Chapter 21: Chapter 21

She dropped out of the car and ran into the house. She caught sight of dalia in the living room and paused. She let out a dry laugh all out of anger. “You!” She launched towards her and before Dalia could run, she grabbed her by the arm and slapped her across her cheek before she started hitting her mercilessly. “You traitor, you betrayed me! You have been coming to my house all this while just to snatch my husband away.” She punched her again for the umpteenth time and all dalia could do was scream and begged for mercy.

They were beating her all because he gave her a phone? Why were they calling her a traitor? What has she really done?

Daddy came rushing downstairs when he heard Dalia’s wails. “Amira? What are you doing?” He asked as he pulled her away from dalia before he landed two hot slaps across her face. “You are very stupid amira, both of you.” He pointed at her to her mother. “You both are out of your mind. How can you just attack someone’s daughter over something that isn't her fault?”

He averted his gaze to dalia who was still on the floor sobbing out of pain and misery. “Can you get up, my dear?” He asked her and she nodded. “Go to your room now and lock the door, I will be there in a minute.” She slowly rise to her feet and sashayed out of the living room.

He turned his gaze to the two women fuming with anger. He hissed before he searched for his phone in his pocket. He dialled muhsin’s number and he immediately picked the call. “Muhsin, wherever you are, you need to come to my house right now.” Muhsin replied him like he should before he ended the call.

He quickly took his car keys and left the house. That’s when he noticed amira wasn't at home. Where had she gone to without telling him? He groaned and hissed, she was at her parents house definitely.

He stepped on the gas as he tapped on the steering wheel impatiently. He arrived at the house and just as he thought, he spotted amira’s car and by the way she parked the car, he knew she had found out about it. He heaved a sigh of distress as he walked into the house. Would she allow him to sleep in peace today?

He met the three family members standing right in the middle of the living room as mommy yelled at alhaji while amira stood there shedding tears. She raised her head and looked at him. She glared at him and looked away. “Masha Allah you are here. Go upstairs, the third room on the left and get Dalia out of the house. Take her to the clinic for check up because these two crazy women wants to kill her.”

His whole body went numb as he felt heavy moving his feet. What had they done to her? He never thought it would reach to that extent. He finally gathered the courage and started walking towards the stairs. He walked passed the living room and headed to the third room by the left like daddy had said. He knocked on the door softly.

She scrambled up from the carpet when she heard the knock. It was gentle, that couldn't me amira or mommy. They would've knocked like they were going to breakdown the door. It must be daddy, she thought at she walked over to the door. She opened it and their eyes locked. He felt something stabbed him right in his heart when he came across her distressed face. He looked at the bruises on her face and arm.

“Yaya muhsin, can you tell me what is happening please? Mommy saw the phone you bought for me and started beating me. Aunty amira now too, and they keep saying I am a husband snatcher, what is going on please?” She asked him between her sobs. He cleared his throat and swallowed the lump hurting his throat. “Where’s your hijab? We need to leave now.” Without asking where they were going. She turned and headed to where her hijabs were. She wore it before she grabbed her bag. She was about to head out of the room when her eyes caught sight of her phone.

She contemplated wether to take it or leave it there. She walked over to the phone and grabbed it when she remembered she needed to call her mother. She followed him downstairs passed the living room and went to his car.

Moment by moment, the tears roll down her red cheeks, drenching her hijab. Perhaps the tears would wash the blood on the bruises away. She sobbed uncontrollably as she thought of thousand reasons why they did that to her. What had she done? Why isn't anyone explaining anything to her?

He sighed before he parked the car by the road side. He stared at her for a moment, he caused this for her. He caused this pain and harassment for her. How would he start telling the girl what was happening? “Dalia, listen you me please. I am so sorry for what my wife and mother in law did to you. What they did was totally not right and out of hand. I know daddy would not allow this matter to slide without taking actions about it.”

She peered at him with her bloodshot eyes. “What is going on please? I don’t even understand what they were saying to me. What’s happening?” She asked him. All she wanted to understand was what was actually happening and what they meant. He looked away and stared out to the streets. This was the moment he was afraid of. What would she think of him? Would she even accept him as her husband? “I asked for your hand in marriage from daddy and I suppose he had told them about it that’s why all of this is happening.”

Her brain stutters for minute then her eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief. “You did what? How could you do such to me? Why on earth would you do that? To top things up you went to your father in law to ask for another girl’s hand in marriage? Who does something like that?” He never in his wildest dream thought Dalia could get upset and throw words at him like that. The girl could talk that much? She never ceases to amaze him day by day.

“I know, dalia, I know. What I did was totally crazy and selfish...”

“Damn right it’s very selfish... what do you mean, that you want me to betray your wife? There’s no way I am going to marry you, Ya muhsin... you better have a second thought about this because I can't do something like that to them, not after all they have done for me and my mother.”

“What if I am in love with you, Dalia?” Her mouth hung open at his words. He loves her? How? How did he manage to not show it to her? “I know you might not be in love with me or you might not have understood all the signs I've showed you for the past months but... I love you and I have nothing I can do about it and the best thing to do is to get married to you.”

She glared at him and hissed. That was the first day he had seen her do that and no matter what she does, she still impressed him and he loved her that way, even more. “There is no way I am getting married to you. Just.... Can't you see? These people took all the responsibilities concerning everything I need away from my mother. They helped me and my parents, now I am in school because of them and you want me to do such thing? No way! You think that if daddy showed you he’s happy, that really meant deep down in him he’s really happy about it? She is his daughter for Allah’s sake do you think he would be happy if you add another wife? I can't... I just can’t...” She opened the door and stepped out of the car. “Here is your stupid phone, if I knew this was what you meant all this while I wouldn’t have accepted even a needle from you.” She closed the door hard before she quickened her pace before he could drop down from the car and go after her.

