A Tale Of Time And Tears

CHAPTER 5: DREAMS AND A BABY.

"Hypocrisy is wretched, because the hypocrite says with his tongue what is not in his heart. He wrongs his tongue and oppresses his heart.
                        ~~Hamza Yusuf.
         
      NOT EDITED 😯

"Congratulations Mrs Muhammad. You're two weeks pregnant." The doctor's words.

Jamilu had driven Lubna to and from the hospital.

Happy? She was happy about the baby. But, she was also scared.
Motherhood. That's the scary thing.

Well, she should tell mama now. And daddy.
"How do I even tell him?" she asked no one in particular.

Heh! Akwai bidiri yau.

"What should I say?" She thought again.

"So, I went to the hospital and the doctor said I'm pregnant. Two weeks in."
Nooo, let's use with child or expecting. Bingo. Expecting is the word.
She kept thinking to herself.

She decided to call mama first since daddy wasn't home yet. She was  still on the phone when Hajiya Zubaida stepped into the living room.

******
She's expecting.

She is pregnant.

"How can this be happening? I'm trying to make her leave and now..."

She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

She had gone to daddy's living room earlier to call Bayla'u. She knew he wasn't back yet.
But unfortunately, she'd listened in on Lubna's phone call and heard the worst news of the whole week.

Even she, didnt know why she hates the woman so badly.

And now, a child.

Zubaida's thoughts were all over the place. She couldn't help it. The news had left her reeling.

She'd call Bayla'u later. Now, she needed to calm her raging heart.

******
Daddy was to stay with Zubaida with today.
He'd gone to check on Lubna when she told him, no, muttered under her breath that she's expecting.

Oh, the joy was boundless. She could see it in his eyes, feel it when he embraced her and hear it in his voice when he thanked God and prayed for them.

Mama had told her that her favorite cousin volunteered to go to Kano and stay with her at least a month before her birth.
Habiba, whom they all called Mami was a fair, cheerful and fiery lady. She had finished her junior secondary school that year. Mami and Lubna were more sisters than cousins.

Now, as she lay on her bed, Lubna couldn't help the thoughts that flooded her brain

"How will she take the news?"
I know she doesn't like me one bit, she's only being civil because of daddy."
"Was she the one who buried the amulets?"  The thought scared her.

Instinctively, she touched her still flat stomach and sighed.

"May Allah protect us all." She said before drifting off to sleep.

*******
"Ah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah.
May Allah keep her and the baby safe. Allah Ya sauke ta Lafiya."

"Ameen". He said with a smile.

Zubaida was seemingly happy about the pregnancy. She had answered daddy cheerfully when he told her.

Deep down, no words could explain her feelings.
Even she couldn't explain it.

Sleep eluded her that night. Her thoughts were solely on Lubna and her baby. The hate and jealousy she felt towards her was intense, so intense it was like fire within her.