Saturday dawned, bright and crisp, with rare sunshine and a brisk breeze. It was a welcome relief from the constant rain and Juwairiyyah made up her mind to go out for a drive. The past few days had been boring with no lectures to attend to, Juwairiyyah's mother limited her outings coupled with the rain that had showered Gombe for two consecutive days.
She withdrew from her bed, took a quick shower and got herself dressed. Clad in a pink Ankara with red polka dots sewed into skirt and a blouse, Juwairiyyah applied little makeup before draping a pink veil on her head. Her legs were clutched in a pink flat shoe while she held a blue Gucci bag with one hand and her phone on the other. She walked out of her room to the foyer where her mother was, hence kissing her mother on her cheeks before saying, "I'm going out mom, this house is kind of suffocating these days. Don't say 'NO' please mom, just one hour okay? I promise, one hour".
Her mother smiled, held her hand in hers and kissed them. "Just an hour right?". Her mother asked.
"Yes mom, please".
"Okay fine. You can go, but take care okay?".
"I will mom, thank you!".
Juwairiyyah left in haste to her car in the parking lot and drove off, with the car speakers blasting with a song, 'Cheap thrills', while she sang along. She took the road that would lead her to BCG quarters so she could give her friend, Sophie a surprise visit. But unfortunately, her car broke down half way. It was a very sad moment.
Juwairiyyah groaned angrily. Stepping out of the car, she looked around in hope to find someone who could help fix her car. Luckily for her, she spotted a mechanic in a garage few meters away attending to an old man.
Juwairiyyah dragged her legs to him and scrutinized the area with her eyes before finally speaking up. "Hey you!". She called out. "Come over here and check my car, I'm in a hurry."
"Wa'alaikumus Salam to you miss. As you can see, I'm very busy here attending to a customer. I will attend to you as soon as I'm done, please do stand under that shade". The mechanic pointed his finger at a wooden bench in the shade made by a mango tree.
Juwairiyyah stood there stunned. Did he just told her to wait? Who the heck did he think he is? She smiled mischievously before replying him. "Excuse me mister, I'm paying you for your job. Do I look like someone who'll wait for something?".
The mechanic stood up from where he was lying beneath the car. And that was when she saw him. A dark skinned guy with strong jaw, a sharp pointed nose with beard and sideburns. His hair, even though dirty, was dark and curly. How could a mechanic be that cute? She wondered.
"I'm sorry, if you think you're too big to wait then feel free to leave. I can't leave the work of the customer that first you just because of your work, okay?".
"No my son" the old man spoke. "She'll wait, okay? You don't have to get angry, kids of nowadays are ill-mannered, we just have to ignore them."
Juwairiyyah's eyes bulged out, did the old piece of garbage just called her ill-mannered? She swallowed a lump down her throat and approached him. "Excuse me here oldie, why don't you respect the white hair on your head and mind your damn business? How dare you call me ill-mannered? Just look at yourself, look at how dirty you are. You even stink oldie, and yet you had the right to call me ill-mannered. Do I even look like a cheap lady to you? I can bet that the cloth I'm wearing can feed your family for a whole month, yet you're here trying to disrespect me. Well excuse me oldie, I'm far beyond your thinking!".
Tears were already rolling down the old man's cheeks, while the mechanic stood there stunned to even lift a finger.
"Oops, the poor oldie is even crying. Are you hurt? Did I hurt your feelings? Oya here, take this" she threw a ward of money towards him. "You can use that to wipe your tears okay? Next time, do learn to mind your business, okay? Oh, and yeah..." She was saying when a resounding slap landed on her face.
The mechanic slapped her!
Juwairiyyah stood there so astounded of what had just happened. Her, Juwairiyyah, slapped by a common mechanic?
"It seems you lack self respect, a well respectful girl will never raise her voice to an elderly person no matter what the case maybe. Now miss, get the hell out of my garage!". The mechanic exclaimed.
Juwairiyyah stood still, she couldn't believe someone as dirty as him could have the guts to slap her pretty face.
"Arfaat please forgive her insolence, she's just a girl and you know ladies are sometimes unbearable" The old man said.
"I know baba, but this one is too much. I can't really stand and..."
"This really can't be!" Juwairiyyah outcried. "I won't let this slide so easily. You will have to pay the consequences". She added with a hiss and left.
She couldn't go to her desired destination. So she stopped a tricycle and went home angrily. She fled into her mother's room while crying and yelling her name. "Mom, mom! come and see my face, just look at my face mom. Someone had the guts to slap your beautiful daughter's face!"
"I know you princess, you must have done something for that person to slap you, tell me what happened." Her mother cooed.
"I knew it, you never loved me as much as dad does, goodbye!". Juwairiyyah snapped at her mother finding her way out of the room.
*****
Later in the night, Juwairiyyah and her parents were all seated in the living room. She looked at her dad and gave him one of her best smiles. "Dad, I need a favour".
"Sure princess, anything for you". Replied her dad.
"I saw a mechanic today on my way to visit Soffie. He is so talented but has a very small garage. Why don't you employ him to work in your company?". Juwairiyyah said sweetly.
"You think I should take him in princess?".
"Yes dad, please".
"Then it's done!"
"Wow! I love you dad, you're the best!. I'll take you to him tomorrow In Shaa Allah".
