"You're what?!?" Kameela yelled as she looked at her remorseless friend.
"I'm pregnant." She casually replied like she was saying what the weather was outside.
"With what?!" Kameela was a mixture of furious and confused.
"Obviously a baby. Can you calm down? I need your help with something."
"But how? When? Who?" Kameela ignored the last question deliberately. She was afraid it was something that went along the lines of 'more sinning'.
"Okay, I don't want you to freak out more than you are right now but I don't exactly know who."
"Oh my goodness Maimuna! I'm going to kill you first before your mum does it. How don't you know who? Since when did you become that promiscuous?" Maimuna scrunched up her face.
"How can you think I'm promiscuous? I'm still a virgin."
"What do you mean you're still a virgin? You just said you don't who the father is."
"Cause they were just names on a papers. Not exactly names, they were written in alphanumeric."
"Papers?!? Now I'm confused."
"You know, sperm donors are anonymous. So for easy identification, the alphanumeric characters are used."
"Sperm donor?!? Maimuna I don't know what to think right now." Kameela slumped down on a couch to process the whole situation. Maimuna kept silent as she observed her friend's every move.
"Okay let's take things slowly. Who?"
"I told you I don't know his name per say. But from his donor essay, I know he's of Mexican lineage so the baby's going to be mixed, he claims he's got a good sense of humour and can you believe what his message to the recipient was?" Maimuna looked at Kameela's face to see her reply but she got nothing but a neutral look so she went ahead.
"He said something in the lines of 'I was a great child and my parents said I was a huge blessing. I hope the same blessing can be possible for you and to enjoy.' So I know he's an adorable cutie who caused zero trouble for his parents." Kameela ears seemed to be buzzing.
"Okay good for you. Next question, when?"
"When I went to New York for that summit I was telling you about."
"So you're telling me you're almost a month pregnant?" Maimuna nodded her head enthusiastically. Kameela couldn't believe what was happening in front of her eyes.
"I don't know what to say again. What happened to that guy, the one that said he wanted to marry you?"
"Abdul, he's got engaged to a family friend of his family." Maimuna for the first time said sadly.
"My condolences but why? You're still young and very attractive. You could get a husband in a snap of a finger."
"Cause I really really wanted a baby and nobody is coming my way. And no I'm not young, I'm 32 for God's sake!"
"You know it's haram. It's equal to fornication." She got nothing from Maimuna.
"Okay see, I'm not trying to be negative or backwards but after you have the baby, how many guys do you think will want to marry you knowing you have an unknown man's child?"
"I don't care again. I've thought out everything." Kameela sighed deeply. If she had known that this was what Maimuna came to tell her, she wouldn't have opened the door for her.
"Does anyone know?"
"Me, you and then my best friend, Zakia."
"Not even your sisters?"
"Nope."
"What's your next move now?"
"That's what I came here for. I need your help to tell Mama."
"You're joking right? Your mum will kill me then kill you and that child of yours."
"Please. You know I can't approach her with anything that isn't my teaching career in the islamiyya or marriage, not even work."
"It seems like you didn't think through everything."
"Please Kameela. I'm begging you." Kameela groaned loudly. She knew she had to do it cause the baby was not disappearing.
"You owe me." Kameela said as she picked up her hijab and walked off to get her purse.
"But you're like family. Isn't that the point of family, for helping out in situations like this?"
"Shut up." Kameela told Maimuna to meet her outside while she went to inform Ismail about her intention of going out. She approached his room and knocked on the door. The last time she came do get something, she heard the most disgusting sounds that hunts her and makes her skin crawl anytime she thought of what was causing the sound.
She heard Ismail say enter, which she did with caution. She met Zara's feet on his legs as he massaged them for her.
"Sorry to intrude but I wanted to tell you that I want to go to Maimuna's house. There's a situation that I have to handle." Kameela could feel Zara rolling her eyes at her from the side of her face as she spoke.
"Okay no problem." With that, she left to Maimuna's house.
|•|
After a hectic one on one with Maimuna's mother, she left the house. The tricycle driver dropped her beside their gate. While she was bringing out the money from her purse, a car approached and honked right infront of the gate. Looking at the driver, she smiled to herself. She paid the driver and walked into the house. She met Maleek coming out of the car.
"Yar uwa da ga ina?" He asked as he pocketed his keys and started walking towards the front door.
"Dan uwa I'm just coming from a friends house." They walked into the house together and Kameela went off to call Ismail.
Maleek stopped his story telling when they heard Kameela's salaam. Ismail was wondering who is more of a gabby between Maleek and Kameela. Well the old Kameela cause nowadays, she hardly spoke to him, even when it was his week with her. She kept everything to herself, she no longer tried to argue to prove something, she would just nod and accept it. It made him feel bad, like he was the cause but anytime he asked she would negate it and say she's just not in the mood to talk.
"How is Ladidi and her mother?" She asked sounding so happy as she dropped a tray bearing juice, water, snacks and a glass cup on a stool.
