Chapter 77: Chapter 77
Four months later.
She knew from the day Al-amin told her that he is to have her body whilst Laith should have her heart; that happiness have vanished in the history of her life. And that's what happened. She spent her days glumly, sometime she cries reminiscing their moments together; and cries herself to sleep at night.
She's no more getting pained when Al-amin completely snubbed her existence and take his good for nothing wife that doesn't have anything doing other than sleep, eat and reading those annoying books of her-to the hospital. They sometimes comes back with packs of chocolates and boxes of ice creams, licking as they watch a movie, or Ummi gists him about the book she finished reading.
All would only stare when they opened an empty room in the house. She could only looked away whenever they came back from shopping or hospital with tons of cartons that holds different kinds of toys. And she knew; they all were eager about their baby to be born.
Would this be her life forever? She asked herself this question numerous times. Knowing she has no one to tell what has been eating her up for the past four months. Hajia knows nothing about Laith, and who in the earth could she tell about him now? None, and she choose to live her life with his love, may be one day Al-amin will change his mind and set her free.
Life has never been the same, and it never would. She believe life comes with different things that one have imagine would happen. And life can change something so swift even the blink of an eye couldn't beat. Life! She fears the word now.
***
Ummi proudly looked at everything in the room; and a slow smile creeps up to her cheeks. When is she going to see her baby? When is she going to hold it to her chest and could proudly calls herself a mother? When is she going to see a toddling feet walking around her in the kitchen seeking for food? It's very close, it's coming_may be now, later, today, or tomorrow! That's what the doctors said!
She heaved a sigh and went over the bed to adjust a pillow; and she sat down on the bed fondling the soft embroidery of the bed sheet. This is where her baby would spend it's first night in earth.
What life would she or he lives? Would she have a lovely childhood as she did? Would he play with his father as she did with hers? Would he have friends he could hang out with? When a teenager, would they be able to find a painless love? Would they be afraid of love as she is? Or have their hearts broken by love?
She prays they don't have to witness the pain that comes from love. It's bitter in taste. Horror in sight, and a thunder comes out mellifluous over its voice.
She checked the time on her phone and gasped, she had been in the room for long. She carefully lifted herself up and walked out of the room with another glance at the bed. Smiling widely, she muttered "My Baby's room." Like the proud Momma she is.
Ummi went to her room and had her bath, she dressed herself in a long flowing gown and walked down to the garden with a book in her hand, yes she still reads books! She held a novel in one hand and her poetry book in the other; she just feels like writing a poem today, but what would it be? She doesn't have a single feeling that she's going to vent out. They are alot! She's having mixed feelings, and none is willing to sacrifice for the other.
From where she sat in the garden, reading a book-that her mind was off from and she embark on a journey down the lane of her memories. She reminisced of a little ten year old that smiles widely at her mother whenever she gifts her with a story book. She could still see those innocent eyes that then; they knew nothing but the love she has for her parents, story books and a little chubby boy she has as a brother.
She traced her finger on the line of future that was woven by these frail fingers of hers. And now she was sure some fabrics were being taken away by destiny, some being torn to pieces by love; and some-were intact waiting for life to re-weave their fate.
She saw that teenager crazy in love with her cousin; whom she thought she could marry. But what happened? Destiny played it's role again. After all, life has another plan for us, more than we have for ourselves.
Like a flash, she saw the svelte figure of Laila before her; and she looked up wearing a devoid expression on her face. What happened months ago in this garden would never repeat itself again.
Laila dragged the other chair that Ummi placed her legs on it; making them fall on the ground with a thud. She brought it close to Ummi and sat down with hands crossed over her chest.
"Remembered what happened here months ago?" Laila asked egoistically, smirking as she glanced at the flowing pool.
"Yes, and it's likely going to change today_because this pregnant woman here doesn't tolerate nonsense anymore." Ummi replied with a tight lipped smile and she diverted her attention back to her book.
"If I may elaborate more; why wouldn't this pregnant woman change, when she has bewitched the man she calls a husband? Why wouldn't she start feigning all bossy; when she has the senses of her husband right at the tip of her fingers?" She spoke the world, and Ummi could swear she tasted the pain that was dripping down from them_she's now blaming her? She doesn't want this to end in peace!
Ummi heaved a sigh and closed her book after adjusting the bookmark. She placed it on the stand supporting her can drink before she sat upright and looked at Laila with her feisty expression.
