Chapter 33: Chapter 33

“But how are you feeling now? Are you sure you’re okay?” Her mother asked for the second time. “Mama, I told you already. I'm okay, I'm fine. Are you coming to see me?” Dalia spoke sluggishly. Amina chuckled softly before she sighed. “You know I won't do that. But I promise you, Amrah will come visit you soon. Just make sure you don’t stress yourself too much and eat healthy.” After they've spoke for a while, dalia ended the call and dropped the phone on her side drawer.

Dalia sat up on her bed with a long sigh, the thought of muhsin never left her for one bit. He must be at work doing some paper work or in a meeting or he was at his parents house as he always did everyday.

She turned her head slightly and caught sight of her phone, maybe she should call him and hear how he was doing, she decided. If she haven’t overreacted about being pregnant and said those meaningless words to him a week ago, she wouldn't be here wondering about his whereabouts or being unhappy about anything. But, she had totally failed him as a wife. And whenever she looked in his eyes, she could see how he was still in awe about what she had done. What kind of mother rejects her own child that wasn’t even born yet.

The buzzer of her phone went off like an annoyed rattlesnake. Dalia scooped it up and her lips lifted upwards. She spoke into it softly and waited for his respond. “Wa’alaikumus Salam, dalia. How are you feeling now?” She exhaled smiling. Just hearing his voice made her feel ten times better at the moment. “I’m feeling much better today, and I didn't even throw up at all.” She spoke with so much excitement. He heaved a sigh of relief. He thought she would start whining and pestering him like she always did, but today was different.

“I'm so sorry I left early today. You were still sleeping when I had to leave and I didn't want to disturb your slumber.” She could sense the tiredness in his voice. “It’s okay. How’s work? When are you coming home?” She asked carefully. He exhaled, “uh... very tiring. It’s almost maghrib and I'm not even half way through. Might come home late, again...”

“But you always come home late these days.” She tilted her head and pouted. Muhsin chuckled, perhaps he it was wrong of him to ignore her for a whole week. “I will try and come back immediately after isha. Do you need anything?” He asked her. She nodded her head as if he was there with her. “I need more orange juice. I'm almost out. And I also want ice cream mixed with unripped mangoes.” Her stomach growled as she swallowed hungrily. “But I need this now. I can't wait for another hour or two.” She heard his sigh. “Okay, how are we suppose to get unripped mangoes now?”

“I don’t know, you should ask. I just need it now.” She rested her head on the bed headboard and closed her tired eyes. “I will send my brother with it, okay? Is that all you need?” She responded before he bade her goodbye and ended the call.

She got off her bed after lying down for a while and headed into her bathroom. She performed ablution and stepped out before she offered her maghrib prayer.

She sashayed out of the room as she peeped to see if amira was there. She has been awfully quiet for the past days. She no longer derange her or horn in on her business. Probably she had dropped all her weapons and surrendered, dalia declared in her mind. She descend down the stair to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and fetched out her orange juice with a bowl of freshly made cookies.

She plop on the sofa before turning on the tv. She took a sip of her orange juice and winced, scanning the bottle, it tasted funny. She shrugged it off and took a huge gulp of it. Dalia heard the clicking sound of heels coming from the stairs and she knew no doubt it was her co wife. She dropped down her bottles, waiting to see her appear in the living room and what amira had for her in store.

Amira ambled into the living room, arms crossed on her chest. She scrutinised at dalia’s face to the bottle she kept and let out a chuckle. She walked away and stepped out of the house. Dalia let out a long sigh placing her hand on her chest to steady her heartbeat.

She continued watching her TV show while she munched on her cookies and gulped the whole bottle of orange juice. She dropped the bowl down and rest her head on the soft pillow. Minutes later, she started drowsing off. Her head became foggy. The door bell snapped her out of her slumber. She jolted up looking at the door. She exhaled walking towards the door, she knew it would be muhsin’s brother with her ice cream and mangoes.

She slightly opened the door as she peeped. She gaped at him smiling. His curved upwards at the sight of her face. “Welcome back.” She looked up at him, the smile never left her face. He pulled her into his chest. she felt hot breath on her neck, then the tender brush of his lips. Burning as they made contact with her neck. He pulled back and observed her face, her eyes were still closed. She slowly opened her eyes and pouted. “Why’d you stop?”

He gaped at her before clasping their hands together. They walked into the living room together. “I don't want to go too far because I can't resist just kissing you.” She looked up into his eyes as he draws close to her. “How are you feeling now?” He reached up to cup her cheeks, his fingers warm against her skin. Her skin tingles at his touch as her breathing becomes shorter and faster. She stuttered... then paused... “I'm fine,” she restrained herself.

“Good, I bought your ice cream, didn’t forget to get your favourite flavour. And aunty somehow managed to get the unripped mangoes. But she said you shouldn't take too much else you can get stomach ache.” She squealed as she packed the leathers to the kitchen. He followed her into the kitchen. He settled down on the stool, observing her every movement. She opened the bucket of ice cream and cut the mangoes into the ice cream bucket. She took a spoon full closing her eyes. She took another bite before gazing at him.

