Her Boyfriend, My Husband

CHAPTER 35

Zainab's POV

There is something about the rain that calms me. There is something about the chaotic sound of millions of drops pelting down on the zinc roofing that soothes me. Perhaps it is because for those minutes or sometimes when I'm lucky, hours that it rains, I'm briefly distracted from this reality of gloom that is my life. I could just use the rain as a cover and let it serenade me to a blissful state of oblivion where nothing mattered but watching the drops fall to the ground and hearing the explosion of sound from millions of others as they hit down.

I was lying upon a spread out piece of cloth that did little to shield me from the coldness seeping from the hard, cemented floor. I was positioned opposite the door so I could watch the rain through the holes in the soiled and torn curtain that served as the door to this uncompleted building we lived in. But most importantly, I was positioned like that so I could see my mom immediately she comes in. My growling tummy persisted in the hopes that when she arrives, she'll bring some food with her too.

But my eyes could remain glued to the entrance for so long and as the rain fell more slowly and in fewer drops, I fell asleep.

It was completely dark when I awoke to the sound of  a hiss and something stumbling over me. I opened my eyes, startled and with pain on my sheen. I could hardly figure out the features but it was undoubtedly my mom. The promise of something warm in my tummy made me forget the pain on my leg and made me scramble to my feet.

"Mama sannu da zuwa (mom, welcome home.)"

"Yawwa," her voice was straint and raspy, like it always was when she came back from work in the big mansion. "It rained earlier, have you filled up all the buckets with water?"

Sensing that I was in trouble, my whole body tensed up and I couldn't even answer. I had completely forgotten of having to fetch water from the rain. It would have saved my mom a lot of money since we wouldn't have to buy a few days worth of water.

"Zainab!" my mom's voice almost made me jump, "Didn't you hear me? Have you filled up the buckets or not?"

"N... no." I muttered with closed eyes.

"Why!?" my mother screamed, making me tremble in fear. "Why Zainab? Why can't you do something so simple!? I toil night and day to feed you but you can't do something as simple as placing the buckets under the rain? What have I done for this!? What have I done to deserve a daughter who enjoys making me suffer?"

Perhaps the mind of a seven year old couldn't fully understand those words and so instead of hurting over them, I cried over the fact that my mother was probably going to deny me my food as punishment.

"Mama please, I'm sorry..." I sobbed, my little hands outstretched to hold her by the veil. "I'm hungry, please."

I couldn't see it but I felt a sharp slap on my hand that made a slicing sound in the air. I quickly withdrew it and moved away from my mom, sensing there was more to come. Today was one of those days when I would get a beating but as long as I would get to eat after it, I was ready to face it.

"Where are you!" Mom called out when she couldn't locate me in the darkness. "Zainab zo nan kafin na nemo ki! (Zainab come here before I find you.)"

I used the hem of the worn out dress that's been on me for the last week to wipe my tears before I stepped close to her and pulled her veil so she would know I was there.

"Shameless child!" she held my arm so tight, I thought she was going to snap it, "Other children are out there hawking in the streets! They walk the streets under the sun and rain to help their mothers but you, what do you do!? You won't even do something as simple as fetching us water!?" she shook me as I broke out into a loud cry.