? Life would be so unexciting and we would never know our limits.

One thing I've come to understand in my twenty years of life is__problems no matter how big and bad they are do one of two things. They either kill your spirit and make you lose faith or they make you devise ways of solving them and in the process make you tougher and wiser.

You're probably wondering when I became a philosopher, right? Well right now I have a problem . And I really wish you could help me out. But I know you can't because you think I'm not real, right? But you are_to me though.

I'm sitting on the bed, I just woke up from a wonderful slumber where I had a dream. About the chair outside the room. The same chair Dr Abdulrahim professed loving me for four years. The same chair he called me habibty. The same chair we were about to tell each other naked truths. But the funny thing is the only thing I can remember from the dream is the chair.

Do you know what I was intending to tell him? Well, never mind. Let's let sleeping dogs lie.

If you just calm down and have a little patience, I'm about to tell you what happened

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-colors-of-love

. I know the questions most of you have.

Why did I push away Dr Abdulrahim?

Honestly I don't know. And I don't know why I don't know. Don't ask me again.

Don't I love him or like him?

I do. So much, more than you think. Having him for a partner would be one of my life achievements. If I ever have a chance with him again, that is. I know he's hurt. He left last night, after telling Daddy and Uncle Imraan he had an emergency to tend to in Kaduna, which I knew was a technical lie. He walked past me without a word. Not even a glance at where I was seated. I did not try to stop him or talk to him. The least I could do was let him leave without causing any more damage.

I walked silently back to Daddy's room but he was already asleep. Uncle Imraan kissed my forehead and bade us goodnight after asking if I needed anything. I shook my head and he left. Poor Uncle Imraan, he looked so exhausted and aged. Alhamdulillah Daddy was better, he could get time to relax a little. Dr Abdulrahim had said Daddy had to stay for a few more weeks till he could walk without support. I slept beside Daddy till I heard the call for subhi prayer. I was just rubbing the sleep out of my eyes when I heard a rigorous knock on the door.

When I opened the door _Lo and behold. It was Jaafar, with Aliyah's sleeping head on his shoulders.

I glanced back at the clock behind me and the time read 4:12. I raised my hands in a WTJ fashion. "WTJ guys? It's frigging 4' o clock in the morning. It's still night. Go away" I say in between yawns.

Aliyah stirred and opened her eyes a bit. She scanned the surroundings and her gaze finally settled on me. "Oh my God Aarfa, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry you caught me sleeping. But believe me, it's beyond my control" she slurred between yawns. She's obviously horrified."

I looked towards Jaafar and he raised his hands in surrender, pointing at her. "I told her this was a bad idea, that we should postpone the journey till it was daylight, but she insisted. Immediately we found Ilhaam, she started crying. Going on and on about she has to be here, you need her blah blah blah that Daddy was gone ...and she couldn't reach your phone and then we arrived and the lady at the reception was telling us about the miraculous recovery of your father... " he paused to breathe.

I put on my most serious straight face. "Oh. Where is Ilhaam by the way? Is she alright? "I asked, looking sideways to see if she was behind them.

"Can we please do this after you get this fat woman off me? My shoulders are stiff and I'm about to pass out. I'm tired and hungry and sleepy and...."

Aliyah jerks awake, probably from his little yelling outburst. Her eyes squinted . "You did not just call me fat, did you? "

Busted Jaafar.

"Aliyah calm down, where is Ilhaam?"

Distraction successful. She turned towards me, yawning again.

"She's in school. She passed out. Can you believe that girl took drugs? I'm still so mad I can't even tell you how much. What if she was raped or worse killed? " she added with a dramatic expression _widening eyes and a rounded mouth.

"Ilhaam and drugs? She's not that kind of girl. You know that Aliyah. She was drugged or she willingly took it?"

"That, I don't know. The irony is the same guy she got drugged for happened to be her savior. Sources have it that there was a party taking place in Nabeel's house and she followed Sadyvuitton and one thing led to another and there she is lying in school hammered. That Nabeel is a gentleman I tell you. Very sweet fellow. He called me and brought her over to the hostel."

Okay. I'm confused . Is Aliyah hammered too? Nabeel, a gentleman? Puhleez. Tell me something I don't know.

I waged war against the expression threatening to make an appearance on my face and answered in my most nonchalant tone. "Uh, did you say Nabeel? Who's Nabeel?"

