I Was Created Like This

13: I Need You

Amna looked askance at her, this wasn't the naive and patience Hayfah, it was a completely different person. Her eyes emotes how adamant she is, how her words were erupted, she seemed brave and strong.

"Hayfah, do you know who you're talking to? It's Amna, your Addah. How dare you talk to me like that? Who gave you the audacity?" Amna clamoured haltingly, she couldn't tell what Hayfah was thinking of, all she knew is; Hayfah has completely changed.

Hayfah stood firm, her hands at akimbo, as she retaliated. "I so well knew who you are, it's no one but Amna Talhah Muhammad. What's there to ask for? You haven't for once thought of a day like this would come? You think you would forever humiliate and sabortage that innocent girl that always sticks to you. No! That was in the past, Hayfah Talhah Muhammad has opened a new page in her life!" Hayfah dictated through gritted teeth, as she swallowed her tears with aplomb, she couldn't let them see her weakness, not now__and ever.

Amna slowly palmed her lips, she wasn't hallucinating, it was her naive sister, it was Hayfah, all grown up, and have some nerves. "I could say, you've grown some wings, Hayfah. Where did you get the courage from? This wasn't you, nor could I believe that it was that husky voice erupting these words. So wow of you," Amna taunted, as she clapped her hands enragedly.

"I think my tongue is tied on this, for no matter how hard I'll try in making you understand, you couldn't fathom. You're so dumb and illiterate, you've never been into any Islamic school to know something partaining the creation of Allah, and what it takes to be a masterpiece. I'm out of this," Hayfah spoke in a sneering way, raised her hands in surrender and sat back on the bed.

Her words had besetted Amna, she didn't know when she let out a loud wail, as tears washed down her face. She pranced to Umma's room and slumped on her, crying in an excruciating way.

Hayfah glared the door and muttered "That serves you right." Before she continued her recitation.

***

"Amna, what is it? What happened? When did you came back? What makes you cry?" Umma inquired haltingly, Amna's tears were one of her weaknesses. She couldn't withstand Amna's tears, she loves her so much.

"It's Hayfah, Umma, she slapped me! Just because I asked her about that guy, she called me names, saying I'm an illiterate," Amna lied as she sobbed, wiping away her tears with her veil.

Umma abruptly stood up, her hands on her chest, how dare Hayfah? Illiterate? Slap? She will not tolerate this. "Let's go, I'll show her how illiterates act, she is proud of the so called university? We're not even sure if she went there," Umma roared and dragged Amna's hands to their room.

She banged the door, only for her eyes to fall on Hayfah; she was sprawled on the bed, with packs of biscuit and drinks, as she sliently munch on them.

"Weldone, Hayfah. You've shown me what you've turned into. You first said those words to me, and now__you even have the guts to slap Amna and call her names? Hayfah! Who turned you into this?!" Umma demanded wrathfully, as she was seething with rage.

Hayfah looked at her, as she had no clue of what she was talking about. She slapped who? "Umma, what are you talking about? Who did I slap? God! Has it even get to that point?" Hayfah scoffed and continued munching on her biscuit, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You slapped Amna, don't you? And who gave you these things? Hayfah what has gotten into your head? Aren't you even ashame of your deeds? You think it's something to be proud of?" Umma asked, as she took steps towards the bed, how Hayfah ignored their presence made her infuriated.

Hayfah slowly lifted her eyes, as her gaze fell on wrathful Umma, she gulped down the drink, and spoke "You can ask her, I didn't do something wrong, it was her fault, she wanted to slap me, and I held the filthy hand. So what's my fault there? I see nothing. For these drinks and biscuit, you can have some if you like," her husky voice enraged, as she thrusted the packs towards them.

"Hayfah! How dare you talk to me like that!" Umma roared and roughly dragged Hayfah on the floor, as she started beating her mercilessly. "Bring me that wire," Umma shouted at Amna, she brought it and continued beating Hayfah with it.

