Chapter 12: Chapter 12

She walked into his room and stood by the door, looking at him knot his tie. She folded her arms across her chest as she waited to hear why he summoned her. She furrowed her brows and looked away before he caught her drooling over him in one of his elegant navy blue suit.

She stood there for more than five minutes before he looked at her and cleared his throat. He was going to apologise, she declared in her mind. "We are traveling to Yola next Thursday, you better start preparing and mind you, if you try doing anything dumb or stupid with my cousins or my aunts, amira I assure you, you will regret it."

She turned her head and glared at him. So this was why he called her? What a waste of her time. "You should go warn your family members to stay out of my lane not stand here blabbering unnecessary things. And I don't see anyone in this world forcing me to go to that village where I am not respected."

Even though her words irritated him, his face looked as calm as it always has been. He shoved his hands in his suit pocket as he stared at her. "Amira when did we become mates that you spill out whatever that comes out of your mouth to me? Or is it because I don't do anything to you? Look, we are leaving Thursday afternoon, so better get ready. And please if you want to see the other side of Muhsin, don't do what I asked you to. Now get out," he yelled at the end. His holler reverberated in her ears like a clap of thunder, such was his rage. It was a roar of pure anger. And by the time he had finished yelling, his voice was so hoarse he could barely speak.

She briskly walked out of the room when he started approaching her in a threatening way. She said nothing wrong about his family but the truth. If they won't respect her then there was no way she was going with him. But she knew skipping this would mean lots of trouble for her. She hissed annoyingly as she paced around her room. She picked up her phone and dialled karima's number. "Karima, where are you?" She inquired. "Home of course. Where else would I be by this time of the morning?" She spoke annoyingly. Amira had totally forgotten about what happened few days ago. When she was in need, she never cared if that person was angry with her or not, or she had hurt your feelings.

"I really need your advise on something. Could you please come over? You know my husband would never allow me to go anywhere." Karima moved the phone away from her ear and looked at the phone before she placed it back. "What's in it for me?" She questioned which is annoyed amira. "Karima why is it always about money please? Aren't you willing to help me? Aren't we friends?" Karima slightly hissed. "Okay fine, I will be at your place in an hour." She ended the call.

Amira slumped on her bed and inhaled deeply before she exhaled. She knew definitely if she told karima her problems she would find a solution for her. What she was sure about is she wasn't going to Yola with him, that was definitely a no.

She laid down there waiting for karima for more than an hour but no sign of her. She tossed to the other side to call her but she never picked. She looked at the time, it was past 11 in the morning and she haven't even eaten her breakfast yet. She stood up and headed out to the kitchen to check if she had any leftovers to warm up.

She was scanning through the fridge when she heard the doorbell. She swiftly closed the fridge back and walked out of the kitchen to open the door. She heaved a sigh of relief when her eyes met karimas'.

"Where have you been, karima? I've been waiting for you." She ushered her in and they headed into the living room. "I had to get ready of course." She slumped on the soft sofa with a sigh. "So what's up? What's going on?" She asked. Amira hissed, for a minute she had forgotten about her worries. "Can you believe that muhsin is telling me that we're traveling to his mothers homeland next week Thursday. I mean those people are bunch of idiots and they are absolutely disrespectful!"

Amira is the most dumbest person, karima thought. The fact that she had no respect for her husband shocked karima but not for once has she had ever shown amira that she was amused about it. She would gladly help her ruin her own marital house since she had been longing to find someone like Muhsin. Amira has gotten the man of every girl's dreams but she's playing with it.

"What's wrong in going to his mother's homeland with him? What is even wrong in going there?" Karima asked perplexed. "I am telling you his family hates my guts. Especially his female cousins. They are always all over him." She crossed her arms on her chest as the anger rise more when she remembered his they were always all over him. Perhaps they were in love with him. Who wouldn't fall for muhsin? He's rich, young and handsome. What's there not to fall for?

"That is the reason why you have to be there. Or you want to leave him for them to drool all over him, like you said. You want one of them to snatch him away? And I mean, you know how those Fulani girls are so beautiful. You're risking your life by not going." Amira was mute as she reasoned karima's words. She was right, if she isn't there then that give them every chance to drool all over him. "Show them you're the only one he has and wants. Do not allow any of his family to step on you. They fight you, you fight back, that's just it. No one can play with Mrs Muhsin!" Amira suddenly started feeling herself by Karima's last statement. And she was right. They fight her, she gladly fights back.

