Chapter 63: Chapter 63

She kept looking at her chubby figure through her mirror. What is this meant to be? Is her body dead to the extent that it doesn't give a damn about whatever happens around her? Why would she be turning into a chubby woman instead of a skinny woman? She has so much in mind to eat up her flesh. And the softness and freshness of her skin, isn't that questionable also? She was always sick at heart, but why is her body acting as if she's having the roses of life with her?

She looks 100% healthy, without an iota of a single sickness-of which, there isn't anything left in her heart but sickness. She's throughly sick that she thought her blood burnt. But her body and skin? They were telling a different story. Through them, it was a story of a beautiful woman that has all the happiness and love she deserves. But no! Beneath her heart, she screams in need of comfort.

She looked at the other parts of her body, they were fuller than how they were-two months back. You were thinking of how she survived the whole two months and could still look at herself through the mirror without clenching her eyes shut huh? She too doesn't have the answer to this question, and she believes no one does.

What is expected of a married woman, whom has a co-wife and was just a piece of trash to her husband than; patience? That's what the all the people she thinks she could lean onto expect from her, and so she exercised it. Patience. It was easier said than done, when your own husband would only flash you a disgusted and hateful look before grabbing his wife's waist and they would shashay beside you without having the effrontery to talk. It was so hard to excercise, when all you need is the warmth of your husband, and feel his lingering touches on you-and that would be done, only not on you, but on another woman he calls his wife.

The society thinks a woman needs to be patient in whatever phase life rolled her into, did they for once think of the hardship in that phase? How detrimenting it might be? They just knew it as a word, but she was sure they've never excercise what the real meaning of patience is. It stings her, whenever the word is mentioned. Patience. The most powerful word african parents uses towards their married daughters. If only they would consider those daughters for once. Somethings wouldn't have happened.

A ring from her phone broke her series of thoughts that would never end. She scrunched up her face and picked the call, she knew who it was-but she doesn't feel like talking early in the morning.

"Good Morning, Asiya. How are you doing?" She greeted with a drained voice that has now became her usual voice. She has even forgotten how her real voice sounds, talkless of her laughter.

"Oh my god! Thank you for reminding me-I'll be there in a jiffy. Just a minute," she spoke briskly and ended the call. If not for Asiya, she would've been expelled from work today-she has totally forgotten about their general meeting. God! May Allah bless Asiya for getting into her life. Though she never shares anything personal with her, she had always being a friend a depressed person would love to have.

She quickly got ready, took her car keys before walking out of her room in a rush. Who thought she would be this energetic early this morning? Somethings work do to her. She brushed past Al-amin that was coming out of his room and walked downstairs, she knew even if she greeted him, he wouldn't answer.

She entered the kitchen and placed her hands at akimbo, out of the idea of what to eat, she needs food if not she wants to faint in the meeting room. Among the things that scares her to death, she's now a glutton. She hardly spends a whole 3 hours without having something in her mouth. She hastily walked over the pastry, and her eyes fell on Garri with a can of mashed kuli and pepper.

She squealed with joy! It was obvious, she slept on the good side of her precious bed. She mixed the garri with kuli, pepper, oil, and maggi; she cut onion and tomato on it-and tada! It was ready for her to eat. One thing she would forever be grateful for-being a boarder. It had taught her how to survive through thick and thin, she she would still live as if she was deliriously ecstatic.

Another call came through her phone, she gasped and looked at the clock without waiting for anything-hardly taking a bottle of water from the fridge. Her eyes landed on Laila that was feeding Al-amin, and he was doing the same also. She gulped down a chord of bitterness in her throat, not that it hurts anymore, but a part in her still wish to wake up and have Al-amin by her side, with his boyish and charming smile across his lips.

She suddenly felt nostalgic, and she just felt she doesn't want to come back early today, she needs to be somewhere else, somewhere that would take off her worries for a while. And she settled on Meeno's house. It's been long since she last visited her.

She entered her car, greeted Mallam Garba and drove out of the house-trying as hard as possible to block out their images in her mind, so she could concentrate on the life ahead of her. She knew she deserves to live, for she've now stopped thinking of commiting suicide-for she've once thought of it as an escape route, so Al-amin will look at her died body and atleast; forgive her. She knew they doesn't deserve her tears, and she could remember the last time she cried was when Hajia visited them, and the most heart scorching thing happened-Al-amin was the first one that brought up the issue of her infertility-and as we all know Hajia, she would take the matter as if she'd killed Buhari.

She sink back her vulnerable face and brought up the sturdy façade-as she drove to their work building. She greeted the gatemen and parked her car before walking inside-monotoning the same words to her heart like she've always did, for the past two months.

