Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Life is funny sometimes, no-most of the times. How could a married woman knows she's pregnant for good three weeks now and she couldn't tell her husband? Afraid that he would deny the child before it's even born. Or was she afraid that he will be disappointed? That he wanted the coolness of his eyes from his Lily but never her? She couldn't bring herself to think of the reason that made her procrastinated, but all she knew is-she would never tell Al-amin.

Yeah, she knew it was kind of stupid of her, because as soon as the pregnancy reaches 9 months, she will surely give birth to a baby girl or boy-and he has to know, doesn't he? For she couldn't hide his children from him all their lives.

Life, while knowing that little her and Al-amin was growing in her is somewhat erratic-she sometimes laughs when she's watching a video or playing games-and just like that, she would freak, thinking that how her body was reverberating would make her lose her child. She knew she was crazy; but she couldn't help being a little cautious-for she has no husband to tell her 'Hey, be careful there, you have my baby growing in there uno?' She was now the wife and the husband.

From how she was constantly craving for things that she would roam around the whole of Abuja without finding them made her realized that her baby will surely be a glutton. As in the thing is too, it's either she was craving for Yayah's dumbu, or Ayyah-Baba's mother-Ayyah's kwadon zogale, Mama's indomie or even Baba's home made tea-that was was she carves always in the morning, but how could she get it? No way. Mama didn't even know about the pregnancy, neither Baba, Ya Husnah, Ya Yusuf-talkless of Sulele-it was only her and Meeno.

She was tired of the cool breeze seeping into her body-she was in the garden since morning, thinking of how life rolled her into a phase she've never imagine. It's either she was in her room or the garden, the two had became her sanctuary. She finds peace there, she chats with her baby there.

It was almost 11am, but she haven't eaten anything, and how her stomach was grumbling non stop made her stood up and she walked to the kitchen. She placed her hands on now her slightly invisible belly and whispered, "Easy there Baby, I'm trying to find something for us-and don't you dare crave for something you clearly knew we wouldn't have, and we have to live on an empty stomach. I hope you heard Ammi well? No excuse today." Softly, she smacked her stomach and then giggled like a teenager in love. Yes, she was so much in love with her baby.

Weekends doesn't help with her cravings, for if she was to go to work, she would atleast find something to eat in the restaurants or stalls on the street, but she was now tathered inside this house not having the idea of what she would eat with her baby.

She prepared yam porridge with so much pepper she knew would make her go crazy before she took an ice cream from the fridge and walked to her room. She walked past Laila's room and didn't heard anything, but her instincts were being proved when she heard Al-amin's angry voice from his room and Laila's sobs.

A slow and painful smile graced her lips before she turned her door knob and entered. She was used to them fighting every morning, but she doesn't give a damn about what's the cause of their fight-for they come out as the usual lovey dovey couples they are.

***

Al-amin kept pacing to and fro, he doesn't know how to make Laila understand that she was now his wife! Hell no! She knew that so well, because if it comes to enraging Ummi-she knew the best way to act all a loving wife towards him. But why wouldn't she let him?

"Yayah, you need to understand that I'm not ready for all this, why wouldn't you give me time so I could put everything back in place and fully accept this union?" She has her lips trembling as she uttered the words. She knew this was the lamest excuse she had been giving him since why they get married and he tried to get intimate with her. He should understand there was something, she might love him-but not as she love Laith. That's for sure.

"Did you understand you've been giving the same excuse for the past three months, Laila?! What is this? What happened that you don't want me to know? Just tell me, tell me the f*cking truth, Laila!!" He thundered and took enigmatic steps towards her, before he shook her shoulders and look directly into his eyes.

"You still love him?" That was the first thing that came to his mind, and no matter how much it hurts him-he wouldn't mind being shattered completely-he just wants to know the reason why she doesn't accept him as her husband.

She can go all lovey dovey on him, kiss him like she've never kissed anyone, act like the most caring wife when Ummi was around-but why would she deprive him of his right? There was a time she told him that she wasn't his only wife, he should go to Ummi, but he knew-even if Ummi is inebriated; she wouldn't even spare him a glance, he knew her so well to know that she's no more crying or hurting over him. She had tagged him as an unwanted trash that would probably be disposed whenever she's tired of seeing it. He could see all this from the looks she flashed him and the sneering looks. She's his wife, and he knew her so well.

