The Cost Of Retribution( Not your usual Hausa love story)

Chapter 9 - To Dodge A Blow

*Amani*

There are times in our lives that make us question the point of it all, this life, our purpose, our existence in whole.

Fear was the feeling I hated the most in this world, the feeling of what the unknown holds, the feeling of uncertainty, or knowing exactly what and it scares you to the very core. So I thought though, until I felt confusion.
That was far worse than anything, being torn between decisions, not being able to identify right from wrong anymore. Yeah confusion was the worst.

I put down the Quran I was reading and put my hands up in prayer, this was the first istikhara I was praying, for God to guide me and show me the meaning of all of this. I had gone from living a happy life to feeling shattered within days.

A tear fell from my eyes as I remembered my mother's words the yesterday night, "you'll go and meet the boy Amani, as per your father's instructions and the meeting set by him. that's final"

I had come up with every possible explanation as to why my mother would take such a decision, words failed me every time I tried to explain to myself. Something was not right that was for sure but that didn't change how I felt, alone and helpless.

My mind went back to yesterday when I'd come back from work and heard the terrible news.

Alhaji kangiwa was seated looking at me seated across the room, the anticipation was killing me, I wanted to know what was going and what he was doing in our home.

"what is going on? If you came here to ask me again it's another no" I snapped
He smiled and leaned back, what a sinister old man he looked like in that position I thought.

"I think there is a very good chance you'll change your mind" he said another wicked smile at the tip of his mouth.

"whatever you're going to say I would never do it, I don't owe you anything, you won't ever convince me." I shot back.

He laughed a deep chest laugh and my mouth fell in disbelief, what kind of a human being was this. "I've convinced the person that I need to convince Amani, don't you worry." he said looking at Mama which she looked away from his uncomfortable gaze guiltily.

"Mama" I called to which she still didn't answer, I was afraid to call a second time lest what he just said was true, that she had agreed to this absurd proposal of his.

"Mama" I called again, this time she turned and looked at me, her eyes filled with tears said it all, but I still need to hear it.

" I'm sorry, it's so much more than you know" she said shakily.

"Mama" I gasped my voice a mere whisper.

I couldn't believe my ears, so many emotions were going through my mind and I was hanging on by a thin thread.

"did he threaten you Mama?" I said and my mother shook back her tears trying to control herself. "So you threatened my mother right? What kind of a person are you?" I shouted at this point.

"I didn't threaten your mother Amani, I merely just present some past situations that are threatening the future of all of us including you and your sister, everyone you love, if you do this everyone and everything will be okay, trust me."

"Trust you?" I laughed " you're trying to snatch away my happiness as I know it from me, I'd never trust you"

"That's enough" my mother spoke "Ya isa"