Chapter 69: Chapter 69

She always wears a hijab around, afraid the slight bump of hers would make itself oblivious to the denizens of the house. But today, she came downstairs with only a skimpy gown that hardly covers her thighs, yawning as she looked at the clock perched on the wall with a gasp.

"I'm late for work! Habibi didn't wake me up!" She rambled in one breath and turned to leave to her room, but the growl that escaped her stomach made her change her direction to the kitchen.

"I'll just cook something sharp and get to work on time, before it's terribly late! Ya Rabb!" She palmed her forehead and started dicing the vegetables. It was around 10am, she knew she's late already, but the mulish Ummi will never let go.

She took out her phone from her pocket and dialed Asiya's number, she knew the lady that been glaring at the door of their office.

"Good morning, Mrs!" Asiya said sarcastically, with a slight tone of mischief.

"Morning, Miss 'I don't know' I've been late today, won't you be angry at me?" Ummi asked with a chuckle, as she poured her blended vegetables into her pot.

"Why would I? When you've taken an excuse miss. Are you at the hospital already?" Asiya answered, she wants to tell Ummi something, but she wanted it to be a surprise.

"Me???" Ummi asked, bamboozled. She couldn't remember taking an excuse from their organization, but some part of her heart keeps telling her it was Al-amin.

Laila barged inside the kitchen, what Al-amin did to her today made her ballistic, and she vowed on avenging on Ummi. She walked straight towards her without a flinch, she knew Ummi would never take her shenanigans, but she isn't willing to give up.

Her jaws broke apart, eyes fell on the floor, nose flared open, lips wide agape, as she couldn't believe the woman standing before her_talking on phone as if she haven't noticed the unusual change in her.

"What the f*ck!" She yelled in a voice that screamed her fear, she've never imagined this, even in the wildest of her dreams.

"Asiya, I'll call you in some minutes, hold on please." Ummi excused herself and ended the call. She placed her hands at akimbo, squeezed her smiling face into place and glared at a stupefied Laila, whose eyes was fixed on her bumped belly.

"What was that? How could you come and start shouting this early morning as if you've seen a ghost? Don't you have manners?" Ummi asked wrathfully, rolling her eyes at her.

It took Laila some seconds before she closed her mouth, straightened her jaws, fixed back her eyes on Ummi's face before she replied. "Don't you dare enrage me this morning, Aysha. And yes, what I've seen now is worst more than a ghost, because it's an illegitimate child in a married home, or do you think I don't know?"

The blood in Ummi's heart started boiling at a higher temperature, she could take everything from everyone, and by everything she means everything with the exception of illegitimating her only child, she couldn't take that and will never.

The next thing Laila felt was a loud striking slap that almost tore her flesh. She placed her hand on her cheek and looked at an infuriated Ummi as she vent out her words with so much anger.

"Don't! And when I say you shouldn't, I mean don't even dream of ever uttering these stupid and ugly words towards my child_because I too don't know what I'll do the next time this happens.

And for your information, this child has my blood and Al-amin's blood running in every crevice and corner of his living body. Be careful of the words you're uttering next time. Idiot." She thundered with a loud hiss and stirred her soup, not looking at a shocked and pained Laila.

Laila huffed out an air from her mouth and yanked Ummi away from the soup, landing her five well sculptured fingers on Ummi's face.

"What do you think of yourself? That you're some sort of a goddess in the house of the person that doesn't even spare you a glance? Do you really think that high of your dirty self? What a pity!

Let me tell you, don't even dream of laying those filthy fingers of yours on my face, ever again! What you haven't realized was, your husband wanted someone to calm him down, someone that'll love him with a pure and real heart, the person that he'll look at and smile_knowing he's the only one that has the assess to her soul and body_not a cheap slut like you!!!"

Before Laila could close her lips, Ummi slapped her on both cheeks and pushed her to the wall with a finger. Her eyes a burning rage of anger, veins popped out her forehead, ready to slit the throat of Laila Mukhtar Bugaje!

"What are you? An incomplete human being answering the name of a lady! Let me tell you what you haven't know, or may be your fish brain would never let you understand, Laila_I, Aisha Abbakar Mashi, will have the key to Al-amin's soul even if I will day this very minute, and a substitute you shall forever remain!

Where were you when he married the one that has the access to the ocean of soul in his body? Busy learning how to do a calming business? Or you're there learning how to love purely and truly as he dives into the cave of an eternal love? Or roaming around the streets of London was he was in the confines of his matrimonial room with a warmth that seeps out of his wife's body melting every clothed blood in his body?

