34
Maryam's POV
"Where are you coming from" she ask with so much rage on her face
"I...I'm...I...I saw...walahi Aunty, I wasn't doing anything bad" I began as tears flow down my cheek.
Well you might be wondering why was I crying...even at this my age, a very twenty three years old I'm been flogged or punished anytime I offend Aunty, she doesn't care if I'm old enough which anytime I made her angry she won't hesitate to beat the hell out of me
"Why are you even crying?! Did I touch you?! If you know you haven't done anything wrong then why were you crying?!"
"Walahi Aunty I only save someone I didn't do anything wrong"
"Eh! Eh! So when did you become a helper or lemme put it this way saver? The last time I check you're only a girl living under my roof working under me"
"Walahi Aunty on my way coming I saw this lady lying lifelessly in her car then I decide to take her to hospital"
"Will you keep your mouth shut! That filthy mouth of yours just keep it shut! Maryam?! When did you turn to a whore?! Just because I told you to go home and do something for me then you secretly went to a guy place right? Who is he? He will just have you for fun then dumb you"
"I'm not a whore I swear I'm not" I thought crying
"Aunty walahi I didn't go see any guy I didn't even have a guy as a friend"
"Maryam?! Upon all what I've been doing for you? Don't tell me those young rich guys that do come to order for cakes have been paying you secretly.....Maryam?! I'm so disappointed in you, I really am" she said disgusting
"Walahi Aunty-"
"Well thank God my husband is coming back today, I'll definitely tell him he must hear about this"
"Just give me my keys" she hiss snatching the keys away from my hand
*******
"Maryam is it true?" Daddy ask in a calm tone
"Don't you dare lie Maryam! Tell him the truth! Nothing but the truth" she said glaring
"What does she expect me to do? Lie?!"
"Daddy do you trust me?!" I ask trying all my best for him to believe me
"Yes Maryam I do and I want you to tell me the truth as your mommy said"
"OK you see aunty told me to go home and bring her keys to the shop coz she forgot it, so on my way coming back I decided to take a walk down the street coz I couldn't find a cab,then I saw a lady lying unconscious in her car but to my surprise it turns out to be Mrs Abdulazeez,she-"
"Wait a minute! Same Mrs Abdulazeez?! The one who issued you a scholarship?!"
"Yes Dad"
"Allahu Akbar,what a small world!"
"So you mean the reason you were late was because you saved her?"
"Yes Dad she even ask for my number and I gave it to her,she promise to call back"
"Well if that's the case I didn't see anything wrong in what you just did"
"But Jawad-"
"Can you please set the table already? I'm really famished right now"
"Fine!...come with me Maryam"
"Yes Aunty" I said running after her to the kitchen but didn't fail to see Dad winking at me
"Hey! Are you sure about what you told my husband earlier " she whispered glaring
'Yes Aunty"
"Good! Coz if I should find out it the opposite you won't like the other side of me...understood?"
"Yes Aunty"
"Good! Now get the plates,we should go set the table". Just as I was about to move my leg. My phone start ringing. With puzzle face, I slide to answer it.
"Hello?"
As salamu alaikum
"Wa alaikumu Salam'
Am I speaking with Maryam?
"Yes speaking, please who am I speaking with?"
"Who is that Maryam?" Aunty ask glaring
"I....I...it's erm....it-" I was still stuttering when she snatch the phone away from me
"Hey you jerk! Why are you disturbing my daughter?! She's too innocent for all your tricks! now listen to me! don't you ever dare call her again, if not I'm going to call the corps on you,and believe me no matter how rich you are I won't stop till I saw you behind the bars"
"Daughter?! Did she just call me her daughter?! But she never treated me as one!
"Huh?! What?! Mrs Abdulazeez?! So it's really you?! I'm so sorry Ma'am"
********
"Yes I know, it just that.... Never mind I hope you're not offended by what I just said I didn't mean it that way"
*******
"Yes I'll hand the phone over to her"
"Hey Maryam take the phone" she said handing the phone over to me.
"Hello?"
Maryam dear how are you doing?!
"I'm fine Ma...and how is your health doing?"
Fine Alhamdulillah,I really want to thank you for what you did for me yesterday"
"I quickly put it on speaker so that aunty could hear the conversation
"Sorry Ma,you said what?"
I said I really want to thank you for what you did for me yesterday,if not Allah and for you who knows what would have happened to me,you really saved my life and I was told that you took care of my bills...thank you so much
I looked up to aunty and saw her face softened
So I was thinking that why don't you send me your account number so I could transfer the payment into your account
"What! No Ma,you really don't have to,I did it for the love I had for you and also because you really needed a help then,anyone in my shoes would have done the same thing"
But Maryam I-
"No Ma please I only did what I have to do"
OK then...can we see? I really want to talk to you
I looked at Aunty coz I really don't know how to reply her. She nod indicating me to say yes and I smiled
"Yes Ma...where do you want us to meet?"
I can text you my address,you can come visit me at my place...or what do you think?
"Yes Ma it's OK by me"
Alright dear...bye
"Bye"
"Aunty thank you for allowing me to go"
"Well I only asked you to go coz she can pay you back for the money you spent"
"But Aunty I only helped her and moreover it's...it's my money" I whispered the last part but I'm very sure she heard me"
"So what if it's your money? I don't care just make sure you take that money back" she said making her way into her room"