"Even if I see him, I won't spare him a glance. No matter how he'll beg, I won't utter a single word to him." It wasn't long until Mubarak appeared and kept talking, and like everyday-she did as she've instructed herself. One good thing about her: she can control herself sometimes.

***

Ummi was knocking violently on Meeno's door-she want to surprise her, but atleast, frightening her a little wouldn't be bad. Before she drove to Meeno's house, she've texted Al-amin and told him about her whereabout, and even if she was used to him uttering those words to her, she couldn't help but felt a sting in her heart, but it didn't take long before it disappeared.

The door flinged open, revealing a puzzled Meeno, she was probably thinking of who would be the crazy person knocking violently on her poor door? Not knowing it was her depressed bestfriend and sister inlaw. She engulfed Ummi into a hug and squealed.

"Aysha! Oh my god! I can finally see you, you've made all the possible ways I can reach you blocked huh? I've went to your house numerously, but Mallam Garba always says you were not around, afterall, I could see your car parked." She didn't wait for the words to digest into Ummi's heart before she dragged her inside the room, with a felicitous smile plastered on her lips.

"You don't have the idea of how happy I am, let me bring something for you; and oh! I've called your number but I seemed to be on the blocked list. Something happened to your phone?" Meeno yelled from the kitchen, not knowing how confused and jumbled she's making Ummi. When was she not around? For she was sure Meeno wouldn't go during working hours. And blocked list? She couldn't say a thing, for it take her a whole day without taking her phone.

Meeno brought her refreshments and dropped them on the table beside her before sitting beside Ummi and taking her hands in hers. Ummi flashed her a desolated look and fixed back her gaze on their entwined hands. Feeling Meeno's warmth, she felt the tears she had been successfully fighting over the span of one month clouding her veiw, and she didn't stopped them, as they made their ways out of her eyes. She felt relieved, for she knew, Meeno would surely wipe her tears away.

Meeno brought her to her chest and hugged her. She knew Ummi was in an unexplainable situation, but she thought all had been well, since she've stopped calling her. What she didn't know was, Ummi was struggling so hard to revive back the little lifeness in her, that she doesn't even know wether she still have genuine people that cares or not.

She cried to her satisfaction before Meeno broke their hug and thrusted her a cup brimful of a chilled drink. Ummi gulped it down and sniffled-"I'm hungry, Meeno, but I want something peprish. Do you have Taliyan kadi (Traditional made Spaghetti)?" She asked, she knew mostly all these things originated from Katsina, and she hope Meeno has it.

Meeno eyed her suspectingly, boring her eyes deeply into hers, and that's when she noticed her fresh and chubby body. A tight feeling flinched her mind, but she wants to confirm before asking, "Aisha, why would you crave for a taliyan kadi in this peaceful evening? I can cook indomie for you-Ya Yusuf came back with his friends, and they ate the whole lunch I cooked," Meeno suggested, still looking at her.

Ummi scrunched up her nose at the mention of Indomie. It had always been her saviour, but she don't think she would ever eat indomie in her entire life again, even the name makes her shrink. "No Meeno, I'd gladly have the taliya if you have it, with a quite amount of Daddawa and spicy pepper-I'm drooling already." She squealed as the taste lingered in her taste buds. What a happy evening she would have! It's been long since she ate Taliyan kadi-that too with Daddawa and pepper! That's heaven.

"Aisha! You're scaring me!" Meeno shrieked! Looking at Ummi suspiciously-she couldn't even understand how a human would be crying and now; she's squealing as if something never happened.

"What? Don't you have the taliya? I can just go home uno?" She was surprised at the tears she felt glistening her eyes-that too all because of a taliyan kadi. Is she really alright? Isn't she affected by jinns? Out of all the things to crave, she stooped so law to a jollof of taliyan kadi with daddawa and pepper. Ya Allah! She really needs a rukiyya.

"La ilaha illa anta! Aisha tears? Don't cry okay? I'll be back with your taliya that would make you want to spend the night here!" And before she could even see the expression of her crazy friend, she ran to her kitchen and began the preparations of making Ummi her taliyan kadi, unless she doesn't want to sleep peacefully today.

As promised, she finished cooking the taliya and brought it to Ummi, with steam coming out of it-but that didn't stopped Ummi from diving into it without waiting for Meeno to ask her to. She was eating it as if she hasn't eat a plate of a fried rice an hour ago. Meeno was doing nothing but staring at her in awe, with an unfathomable glint plastered on her face.

"Come, I need to show you something," Meeno said, as she took her hand and began dragging her to her room without waiting for her answer.