"Yaya why wouldn't you understand? I just need atleast two months to put everything in place. I promise you by then, everything will be settled." She was looking at him with a presumptuous expression, she couldn't let him know her vulnerable side, but she was sure-she has to cry today, to cry over the pain instilled by Inas, Laith, had she have heard Daisy that day, Walsh's warning-even Brown University itself.

"Two months my foot! You can't be toying with my feelings as if it were some sort of a joke to you! Laila, today is my final day-it's either you tell me whatever it is and we sort the things out together or what I'll do to you will surely make you regret! Get. Out. Of. My. Room!" He yelled at the pitch of his voice, with a timbre that sent a chill down Laila's spine as she made her way to the door and turned back, flashing him a look with her glassy eyes.

"You know what, Yaya? Why don't you go to Ummi? I can see you're so much desperate! We can even go and beg her together, she loves you so much not to agree." That might be sarcastic, but she uttered her words with so much sincerity, and she was sure Ummi wouldn't turn him down-or so she thought.

"Laila..." and his words fell into deaf eyes, for she was already out of the room and all he could see was his room's door being slammed shut. How dare her tell him this? Could this mean that she loves Laith so much to let him in? This is just...Ya Allah!

He bathe, wore his casual weekend attire before he walked out of the house. He needs to get this out of his head, and he doesn't have a friend but his brother-though this could mean that Ibrahim's words were proved right.

She swallowed back his ego and drove to Ibrahim's place, he knocked on the door before the maid ushered him inside the house and went to call his brother. His wife, Arwa walked out of the kitchen with a wide smile plastered on her lips. She was such a generous and warm loving lady.

"Ah Al-amin, to what do we owe this visit? I bet you missed your path huh?" She jested and sat on the sofa opposite him, before she ordered the maid to bring in something for him.

He chuckled softly and strached his nape, "It's not like that, Ya Arwa-I've been busy and hooked in a tight schedule that's why. But I'll bring them some day Insha Allah." Before Arwa could reply him, Ibrahim walked out of his room and ambled towards them with a knowing smile on his lips. He knew this day would surely come. From the looks on Al-amin's face, he knew something was surely wrong.

"Ibbiey, this our little bro is stressed out. I think I'll have to visit Ummi and Lailah, they should stop giving him a hard time." She laughed before she diverted her attention back to Al-amin that has a queasy smile on his life. "I'll visit them one day Insha Allah. Have a nice stay Al-amin." She smiled warmly before she landed a soft peck on Ibrahim's cheeks and he did same on her forehead before she walked back to the kitchen.

Al-amin looked at them as if this was something new, he couldn't remember the last time he was being kissed so genuinely with utterly love-not a kiss that was meant to enrage someone. A pure kiss that's full of love? He couldn't remember.

"So bro, what happened? I know the whole Al-amin will never visit my humble home until something went wrong. What is it now?" Ibrahim asked with a smirked, as he slightly tapped Al-amin's lap with his hand.

"Are you going to laugh at me because I came here so I could know what to do?" Al-amin asked with a strained voice that emanated how exhausted he was from all the choas and disappointments.

"No, how would I? I'll just have to tell you that I've warned you not to marry Laila but you didn't pay heed to what I was saying then-then I'll advice you." Ibrahim poured himself the drink that was brought to Al-amin and gulped it down instantly.

"Don't bring that up, please. You know? Laila.."and he told him everything, he was tired of burying all this inside of him, and he could trade the world for his life to go back to it's peaceful and joyful self. Everything like this sucks.

"You should do what she said." Seeing the shocked expression on Al-amin's face as he started shaking his head emanating this wouldn't happen-Ibrahim squeezed his shoulder and made him looked at him attentively. "You heard me well, do what she said. Al-amin do you ever realize you have to ask for Ummi's forgiveness? To hear her out? But the only thing that's holding you back is because you're a coward! Yes, Al-amin, my little brother is a coward. You're afraid that what she's going to tell you will only shatter your heart, but that's not how it works. You have to hear her out the first thing before acting up to all those pictures, messages and letters, if she tells you it's all the truth, then you can take all these actions on her.

But I'm sorry to say, I'm happy that you're never finding peace with Laila, she doesn't deserve you. You used her so you could avenge on what Ummi has done to you, but you've never loved her Al-amin, and you still don't! Go and make peace with all your wives, or else-those women will make sure your life is a living hell. That's all I know about women, they usually walk like chameleons-but deep within; they have the speed of a cheetah. They act like turtles, but they're as energetic as an elephant. They might talk like a mouse, but within, they have the roar of a lion. Be careful with them."