"Laila Mukhtar Bugaje, are you really into this? Or would you pity your poor self and kindly walk out of this garden so this doesn't turned to you shedding buckets of tears that would likely refill this pool?" Ummi asked and crossed her hands over her chest. She'd be due today or tomorrow, what more energy does she have to start fighting with someone called a cowife? A cowife as unclassy as Laila?
Laila snickered and lifted a brow; making an arch. "Aysha Abbakar Mashi; no matter how much you despised this talk, it has to be! You bewitched him. And here I am; to warn you, it's either you dissolve whatever it is you have done or what I'll do wouldn't be sweet on you."
"Oh no! You can stoop that low? Well I can't! I'm not as jobless as you; who can spread a false information about me. I'm not you that'll make someone to anonymously take pictures so you could show it to my husband. I'm not you that could send some intimate pictures of my face and another guy; knowing well we might be together with my husband. I'm not you; Laila, who can stoop to the lowest level of writing an erotic letter to send it here so Al-amin could hate me more! For all I care, He can love you as much as he loves to. Excuse me please."
And she stood up; picked her novel and poetry book and tried walking out when Laila infuriately gripped her hand and stood up as well. "You can't just walk out on me without hearing all that I have to say!" She bellowed and stood before Ummi.
"What's more left to say? You can choke on your words and die for all I care!" Ummi bellowed back and shrugged off Laila's hand from her wrist.
"I'll make you drown in this pool until you loose the last breath you take as a life. Hello lose both you and the baby, and that'll make him divorce me so I could go back to my beloved!" She screamed at the pitch of her voice and pushed Ummi to the pool; all happened in the blink of an eye!
Ummi felt herself going down to the pool that she is sure would be her end before Al-amin comes back home. Instead, she feels as strong muscular arms held her tightly and wrapped her around his chest.
She closed her eyes and halted her breath, until she felt she was cocooned safely in the hands of her beloved. She looked at his face that has turned red from anger; and over to Laila whom looked all confident_she stood with hands at akimbo, awaiting Al-amin's next action.
"Let's go," he spoke through gritted teeth and helped Ummi out of the garden. Ummi turned back, and her eyes fell on the smirk that fully graced Laila's lips.
He guided Ummi to her room and sat down. "Arub, I'm sorry for what almost happened there. I beg; don't raise a voice at it, she's looking for a way to report me to Hajia so a conflict between us would happen an...." she cut him off before he could start his philosophy talks; anger evident in her voice.
"I want to be alone!" She screamed and pointed the door at him. He looked at her and kissed her forehead before he sluggishly walked out of the room.
She need to do something about this.
***
It was midnight already; and she felt the lower part of her abdomen slowly crinkling in pain. She had been in her room since evening; and Al-amin had even got tired of beating her door that he went back to his room.
She unlocked her room and walked out in sluggish steps; the pain was slowly increasing with each step she takes towards Al-amin's room.
She got to the room and and met it slightly ajar; poking her head first_her eyes met the most anguish sight it would ever see. Laila and Al-amin were sleeping peacefully on the bed, she had her hands all over his torso round his back, and she placed her head on his chest_having his hand to pin it perfectly.
She closed her eyes as a lone tear cascaded down. She creeped back to her room as silently as she came. Having tears rolling down in anguish, she didn't know the reason of her tears_but surely; the sight pained her, not that Laila isn't his halal.
She slumped on her bed and painfully took her poetry book, she needs to write this out. Tears slowly dripped down on the fresh page she opened, and her shaking hand embraced her pen; blowing life to her pen.
The Other Woman.
I've always heard of her from afar,
My mind always sing praises to evade from her,
My ears always use a tissue to block her sound;
But still_she crushed my husband and took away my husband.
I have the picture of her all over my husband's soul,
Somewhere it's hanged, while being embraced in the flimsy corners,
My husband hears her voice through the lips of a lonely night,
And in the nights with me; she sings the melodies of love to him.
She sometimes embark on a journey through his soul,
Through the countries, states and villages in him,
The people he meet, things he love, and souls he adore,
To the past he regrets, present he likes, and the future he plans.
She has a delete button wrapped around her finger,
A rewind button placed below her right breast,
The hatred button pinned to the flesh of her lips,
And so; she does what she loves to whom, where or what it likes.
I happen to be among the souls she deleted,
Completely out of his soul not even in the recycle bin,
The way that even if he puts a finger and scavenges for a lady;
He couldn't find a fingerprint of my soul.
The Other Woman,
Why don't you take a break and rest a while?
Lend me his soul even for a day,
To taste the sweetness that comes from the nectar of his heart,
How I wish you were this merciful!
And she fell into a painful slumber with squirming coming from the heart and the lower part of her abdomen.