Maimuna opened the back seat to place all the bags she had packed. And that brought mahmood out of his reverie. She sat in the car, her face expressionless, as she didn't want to let her guard down. She didn't want him to realize the impact he was having on her.
The journey back to the hospital was silent until he broke the silence.
"Do you mind getting married now?" He didn't look at her.
Startled, she turned sharply to face him.
"If you're the husband, then yes, a million times," she wanted to say, but instead opted for, "If it is Allah's will, I see no objection." She didn't want to appear desperate, although all she wanted to do was shout, "Marry me now, Mahmood!"
He smiled, and only Allah knew what thoughts were running through his mind. Another silence filled the car.
At times, he wondered why she seemed so reserved in his presence while she talked his ears off over the phone. The Maimunatu he knew was never quiet.
She had a million questions to ask, but she didn't know how to until they reached the hospital.
Mahmood immediately left with his sisters, leaving Maimuna and his Adda. Hajiya Tani was on her way from Yobe to handle the jego.
In the morning, Mahmood was asked to pick up his prospective father-in-law, Uncle Hashim, from the airport.
Hashim was incredibly happy, as if he would give his whole life to anyone who congratulated him over the phone. Mahmood wasn't sure if it was the right time to bring up his request for Maimuna's hand in marriage, so he decided to discuss it with him after he had seen his new born.
And he did, over a cup of tea in the evening.
"I have been waiting for this day, Mahmood. I have been observing both of you, and the only reason I said nothing is because I trust your character," Hashim said.
Mahmood smiled, and Hashim couldn't help but compare him to Omar. They both had a similar aura, and it was evident why his niece had fallen so hard for this kind-hearted young man.
He was overjoyed. He officially gave Mahmood permission to court Maimuna.
When Maimuna heard the news, she became the happiest girl in all of Kano. Everything seemed to make sense to her, and even the water she drank tasted better on that day.
The arrival of Hajiya Rabi'ah made Maimuna giddy with excitement. Despite the distance between them, she loved her mother dearly. There were days when her mother was the most amazing and loving mother one could ever ask for.
However,Rabiah is always a loving mother except when she asked about her father, a topic she had long stopped inquiring about after the painful discovery. Sometimes on Maimuna's birthdays, her mother would shed tears, leaving her wondering why.
Contrary to Maimuna's expectations, Rabi'ah was very happy to hold Hashim's son. She had a wide smile on her face and tears glistened in her eyes as she embraced the little bundle. She then declared, "I hereby name you Haifan."
Maimuna couldn't help but wonder if her mother was this happy when she gave birth to her. Her little brother was given the name "Muhammad Haifan Bn Hashim bn Munatas Sufian (Ukasha II)."
That was the first time Maimuna heard her grandfather's name. She had only known Uncle Hashim to be Hashim Ukasha Sufian... the name "Munatas" sounded foreign to her.
Trouble started brewing when Hashim brought Maimuna's marriage proposal to Rabiah. She wasn't accepting it and he saw no logical reason to that.
Uncle Hashim never raised his voice at her mother or anyone else before. She had never seen him angry.
"You will not make me appear irresponsible in the eyes of my in-laws," he barked back at Rabi'ah.
"Ukasha, you have no right to take action regarding my own daughter behind my back," she replied, refusing to back down.
"She is my daughter just as much as she is yours. I am the father figure she has. You cannot handle her marriage proposal on your own. It is not done anywhere. Wannan hurumin maza ne," he said, sitting on the couch in her mothers sitting room with frustration evident in his eyes.
"Gaskiyane ukasha, now you remember hurumin maza? Where was hurumin maza when I was left alone with a month-old pregnancy? When I carried my daughter for nine months without care or support from any family member? When I endured 48 hours of agonizing labor? Where were you, Hashim bn Sufian? For 18 years, I raised her all alone, without a single penny from any of you," she shouted at him, emphasizing her strength and the pain she carried within her chest with every hit.
"And what did you even have to offer? Everything you own today,Ukasha, it is because of me."
With just a glance at Hashim, it was clear that her words had struck him deeply. He tried to speak, but she interrupted.
"Now she is grown up, you want to use her to save face with your in-laws. You want to play the role of the good son-in-law... but if you are seeking a name, then wait until that Agwai wife you have, that nuisance, blesses you with a daughter. My daughter is not a pawn in your game," she concluded with finality, as was typical of Rabiah.
If his wife hadn't just given birth, Rabiah would have thrown his childlessness in his face. And now, she was flaunting her wealth, forgetting how he had slaved for her to acquire everything she had today. Did she think she could do it all alone? He had been her rock when she came to Kano with a broken and battered heart, homeless. He had sheltered her. It was time to remind her that she wasn't the only one capable of hurting others with words. He had tolerated her enough, and she needed to be put in her place. By the time he was done, she would think twice before looking him in the eyes again.
So he rose from the couch, towering over her. He was just as ruthless as she was, both of them inheriting that ruthlessness from the same source.
"You know what? You are pathetic, yet so full of yourself. It's no surprise that the only man who was to tolerate your arrogance ran away from you. Even his family couldn't stand your sharp tongue... Stop playing the victim, Lunja."
"And be thankful that I accepted you when everyone else rejected you. I tolerated you when no one else could. Do not drag Maimuna into the mess you created for yourself. No one did this to you, you did it to yourself. And until you are ready to accept your truth, not even Omar can handle a bitter woman like you." It had to be about Omar; nothing else could shake Rabiah.
She staggered back as if being hit by an invisible force, her face contorted with disbelief and shock. Her eyes widened, and her mouth open in an expression of utter astonishment. Her body seemed to lose its strength, and her knees buckled slightly, causing her to lose balance. It was as if she had been struck with a sudden realization, a blow to her core that left her reeling with disbelief.
Even Maimuna, who was lurking in the darkness, had to brace herself. It was all too much for her young, innocent self to witness.
Rabi'ah's tears actually did move Hashim. But he felt the need to remind her that her own life wasn't perfect, so she had no right to point fingers at others. "Do not throw stones if you live in a glass house," he thought to himself. Despite his own frustrations, he still wanted to reach out to her, comfort her as she coiled up next to the couch. But as he made a move to touch her, she flinched and barked at him, "Don't. Touch. Me. Ukasha." And so he left.
Maimuna watched her broken mother throughout the night. It wasn't every day that she saw Rabi'ah in such vulnerable moments. All her life,she had witnessed the fierce side of her mother, but tonight had changed her perspective. It shattered her heart to realize that even Hajiya Rabiah was capable of feeling pain. Perhaps it was the pain that had shaped her into the hard woman she was.
That night marked the beginning of Rabiah's dislike for Mahmood. She swore on the blood she birthed maimuna with that she would never let him marry her daughter.