“Dalia, please wait and listen to me, you have to understand the kind of situation I am in.” She furiously turned to look at him. The tears never failed to cascade down her cheeks. “I don’t care just because you love me, that will never be enough. I would be a traitor like aunty amira said if I do this to her... look just leave me alone... I don't want to ever see your face, just stay away from me.” She started walking away and he stood there looking at her as his heart pounded hard against his chest. What was he going to do now if she refuses to accept him?

He turned and walked back to his car when she had disappeared into the crowd.

She found the commercial car going to her village, Kuje and entered. Soon the car was full and they left. Shortly, they arrived at the village and she alight from the car and found her way home. She opened the front door and entered the house. She looked around the compound.

Amina came out of her room same time her eyes landed on dalia just standing by her room. If not because they had light at that time, she would’ve said it was a ghost. “Dalia? Subahanallah. What happened? Who brought you here by this time of the night? Your face.” Her eyes drip with tears. Her walls, the walls that hold her up, made her strong just.... Collapsed.

Her mother rushed to the entrance door and locked it before she went back to where dalia was standing. “Dalia what happened please? Talk to me.”

She hugged her mother and placed her head on her chest. She was trembling, she couldn't stop. Even as she buried her face against her mother’s chest, she trembled. It hurts, everything, raw tears, raw emotions, raw pain. She couldn't stop the tears. “Dalia, tell me what is wrong. What happened? Who did all this to you?” Her mother asked worriedly as she held her face and observed the bruises. It looked like she had a fight with a cat or even a wolf. Dalia’s words caught up in her throat. She wanted to tell her mother everything but the tears didn't allow her to.

Her mother dragged her to her room and settled her down on her bed. She went out of the room and came back with a cup of water and a plate of food. She gulped down the whole water before she let out deep, shallow breaths. “I haven't pray isha,” she mouthed before she stood up and removed her hijab.

She headed out of the room to the tap outside. After she had performed ablution, she went back to her mother’s room and prayed before Amina pushed her to eat.

She pushed the plate away and sipped some water again to calm herself down. “Mama where’s Amrah?” She asked. “Amrah went home but she’s coming back in two days.” Amina answered her. “Now, tell me what happened?” She lowered her gaze as she heaved a sigh. She felt numb and dry inside. She wanted to cry again to feel better at least. “Don’t start with tears again, Dalia. Tell me what happened?” Her mother asked again. Dalia told her everything right from the start to the moment she left him standing by the road side.

Amina stared at her daughter, her mouth pursed but slightly open and loose. Her eyes were fixed as if she was getting answers to her confusion. She was unhappy too when dalia’s uncle approached her with the talk but later on she understood and left things to Allah. “Dalia, yes I know it sounds like you have betrayed her but don’t you think...”

“No mama, please you have to back me up on this. I am not going to marry him, I just can’t...”

**

The heart break felt so cold. It felt like concrete in his chest. The heartbreak was unexpected, as always. Amira was right in front of him blabbering about something he was too worried about dalia to even listen to what amira was spitting about. She got tired afterwards and left him there in his room.

He had a sleepless night thinking of a way to convince dalia to marry him. He knew no one would force her to marry him if she said no. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh. He was sleepy and tired but how could he sleep knowing the one he really loves doesn't love him back? Dalia was the one thing he wouldn't want to give up on.

His phone vibrated bringing him back from the ocean of thought. “Salamu alaikum, daddy. Good morning.” He sat upright on the bed. “Waalaikums Salam, good morning, muhsin. How are things over there? Where’s Dalia?” He asked him. Muhsin hesitated before he answered. How would he even start telling him she left to where he has no idea about? “Daddy she left, I don't know where she went to.”

Daddy chuckled a little. “I know she must be at home so don’t worry.” Muhsin heaved a sigh of relief. Why haven't he thought of that at the first place? “Daddy what should I do now?” Muhsin asked helplessly.

“Why don’t you go and convince her first before we go further into the matter. You know I can’t force her to do something she intends not to do. If you are able to convince her, you have my full support and about amira, don’t worry about her. I know she’s my daughter and I know of her flaws and her behaviour which we pray she changes, that is why I will never stop you from getting married to that girl and Dalia is a very good girl. Just go to their house and try convincing her, I will talk with your father about it afterwards, in sha Allah.”

That afternoon, he found himself gaping up in front of the house, waiting for the boy he had sent in to announce his arrival.

Dalia was sweeping the compound when their neighbour’s son came in. “Sulaiman? How are you doing?” She asked as she rise up to look at the boy. “I'm fine. One alhaji asked me to call you, he's outside waiting. Aunty Dalia, who's he? He came with a big, flashy car and I know he's from abuja right?” The boy spoke nonstop which made dalia to laugh a little, that was the first time she smiled that day. “Go home now, Sulaiman before I tell your mother about what you said.” Knowing what his mother could do to him, he apologised and ran off.

She dropped the broom and headed into her mother’s room. “Mama, daddy is outside, I am going to usher him in now.” She wore her hijab and stepped out of the room before she walked out of the house.

She stopped in her tracks when her eyes caught sight of him. Their eyes met and he offered a smile but she turned to leave. “Dalia please just wait and listen to me. For the sake of Allah, just give me few minutes of your time not because I'm worth it, please.” She paused as she listened to what he had said. She turned and looked at him. Arms folded on her chest while she waited to hear what he had to say.