Chapter 13: Chapter 13

ABUJA, NIGERIA.

The sun rose from above the horizon, casting it's subtle hues on their faces as they smile at each other. It has been a long night and they only need to take bath and go back to sleep, they hadn't had any the night before. Mika'il has been very adventurous and seeing the henna in her hand only turned him on all the more. He spent the night showing her just how much he loves her and bringing another woman into their lives won't change a thing. Their marriage is still as solid as a rock, he will make sure they are.

"What are you doing?" Amani whined when she felt herself being picked up from the bed where she was snuggling onto like a second skin, she loves their bed a lot.

"You are going to Gigi's today and it is already twelve in the afternoon. Be lucky Anaan didn't wake you up earlier than now." He whispered lowly in her ears then placed her on the floor in the shower cubicle of their bathroom. They are now standing stack naked while she lean on him still trying to catch that sleep that is about to run away.

"I don't want to go. I want to sleep the rest of the day please. Take Anaan wherever you want to go." She grumbled underneath her breath, her breath fanning his naked chest. He tighten his hold on her and shook his head at her laziness, she needs that sleep though.

"Gigi will have our heads if you don't get dressed and drop yourself in her home. You know how she threatened me yesterday, today it won't be empty." With that said, he turned on the water which started sprinkling from everywhere making her shudder. She knew she had to wake up and go to Gigi's or her legs won't work anymore.

She finished taking bath and walked out of the room in a robe to get Anaan dressed so they can leave. Today is the luncheon which starts around three in the afternoon but Mika'il is leaving around four when they finish greeting Gigi. Her heart will always tug in a bad way whenever she thinks about him going to Zara. She thought she was strong and will be able to hold it in but the closer the day, the more her heart breaks. She don't want the day to move, she wish she could stay in her bed with her husband for a long time.

When she woke up earlier, she didn't want to move from her husband's arms. She's got to share it with another woman in less than twenty one days. She thought twenty one days were too short, she can't begin to see how less it is now. She is afraid she won't be able to watch her husband getting romanced by another woman even if she is his wife. Wife or not, she don't want to see that happening in front of her.

Maybe she will set some rules down when she stepped into their home. There are some things that she can't take in. That Zara is not a nice woman, she knows that even before she heard about her husband marrying her. She's done some background check on her when she heard the news too with the help of Fayha. And from the results, none said anything good about her soon to be co-wife. Everyone she asked is replying with negative answer and everything is against Zara so her heart is not at ease.

Even from the social media though she learn not to listen to them, she found so much about her. The girl is literally a spoilt brat from each photo where she has herself wrapped around her father. Not to forget that she is not staying with her mother, who gives most disciplines. Even the mother is not a nice woman so what does she expect from the daughter? None of them are nice, Jiddah is the nicest amongst them though.

She got Anaan dressed into a tortilla coloured shirt with halter neckline then put on a caramel a-line skirt on her. Her feet are closed with small baby shoes, she closed her head with a small tortilla beanie as the weather is a bit chilly. She took her baby with her to their room so she could get dressed too. She drop Anaan on Mika'il's laps then move to the closet to change.

A tortilla and caramel coloured ankara sewn in beautiful flay gown with cuffed sleeves and ruff neckline where beads of silver stones are arranged. Feeling gorgeous, she removed a cream veil and wrapped around her then slipped Hermes messenger tortilla bag.

"Why so beautiful?" Mika'il whispered in her ear standing just behind her as she looks at the mirror trying to find any flaw so she could adjust it before leaving.

"Why so cliché?" She rolled her eyes at him through the mirror and he could only shrug, wrapping his arms around her waist to stop her from moving away when she tries to do so. He feels like spending more time with his wife when he is supposed to be getting ready for another woman.

"Do you like the idea of me bringing another woman to our home?" He inclined his head, looking straight into her eyes in the mirror. She let her eyes fall down to the floor then rose her hands to intertwine it with his. She hold onto his hands that are sitting on her waist and look at him straight in the eyes too.

"I am not happy with this. You and I were both foolish though you were more foolish. All you needed to do is bring an elder between us, everything would've been sorted but no, you had to go and bring a President's daughter in our lives. I admit, I was very wrong from the beginning but then again, you are just too stupid. I hate you." And she started crying before she even knew it. The tears roll down her eyes angrily making her more wrathful.

She yanked her hands away from his and made her way to the room to pick her baby. She met her playing with her teether on the bed, she took her in her arms and made her way to the kitchen to whip out something quick for them. They ate silently since Mika'il walked inside shortly after they started eating. She made toast for them and gave Anaan her cereal knowing she will eat good food when they visit Gigi. She always makes sure there is enough food for them to eat till full.

"You can't be mad now. I don't even know what to do then, but Iassure you. This is the worst decision I've ever made my whole life and I don't wish to marry her. I don't even like her, trust me. If I hadn't pushed the wedding into happening so quick, I would've withdrawn. I'm sorry." He gripped her shoulders in his strong hands not letting her go even as she squirms to leave his hold.

