Chapter 76: Chapter 76
Laila let her eyes followed the soft steps of their feet. How could this happen? How on earth could Ummi be back when he has clearly told her that he had taken her home because of the pregnancy?
She wasn't brought back forcefully, because their hands were locked in a manner that says 'I'm here for you' and she couldn't want to remember how Al-amin brought Ummu close to his heart and side hugged her-it pierced directly through her heart.
"L! I love you, and will always do!" She heard Laith's voice silently whispering through her ears; she has became used to hearing his voice everywhere she is, and seeing his face at everywhere she was. She felt a lone of tear slipped down her cheeks; clearing it off, she walked to her bedroom and sat at the edge of the bed.
She could remember the first day she saw Laith writing at the back of his note; that day she forced him to attend his class and he made her escorted him. Curiously, she tried snatching away the book but he held it tight until he finished writing out his thoughts.
"What have you wrote? I've never seen you writing before," she tried, still not giving up about her intention of collecting the book and having a peak in it. He snatched it away and placed it him; completely facing her.
"L, you don't need to see what I wrote in there; because you can never relate to it. And I call myself a poet sometimes." He answered with a shrug and tried putting his pocket sized journal into his breast's pocket.
She almost squealed out of joy! She loved poets, but the fact that she couldn't construct a single sentence without messing up is that which makes her hopeless about poetry. "L you're a poet?! God I love poets so much! Please let me see!" She had her eyes dilated with so much excitement, fluttering her eyelashes at him knowing he couldn't resist that.
He heaved a sigh and diverted his attention towards the lecturer, "You made me came here, and you couldn't even let me concentrate," He said and fixed his eyes on the lecturer. Laila saw how his adam's apple was bubbling up and down, and she knew something was off.
"I just need to take a glimpse; L! Don't you trust me again?" She asked innocently and looked away from his face.
He turned her to face him with her shoulders, staring intently into her eyes. She couldn't resist the color of his eyes; they aren't green nor blue; it's a color she've first seen on his eyes_thus; she fixed her eyes at everywhere but his eyes.
"Let the lecture go out then I'll recite it for you, deal?" And she nodded her head with full excitement! "Smile then!" And she did, briskly hugging him by the side, he smiled back at her and fixed his attention back to the lecturer.
The lecture was over but Laila made them stayed in the hall, knowing so well they wouldn't find a silent place that'll let her devour into the taste of his poem other than an empty classroom.
Eagerly, she looked at him and smiled. "L! Do I have to close my eyes so I could paint all the imagery in it? I so much love poetry!" And she held his right palm tightly with her both hands, closing her eyes at once.
"I'll start, don't interrupt until I'm done!" He warned and coughed a little to modify his voice.
'I was taunted of being different
Different in skin, hair and my eyes
Different in voice, behavior and laughter
I'm different; because I'm a mulatto
I played with a purple horse he gifted me with
He said it's a friend I need not to find
And my horse do smile, play and eat with me
It's different; a mulatto's horse
I always looked at them as they converse
With a different language my mom didn't taught me
And they always laugh; pointing at me
I'm different; because I'm a mulatto
An eight year old me used to run to him and cry
'Baba! I cried with the name they call him
He'd caress my face and hug me tight
To him; I'm not different, even if I'm a mulatto
A ten year old me still has no friend,
I don't talk and doesn't know the taste of my laughter
But my purple horse still keeps me company
To him; I'm not different, even if I'm a mulatto
A 12 years old me was back from school
And the room to my Baba was locked
And I see them; the normal humans wailing in tears
I asked my Mom, and she said 'he's no more'
From then; I know I'm different, because I'm a mulatto
He's no more to give me a pack of chocolate
He's no more to praise me of my handsomeness
He's no more to kiss my forehead to sleep
He's no more to say 'You're not different my boy'
And they pointed it out; as clear as a diamond could reflect
I have a white skin; that makes me different
I have a brown hair; that makes me different
I have eyes that are the color of the sky; because I'm a mulatto!'
She didn't know she was crying until she felt his hand clearing away the strands of tears dancing on her cheeks. She understood a hidden story beneath each line of this poem. She didn't know the when she hugged him and burst into tears!
"You're not different, you're like every other human! I love you so much Laith!" She was crying for Laith, and for herself, because they've all missed an important part of their lives_parents!
"I missed him too. He used to say I have the most beautiful eyes in the world, and he's no more_and I have no one to tell me that." She drawled amidst tears and snuggled more onto Laith that was stiffened in sentiments; he missed his Baba.
"Who is that?" He asked, after some minutes of a hiatus.
