Hayfah glumly trudged out of the school premises, she took a bike and headed to her area, his face not leaving her mind.
His round face with long chiselled nose, his sparkly eyes, his purplish lips, his trimmed side burns and black curly hair, kept popping in her noddle. How he smile__it's really a sight to behold. He's a very long structured man, with a broad chest, just the way she wants her man to be, but who's she to choose what she want?.
She entered the metal door of their house, wiping away her tears, as she knows; Umma will say something bad, like "This your horrible voice will oneday lead you into the beating of your life, not just for you to cry." To avoid this kind of talks; she wiped away her tears, and made her way inside of the house, saying her Salam.
She almost bump on someone, looking up to the person, her gaze fall on her long faired skinned brother, he's tall, has long nose and a big mouth. Her facial expression suddenly turned into a grin. She loves her siblings. "Ya Tahir, when did you came back? I guess I was in school then. How're you doing? How was work? I missed you so much," came her husky voice, as she leaned; trying to hug him.
He abruptly move back, sneering at her, "Don't hug me please, I know it's not haraam, but people might see us, and it will be a disgrace to me, as my voice is more thinner and sweeter than your's," he said, and manoeured his way out of the house, leaving her in tears. She was hurt beyond words, she wondered if he loved her.
She trudged inside their middle house, a small space, a kitchen at the left side corner, bathroom at the rightside corner, a water well near the bathroom, and their small three bedrooms. One; Hayfah and Amna, the second one; Tahir, the third one; Abba and Umma.
She quickly decamped to her room, thinking nobody saw her, as seeing her in tears will cause her more humiliation and sadness. As she was about to enter her room, a voice halted her, "Hayfah, you can't even greet someone abi? That your husky voice caused you humiliation, and you want to avenge on me," came her sisters voice, upon hearing the voice; she quickly turned, a wide grin plastered on her lips.
She scuttled to where she was sitted with Umma on tabarma, wrappers, cosmetics, inner wears, were sprawled on the tabarma. She hugged her, letting out a hearty laugh, she missed her one and only sister.
"Addah, I missed you," she was taken aback by Amna, who pushed her back, wearing a yucky face. "Do you want to destroy my eardrums? For god sake! Can't you just keep your distance? I've heard, you missed me, and I missed you too," she finished with a sneer looked.
Hayfah can't control the tears that were trying to cascade, she let them fall freely and wiped them away, suppressed her worried look with a smile. As smiling is sunnah. "Umma, whose things is this?" She asked, holding a peach and purple ankara, admiring the patterns on it.
Umma collected the ankara from her, place it back on its spot, looked at her "It's all you sister's. As you can see, she's very beautiful, with a nice thin voice, so her boyfriend gave her this, she's beneficial you see," Umma said, patting Amna's hair lovingly.
Hayfah can't control her tears anymore, she wondered why her family treats her like this, she was'nt the only lady with man's like voice, and other's were living peacefully, why only her?.
"Umma, do you mean I'm not beneficial? Umma why are you doing this to me? You were the one that gave birth to me. Umma, do you love me?" She burst into tears, her shoulders where shaking, this is just too much. She don't blame that Adyan of a guy anymore, since her family can do more than what he did to her.
Umma chuckled outwardly, how can she even her ask that question? Of course she love her, but it's of no use, since she's not beneficial. No man can love her after hearing her voice, and they can't give her money, unless she's giving them her body, which she does'nt want to happen. She loves money, at the same time; don't want her daughters to lose their chastity.
"Wether I love you or not, you're not beneficial to me, so get out of my sight. And mind you__ you must listen to any guy that comes for you today, you might find someone that'll pity you," before she could finish, Hayfah has ran to her room, sobbing hysterically.
She vowed to herself not to listen to any guy, many guys had came, wether she went out and kept staring at them like a statue, or she does'nt go out, or even went out, talk to them, before she could finish a sentence, they'd leave. She thinks it scared them seeing a very beautiful lady with her voice, it's very odd. She from then, she promised herself not to talk to any guy, she won't fall in love, she won't get married, because she believed she can't find true love!
