CH009

"Your behavior at the dining table today was so uncalled for!" Ayman said to Jamila as he stood her out of her room, trying to talk her into regret of her tone earlier.

Jamila's face did not carry even a single taint of regret in them as her eyes still blazed hot at the fact that he had commanded her out in the presence of that disrespectful woman.

But she didn't make the mistake of answering back at her brother. Apart from her defiant eyes and the fact that she didn't resolve to apologize to Zara nor Rabiatu and Tariq whom she has disrespected like he said, she had no intentions of changing.

With her head hung low and down in a submissive manner, her brother left her when he had believed that she had had a change of heart.

But little had he known that it wasn't the case and that she had only put up that expression to make him believe she regretted her actions and for him to leave her be, to her room,her safe space and to her thoughts while she would think of things to do to show Zara her place in the house.

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"What do you want to say to me Yarrah?"

Her eyes screamed her unsaid words ans Zara knew outrightly that she had something she wanted to say to her.

Yarrah didn't know if she had the right to say what she wanted to say to her. She was going to become one of the madams of the house soon after the marriage ceremony is done. What if she were to annoy her with her words and cause her to chase her away?

Ayman was on his way to Zara's room after he had gone to his sister's. He wanted to apologize to her on behalf of everyone and the unwelcomed treatment she had been meted out while at the dinner.

She was still a young girl and such way she had been treated earlier by others, especially his sister was not right in his eyes. Given the fact that she was to become his father's fourth wife soon.

"Tell me Yarrah, what did I do wrong today?" Zara questioned again, urging her to tell.

" You answered back in front of the first madam today, Aziza. It is not right to do so I'm our culture"

"Why isn't it? It wasn't the first madam I answered back to. It was the lady Jamila. She looks like someone around my age and I honestly couldn't allow myself to be walked all over by someone my age" Zara explained.

By now Ayman had reached her door and was about to knock when he heard the voices coming from inside the room. He hesitated before knocking on her door and stood waiting for them to be done with their discussion. An excuse for him to listen to their conversation that had caught his attention.

"I understand Aziza. But you shouldn't have done that in front of the first madam. She is the second highest authority in the house after the head, and even if someone annoys you in her presence, you should keep quiet and allow the person to speak and await her judgement to the offender"

"Thank you…..Yarrah" Zara said.

She didn't know if she had taken Into account what she had said, but Yarrah heaved a sigh when she heard her say those words of gratitude. It was an almost impossible task hearing one of the masters say that to the workers.

"You don't have to thank me, mistress. It is my duty to educate you on the norms and cultures of the people of this place"

"Please Yarrah. Enough with the mistress and master name calling. If you can't call me Aziza, then I will have the other workers punish you for insurbodination and disobedience" she jovially threatened but Yarrah fell to her knees immediately, believing that she was serious with her threat.

"I'm so sorry Aziza. I will be mindful not to repeat the mistake again" she pleaded and Zara motioned her to stand up,which she did.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

"You will need to ask money from the master Aziza, we need to get you some additional veils" Yarrah spoke up after a while of brief hesitation, unsure of what Zara might understand from her humble question.

"I have some veils in my luggage. Didn't you see them?" Came Zara's voice as she stared in the direction of her luggage that had been opened before.

Yarrah had brought out the clothing she currently wore from her luggage, didn't she notice that there were veils inside as well when she did? Zara questioned herself.

"They are only few Aziza, and most of them are little and meant for children. The colours are too shouty and showy too for a woman getting married to a respectable man as the prime minister" And then Yarrah began to pick at her finger, immediately noticing a dirt on it as she managed to free thr words she had harboured on her chest for long.

Zara noticed her fear and was heartbroken she was afraid of her still, even when it was just the truth she had just told her.

Perhaps that had been the reason she didn't bring out one for her to wear and had let her go to the dining table with an uncovered hair since it would be better for her to do so thank for her to go with a short and showy coloured veil.

"I didn't know of this Yarrah. My moral governess hadn't mentioned that part to me" Zara admitted.

Of a truth she had not. She had only emphasized on the importance of her wearing a veil and having her head covered all the time and hadn't mentioned that there were also permissions given to the type of veils acceptable to be worn.

If only she had grown up with her ba, she wouldn't have confused anything. Her ba would always tell her to keep her head low and not catch the gaze of a man or let one catch hers. All these cultural conducts and traditions wouldn't have been new to her if she had.

"I have some money with me which I will give you tomorrow morning for you to purchase some veils for me with. Asking the house owner for some money to purchase veils doesn't seem like a good thing I will do on my first day of arriving here"

"Then it would be in the afternoon Aziza, after I come to work and finish with my morning chores"

" Come to work? I thought you lived here?" Aziza questioned, surprised again.

"I used to but had to stop when my corner in the quarters was taken"

"Taken? Taken by?…." " Forget it" Zara added. She was becoming too questioning and didn't want her to feel off in her presence.

"I will leave your food by the table and then leave Aziza. I need to get home early"

Ayman who had been waiting at the door got ready to knock as he saw that as the ending of their conversation. But soon paused again.

"The food is for you,Yarrah"