Hayfah couldn't move a finger, nor could she retaliate, her eyes were emoting sheer pain, as the tears rolled in anguish. Umma was tired of beating her, as she flinged her out of the room with so much force "You'll leave my house today, you shameless w***e!" Umma bellowed, as she started throwing her clothes out of the room.

Hayfah stood up, with the tears not leaving her eyes, she suddenly became inured to the pain, what is happening to her life? What kind of a catastrophe is this? Is Umma really her mother? Where is Abba? Ya Allah!

"Where is Abba?" Came Hayfah's husky voice, as it was choked with tears.

"He is in Cotonuo. You must leave my house today, I'll tell him you followed your boyfriend when he comes back. You have to leave, you shameless w***e!" Umma roared as she pushed Hayfah down,with full force.

Crest fallen, Hayfah stood up and dusted her clothes, she looked at Umma with a pierce look. "Where do you want me to go? Why will you do this to me? What have I done wrong, Umma," Hayfah's husky voice whimpered, tears of anguish rolling down her cheeks unstoppable.

"Leave, go to your boyfriend's house, I'm sure he's waiting for you. Don't add five minutes in this house again, else; I'll summon all the children in this area, to throw you out," Umma thundered wrathfully, as she flinged Hayfah's clothes with her legs.

Without a word, Hayfah trudge to Abba's room and took his favourite jallabiya, clutching it on her chest; she perambulated outside, took her things and looked at Umma with her bloodshot eyes "I won't say I hate you, Umma, but also, I doubt if you're my mother."

Without a glance, Hayfah trudged out of the house, with Abba's jallabiyya perched against her chest, she was crying in melancholy, they were tears of anguish and agony.

"Umma, don't you think something might happen to her, I'm scared, Umma," Amna queried, she was in tears too.

Umma hissed and turned to her room, after uttering some enigmatic words "They deserve more than this." Amna had no chance but to ensue Umma, her heart clutching in it's ribcage.

Hayfah trudged to the roadside, her heart was beating vigorously, she was just vacantly looking at the people flashing her puzzled look. It suddenly somersaults in her; she needs someone, she couldn't sleep here.

With tremulous hands, she dailed Malik's number with her phone, it rang twice before he picked the call.

"I guess someone is already missing me," he teased, chuckling outwardly, he wasn't expecting her call in two days time.

She broke down completely, upon hearing his voice; she knew she has no one to call hers, she couldn't contact Abba, because he had started the Ankara business, he went to cotonuo to buy the ankaras, together with Ya Tahir. "Betty, I need you. Please, Betty, I don't know what to do," she wailed, crying hysterically, her heart throbbing in it's ribcage.

"Betty, what happened? Where are you? Innalillahi. Talk please, tell me where you are, I'll be there in a second," came Malik's agitated voice, he sounded worried and frightened.

"I'm by the road side, along Sabon Gari," was all her husky voice could came out with, before she ended the call. She put her head between her legs, as she broke down in tears, she felt an empathy towards her life, what if Abba might agree to what Umma would tell him?

In five minutes, she felt someone sat close to her, without clearing her tears; she looked up, her gaze falling on distraughted Malik. "Betty, what is it? Don't tell me nothing as always. Why are you out by now? Aren't you supposed to be at home? Why out with your luggage, what happened?" He inquired, fixing his intense gaze on her fluffy-red face.

"Betty, take me to Fareeha's house please, I'll tell you everything later. I don't have the energy to talk," she whimpered and fretfully pulled herself up, feeling dizzy from the tears and her throbbing head.

Malik knew not to probe, he took her luggage and they sauntered to his car. They drove in a hushed silence, only Hayfah's sobs could be heard, as Malik was resisting the urge to hug her and palcify her, with aplomb. They halted in front of the huge ironed gate, she got out of the car, took her luggage, stared at him; her eyes emoting her gratitude.

"Don't stress yourself please, Betty. You can also talk to me you know? I would always be there for you. Stop crying please, and I'm always a phone call away," he assured and hopped in his car.