"I'm begging you to stop calling her that. Haba yar uwa! Mutun da sunan shi." Maleek complained.
"But she was born on a Sunday. So Ladidi should be part of her name."
"Oh so baza ki dayna ba ko? When you give birth I'll personally go to the mosque to announce the name." Maleek said with no harm intended but immediately he finished his sentence Kameela's smile faded. Ismail felt he had to step in.
"Kameela call Zara. Tell her Maleek is here." She faintly smiled and exited the room. Maleek weng back to blabbing about what a security guard at his office did. Few minutes into the very long ongoing story, Kameela entered the room again. But without Zara behind her.
"Where is she?" Ismail enquired.
"She said her feet hurts but she said I should extend her greetings."
"Tell her I said sorry." Maleek simply said.
Meanwhile, Zara was pacing about in her room with the phone in her hand ready to start her plan. She mentally prepared herself and hoped things go accordingly.
"Gwaggo albishirin ki." Zara asked immediately Gwaggo picked up the phone.
"Goro."
"You'll soon have a great grandson."
"Haba? You're not pulling my legs?"
"Wallah Gwaggo."
"I spoke with Ismail earlier today but he didn't tell me."
"I haven't told him. At least not now."
"Why?"
"Because he's always with Kameela and if she finds out I'm pregnant I know she'll harm me or the baby or even both."
"I'm coming. How can one flimsy woman make you uncomfortable in your own husband's house?" With that Gwaggo cut the call and started preparing her trip to her grandson's house. Zara walked to her bed with a smile on her face knowing her plan had started rolling. All she had to do was sit back, relax and enjoy.
With Maleek gone and Kameela and Zara upstairs, Ismail decided to watch some TV. Shuffling between channels and still not finding anything interesting to watch, he slowly started drifting away. He didn't bother fighting the sleep cause he needed it anyways.
Finally when he was in slumber, with the TV remote still in his hand the noise of the gate being opened woke him up. But he had the habit of staying put till he was fully awake. By the time he rose up, stretched and headed to the door, the visitor had already started knocking. Opening the door, he saw the iron lady.
"Gwaggo good afternoon." Ismail said as he bent down in front of her. He looked at her luggage that was on the floor beside her and she caught him looking.
"Am I not allowed to stay here?" She asked.
"You are allowed Gwaggo. I just didn't know you were coming."
"Ai you won't know I'm coming since you're always with that wife of yours." Ismail looked at her surprised because he knew he was spending equal time with each of his wives. He just looked at her feet without saying a word.
"Stand up and carry my bags." Ismail stood to his feet and moved aside for the pompous old lady to walk inside. On carrying her luggage he unexpectedly felt more weight than he had planned on carrying.
They sat in the living room quietly as they waited for Gwaggo to come out of her room and start the meeting she called for. Yes, meeting.
On hearing her approaching footsteps, Kameela adjusted herself. Gwaggo sat on the armchair facing the couch that Zara, Ismail and Kameela were sitting on in that arrangement.
"Why are you so close to him? Or do you want to enter his body ne?" Gwaggo spoke harshly to Kameela like she was a stranger doing something unethical. Kameela moved away from Ismail even though her body wasn't touching him in her previous position.
"So I have news. One from me and one from Zara." At the mention of Zara's name Ismail looked at her and she looked back at him before dashing him a wink. A warm smile appeared on his face.
"Zara will speak first because my news compliments hers." Gwaggo gave Zara the go ahead to speak. Zara sat up and straightened her back with her eyes still on gwaggo.
"I'm pregnant." Kameela's eyes first got as wide as they could then when she processed the news her eyes returned to their small state but not the normal state cause it was glassy. She didn't want to make a scene to avoid getting a nasty comment from Gwaggo or a pitiful look from Ismail so she blinked a number of times to push the tears back in.
Ismail on the other hand was a mix of emotions. Zara's head was way into the sky. The silence was broken by Gwaggo.
"Ismail you should be ashamed of yourself! How can your wife not want to tell you she's pregnant because of that thing." Kameela couldn't get any sour than this, or so she thought. Ismail was about to interject when Gwaggo raised her hand to stop him from talking.
"So to be sure my first male great grandchild is safe and healthy, I'll be staying in this house till Zara gives birth." Zara smirked and finally turned her head to look at Kameela. Kameela definitely knew what was going to come her way with this prolonged sleepover Gwaggo was planning but she tried to look like she wasn't affected by the first or second news. Well, the thing is she's bad at acting.
That's how the meeting started and ended with only the news mentioned. No comments or questions. Gwaggo returned to what it seems to be her room for the 9 months she'll be around. Immediately he heard her door shut, Ismail turned to Zara.
"Baby why didn't you just tell me?"
"Habibi I didn't know how to tell you. I thought Gwaggo was just going to help to deliver the news not announce it." She said as she moved close to Ismail, rubbing his body with hers.
"What should we name him?" That was the last straw. Kameela stood up to leave because she had no interest in listening to them.