***** ***** *****
Juwairiyyah woke up as early as possible on Monday morning, took a quick shower and had her breakfast without waiting for her parents. She sat down in the living room waiting for her dad. Dressed in a sky blue Bahrain gown, she draped a deep red veil, and held a deep red purse in her hand."Good morning dad" She greeted immediately her father appeared, without waiting for him to greet her first like she normally does."Morning princess, I can see you're dressed already. You have early morning lecture?" He said walking towards her.Heck no! She gulped before adjusting her sitting position and facing him clearly. "Yes dad. And we suspect he's going to give us a test. I want us to branch to the mechanic's before I go to school.""Why don't we go th
"You mean a mechanic slapped you just like that and went scot free? Like seriously? And you just let the matter slide? Are you kidding me Juwairiyyah?". Sophie said through the phone. "Is this really you?"."Easy girl, you know I won't let that pass just like that. I've already put my plan into action, just wait and see". Juwairiyyah smirked."Tell me about the plan Juwairiyyah, maybe I can help"."No, thanks. I can handle it myself"."Okay, fine". Sophie muttered through the phone. And just as Juwairiyyah was about replying her, a loud bang from Juwairiyyah's door interrupted."Juwairiyyah come out here and make some beans cake for me!".
Juwairiyyah couldn't stop grinning. Yes, she now has Arfaat in her hands! The fool thought she was sincere. Lol, he's definitely going to pity himself. She thought. "Arfaat you're going to pay sweetheart, it's a promise!". She hits the wall.*****Later around 9:12pm, Arfaat called Juwairiyyah. Deep inside he knew things weren't right with the way she nicely treated him but, he ought to go with her flow to see where she'd definitely be heading to."How are you doing, Lilynah?" His deep voice boomed through Juwairiyyah's ear as soon as she picked the call."Doing great Yaa Arfaat". She responded. "How are my siblings doing over there?"."All good, how was school?".
Hajiya Azumi nearly fell down after hearing what juwairiyyah just said. How could this be?"Arfaat did......what? Did you just say Arfaat raped you?" Asked her dad, tears rolling Down from his eyes._”Na shiga uku ni Azumi”_ (I am dommed!),Her mom just stood there shocked, hoping that what she just heard should be just a bed time story."Take her inside and attend to her, hurry up I need to take her to the hospital". Said her dad with a shiver voice.Hajiya Raliya broke into tears and dragged Juwairiyyah out of the sitting room into her own room. Soffie trailed behind them but was stopped by Alhaji Abbas."How did you find her?""She called me crying and told me she's together with Arfaat and that...that _he raped her."_"Wait h
H"dare you Yaa Arfaat! How could you still lie to my parents face. You think its easy telling them what you did? No its not. You raped me Yaa Arfaat, you took away my pride as a woman, what do you expect me to do now? Tell me what!" Juwairiyyah said in tears.Arfaat was dumbfounded; he still can't believe what his ears were hearing. This can't be; Juwairiyyah must be mistaken. Maybe its someone they look alike. "Lily, look at me Lily, I know you must be mistaken Lily. Yaa arfaat dinki ne, you know that’s unlike me to hurt you. Tell him who did it, tell them it's not me Lily, tell them." "Dad, I hate him, I don't want to see him ever again in my life. Take him out of here please. Do it now Dad” Juwairiyyah said in a broken voice as she fled to her room. "Dantala! Dantala!! Dantala!!!". Alhaji Abbas called."Gani Alhaj
Juwai! Are you nuts? How could you do a thing like that? Don't you have the slightest respect for your elders? When are you going to change this irritating attitude of yours?" Hajiya Azumi bellowed Angrily. "O geeezzzz! Here she comes again with her preaching, please and please Azumi don't lecture me. Please, right now am not in the mood to listen. Just taste what she called pepper soup. How dare she give me a food without much pepper in it? She knows my taste why then will she do the contrary?” "Kinci uwaki Juwairiyyah, nace take this five hands I dash you. I never knew you were this stupid aii, am pitying you Juwai. The day you'll reap what you sow I won't be there to pity you. Uwani, get up, I apologize on her behalf. Please forgive her insolence. Hajiya Azumi said in an earnest appeal.Uwani stood up, wiping the tears that were goshing out of her eyes saying."Its okay hajiya, yarinta ne aii. Ya wuc
".......please lemme amend for my mistake". Arfaat said stepping into the living room. Juwairiyyah gave him a pointed look, what the hell is Arfaat thinking? Is he planning something bad against her? O God! Why did she even start all this drama? Who knows what he has in store for her now. "Juwai, this was a hard decision for us all, but its for the best. I am very sure everything will go as planned, please let's do it". Pleaded her dad."I was against it in the first place angel, but I had to agree to it knowing we don't have a way out of this mess. This brat has already ruined us!". Said her mom. "Am so sorry ma, forgive my stupid behaviour. I promise; I'll amend to my mistakes and will keep my promise by divorcing juwairiyyah exactly three months after our marraige. Have faith in me". Said Arfaat in his psyche, which gave him a percentage of joy knowing his plans. "Noo dad! I don't want to. I prefer living this way than marry
..which one do you prefer?". Asked Arfaat. Juwairiyyah couldn't believe what she just heared. Could Arfaat be serious? Was that the reason he pushed on to the marraige issue? O Allah na, na shiga uku! "Y...ya..yaa Arr...Arf..Arfaat, p...plea...please don't d..do this to me, I will do anything, please" Juwairiyyah pleaded tears gushing out of her eyes."Na...naa naaaa....too bad, you've given up already. Well let me make something clear here Juwai. Am going to take what is mine today, either you agree to it or I force you to. I don't really give a damn, You've tarnished my image in the eyes of your parents; Did you know how much that hurts?" "Yaa Arfaat, forgive me please. Am just a kid, please forgive my insolence. Don't do this to me. Please." "Your pleadings won't stop me from doing what I want to, after all you are legally mine now". Arfaat said smiling."Look here Arfaat, its no