"I'm hurt and angry." More tears fell from her eyes so he held her in his chest. She let her tears fall down her cheeks rapidly and lay on his white shirt.

She is finally letting out the emotions she's been holding inside her for so long. The overwhelming mental anguish, the betrayal, the pain. Admittedly, she didn't think she was going to face this mental breakdown after the first one she had when she heard about it. She loves him, so much that it makes her want to go crazy knowing she is sharing him with some pole. Whether she is a President's daughter or a plumber's daughter, she is still going to be another wife in their home.

"I'm sorry." He whispered again in her ear when she started calming down and her sobs along with hiccups subsided.

His heart clenched at the sight of her breaking down. She is a strong woman right from the day he's met her, a determined one. He could count the times he's seen her break down and it won't fill his right hand fingers. It happens when she was pregnant with Anaan, she always goes through one of those once in awhile. Sometimes he sits with her on the floor and they cry together for no reason then later laugh at their plain stupidness since there wasn't any reason why they were even crying in the first place.

"Let's go." She croaked out, cleaning her face with the wipes in his car. If anything, she knew Gigi will ask why she was crying as soon as she sets her foot in her room. She feels like the woman is using old witchcraft that she bought some years back, like she said.

Arriving at the one storey cloud and charcoal building, they file out and made their way to the first flat. It is bigger than the other one where Mika'il's grand parents live. Upon arriving, they greeted the two aristocratic people and you'd think they are the ones rich not their son. They smell air like it was dirt when they once lived in a village until few years ago. They didn't even believe in the son they are eating up from now. How cruel but she never commented.

"How have you been?" The matriarch asked, her voice low but it held so much authority. That is Hajiya Saratu Usman, the unsmiling woman. She never smiles.

"I've been good, Granny. How is everyone?" She asked about the other people living in the house, mostly their errand boys and some few maids.

"Everyone is fine. How is the preparations going? Heard he is bringing another wife. President's daughter, I heard?" She rose a brow at Mika'il whose head is bowed to the floor, he hates when people talk about it.

"It's going well, granny." Amani didn't detect any happiness or joy in the woman's voice so they are cool. As long as she is not fully supporting him into bringing another wife to their home, they are good.

"How is work, Mika'il?" Alhaji Aminu Masari asked his grandson from the rocking chair he is sitting on, he looks older than his own mother.

After they exchanged pleasantries, they made their way to the other small flat where Gigi lives. Amani couldn't wait to have her delicate body on that old soft bed. The bed is over used so it is very soft and fluffy.

"Maraban Ku, Welcome, welcome." She heard Gigi greeting with her old trembling voice.

That is how they all sat down in her living room and talk about everything and nothing. They didn't even notice that the time has passed when Mika'il is supposed to be at the luncheon till her phone rang. She saw that her brother Murad is calling her asking where Mika'il is. They prayed Asr before he left promising to come and get them when the event is over. He still needs to go and change his outfit.

"Gigi, I don't want to even stay with them at that time. You know they are going on a honeymoon too right?" Amani whined at Mika'il's great grandmother who could only stare at her with amused gaze trying to fathom what her great granddaughter in-law is thinking.

"I know about that and that is why you are going with them, there is no other argument there. You can leave Anaanuwa here with me." She explained to the woman who seem to never understand what she is on about. They've been talking about it for the past ten minutes if not more.

"To New Zealand? That is not fair though, it's their honeymoon not ours. I can let them go for a week, it's my fault so I pay for it." She sulked beside her on the bed feeling all too tired to move a muscle. She watch as Anaan play with her toys in the middle of the room that has everything old-fashioned.

She refused to let her grandson do any adjustment to her room but she allow him to do the whole house since her son and daughter in-law live with them, Mika'il's grandparents.

"No, I won't let that happen under my watch. You didn't go to your own honeymoon when you got married so you can use this opportunity and go together with them. I don't want to argue with this again, Amna. Just go and pack your bag, your ticket is already with him. I don't get why he didn't tell you at first but now I know. You are so stubborn." Gigi, Safiya is an eighty three year old woman who is as strong as any fifty year old out there.

Anaan was also named after her, her real name is Safiyya.

The woman is the first person to think about arranging their marriage when she first saw her at a friend's wedding. The girl is Bushra's highschool friend who got married when she was just eighteen and she bumped into her. The woman asked her to bring food so she brought everything there is in the house and gave her. So that little gesture made her heart flutter and she knew she had to get her into her family hence the arranged marriage. She didn't even know her grandson is her father's friend till after.

"You are more stubborn than I am." Amani grumbled and started stuffing her face with more tuwo miyan taushe. She loves when the old woman cooks just for her, it touches her heart all the time.

"That is why you get married to my great grandson." Gigi beamed, playing with her great grandson's baby in her arms.