Kameela had everything and nothing to say. She felt like exploding from the anger she felt, the sadness she felt. She thought Ismail could stay away from Zara but who was she kidding. Zara had a wonderful body and she was his first love. She was expecting the news though but definitely later not sooner. Its just been a month since they got married. She was too busy in her thoughts she didn't know when she had entered her room.
When Kameela came to the realisation she was in her room, on her bed, she just laid down, folded herself in a fetus position and let the water works down. She cried till she couldn't anymore. The little energy she had left, she used it to pull the blanket over her head then she drifted into a deep slumber.
Kameela was woken up by the sound of a ringtone. She squinted due to the heavy nature of her eyelids and the beam of sunlight coming in from the window. She found her phone and answered it. Sadly it was her 'cooking' day even though she never did it really and now she had to clean also cause Charity was sick. All this with Gwaggo around is going to be twice as hard.
She managed to roll off the bed and head to the bathroom. After a long hot bath, she dressed up and went to Gwaggo's room to greet her. She knocked a few times but she didn't hear anything so she assumed she was still asleep. She then went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Halfway done with breakfast, the door to the kitchen opened which caught her attention. She turned to see Gwaggo. Almost immediately she squated and greeted Gwaggo.
"Gwaggo good morning."
"Is it now you want to greet me? What's even so good about the morning? You want us to beg for food ko? Or are you trying to starve us?" Kameela just blocked her out. It was too early in the morning to start all this. When she finally heard Gwaggo go quiet, she apologised for something she wasn't aware of. Gwaggo just walked out with nothing but a hiss.
After breakfast was served, she went ahead to start cleaning the house. Unluckily, Gwaggo had moved to the living room and she was watching her every move. She started mopping the floor. She was internally thanking God she was almost done and Gwaggo had said nothing throughout. She knew if she said Zara should mop upstairs and she do downstairs it'll be a quarrel that she won't win and besides, it was her week to do the 'cooking' and chores.
Kameela was mopping the floor when she heard a series of noises that ended with a scream.
Bang!
Tap tap tap
Thud!
"Gwaggo!" Zara's voice was heard. Gwaggo tried her best to walk upstairs fast with her old frail legs. At arriving at the scene, the two saw Zara literally swimming on the floor. Gwaggo slowly walked on the wet floor to help Zara up while she yelped in 'pain'.
Gwaggo started raining insults onto Kameela. Kameela didn't know what to do. She knew apologising won't do anything. So she stood there and listened to every word Gwaggo shouted at her. She knew the three of them won't last in that house together for those 9 months. At least one has to go, and she had a nasty feeling about that.
After the whole scene, she stood there for sometime to process what had just happened. From the loud bang of the door down to the insults. She just walked back downstairs to finish her chore.
Finally done with the cleaning, she started putting incense sticks around the house. Putting the last few sticks in the living room, she heard the gate being opened. Sticking her head out the window, she saw Ismail's car. She quickly put the sticks in their required places, unlocked the door and sprinted to her room.
Meeting the door unlocked, Ismail walked into the house and heads to Gwaggo's room to greet her. On entering the room, he saw her on the praying mat. He squated and greeted.
"Gwaggo sannu."
"Ai bani zakayi wa sannu ba. Matar ka zakayi wa."
"What happened?"
"Kameela wanted to kill your unborn child." Ismail threw her a confused face.
"She poured water in front of Zara's room so she would fall down."
"It was probably a mistake." Ismail tried to dismiss it.
"She was mopping pa. How can there still be a lot of water on the floor after mopping."
"Maybe it was Zara who poured the water by mistake." Ismail was too tired to start pointing fingers at who.
"Oh so I'm lying ko? Kameela is always right ko? Are you sure she didn't charm you this one you're always overseeing her wrongs?"
"No Gwaggo that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying tha..." Gwaggo cut him off quickly.
"You should send her home. Till Zara gives birth. I want to see my great grandson before I die." Ismail looked at her to see if she was joking but he didn't see any hint of that.
"Honestly Gwaggo I can't divorce her."
"I didn't say divorce her. It would've been better to do that. But I'm just saying, let her go home. So she could come to an understanding that Zara is your beloved wife that will give you children unlike her." Ismail knew she disliked Kameela but not to that extent of wanting her out of the house.
"Gwaggo I'm tired. I'll see you later." He didn't want to drag the topic so he walked out and headed to his room for a shower. After the shower he went to Kameela's room since it was her week. He laid on her bed and they talked. He brought up the accident and what Gwaggo said. Kameela said something but he wasn't sure cause she said it quietly but it went in the line of
"Maybe she's right."
Da ga ina means from where are you coming from
Mutun da sunan shi means idk lol, I really can't translate it.
Baza ki dayna ba ko means you just won't stop right?
Albishirin ki means good news, basically.
Sannu means well-done and sorry but in this term it mean well-done.
Ai bani zakayi wa sannu ba means it shouldn't be me you should say sorry to.
Matar ka zakayi wa means it's your wife you should say it to.