I went straight to my room took a quick shower and got dressed in a black Abaya with very little make up on my face and sprayed on my favorite oud. I walked down stairs to where he was waiting absent minded on the couch.
"Is everything okay" I asked sitting next to him as my heart skipped a few beats.
"I'm not sure" he answered reaching for my hands, "Abbah just didn't sound like himself on the phone...maybe I am worried over nothing " he added before fetching his keys from the table where he had kept them.
I kept trying to cheer him up with my silly jokes on our way because he looked quite nervous for no reason.i mean getting all worked up over possibly nothing to raise an eyebrow over.
We met a black Toyota in the premises so I began to think maybe they had relatives over that was why Abbah had summoned us.
When we got to the living room everyone was seated like someone had passed away, then I noticed a slim figure sitting next to a woman whom I presumed was her mother and if my memory served me right this was the girl we went out with on a picnic last year....yes Hannan.
My legs couldn't carry my weight but I still managed to find a spot next to Mamie with a salam almost audible to my ears alone.
The place was quite for a while as neither Mahmud or I had the courage to say our greetings talk more of asking what was going on but I could see him looking at Hannan from the corner of his eye from time to time.
I felt something curl up in my throat, it was bitter and cold but I had lost the courage to speak. I tried not to think negative but I couldn't stop myself seeing the wave about to drown me, it grew worse as I thought of the message I had once seen on his phone. It was like the what if's were waiting and I couldn't fight it.
"Repeat what you just said" Abbah's authoritative voice stopped the negative thoughts that were about to crush me.
"Alhaji Bello, you son got my daughter pregnant, what part of it do you want to hear again" Hannan's mother spoke in a state of rage. " You should be asking your son how he ruined my daughter's life...Shameless boy" she added giving Mahmud a hateful look.
For a moment, everything felt numb, it was like no one was there just the words ringing loud in my ear. I was screaming in my head but not a single word in the open, I cried for it to be a dream but no tears came. I silently watched my life slipping into a state of doom and confusion as the words said pierced deep into my skin.
"Stop it,just stop this nonsense" Mahmud shout moving forward from where he sat,
"Oh! Now you want to insult me as well... Aisha is this how you brought up your children?" Hajiya Maryam turned to question Mamie's upbringing. The poor woman sat quietly as insults were rained upon her, her lips trembled as tears filled her eyes.
"What do you want from us, why have you choosen to destroy the happiness in our home...what have we done wrong, how have we wronged you" Mahmud's questions kept coming,
There was a heated argument between the two before Abbah intervened " Hannan tell me the truth...between you and your Lord, is he the Father of the child you are carrying" he asked calmly.
The whole place was quite again as she too about five minutes to answer...those were the longest five minutes of my life.
"He is the father" she broke the silence with another stab to the heart.
"Ke?" Mahmud shout " wallahi Abbah I didn't do anything, It's not mine...I swear" he kept trying to explain himself and for a moment there I almost believed him.
" Did we not meet at the Deluxe hotel a couple of weeks before your sister's wedding " Hannan shout shamelessly.
"Yes! But..."
"Na shiga uku ni Aisha...I am done for" Mamie interrupted before he could finish.
She cried holding my frail hands as she kept repeating " Inna lillahi wa inna illaihi raju'un" continuously and all I did was stair at nothing in particular.
"I am the one to cry, I have been cheated, how am I going to face people... I am ruined" Hajiya Maryam also began her water works.
"Calm down, she is now his responsibility... he would have to marry her after the baby is born" Abbah announced.
"How can I keep her away from people...we are just ruined " Hajiya Maryam kept whining.
"She will stay here until the baby is born " Abbah said before turning to look at Mahmud with a disappointing look on his face.
I stood up and left the living room still unable to cry or express my feelings in the open. Mamie and Amani followed behind me as non could process anything anymore.
God knows I have never been this ashamed in my life, He promised to take things slow, he said he would wait...he didn't have to lie... oh Allah! I did contribute to the mess we are in right now.
Hours had gone by but I still couldn't say a word to anyone or even cry my sorrows out but everyone knew I was hurting inside. He slowly pushed the door to his mother's room where we had been since the incident. I knew it was late, it was time to go home but he couldn't say it...not to my face. I didn't have a home to go back to, I felt I had lost everything...everything I built was now broken. Broken beyond repair.
I ignored him laying down on Mamie's bed staring at the dark night through the window, He had no option but to leave as Noone gave him a listening ear.
Rukaiyya the help entered the room with a very shallow salam carrying a tray which had three bowls of chicken soup placing it on the table before she turned to me " Aunty Minal, Abbah wants to see you in his living room" she said before turning to leave.
"I think you should eat something before you go" this was the first time Mamie said anything to me and even now it was as if she was too ashamed to talk.
I couldn't say anything still, I picked up my veil and went out the door to Abbah's living room. I went to the living room wondering what else was there to talk about. I met him sitting quietly supporting his chin with both hands looking very lost or rather deep in thoughts,
I was looking for a warm spot on the rug when Mamie came in carrying a bowl. She sat down close to Abbah looking very pitiful.
" I have no words to express how sorry I really am for ruining your life, we thought it was the right thing...perhaps we were wrong, please forgive me child I know you are hurting"
That was it! My sobs could be heard from every corner of the room as I cried painfully,
"Calm down my dear" Mamie cooed sitting down close to me on the rug with her Arms tight around me.
"I want to goooo hoome" those were the only words that came out over and over again.
"Haba Minal, please don't say that" Mamie said hugging me tighter as I could feel her heart beat faster.
"I want to go home " was all I continued to say as Mamie tried to convince me otherwise until Abbah intervened.
" Don't worry, I will take you home tomorrow inshaa Allah, I know you need time to think away from everything but what ever decision you take I will stand with you " Abbah said placing his hands on my shoulder.
Mamie fed me a couple of spoons until I was on the verge of vomiting. I went back to her room, prayed a few raka'ats before laying in bed but sleep never came even when the sun came up.
I took my bath and again Mamie fed me some pap before the driver took me home to get some of my things.
I went inside our living room and my heart skipped a couple of beats seeing Mahmud on the couch. He looked rough and sleep deprived but I felt what he was going through couldn't compare. I walked past him as I felt his blood shot eyes staring until I was out of sight.
I went to my room, took out the biggest box I could find and kept dumping clothes in them, I would be lying if I said I knew what I was putting in the box. I zipped it close and dragged it out until I reached the living room.
His eyes bulged out as he stood up on his feet, "Please dont leave me!, I had nothing to do with her pregnancy...I didn't do it" he said holding my hands along with the box I held.
" was it the night you walked out of the house?" I asked as my voice choked.
" yes! But nothing happen minal...belive me" he answered.
" how can I believe you when you just admitted it was the night you left the house angry at me, and you admitted to seeing her at the hotel...what else do you want to tell me" I shout pushing him away from me.
" I went there to see her, but..."
" Just stop hurting me...let me be please" I interrupted
I dragged my box out while he sat on the floor watching me leave.
We reached Abuja around 3pm and as soon as the help opened the door I ran straight to my mother...the only place I was going to feel safe was in her arms. I hugged her tightly and cried my eyes out until I could cry no more.
It was easier as she was informed before our arrival and she could understand how much I was hurting.
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I am sorry for taking so long to update, please bare with me lol and don't be angry with what has happened to Minal.