Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Reluctantly, Ummi broke their lips and looked at him. Just minutes ago, he looked handsome but his figure had changed, everything about him now screams melancholy.

"Let's go back in, you need to call down and tell me what happened." She spoke softly and took a hold of his hand trying to walk them back into the house.

"No please. We should go to Mami's house, I want to see her," He slurred, his voice coming out like a cracking coconut.

She looked at him closely and nodded her head, guiding them to the car, his hand still in her grip. He tried entering the drivers seat when she stopped him and made him sat on the passengers seat before she walked back and ignited the car.

Their cruise was hushed, and not even a second were Al-amin's eyes off her, she could feel the turmoil boiling in the pot of his soul. He had his eyes fixed intently, only blinking out of nature. This made lots of questions gnawed at her, but what she was more curious about was; what happened when he went inside the house?

He couldn't just run to Mami's house if to say it was Laila that died, and she couldn't come to think of something sensible. That's why she choose to push aside the thoughts and they drove silently to Mami's house.

They hopped out of the car and she held his hand, yet again. He looked at her and she could see the tears clouding the sky of his eyes. Ummi shook her head at him and smiled fleetingly "Try and be strong, Al-amin, I'm sure Ihsan is home, they'll all get worried. Please." And she squeezed his hand more. Together, they walked inside the house with a faint salam on Ummi's lips.

Ihsan opened the door and stood mouth agape. She knew how Al-amin was the most emotional among them, he always cry over the little things that they taunt him together with Ya Ibrahim, but seeing him like this made her worried. She looked at Ummi and saw a forced smile dancing to the melancholic tunes coming from their hearts.

"Ihsan is Maami home?" Ummi asked and walked Al-amin into the living room, it was as if all this was happening in a dream. How could he start assimilating the things he did to Ummi and ask for her apology?

"I'll get her now." Ihsan assured and turned to leave for Maami's room, not after flashing a stiff Al-amin a look that broke Ummi's heart.

Maami came out of her room with a warm smile on her lips. She looked at Al-amin and instantly, her lips dropped into a sad line. She slowly sat beside Ummi and looked at her, "Ummi what happened to him?" She asked, afraid it might be something bad. For Al-amin only gets into this kind of situation when sometime terrible happens, and the last time he was into this was when their grandfather died.

"Good morning, Maami. Wallahi I don't know, we came out of the house perfectly fine. Then I asked him of he told Laila we're going to the hospital and he went back to inform her. He stayed long, only for him to come out like this and asked me to bring him to you." Ummi finished, landing her desolated look on Al-amin's face.

Maami let out a breath and stood up, she went to where Al-amin was and took his hand in hers. "Ihsan, take Ummi to your room and bring that wainar fulawa for her, I can see it's been long we saw her." She let out her felicitous smile and fixed her gaze on Ummi's protruded belly.

Ummi smiled amd ducked her face down, while Maami and Al-amin went up to her room.

"Let's go Ya Ummi," Ihsan jolted Ummi out of her journey of thoughts, thinking about the possible thing that could make Al-amin like this, within the matter of minutes. Nonetheless, she smiled at Ihsan and stood up, walking to her room.

Maami locked her room and went back to the edge of her bed, where Al-amin was seated with his face closed by his palms.

She took both his hands and intensely looked at him, "Tell me, what happened? Meya sameka?" She used her soft motherly tone that made Al-amin burst into tears the instant she closed her lips.

"Maami I've wronged Allah, I made a mistake that I won't be able to forgive myself. Maami Ummi was not behind all Hajia and Laila told and show us, she wasn't behind all I told you myself, Hajia and Laila are. I heard them today, talking about a solution because of Ummi's pregnancy, how would I ever live in peace?" He was crying profusely, remembering the words he uttered to Ummi that were capable of splitting her heart into shards. The actions he did on her, those were able to dismantle her soul, all because he didn't hear her out!

Had it been he listened to her the first day she cried and begged him to. Had it been he sat down and let her hold his hand the day he told her he despise her. Had it been he kept quite and let her explain herself, to say her heart out, to listen as she tells him he wasn't the only one in pain. But he didn't. He believed a thousand words being uttered about her, but just three words of hers, he didn't believed.

Maami gasped and looked at him, "Al-amin what are you trying to say? Al-amin tell me everything! Innalillahi!" Maami doesn't have the slightest idea about what Al-amin had ever done to Ummi, for every time he comes to her with a complain, she always placates him and send him back home.

She thrusted him a box a tissue. He took a pile and cleared off his tears, but that didn't stopped them from cascading down in a rush. He told her about everything. The first envolpe being flung at him by Hajia, how Ummi begged him to listen but he didn't. The pictures he saw on Ummi's phone, the letter, and all the terrible things he did to her, not even knowing she was pregnant of his child.