Jaafar clapped his hands and raised them in an Indian fashion of begging us. "If I collapse, you might as well call the attention of your daddy's savior doctor, because two people are surely breaking bones" he glared, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"Come baby, we can talk all we can in the morning. Let's get rid of this ogre and crash. I'm Sooo exhausted "Aliyah said, whooshing out air from her mouth and getting away from him.

"Do you know she's cuter when she's asleep?" Jaafar asked looking at me.

She smacks his shoulder and he makes a face with his tongue out before he ran off. I swallowed a chuckle. She just called him an ogre and he called her fat. I mumbled my thanks to him, shaking my head and dragging Aliyah inside the room.

"Girl, this doesn't look like a hospital room. It looks like a hotel suite in the Atlantis hotel in Dubai."

I gave her a Fear-Allah look and she ignored me, walking over to wave to a sleeping daddy. I could hear her quietly mumbling as she raised her hands up in prayer ."Thank you for not dying daddy. May you live to see our grandkids."

We dropped to the smaller bed adjacent to daddy's and drift to la-la land.

****
Back to present.

I wake up to muffled laughter and voices. I peek through my blanket and see four figures around daddy. Two males, two females. Daddy is sitting up and obviously having fun, judging the smile on his slightly wrinkled face.

I recognize the plump fellow with the wide bum as Aaliyah and the booming voice of Uncle Imraan. Uncle Imraan says something and Aaliyah giggles, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh my God, so she wasn't crazy when she said Dr Abdulrahim. I thought it was all part of the hysteria or denial or whatever it is she was going through."

The other guy wearing scrubs looks like my Dr from behind, he's probably a hospital staff. Speaking of which, how do I go about apologizing to Abdulrahim? I think it's high time I stop addressing as Doctor, right? I mean we're soon to be engaged.

I snuggle back into the bed and draw the blanket over my face again. I really hate myself right now. How can someone as intelligent as me be so dumb? I wonder how I managed to sail through Biochemistry without ever failing.

I don't even know how I just love this guy. Just last week I wasn't even ready to accept I had a crush on him but now? Ya Allah.

I finally get down from the bed and walk stealthily to the bathroom. I don't want anyone to acknowledge me before I have my morning coffee. I'm not a morning person. I hate mornings. Mornings signify the beginning of new and old problems. Nights bring temporary solace.

I shower and change before I come out. I'm wearing a free Robin egg blue gown and towel on my head to keep my wet hair dry. Hopefully the hospital guy has left, so I don't have to worry about me not wearing a hijab. The dress is so loose anyway.

My eyes fall on a mug of steaming coffee on the chest of drawers outside the bathroom. I take a sip and close my eyes inhaling the sweet strong smell. Bless the soul that kept this for me. Just the way I love it. Black.

I turn towards Daddy to greet him just as the caffeine begins to kick in but the hospital guy is still here. He turns and gives me a dazzling smile. "Good morning my love".

Well, the scrubs fellow is my doctor afterall. My heart does that quadruple flip it has recently learnt. He came back? I thought he was mad at me. I didn't expect he'd calm down this soon. When will this guy cease to surprise me? And his smile looks so genuine that I feel more terrible than I feel already. His eyes full of love and his expression telling to forget about whatever happened. Oh God, is this fair?

I hide the blush creeping up my cheeks seeing everyone has his eyes on us. Even Daddy.

Oh Ni Aarfa.

"Hey there" another voice chirps.

Wallahi my life is one ofthe most interesting and exciting lives on the planet. I should be on the Ellen show. It's Ilhaam. The supposedly hammered Ilhaam. Now if i start laughing, I'll just confirm your worst fears. That I'm crazy. So I won't.

I do the WTJ hand motion again to Aaliyah and she just smiles, her expression telling me we'll talk later.

"Assalaamu alaykum everyone". I chip in,choosing to ignore Dr Abdulrahim and Ilhaam. I focus on the mischievous glint in Uncle Imraan and Daddy's eyes. I walk over to Daddy and sit beside him. He thrusts his hand forward for a handshake and I clasp his fragile hand in response. It's a thing we do since I was born I think. We say Assalaamu alaykum shaking hands.

"How are you feeling?"