On his way back home, Al-amin couldn't help but let tears run down his cheeks. He believed in what Ibrahim said, but could only object one thing-that he doesn't love Laila. By Allah he does, more than he have ever loved her before. And Ummi? Even though he couldn't get his mind off those pictures, messages and letters-he'll have to push them aside and do what Ibrahim told him-it wouldn't be hard to, it would be gigantic!

***

She got tired of her room and walked down to the garden. She has a book she was reading; It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover-the book has made her cry more than she could ever imagine crying over a book. Not that there was emotional moments she couldn't hold back her tears for, but because she was in the same situation as Lily. The only difference between them was: Lily was physically abused by Ryle, while she wasn't.

She came to the part where Lily said to Ryle that, "Do you know what you should have done? You should have just asked about a naked truth, and I would've told you everything." In her case, Al-amin should've listened to her even for a minute, he might not ask for a naked truth, but she would tell him the naked of them all-the purest truth.

All this wouldn't have happen if he asked for a naked truth. Or if he listened to her. She stood up and walked over to the pool, staring at how the wind was wavering the top layer of the water. The coolness of the place made her slightly shivered and she wrapped her arms around her body. Staring deep into the water, as she muttered "You should've asked of a naked truth, Al-amin."

She felt tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought about the decision Lily made at the end of the book. She wanted a divorce, rather than a reconcilation-and she did that all because of their daughter; Emerson. Would she be as brave as Lily? She isn't into an abused marriage, but she believes the difference is slight, for her heart isn't only abused-it was scorched beyond mending.

She couldn't bring up her child in the house she wasn't sure he or she would be accepted. She will make as same decision as Lily, she would ask for a Divorce....it felt like dream, and she felt herself being thrown into the pool she once admired.

She looked through the water that blinded her and saw Laila's retreating back as she pasted a sticky note on the swinging door. Ummi tried pulling herself out of the water but couldn't, she felt as her limbs got slackened and she gave in-slowly drowning inside the water.

Al-amin rushed inside the house and went up to her room but didn't see her, he knew she was in the garden. He dabbed his sweaty hands on his sweatpants before his eyes caught a sticky note pasted on the door; it reads- I did it for you. Lailah.

He rushed over the garden after putting the note inside his pocket and found Ummi floating on the pool as she was trying so hard to breath. He rushed over and lounged her out of the water before he hugged her drenched body firmly into his.

She coughed and spurted out the water she swallowed before she tried standing up but couldn't-she was too weak to even lift a finger, and she would never let him touch her. Just a minute ago, she was differentiating her married life with Lily's, not knowing hers would turn like that in a minute. She was thrown into a pool by her co-wife, and she was sure Al-amin would never do anything about it.

He tried pulling her up when she stopped him and shrugged off his hand from her body. "I can help myself, if you can give me space please." She shrugged his arms that were wrapped around her body and stood up, supporting herself with the wall.

She trudged to her room and fell on her bed, she was crying and still seething with rage. Just because she made them oblivion to her doesn't give Laila the chance to throw her into a pool. She will surely teach her a lesson, and the hell she've long planned for them will be revived-they will live a miserable life. Laila will know that she has messed with the wrong woman.

She got out from the drenched clothes and put in new warm ones as she curled up into a ball on her bed-she wasn't crying, but her heart was bleeding. She didn't know how she slept off, but she felt a thudding headache waking her up, and she felt her body temperature was so hot that she feared for her baby.

She snaked her hands around her stomach and fondled it softly "Hey in there? Are you okay? Ammi needs to be sure if you're okay or otherwise. Stay healthy, I wouldn't let this slide, I promise." She was now shivering and her teeth were clattering, she hugged herself more and her hand was still on her stomach.

She heard the door creaked ajar, Al-amin entered the room with a steaming cup of tea and some tablets in his hands-he knew she would be sick after being halfy drown in the pool. He met her shivering and her teeth were clattering. He rushed over her and placed the things on the bed side drawer before he hugged her behind.

Ummi let out a breath, no matter how she would deny this-she missed Al-amin and everything about him.

"I need to do something for your temperature. The best way is body contact, don't flinch please." And she felt as he engulfed her into his bare and broad chest-her hands were still on her stomach.