Hayfah could only nod her head, as she too couldn't comprehend what has been ebbing in her heart. With a heavy heart, she pushed the door and entered, "Ya Rabbi, let them accept me, I beg of you," she whimpered, as lone of tears rolled down her cheeks.

She wiped the tears away, forced a fleeting smile on her lips, as she entered the living room, it looked rich, everything screamed money.

"Assalamu Alaikum," she salaamed, her voice sounding huskier, due to the tears and pain.

A beautiful exquisite woman in her mid thirties ascended down the staircases, with a smile on her face. "You're welcome, young lady, who are you looking for?" The woman asked, with a sense of humour.

Hayfah squatted down, her head hung down, she didn't want the woman to see her fluffy face, she isn't ready for questions. "Good evening, Momma, I'm hayfah," she replied.

Swiftly, Momma pulled her up, with a loving smile on her face "Oh my god! Fareeha has always been talking about you, even now that she came back. Feel free my dear, it's also your home," Momma said as she guided her to one of the vast-soft sofas.

"Fareeha! Hayfah is here!" Momma shouted, as she ordered a maid to bring refreshments.

Fareeha sprinted towards them and hugged Hayfah, she haven't noticed the look on her bestfriend's face. Lifting Hayfah's face up, she got petrified, what happened? She hope it wasn't Umma.

"Momma, I think she needs to rest, ask the maid to bring her food in my room, please," Fareeha spoke, as she took the luggage from Hayfah's hand and guided her to her room.

Once they sat at the edge of the bed, Fareeha took her hands and spoke in a sympathetic tone "What is it, Hayfah? What happened? Why are you out? Your eyes are puffy, face all red; it's obvious you cried, that too hysterical," Fareeha said, as she side hugged whimpering Hayfah.

"It's Umma, she threw me out of the house, she called me a w***e, she...," Hayfah couldn't continue what she was saying, as her breathe was seizing, her heart was at the verge of kiboshing.

"It's okay, Hayfah, we can talk later. Just eat and have some rest," Fareeha said sympathetically, as she pats her back in an soothing way.

"It hurts, Fareeha. Why couldn't I remove my heart and rest a bit?" Hayfah wailed, the tears not willing to stop.

Before Fareeha could reply, her brother; whom was about thirteen years old barged inside the room "Faree, I've been hearing some husky wailings from your room, are you watching a movie or what? As I know I'm the oldest guy here," he spoke, his eyes falling on distraughted Hayfah, whom his words haven't touch, she has something worst than this in store.

"It's Hayfah. Why would you barge in my room like that? Get lost," Fareeha roared, she felt ashamed of her brother's words.

He made an O gesture with his mouth "Indeed you're not exaggerating her beauty, Masha Allah. I'm sorry, Hayfah," he lamented and prowled out of the room.

"Go take your bathe, I'll be back with your dinner. Take off all the worries for a while, we just have to pray," came Fareeha's placating talks as she guided Hayfah to the toilet and ambled out of the room.

Hayfah took her bathe, came out of the toilet and dressed in a loose black gown, she tied her head with the veil and offered her Maghrib prayer.

She poured her heart out to the all hearer, she felt peaceful and unscathed, Indeed; in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts finds peace. She sat down on the prayer mat, as her inner voice spoke..

Abba, where are you? This brittle heart yearns for you, for you have always being the one that inspires me.

This fragile heart needs you, it yearns for your motivating and diamond words.

Where ever I find myself, you would always be my knight in shining armour, you've always been the one I would forever look up to, amidst millions of people, you would always be the one.

With your thoughts, I sequester myself, and evade from reality. I sniffle on your scented clothes, for they reminds me of you, Abba.

All those bruises and scourges of my heart, you were the only person that knew them, and you have tried all your best and healed them.

Don't let me down, don't believe her. Trust me as always, be by my side, for I would be an empty vessel without you in my life.

I love you so much Abba, come back soon, your little princess needs you.

Ramadan mubarak people