She was afraid, because someone might enshroud his lustful desires, all in the name of love. After they get married, he gets what he wants, he'll leave her. She's afraid of being broken, as she's broken enough. Being humiliated and harassed by your own family, is morethan being broken. She grew up, broked, shattered, depressed, she grew up as a loner.
She glumly prayed her Zuhr and Asr prayers, as she silently munched on her lunch. Amna was friskly talking to her, but she snubbed her, not that she does'nt want to talk to her too, but she procrastinated because she does'nt want to be harassed.
It was in the evening, Amna was out, a young boy salamed, saying someone wants to see Hayfah, "She's not around," she yelled.
Umma came out of her room, and forced her to go and meet him, he might be someone that'll help amd love her the way she was. Because the guys thought she was feeling herself because of her beauty, that's why she always snubbed them. With a heavy heart, Hayfah walked to door, her heart full of Adyan's thoughts. How she wished it's him, she wants to see his handsome face again. If only wishes were horses.
The guy turned, his gaze fall on her beautiful face, he fall in love with her beauty each passing minute, if only she would help him satisfy his lustful desires, he just loves her body.
She glared at him, she wondered what brings him here, as he was the notorious and naughty guy in their area; Gwargwaje, Zaria city, Kaduna State.
"What brings you here?" She asked, making her no nonsense face, sneering at him.
He just smiled, well__ a mischievious one "I'm here because I love you Hayfah, you're the most beautiful lady I've ever known," he said, a smirk not leaving his lips.
Hayfah noticed how he kept looking at his phone, like he was waiting for something, she shrugged it off "What's your name again?" She asked, trying to just give him a chance, may be he meant it. He heard her voice, and still did'nt leave.
His grin grew wider, "My name is Amir, Amir Usman," he answered, scrutinizing her curved body, albeit she was wearing hijab.
She smiled, and they nattered away for an hour, she felt he was the guy, she mistook him as a bad guy, but he was'nt. The way he speak, how he smile, everything about him is good. From his chocolate skin, his short nose, his black fulani hair, she just cherish him, and she thinks she'll give him a chance. 'He's handsome,' she thought, 'But not like Adyan,' another mind spoke.
***
Hayfah was sent to buy sugar for tomorrow's breakfast. She was walking, when she heard a familiar voice, admist a group of guys, they were laughing, it seems they really are having fun. But something kept gnawing at her, it's like she heard her voice, but how?
She silently tiptoed to where they were sitted, she spotted Amir in the middle, holding his phone, they were listening to something. It then somersaults in her, it was a voice, her voice! Ya Allah, he recorded her voice.
She does'nt know when she burst into a loud wail, which caught their attention, they both turned back, and saw a crying Hayfah, closing her mouth, trying her might not to cry.
Amir moved rubbing his nape nervously, he opened his mouth to apologize, when she halted him with her hand, she looked at him from head to toe, with so much disgust, a glint of sadness and pain were in her eyes. "I see nothing wrong with my voice, I was created like this, and I believed it's a blessing in disguise. Because I believe in myself.
This was'nt the first time I got humiliated, but know__it kinda hurts more, as I didn't take you as a bad guy, never thought you can do this to me. I trusted you, I talked freely with you, not knowing there was an enshrouded thing you intended to do.
Let me tell you, I must surely find my true love, the one that won't see anything wrong with my voice, the one that'll love me for the sake of Allah, he'll love me more because of my voice!" She spatted angrily and left. But she does'nt know why Adyan kept ebbing in her mind, when she talked about 'the one that'll love me more because of my voice' he was person that ebbed in her mind.
She went back, they were on her.. their bed. Amna was busy talking to her boyfriend, when she furiously ended the call, frustratively looking at talking Hayfah. "What do you think you've just did? Now he thinks I'm with a guy, can you please stop talking while I'm on phone?" Spatted angry Amna.
Hayfah was frenzed in her spot, she stiffened in bamboozlement, what does this mean? "Addah Amna, do you love me?" She blurted, wiping away her hears.
Amna glared at her, hissed and dailed her boyfriend's number.
I really feel sorry for Hayfah. But why are they doing this to her? She's not the only lady with a husky voice.
I swear i wanttu kill Amir.
This Addah Amna ehn.
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Ayshatou