He told Maami about his sickness and Ummi being the person that took care of him. He told her everything, how he was a terrible husband, how he was a monster to the heart that did nothing but loved him, how he was like a tsunami to the magnificent mansion of Ummi's soul.

By the time he finished Maami was crying with palmed supporting both cheeks. She kept shaking her head sideways. "I didn't know of this, I didn't raised a terrible person. You weren't like this before, Al-amin. What changed you?" She cried, holding his hands and shaking them vehemently.

"I'm sorry, Maami. I know it was bad of me, but the deed couldn't be undone. How am I going to rectify? Maami I couldn't even look at Ummi in the eyes, she owes me alot." He placed his head on Maami's lap and enjoy the warmth that seeps from her soul, slowly; it began calming him down.

Maami took minutes stroking his hair and deeply staring at space. Almost when Al-amin gave up that she wouldn't talk, she opened her mouth and told him the ways he will rectify his mistakes. They took a while talking about everything and nothing. They spend the whole day in Maami's house. It was 9:13pm, but Al-amin was still in Maami's room, for he prayed, ate and slept there all day.

By 10pm Maami convinced him to go back home but to leave Ummi she would take the price of telling her the people behind her distorted married life, because she deserves to know.

He bade Ummi goodnight while she was having a video call with Sulele through Ihsan's phone. She smiled at Al-amin and ducked her head down, Maami was there.

Al-amin drove to a suya joint and bought roasted chickens, he bought yoghurts and drove to his house. He was boiling in rage, but he couldn't let his anger kibosh what Maami planned for him.

He knocked and a sexy dressed Laila opened the door for him. She knew they went out together with Ummi, but she didn't see even the slight flicker of her like together with him.

"Oh, I took her back home. What you said earlier about the pregnancy made me rethink, I couldn't raise someone's child in my house. Let's go." Seeing how she was looking behind him, he uttered those words and slid his hand around her waist, she smiled and locked the door before they walked to his room.

Al-amin took his bath and walked out of the toilet, he met Laila seated on his bed; typing away on her phone. They prayed two nawafils, under Al-amin's persuasion and sat down to eat their chickens.

They got filled and Laila squirmed, seeing the look Al-amin was flashing her made fear hugged her heart. What was this all about?

"Not that I don't bring chickens and yoghurt home, but I pray you know what it times traditionally to a newly wedded hausa bride?" He asked, his eyes fixed on her face, there wasn't a room for an argument left on his face.

She feigned a chuckled a made herself comfortable. "Oh these, yeah I know. But why would you ask me? If I can remember, we're getting to six months into our marriage right?" She asked confidently, from what he said, she knew what Al-amin meant, and she couldn't show him her vulnerable side. Not just today, may be some day.

"I asked you to remind you that you're still a newly wedded bride in your nearly six months married life. Let me clear with you, Laila. I'm tired of living a bachelor life when I have a wife, I'm tired of going to the naming ceremonies of my friend's children while I have a wife that could bore me kids as well. All that aside, as a man; I'm tired of all these!" His brows were brought up together in a thin line, and she could picture a bubbling rage from the sky of his eyes.

"W-what do you mean Yaya?" She stuttered and stood up from the floor, sitting at the edge of his bed.

"How many times we going to talk about this? I'm not your only wife, Yaya. She could bore you kids as well, she can satisfy your needs as a man, it doesn't have to be me!" She's afraid that he can see her pounding heart through the silky cotton of her night gown. The Al-amin she knew wasn't here anymore.

"The woman you told me wasn't pregnant for me? Laila why are so such an idiot! There's nothing like I have another, as much as I have some rights over her, so as you. Laila Mustapha Bugaje, it's either you give me my marital rights or wallahi I'll see the one that's getting out of this room between me and you! I'm tired of all your lame excuses, six months are enough for you to settle down and finish thinking about whatever it is you're thinking!" He stomped to the door and locked it, putting the keys in his breast pocket.

He walked towards her like an angry lion. Laila shivered and stood up, they kept walking until Laila finally reached the wall.

Al-amin placed his hand to off the lacy hand of her nighty when she flung it way. She steadied herself and looked at him, new fresh set of sizzling tears running down her cheeks in a race.

"I know you're going to hate me because of this! I know you're going to divorce me because of this! As much as I hate having this conversation with anyone, I'll have to tell you today. Al-amin Isma'il Bugaje; Your cousin, your wife; Laila Mustapha Bugaje Is. Not. A. Virgin!!!"