Her Boyfriend, My Husband

CHAPTER 19

Zainab's POV

I have been so busy these couple of weeks handling a project for one of my clients, renovating a hotel. I have made sure that I always have something to do so I won't even have time to think about the wedding that happened more than a month ago now or even my deteriorating relationship with my mother.

Not that mom cared but I now have an excuse to stay away from her and consequently her never ending fights with me since I'm always in the hotel and with my clients.

I will be done with the renovation in a day or two and will be flying to Lagos before I leave for Paris and finally complete what it is mom had wanted me to do all along. I'll finally be graduating from university and get my degree then hopefully, her coldness towards me will melt off.

I am very eager to leave and finally have all this done and over with. The one year I'll have to stay away from Yusuf included.

Me and Maryam have been planning what we'll do when I come over to Lagos before leaving for Paris for weeks now and now, there's only a day left for that. I've already wrapped up my work and am done with the reservation and all I have to do now is pack my stuff and arrange for my one year leave from Abuja and Nigeria and Mom.

"Hey you baby girl." I say to Maryam over the phone. "So I am coming tomorrow."

"Finally, you that said you will come soon blah blah blah," Maryam replies and I can hear the smile in her voice as she continues to complain. "Its only after weeks that you remember to come, do and come soon, I really miss you and I am sooo lonely here and homesick, you can't even imagine."

"Babe, chilax, I'm coming tomorrow naw, before I leave for Paris."

"See please kije gida and collect kokumeti and charbin malam for me, Mummy said my grand aunt sent it for me, and don't even try stepping foot in Lagos if you don't have my stuff." Maryam ordered.

"You and this your sweet tooth! I will get it for you, Ill have to go there to do ban kwana with your mom anyways and also Sajida and Sajjad."

"Yeah okay just don't forget about my stuff."

And as I bid goodbye to Maryam, promising her I won't forget about what she'd asked for, I hear my room door open and Mom step in.

"Ina yini mom—" I started but before I was done greeting her, she cut me off.

"When were you planning on telling your own mother that you were leaving?" she says staring at me with her arms folded on her chest.

"Actually, mom I wanted to tell you since but you know I've been busy with the hotel and you with the office that we hardly meet." I rise from the bed and walk over to her.

"Fine then," her expression turns softer now. "Allah ya kai ki lafiya, ya kiyaye hanya, ya baki sa'a da nasara." she prays for me which catches me offguard.

After the surprise wanes away, a feeling of genuine joy washes over me and with happy tears starting to form in my eyes, I answer her. "In sha Allah mom. Thank you."

And though she doesn't hug me back, I gingerly wrap my arms around her only for a few seconds before she pushes me back and starts walking out of my room.

As I grew older, I realised that mom's behavior wasn't normal and up till today, I feel like she should be undergoing therapy or something to help her get over her past that has corrupted her so much that she doesn't even know how to love her own daughter.