Had it been you have a brain, a functioning mind and an active soul, I would've advised you to go and hold a rosary and keep monotoning an Astagfirullah, because you've surely sinned Allah. Or not giving your husband his rights is your way of true and real love? I don't have time for this bullshit!" She spatted out on her face and turned to her almost burnt soup. She turned off the gas, poured down the soup and her spaghetti on a plate and bowl before she walked out of the kitchen, but a hand on her shoulder firmly made her still.

"Laila!!!" They heard his voice, so loud that it shook their hearts with fear. When did he came back?

"Let go off her!"He had been by the door a minute after Laila entered the kitchen. He came in to tell Ummi to get ready they're going to the hospital for her antenatal, but what he witnessed made him halted by the door, and he spoke because Laila was trying to exceed her limit.

They all turned to him as he walked into the kitchen like an angry lion, fear evident on their faces. Ummi was afraid that he might stand for Laila, while Laila was afraid he might disgrace her in the presence of Ummi.

He came over and took the tray out of Ummi's hold, she saw that usual softness in his eyes, which she craved for months_and her heart swayed at that.

"You should've wait for me to come back. How is your breath rhyming?" He was more concerned about her health than any other worldly chaos.

Laila stiffened in her spot, waiting to see Ummi's reaction and to hear what her response will be. In her realm, these couple slept yesterday without talking to each other, but how could this happen? All of a sudden?

"I thought you've gone too far, and it's okay. I told you I can do it fah," she whined like a baby with a pout, collecting back her tray from his hand, trying so hard to avoid the scrutinizing gaze of Al-amin.

"I'll leave first, my feets are getting sore. And be just, don't be injustice to her. Let this slide, please." She hushed the last sentences to him, fluttered her eyelashes at him before silently walking out of the kitchen without flashing any of them a look. She knew how it feels to be embarrassed in front of a co-wife, they might've their beef with Laila, but she wouldn't want that to happen to her.

"Follow me." Was all he uttered as he walked out of the kitchen with striding steps.

Laila swallowed a lump in her throat and walked behind him, she heaved a sigh when he entered her room. She entered with a faint salam and sat at the far end of the bed, making a measurable distance between them.

"What was that for? Haven't I warned you about Ummi months ago?" His voice was stern, and his eyes could melt an iceberg.

She squirmed on the bed and fumbled with her fingers nervously. "But Yayah, she started it all." She murmured under her breath, but audible enough for him.

"I saw everything that happened with my eyes, Laila. Let me tell you something, the pregnancy you saw on her body is mine. It's my baby, Laila. I don't like these things happening in my house, you're my wife, and so she is. No need to rub it on her face over the things that happened due to some misunderstandings okay? I really felt disappointed in you."

Laila snapped her head up abruptly. So Al-amin could really call all what Ummi have done a misunderstanding? Has she bewitched him or something? This is really huge!

"Yaya you call all those things misunderstanding? What has she done to you? I'm afraid she has bewitched you or something wallah. We saw lots of things together, and you saw many more yourself. what's wrong with you?" She was now beside him, holding his hands as she shook him slightly.

He stopped her from shaking him with a faint smile on his face. Laila has always being paranoid since their childhood, she will never think something good of someone or something.

"She hasn't bewitched me, I trust Ummi to never even think of that. Have you ever heard the saying 'Mata da miji sai Allah'? That's exactly what happened between us, Allah intervened. So sorry saying evil of her okay?" He cupped her face in a soothing way, smiling warmly at her.

Laila's eyes pooled with tears as she stared at his face, "You don't love me right? And all what she said about me being a substitute was true right, Yaya? You've never loved me." She asked a question and answered it herself before slumping on his chest, breaking into tears.

She didn't stopped her from crying, rather; he kept patting her back in a soothing way, drawing some circles on her back. Al-amin peeled her off his chest and wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"It's okay, no more tears. You all are my wives, and I love you all okay? And you were the one that stayed over in London, you didn't want to get married to me then, remember? I would've married you the same day and time. So no more tears about this, I love you; Laila Mukhtar Bugaje." He planted a soft smooch on her forehead before he stood up and left, without a word.

He halted by the door and looked at her helpless body that was just staring at him "You should start preparing, you'll be a god mother in three months to come."

Laila slumped on her bed when he closed the door behind him. She cried to her satisfaction and thinks of no one that will help ease her pain but Hajia. She plugged her phone from the charging point and dialed Hajia's number with so much desperation. She could see the undying love Al-amin has for the baby even before it's born; through his eyes. And she knew she'll surely be at the receiving end when this child is born.

Hajia picked the call and had been calling an absentminded Laila for over a minute before she shuddered back to the real world. "I'm in a dilemma, Hajia. I'm doomed, Ummi is six months pregnant."