A Tale Of Time And Tears

CHAPTER 15: WIND.

WIND.

It paints my canvas
Grey with emptiness
Black with coldness
The colours of grief.
Sometimes it paints
A soft blue
Or the bright yellow of the sun
A striking golden orange
Or a joyful red
The beautiful colours of love
The wind paints
With all its colours on the canvas.
 That is my life.
                     ~~  Phirdausy Ameenu

2000.

"Okay, now say "Mami". She said with a large smile.
Safa giggled and clapped her hands.

"Maaami." she said finally and almost immediately, Mami picked her up and swirled around the living room. Dancing with joy.

"I told you. Oh my dear baby." she said.
Lubna simply smiled at her and continued eating her food. Her level of consumption had increased drastically due to her five month old pregnancy.

Safa was four years old now and at the end of her nursery three. Her education had started quickly as she was a very fast learner. She'd sit with Jidda through her assignments and cry when it was time for school. In the end, daddy had decided to enroll her too. And it didn't surprise them that she was happy to go to school.

"Okay, it's time for evening bath. Let's go darling." Mami said as she headed to their room with Safa in tow.
She'd been in Kano for three years, going back to Katsina during holidays and as promised, daddy had funded her education. After much persuasion, Her father had agreed to let her further her education. Mami had chosen mass communication.

Lubna looked at their retreating figures and smiled. She was happy and content with her life. Baba's choice wasn't wrong. It wasn't wrong at all.
She'd gradually gotten used to her husband's company as much as he'd gotten used to her. Talking to him had become easier for her with time and now, they were closer than they were before.

"Mama, I can't find my crayons." cried Jidda with a pout, ending Lubna's thoughts.

"Kuma dai. Have you checked your bag, under the bed and the bathroom?" she asked Jidda.
They had once, turned the whole room upside down looking for Jidda's missing crayon. Eventually, after an hour of checking, they'd found it in her bag. Lubna had declared then that her baby has poor eyesight.

Jidda shook her head  as if she'd remembered and ran back to their room.

Life had continued very well for the whole family. Daddy's businesses were thriving, Ibrahim had finished secondary school two years back and had started studying Accounting in Bayero University, Kano. Sadiq, was in his final secondary year. The only disturbing factor was that, they seemed to care only a little for their younger ones. Especially Jidda. Once, Daddy had travelled to Sokoto with Ibrahim and his heart sank when he noticed that Ibrahim had gotten gifts for Khairi and Ali, leaving Jidda out. The little girl had jumped and hugged him when they arrived.
Alhaji Muhammad was dismayed and since then, he'd personally seen to it that Ibrahim buys all gifts meant for the children. He wanted him to feel responsible for all of them, leaving none out. One day, he wouldn't be there to make him.

Ibrahim on the other hand, had acted impulsively. Without thinking. After what he'd been told about Jidda's late mother and Lubna, he'd simply felt angry at everyone of them. Including his father. He had decided then to take care of his siblings, those from the same womb as himself only. He couldn't believe it when his mother told him. He'd never thought his father would do that to her. He'd also never thought people could be that selfish, to the point of trying to separate a man from his wife with whom he had four children already.