Love through time

Broken hearts 💔

He took one look at this uncle's face and his heart sank
Baba Sani did not say a word but walked pass to his bedroom. Umma followed him and left Haroon and Mairo standing.
Haroon felt a squeeze in his heart what ever news his uncle brought from Kano was not good news. He just prayed Hamida was fine.

He waited for his uncle to come out of his bedroom and after what seem to be like forever baba Sani came out. He had changed from his babban riga into a more comfortable jalabiya. He sat and eat in silence with all three of his household members looking at him, wondering what had happened in Kano.

Mairo spoke first 'Baba ya Kano'
He took some time before facing her and said 'Sai hakuri' (patience only) He looked at Haroon and said 'Haroon ka yi hakuri, (you have to exercise patience) General Dunguza is a good man, but his family especially his mother stood against our proposal'
He looked at his daughter Mairo,
'As we speak, I understand your friend Hamida is married to her cousin who had been picked by her grandmother'

Mairo gave out an exclamations 'SubhanAllah' and started crying

Haroon could not believe what his uncle had just said. His face dropped to his palms and he wanted to sink into the earth. The pain in his heart was intense and immeasurable. He could hear Umma trying to offer him consolation words but nothing can console him on this.

Baba Sani continued to speak
'Her grandmother was very unpleasant. She said to her son the General, if she gave birth to him, he will ask us to go because she has picked husband for her granddaughter'
Baba Sani shook his head and continued

'Right in front of us, she said to the General 'bazaka badda iya aure ga bare ba' (you will not give out this child in marriage to an outsider). I was embarrassed for us and more so for the General. He tried to say something but his mother would not listen'

Haroon could not take anymore of this so he stood up and left for his room. He slumped on his bed, the waves of grief he felt was indescribable. He was shattered and the one most important goal of his was taken way in a blink. How? Why?
He felt the hurt in every facet of his body, his gut and then his eyes gave way to tears. He turned his face into his pillow and did not hold back. The tears flowed down heavy on his bed and his heart.

As the days went by, Haroon couldn't eat or sleep he felt empty. He only went for prayers in the mosque ad back home. He barley talked to the anyone and stayed in his room.
He felt powerless, how was he to except that that last Friday was the last time he will see Hamida.
Hamida was married....to someone else. A new wave of anguish engulfed him. He imagine this would kill her spirit. How was she? Why would her father let this happen to her?
His heart felt unmendable how was he expected to move on?

'Ka yi tawakali (accept fate)' Umma was telling him. She had called him out of his room and sat him down in the living room. His uncle had joined them and he could see that Baba Sani was holding his scholarship reply document.

'You have to reply to your scholarship and go for your Postgraduate studies, you can't sit and be miserable for the rest of your life. I understand you loved this girls but it was not to be.'

Haroon sat not saying a word this heart was empty, he did not want to move on, he did not want to do anything. He felt aimless at this point in time. How was he to carry out a degree with this state of his emotion?
'I'm sending your reply today.' Baba Sani said.

Was it possible to build a life with out Hamida, just the thought of her name made him sad. He wiped away his tears as they fell down his cheeks. He knew his family was right, he had to move on but how?
Mairo came into the living room and handed him a sealed envelope. He looked at her and from her teary face he knew it was a massage from Hamida. He had been so lost in his pain he forgot his sister was also hurting from losing a dear friend. He looked at Mairo closely and could see her sadness as well. It hurt him more because he couldn't do anything to ease her pain.
'The driver delivered this just now' Mairo said. Haroon collected it and walked back to his room and slowly opened it the letter knowing the worst had happened.

By the fault of our fate
Fate brought us together
Fate kindled our love
Fate tore us apart
I don't know what fate has in store for us
But I know fate is cruel at the moment
I have cried and my tears have dried up
I have accepted my fate
I have buried our kindled love deep in my heart, where fate can not touch it,
Kindled forever until forevermore.

Haroon's tears were unstoppable, 'fate is cruel indeed my love', he whispered to himself. He contemplated replying to Hamida and sending it to her through the driver, but he felt conflicted knowing that she was married to someone else.
Mairo knocked on his door when he answered, she came it with teary eyes holding the letter Hamida send to her also. She sat on the single couch in his room. They both sat in silence for a while.
Mairo spoke first
'She said I should make sure you are fine Yaya Haroon, and you should please not give up on your postgraduate scholarship.'... her voice broke into a sob.
'Muyyi hakuri Lil sis' Haroon said as he fondly called Mairo. He understood her pain. Hamidavwas like a sister to Mairo, for the past six months he has been home, he has seen them do everything together and he was sure as young girls they had talked and planned about their wedding.
' Life has a way of beating one up, love, happiness, sadness, loss, and all. We have to face it.' Haroon said.
' I'll be fine, but you promise me as well that when I'm abroad you will be fine as well.'
Haroon had decided he was going away, he could not stand been in Zaria with out Hamida. He was going far way to put his grieving energy into study.