They entered the room and Ummi looked at how Meeno was scavenging for something from her bed side drawers with sleepy eyes. "Meeno, what is it? I'm tired and sleepy, I need to be home before 5pm." Before she could slump herself on Meeno's bed, she appeared infront of her_thrusting her a sachet that looks like a medication.

"What is this?" She asked with curious eyes, looking at the sachet with wide eyes-as she successfully read the title.

"I want you to use it, and don't you dare say no." There was no space for Ummi to object on Meeno's face, she has that sturdy and motherly expression that sometimes urges Ummi to do things she doesn't want to. Without hesitation, she collected the sachet and trudged to Meeno's bathroom-with her heart beating beneath it's enclosure. What would she wish for? She doesn't know.

She walked out of the bathroom with shaky legs and slumped on the ground with tears rolling down her cheeks as she thrusted Meeno the object. Meeno stared at it before a smile broke her lips! But her expression looked down, when she saw the tears on Ummi's face. What's happening with Aysha? Isn't she supposed to be happy about this?

She slumped opposite her and took her hands, looking at her and shaking her head sideways-emanating she shouldn't be a betrayer. She should accept this with happy tears-not sad tears. "Aisha, tell me-what is the problem?" And she squeezed her hands, so she could know she would always be here for her, wether the whole world would be against her.

Ummi looked at her with the eyes that emotes nothing but a broken woman. With tears falling down anguishly, she shook her head "I don't believe this, Meeno, it can't happen. Not to me," she whimpered, for she could sense a roaring war from this object that was staring at her with something that she had never imagine to come this soon, something she had given up on.

"Yes Ummi, it can happen, it has already happened to you. Is this the way you're going to show your gratitude? Don't be a betrayer," Meeno cajoled, embracing her shaking and crying figure. Ummi sobbed on her bosom as if she was her mother, and right now-she knew there would always be someone for her, and that someone is Amina Hassan Kurfi.

"I need to be home by now, I don't want him to come back when I'm not at home_you know how things are." Ummi stood up without looking at the object that wilted the flower of happiness that started blossoming in her garden of wilted flowers.

"I'll come and take you to the hospital tomorrow, tell Mallam Garba to let me in please," Meeno said, as she closed her car's door for her_feeling detached.

"I'll tell him, eventhough I know it wasn't his doing. And also about that blocked list, I don't have the idea of how it happened. I'll see you tomorrow." And before Meeno could answer her, she drove out of their area. What would she think about? Just what? Is she depressed or nearly dead? For this surely beats the word 'depression' there has to be something more tragic than it, there should be please.

She parked her car in the parking lot and came out of the car, walking directy towards Mallam Garba that just finished closing the huge ironed gate. "Mallam Garba, please-I don't want you telling my guests I'm not around, when I clearly am." At this point, she doesn't care wether she sounded rude and disrespectful, what she has in mind is worst more than everything now.

"I'm sorry Hajia, but Alhaji said...," before he could finish, an enraged and depressed Ummi cut him off.

"I've said my words, you can tell him what I said." With that, she didn't wait for Mallam Garba's reply, as she walked inside the house, and directly to her room.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, veil, head tie and bag sprawled on tbe floor. She heard a loud knock on her door, she knew it was coming, so she stood up with a fiesty expression and a seething mind. She flinged the door open, and for the first time in two months; she heard his voice talking to her, not just a faint voice of him and Laila.

"How dare you cross ny order? I've already made my decis...," she doesn't need any rubbish, she is filled to the brim!

"I've made my decision also, I'll be receiving visitors-so go and deal aith it!" And she banged the door on his face and locked her room-she was soo exhausted to start an argument with anyone. The war going on in her mind was strong enough.

***

Since when they left the hospital, she had been crying, looking at the paper-as if that would make the result change. Meeno was even tired of consoling her, and Ummi would only shake her head, because nobody would ever understand how she's feeling in her heart.

Meeno dropped her off and she had to beg Meeno not to tell anyone, even Ya yusuf-before she entered the house with trudging steps_work long forgotten. It seemed like a thousand miles before she was finally into the confines of her room. She slumped on her bed and kept staring at the result, and slowly-as if a toddler learning how to talk-she uttered the words.

Pregnancy test: Postive!

That was it! Finally, she was pregnant. Isn't she supposed to be happy that Allah proved Hajia's and Al-amin's words of her being a barren? But No! She feel pain more than she had ever felt. She was pregnant. Pregnant with Al-amin. And she was sure he would never accept this pregnancy!

The reason that caused her pain, and excruciatingly-tears began streaming down her cheeks, so as her bleeding heart. She was sure it has come to an end between them. She would be a pregnant divorcee.