"My dad," she answered. And she told him all she could remember about her deceased parent and the life she lived in Hajia's house. From that day; he sometimes calls her_Noorul Ayn; the coolness of his eyes. He said, she has eyes that cools his eyes with a single stare, and she deserves the name.
***
Ummi walked out of the bathroom stifling a yawn as she stretched her body_she got halted at the heap of books she saw on her bed_they were all new and smelled of new books that she was sure would taste better than a sizzling coffee.
"What a surprise!" She bellowed out in short of breath and walked towards the books with a giddy heart.
Al-amin entered the room smiling at how she had been looking at the titles of the book, she would squeal and hug it to her chest before she keeps it aside and takes another one.
"Good morning, there!" He waved at her, for she was busy and her head was ducked into the pages of the novels, she seemed to be engrossed.
"Al-amin!" She squealed and stood up, slumping onto him into a hone crushing hug! "Thank you so much for this; I love you Babyyyy!" She kissed him on the cheeks and briskly went back to her books, thinking of the one to have a breakfast with.
"You said you were out of books and that you were tired of rereading the old ones; that's why I ordered these for you!" He was happy that he made her happy, that smile on his face was worth the time he wasted at the post office waiting to collect these books.
"How did you know my favorite authors names?!" She screamed at the sight of her authors named: colleen hoover, Sarah, Mac Flynn, Chetan Bhagat and the rest.
"I surfed through your book shelf and took out their names. I'm happy you loved them!" He smiled widely.
She hugged him again and broke into silent tears. "This gift is worth more than a thousand dollars to me, jazakallahu khairan for it." She reluctantly collected the white paper he was thrusting at her.
"What is it?" She asked, as she slowly began to unwrap the paper.
"It's from your office; I signed for a maternity leave for you. Now you just have to sit at home, read; eat and sleep." He chuckled at how she excitedly hugged him.
"Thank you so much Babyyy, I couldn't ask for more!"
He helped her arranged the books in her shelf before they walked down to have their breakfast. Ummi kept ranting about the book she'd start reading after their breakfast, because Al-amin couldn't let her take out a book and read as they eat.
"I think you should read that 'Slammed' by colleen hoover; I read its blurb, it entails poetry as well," Al-amin suggested and kept stirring their food while Ummi sat at the island nibbling on fruits.
"That's the beat solution ever! I'd read it today, and the other two books of its series: point of retreat and This Girl! God! Four months of absolute rest!" She squealed and kept shut as Laila sluggishly entered the kitchen with just a nightie that hardly reach her thigh.
She didn't noticed Ummi as she walked directly towards Al-amin. "Good morning," she greeted she's the only one that have the idea of how her heart is aching over the thoughts she had yesterday.
She ignored her and kept doing what he was doing. To avoid something that would trigger her jealous button; Ummu brought out her phone and started typing away in it.
"Yaya, I want to talk to you_not about what you said I shouldn't. I need a favor; please!" She's in a dire need. Yesterday she thought about Laith, what's his condition when she left him in London when they were supposed to get married on that day. She felt the sudden urge to see him; she has forgiven him before he could even ask.
He ignored her again and moved to where the utensils where kept, he took a plate and spoons_poured away the contents of his pot and walked past her as if she has never existed. He told her to brace herself, didn't he?!
Ummi stood up after seeing that he meant they should leave. She walked over the brought out water and a drink for them before she started walking out of the kitchen; leaving him behind.
Al-amin was at the door of the kitchen when Laila's crying voice halted him in his track.
"I'm tired of all this! I can't take this Yayah, why can't you atleast listen to me for once?" She asked with tears flowing down her cheeks, it's just too much for her to bear.
He laughed, a sarcastic laugh that made Laila cringed and she wanted the earth to open and dip her in. "You're already tired? It's just day, a single day! Be strong, she had this for unshaken six months, so deal with it!" He tried turning on his heels, but what she said made him stopped with exhaling the air he took in.
"Yayah, I want a divorce. Please set me free." She just need to, and she prays he will compile without throwing any tantrum at her.
He laughed humorlessly and looked her clearly "Have you ever heard of what 'auren kaza' means? That's a forever that's forever, no fights, arguments nor even home visitations. That's our marriage, and it'll be like this for the rest of our lives."
"But Yaya I have ti be out of this marriage, I don't think I can do it anymore. It's just stressing."
"I'm done talking to you for today! Bye."
"But Yaya I still love him,I need to go back to UK to see wether he had been fine or not. Wallahi I love him!" And she cried, knowing there's no way she could see another man when theres someone's marriage on her.
"We can share it with him like this; I have the body and he has the soul_for eternity." And he walked out, leaving her slumped on the ground in the cold marbled floor of our room.