Inayah snorted and shook her head saying, ''what an obnoxious person. Mrs. Hanna, I will make sure to enjoy the food.'' She said to Mrs. Hanna and turned to go and the boy held her hand.
''What did you say? Obnoxious person?'' He asked Inayah.
Inayah felt a strange pang in her chest and stepped away from the boy. ''Look here, didn't they teach you not to hold a stranger's hands; especially when that stranger is the opposite sex?'' She asked cocking her brows at him.
''What bad manners you have for a girl. Didn't your parents teach you not to speak that way to strangers?''
Mrs. Hanna and Bertha pursed their lips as they looked at Inayah, waiting to see her reaction. Because they knew this was a sensitive topic in her life.
Inayah looked at the boy and smirked. ''No…why? Because they died before I could even speak.'' She pushed him aside as she walked away.
''You shouldn't have said that…she is an orphan.'' Mrs. Hanna said to the boy and he turned and looked at Inayah with regret.
Inayah walked towards her apartment and a cream Bentley passed by her.
She stopped walking and looked at the car and murmured to herself.
''Whoa!!! That car must cost a fortune!'' She stopped at her yard and looked at the glass mansion. ''I guess a rich family moved into our neighbourhood.''
Jasper got out of the car and looked at the other house and frowned. He found the house unpleasant in his eyes. He really wanted to know who it belonged to since he hadn't seen anyone go there since he moved in three months ago.
Inayah walked to her window and opened the blinds and looked at the glass mansion next to her apartment and murmured. ''It looks so quiet. Anyway, our neighbourhood isn't exactly a noisy place.''
Her eyes shifted to one of the rooms at the top and she saw a man looking directly at her with only a towel around his waist and holding a glass of wine.
She gasped and hid down at once. "Oh my God!!! What was that?''
She got up slowly to check again but this time she didn't see anyone. ''What was that? I definitely saw someone there. Was I imagining things? No way, I'm sure I saw someone just now.''
She shook herself and closed the blinds and went to her bed. ''Let's sleep Nayah. Let's sleep. Don't let your mind wonder about.''
.....
It was almost noon when Inayah woke up the next day. She stretched herself on the bed and looked at the clock and murmured, ''did I sleep for that long? Is already past eleven. I should go and do some shopping before this woman comes and nags me to death.''
With that she got up and went into the washroom.
Inayah walked out of her room all dressed up in a pair of black jeans and a blue top with a matching purse and sneakers. She was about to enter the kitchen when her phone rang.
''I'm on my way okay!'' Inayah said into the phone and picked her purse, running out of her apartment.
She ran out and was about to go out to the sidewalk when she saw a Maybach coming outside the mansion and she quickly hid.
The man at the backseat looked at her as the car passed by.
He had seen her looking at him last night and didn't need anyone to tell him whom she was. But he was still curious as to how many other people lived in that house apart from her.
Inayah frowned after the car left. She walked out and looked at it asking herself, ''why am I hiding? I didn't do anything wrong?''
.....
Miles Mart.
Inayah walked with her cousin Clara, and aunt, Miss. Gladys as they chatted and shopped.
''Mom, do you know that Ayah is really unbelievable?''
''What did I do?'' Inayah asked giving her aunt an innocent gaze.
''You didn't call even once after you left. How could you be so cruel?'' Clara, Inayah's cousin humped.
''Understand her, Clara. Is not like she left on a good note. She is back now and that's what matters.'' Miss Gladys smiled.
''Aunt understands me the most. Aunt, I'm sorry for not calling. I didn't want to worry you guys.''
''Is okay, child. I'm happy you're back.''
''I'm not glad you're back. If you beg me I might forgive you.'' Clara said pouting her lips and Inayah chuckled before holding her cousin's arm.
''Forgive me Lara. I'm sorry.''
Clara smiled. ''Well, since you asked nicely, I will forgive you but you can't leave like that again. Okay?''
''I'm not leaving. I'm back for good.''
Clara stopped pushing the cart and asked, ''really?''
''Yes, I asked Aunt to fill my school forms as my guardian. I'm going back to school when we reopen.''
''Really? Mom, you didn't tell me anything about this.'' Clara turned to face her mother.
''Ayah wanted it to be a surprise!''
''Wow! You silly little thing. I'm so happy you're back.'' Clara hugged Inayah and saw a named tattoo on her left shoulder. ''J. M?''
''J. M?'' Inayah asked back.
''Did you get a boyfriend while you were travelling around the world?'' Clara asked.
''What are you talking about?'' Inayah looked confused.
''There is someone's initials on your left shoulder.'' Clara pointed at the tattoo and Miss Gladys turned to look at it.
''Ayah, you have a boyfriend? Didn't I say, no boyfriend till graduation?'' Miss Gladys asked.
''Aunt, I don't have a boyfriend. What are you talking about, Clara?'' Inayah frowned.
''Is written here on your left shoulder J.M''
''What?'' Inayah was confused.
''Is here, see. Mom, check it out.''
Miss. Gladys furrowed her brows as she looked at the tattoo. ''Clara is right. You have initials of a name tattooed on your shoulder.''
''Huh?" Inayah touched her shoulder.
Clara turned on her camera and took a picture and showed it to her, ''how did you get it?''
''I have no idea. I didn't even know I had something like this. How did I get this anyway?'' Inayah looked at the picture.
''Think carefully, Ayah!'' Miss. Gladys said as she looked at her niece worriedly.
''Aunt, I'm serious. I have no idea how I got this.'' Inayah panicked.
''Is alright, let's just shop and go. We will talk about this later.'' Miss Gladys didn't want her to panic because of the tattoo. Later on, she ask Inayah a few questions and he'll her figure it out.
''Clara, please can you send that picture to me?'' Inayah asked.
''Sure!'' Clara nodded her head.
''I mean right now!'' Inayah emphasized.
''Yeah, yeah!'' Clara replied and sent the picture to Inayah immediately.
…..
Inayah's house.
Inayah sat on the bed with a mirror looking at the tattoo on her shoulder. ''J.M', what the hell is that? Why do I have this tattooed on me?''
She put the mirror down and looked at the picture on her phone worriedly, ''why can't I remember anything apart from getting down the plane yesterday? I still feel weird; I just hope this name has nothing to do with it?''
Inayah knew something was wrong with her but she didn't know what it was. She felt that she had lost some of her memories but she didn't know what exactly it was.
Inayah sighed and continued to stare at the glass mansion across her bedroom.
Jasper stood at the glass wall looking at the house next to his as he spoke on phone. ''I told you to investigate the owner of the houses around my neighbourhood. Didn't you tell me that house next to my villa has being empty since 8 months ago? Why is it suddenly being occupied? I need information on whoever the occupant is by tomorrow and make sure they leave within the week. I hate having people do hide and seek with me.''
He hung up and creased his brows as he stepped closer to the wall. ''Looking at me, again? This time in only your underwear?"
"Who is this girl? She is really… getting on my nerves!'' Jasper stepped closer and touched the tinted glass, pointing at her.
Inayah panicked.''He…can…see me? If he can see me, why isn't he saying hello. Tsk, does he think he has it all together because he lives in a mansion?''
Inayah murmured to herself as she looked at the man at the other side pointing his finger at her.
She was about to also point her finger at him when she saw how she looked.
''Aaaaahhh!'' She pulled the blinds closed and quickly went to the bed and pulled the sheets and covered herself.
''Wow!!! Did he just see me in my underwear? Is he a pervert? What a way to go Nayah. How could you be seen in only your underwear that too by a stranger?''