"You see the reason why I always need you, karima? You're the best and you always give the best advice. I can't thank you enough." With that, they changed the topic and continued conversing. Karima cooked for them as they continued chit chatting. Later in the evening, amira took the risk of going out to take karima home. When she got home, luckily he wasn't back yet.

***

She heard what amira said but decided to pretend like she never heard her. She was clearly annoyed by everything and everyone. Even though she had complained to mommy she was sick, she still forced her to come clean amira's house. "I said where did you keep my diamond earrings, thief? It's either you bring them out or I hit the living day light out of you and I mean it!" By the time she was done yelling, Dalia was already infuriated but she had no right to fume about it.

She felt the sharp pain right below her abdomen again. She winced and kept the mopper. "I told you, I didn't see your diamond earrings. Wallahil Azeem I didn't." Her voice cracked and all she wanted to do was cry, not because of the cramps she was feeling but because she hated being accused and she hated swearing but she had no choice. And it had reached to a point that amira would even call her a thief, over something she knew nothing about.

"You won't tell me where you hid it? You won't...." She landed her palm across dalia's face. Dalia quickly held her cheek as she closed her eyes tight. A tear slid down her cheek. Despite how she wanted to hold it in, it came rushing down her cheeks. She closed her mouth with her other hand to avoid screaming. Amira smacked her head hard and dragged her from her ear out of the kitchen as she rained insults on dalia.

They almost barge into each other as he wanted to head into the kitchen to go check what was going on when he heard the loud smack and then followed by the wails. "What's going on here?" He asked calmly as he gazed at dalia to his wife. He sent daggers her way and without any second thought, she lets go of dalia's ear. "This girl is a thief, muhsin. She stole my diamond earrings, if not her, who would take it? It has been the three of us in this house since morning. And I could vividly remember that I kept it..."

"Amira shut up." He gave her a stern look. She swallowed the rest of her words and folded her arms on her chest. "The earrings you carelessly left on the centre table? I took it away because you don't deserve it anymore. Now kindly apologize for accusing her, immediately."

Amira's eyes widened then narrowed. "You know that would never be possible because I did nothing wrong. I only confronted her because I thought she was the one that took it," she mouthed despite how embarrassed she was. Dalia sniffed and wiped her tears. She slowly turned and left the dinning room. "Come back here, dalia," he commanded. She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned but never looked at him. She was ready for the worse. "Apologize to her now." She heard him say to amira.

Amira wanted to protest or try leaving the place but he threatened her which she had no choice but to do as he said. "Sorry," she mumbled before walking away. Without glancing at amira, he moved closer to dalia. "Are you sick?" He asked her. She slowly looked up, contemplating wether to tell him or not. She slowly nodded, "but I'm okay."

"What's wrong with you?" He asked but she never answered. "I want to go finish cleaning the kitchen," she muttered instead. He looked a little furious but that was how his face actually was. She lowered her gaze as she fiddled with her fingers. "Come let me take you home. You need to get some rest." He started walking to the door without waiting to hear what she had to say. She had no choice but to follow him. Luckily, she was done with everything except mopping the kitchen. He was already in the car when she came out. She entered the car before he drove out of the house. The pain rises again, her face closed in a grimace. Her period wouldn't start till after few days but she was already in pain.

He looked at her before he parked the car by the roadside. "You haven't told me what's wrong with you. We should go to the hospital," he suggested but she shook her head. "I have my drugs at home, the moment I get home I'll take it and get some rest." He nodded his head because he knew if he still insisted she might get uncomfortable.

He dropped her off at home and headed to Yusuf's house, as he did most of the time. He met him in his living room going through some files. "Doctor Yusuf," he exclaimed as he settled down beside him on the three seater. It stills shocks him that his unserious cousin, Yusuf was a medical doctor. A whole doctor. He never takes anything serious especially when they were speaking about a serious matter or when they were in trouble.

"Amira's one and only," he spoke teasingly. Muhsin hissed and turned his gaze to the working tv. "I just stated a fact, not that I am lying." Muhsin shrugged as he pretended like didn't hear his statement. He rubbed the space between his eyes with a sigh. He was sad but what was the point? Why be sad of something which has already happened? When he gets sad, it's like being stabbed in the heart a thousand times without dying.

"Sabr my brother, have patience. Don't forget that Allah will never burden you with something that is beyond your capacity to deal with. And with hardship comes ease. And nothing is temporary, surely your happy days would come." He smiled, not gazing at Yusuf. He was right. And there were many people with much worse situation than his. And everything was just a matter of time. Surely this will pass one day.