I AM ABLE

Chapter 44 - Fatimah

"Hmm, this is like a telenovela to me" Qudrah said as soon as I told her what had transpired between me, Yusuf, and Professor Marwan in the past few weeks. "Well, I am not surprised. The man likes both you and your Yusuf a lot!"

"You can say that again" I sighed pulling over at an eatery. Actually, we were just returning back from Jasmine's house, one of our course mates back then in Zulu College. She had an accident few days ago with her fiance, Bolaji.

"Oh Fatimah, I don't like this eatery!" Qudrah complained. "Their food are too expensive o!" She apprised as she unfastened her seatbelt.

"Worry not, bill is on me" I turned off the car.

"Awwn, I am so grateful!" She said, beaming.

Hence, we alighted from the car and headed into the eatery. It was very big, the first floor was full so we were ushered to the top floor. Thus, the waiter gave each of us menu to fill.

"Spicy chicken wings, and... a coke please" I said, gently handing back the menu to him.

Its been long I ate such thing!

"Masala whopper and a pepsi will do" Said Qudrah, returning back her menu as well.

"Right away madams" He said and then left. Hence, Qudrah brought back our old topic...

"So, when is Professor Marwan going to see your father?" She said, folding up her arms.

And that made me to heave a sigh. I ought to be so very happy with the fact that Professor Marwan was going to help me and Yusuf out but I didn't just know why I wasn't happy. Of course I wanted the same thing as Yusuf, but the fact that my father didn't like our union made me to keep having distressful feeling about it. What if things turn out to be sour?

"I don't know when he's coming o!" I huffed.

"You should know, at least in order to..." She was saying when we heard a woman by the opposite table shouting at a girl that seemed to be hers. Well, they somehow looked alike...

"Haba, what is wrong with you please? Huh? Why do you like suffering me?!" She uttered.

"Mammy, I am sorry" The girl sobbed.

"Come on, keep quiet!" The woman said and kept shouting at the girl until Qudrah and I decided to interfere. The girl was very small.

"Madam, please be gentle" I pleaded with her.

"Yes please, ok?" Qudrah chimed in as well.

Thus, the woman glared at us and asked us to mind our own business. She seemed rude, but perhaps it was because of all the stresses she was going through as a mother. So, we let her be... And hopefully, she stayed until we were done eating the food we were later on served.

...

"So, how much is our bill?" I asked the waiter. And after telling us, I asked about that of the woman as well. Thus, I paid him all together. I did that to show the woman I meant no harm.

"Thank... thank you" The woman managed to say just as we were about leaving. "I am very sorry about what happened earlier, I... I was just pissed off by my... daughter. She doesn't like eating food talk more of taking her pills"

"Pills?" I wrinkled a brow.

"Yes, she's a sickler - always on drugs" The woman said, and that made me to look very closely at her daughter. The girl's eyes were yellow, and she looked relatively abnormal.

"Is she always in pain?" I asked.

"No, from time to time" The woman said.

"What's her name?" I enquired.