“You have to try this.” She took another scoop and urged him to take it. He grimaced as he swallowed it. If it wasn't for the ice cream, he would’ve vomited. “That might be about the worst thing I've ever tasted. And you like this? Pregnancy cravings must be a hell of a drug.” She shrugged her shoulders and took another scoop. “More for me.”

After she has taken almost half of the pocket, she pushed it away. “I'm going to throw up.” He gaped at her, standing up from the stool. “No, no I'm fine, I promise. I just overfed myself.” She freed herself from his hold and dropped down from the tall stool. She opened the fridge and took another bottle of orange juice before she gulped half the bottle and kept it on the kitchen island.

“Aren’t you hungry?” She asked him. He shook his head. “I ate at home because I knew today amira should be the one cooking and turns out.... She isn't even home.” He sighed tiredly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He stood to his feet. “I need to go get some rest now.” He walked out without waiting for her reply.

She shrugged it off and also left the kitchen after clearing the mess she made. After she had prayed isha, she lay down in her bed with a sigh. She turned on her TV and changed the channel to the one she preferred.

She heard the door opened and he appeared. He beamed at her as he ambled closer. She stared at him with her sleepy, tired eyes. “Sleepy already?” He asked joining her in bed. “What are you doing here?” She questioned, staring at him. “I came to check up on you.” He stroked her soft cheeks. She shrugged her shoulders off and closed her eyes.

Dalia’s chocolate brown eyes opened and closed from the light of the TV and he sort of smiled. He stared at her unblinkingly. She opened her eyes and beheld his gaze. “Nothing.” He chuckled. She rolled her eyes and nuzzled into his shoulder, her black hair inches from her nose. He could smell his dalia-like smell, which was too good for words. After a few adonizing minutes, he felt her go limp and he smiled huge and big, cradling her into his chest.

2:16am....

Dalia woke up to the shrieking pain in her abdomen and lower back. There was a stake being hammered into her abdomen, the strikes radiating pain in a way that shatter her brain- or at least that was what it felt like. She laid back down, breathing shallow. She wrapped herself in her duvet, waves of nausea adding to her misery. Then the pain came faster and sharp than it did before. She hurriedly sat up cradling her stomach.

She slowly got to her feet, a warm fluid came rushing down her feet. She knelt down as she crawled to the bedside lamp and turn it on. She raised her long night gown and peered at the blood dripping down. Her mouth stands agape as the wave of pain made her to crunch down and yelp in pain. Her back ached. No matter how she moved. And the blood was slowly oozing down.

With the rest of the energy she had, she searched for her phone before she went unconscious. With trembling hands, she dialled his number. The pain throbs in her guts. Her eyesight blurred, but not because tears were welling up. “Dalia?” He barged into her room and met her already falling unconscious. Everything became fuzzy; then she saw nothing at all. Her consciousness was floating through an empty space filler with a thick static. Throughout the inky space her heartbeats pounded loudly, echoing in her ears, along with the fading voice of her husband.

She felt body drain away until finally all was black.

On the private ward, the atmosphere was completely different. The air had a perfumed scent and the seats were plush. Every surface was dustless. The nurses were unhurried and they moved with a serene purposefulness from room to room on their rounds. There were vases of flowers and beautiful framed pieces of art on the walls. In the corridor was a water dispenser and in most rooms could be heard the noise of a television.

Muhsin walked passed the rooms to his cousin’s office. He knocked on the door before he stepped in. Yusuf raised his head to look at muhsin. He didn't smile. “Have a seat, we need to talk.” Yusuf gestured the seat to him. Muhsin heaved a sigh and sat across Yusuf. The look Yusuf gave him terrified him. He stared back as he waited for the worst. He knew his wife had a miscarriage but after that, what happened?

“You do know dalia took abortion pills right?”

Muhsin’s face fell faster than a corpse in cement boots. In that instant his skin became pale, his mouth hung with lips slightly parted and his eyes were as wide as they could stretch. “What?” He murmured gaping at Yusuf.

Yusuf looked at him in awe. “So, You don’t know she had taken abortion pills?” He asked him. Muhsin looked away and stared at the blank space. Yusuf must’ve gotten the wrong result. “No, no I know my wife would never do that. She’s too innocent to do that. You must’ve gotten the wrong result. My wife had a miscarriage, she did not abort our baby.” Muhsin screeched as he continued telling his heart that wasn't true. Yusuf sighed before pushing the paper towards him. “She took RU 486 which led to the miscarriage that you mentioned.”

His hand trembled with fear and anger. “What’s this? RU what? What are you talking about?” His breathing became shallow. All he needed to see was Yusuf laughing it off and told him it was a joke but none of that came. “Mifepristone also known as RU 486, it is used to cause abortion during the early part of a pregnancy. It is used up to week 10...”

Muhsin couldn’t say he had felt hurt and betrayed in his life like he felt at that moment. He hit the office desk furious before he got to his feet and storm out before Yusuf could finish his statement.