Against The Tide (Formerly Two Tribes)

65: Heart In Shambles

"In a nutshell," Hajiya scoffed. "Are you trying to tell me you won't be able to do it? Is that it? I am your mother. Do you think I want the worse for you? I'm doing this because she's not right for you."

"Please forgive me, Hajiya. I cannot live without her."

Jameel's words were like daggers in Najah's heart. She had never felt so jealous in her entire life. Her feelings were of no importance to Jameel. It was as if she was nonexistent to him. Her heart was ripping apart, yet she couldn't scream. It was all too much for her to take. She felt like disappearing from the room, but she couldn't move. Her emotions were weighing her down like a mighty force.

"I have heard what I needed to hear," Hajiya spoke. "Please leave. I don't want to see you. Leave." 

"Hajiya—"

"Get out, Jameel!" Hajiya boomed. "get out!"

"I'm sorry," with that, Jameel rose to his feet and walked out of the room.

"Did you see that?" Hajiya's question was directed at Najah. "Do you believe me now?"

Najah remained silent for she didn't know what to say. She still hadn't recovered from how Jameel stood his ground against divorcing Afrah. Her emotions were all over the place.

"That wasn't Jameel," Hajiya continued. "Jameel would never look me in the eyes and go against my wishes. It has never happened before. That evil woman has bewitched my son," tears ran down Hajiya's eyes. "Jameel is not himself, Najah."

Najah's thought drifted to how confidently Afrah had told her in the past that she had Jameel wrapped around her little finger, and how she could easily make him dance to her tune. It all made sense to her now. Hajiya was not wrong. She was spitting nothing but the truth. "I think you're right."

"You think so too, right?" Hajiya chuckled humorlessly. "You see it too, right? Alhamdulillah, I'm not crazy."

"Of course, you're not, Hajiya," Najah went to sit beside her on the bed and grabbed her hand in hers. "Don't say that about yourself. I know how difficult it must have been for you to admit even to yourself that your only child is under the influence of a spell."

Hajiya facepalmed. "This is the main reason I didn't want him to marry someone from that tribe. Those people are known for bewitching people. My poor son! I wonder what she has done to him. He can't even think for himself anymore. She has him locked in a bottle. Jameel, my son, would never speak to me like that. He has never disrespected me before. Afrah is controlling him."

Although Najah shared the same belief as Hajiya, she felt Jameel didn't disrespect Hajiya. He tried his best to keep it respectful. And he did. "Hmm. What are we going to do now?"

"He needs our prayers more than anything else. I will pray hard for him. Please do too. Afrah is going to be shamed. I can't stay and watch Jameel under her influence, I will be leaving the house first thing tomorrow morning."

"What?" Najah shook her head. "You can't do that, Hajiya. Please stay. Are you going to just leave her to do as she pleases with him? Please stay, Hajiya. At least, he still listens to you. Please don't go. Not now."

"He still listens to me?" Hajiya asked. "He would have divorced Afrah like I wanted. He doesn't listen to me anymore. I need to go back home."

"And let her win?" Najah asked in disbelief; tears welling her in her own eyes. "You're going to give her the satisfaction she wants? You told me she said she'd ensure she makes you leave, didn't you? Are you just going to allow her to get what she wants? What will become of me in this house?" Najah broke into sobs. "If you decide to leave, then I'm going with you."