"Never been better. I have good news for you" he says happily. If I didn't know better I'd have thought he was a man in love.

Aliyah leans in and whispers in my ears. "Daddy is in love. The wedding is in two weeks"

I jerk my gaze to her and give her a Don't-mess-with-me look but she chuckles and shrugs, pointing to uncle Imraan and zipping her mouth with her fingers.

"Is it true? " I ask Uncle Imraan.

He nods and gives me a goofy smile.

I look towards Dr Abdulrahim and give him a tight smile. "Can you please excuse us? I need to have a word with Daddy's and Uncle Imraan."

I turn to Aaliyah and Ilhaam and drag them by the shoulders, depositing them by the balcony.

I point a finger her to both of them. "You two stay right here. No matter whose head I seem to be cutting off, don't you dare interfere."

Ilhaam gives me a puppy face. "Ha'an. Somebody cannot play small play with you again"

I glare at her."I'll deal with you when I'm done with those two" I say. I'm not finding anything funny.

So Daddy has been having an affair. With who? How? When? I'm furious. He's betrayed me. Even if the heavens and earth would unite, I won't let this marriage happen.

I storm into the room and they all freeze seeing the anger on my face probably. I glare at Dr Abdulrahim, eyeing him and pointing to the door.

Why is he still here?

"Whatever you want to say, say it in his presence. He's family "

Okay. I really don't care because I'm so mad.

"Daddy, WTJ? I don't agree to this. No way in bloody hell am I letting this happen" I rant, turning my face away from them. I don't want Dr Abdulrahim to look at me and melt my insides. If that happens, all the fight is going to fly out from me. I know that for a fact.

I glance at Uncle Imraan and Dr Abdulrahim. They look shocked. Uncle Imraan looks somewhat pale. I don't frigging care. A tensed silence looms over for a few minutes. I finally turn to daddy.

"You don't consent to the union? Why Aarfa?" he asks in what I presume is a disappointed voice.

"Who is she? Where and when did you two meet? You just wake up from a coma-like state and the first thing you go on about is you want to get married?"

Remember that time I was embarrassed in front of the school theatre and I said that I've never been that mad? At Nabeel? I take that back. I've never been this mad. And Aliyah and Ilhaam even got to know before I did. Daddy is getting me a step-mom. The word tastes like bile on my tongue. I already hate the woman.

All three of them are sporting dropped jaws. That just makes me angrier. What did they think? I'll skip and hop in joy and ask to be introduced to her? Ptsss

"You aren't even thinking about getting your grown daughter married, you're thinking about yourself? Haba Daddy. I'm so disappointed wallahi." I add.

Dr Abdulrahim is the first to speak. "What are you talking about? Daddy is not getting married."

"Like hell he isn't. At least not while I'm still living with him. I won't let peace reign. He has to get rid of me to do that."

Now I'm grumbling. Pouting even.

"No, really. Nobody is getting married. Well except for me. And You, dumbo. " he says in a voice thick with emotion. I look up to his eyes and I can see the messages he's giving me.

Okay. Now the ground should really do me a favor and swallow me.

"Daddy is not getting married?" I ask in a meek voice.

"No princess, I'm not. Nobody would marry this bedridden pile of laundry here. Even if I had plans of doing so, I wouldn't dare now. Not after the curses and yelling and of course the promise of cutting of peace in my home. I wouldn't think of it. The bride here is you. And Abdulrahim, the groom." Daddy explains.

I cover my face with my palms and run off to the balcony where I can see Aaliyah and Ilhaam laughing their asses off. I'm definitely going to enjoy torturing them before I finally kill them.

But that I can do later. I'm the happiest fellow in that hospital now, I'm sure of that.

I'm getting married. I'm engulfed in their hug as I open the door leading to the balcony.

"Congratulations and celebrations, Our Aarfa is going to be a bride" they sang.

I hide my face again. Who knew I would ever be this shy. I look back to Abdulrahim and he winks, blowing me a kiss.

The guy is so shameless I swear. In the presence of my father and uncle.

Whatever. He's still my shameless doctor.

THE END.

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen for sticking around till the end of this crazy, amateur ride with me. I love you all fisabilillah. May we all meet in Jannah.

Adìos, Gracías.
Zeenah

Okay. It's not the end. Don't kill me. It's a joke.
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