Pains...
Fears...
Deserted...
Were what Zubaida is feeling, every joints of her body pains her. But none feels more pained than her heart. She fears the wrath of her father more than any other thing at the moment, if there's any for her to rewind time; none of these would have happened.
Its too late...
She felt deserted by her mother and her best friend. No, Mariya hasn't deserted her she thought.
Without thinking twice, she stood up and put on her hijaab and quickly left the house. She needs a fresh air, a listening ears, a person that will assure her all is well, a heart she can hope to love her, and a trustee she can tell her screwed situation.
She walked as fast as she could to Mariya's place hoping she is around and less busy so she could listen to her. What will I even tell her? She wondered. Will she still accept me as her friend? Was another thought she had been battling with. If only she had remained home that night.
"Salamu Alaikum." She chanted when she stepped her feet in the premises of the house.
"Wa'alaikumus Salam" Inna Hanne replied. "Zubaida, yau kece a gidan namu?" She added as she spread a mat for her to sit.
"What a pleasant surprise, when last did you visit. Gashi kawar taki yanzunan ta fita."
Zubaida smiled sheepishly and greeted her "Good afternoon inna."
"How are you and everyone?" Inna Hanne queried.
"We are fine, thank you."
Inna Hanne got some water and sesame snacks for Zubaida.
"Inna you shouldn't have bothered, this is also like a home to me, I can get the water myself." Zubaida politely spoke.
"Ba komai, just have it. She won't take any long, she will soon come in, I sent her on an errand."
Aleeyu was seated in the living room with Yahya telling him of his school when Baraka walked to the room.
"Good afternoon." He greeted.
"How are you Aleeyu?" Baraka replied.
"I'm fine, alhamdulillah."
Baraka stood sent Yahya to tell Ruqayyah to get some refreshes for Aleeyu to which he left.
Ruqayyah walked into the living room with a tray containing a plate of jollof rice and fish with coleslaw and a pitcher of orange juice and placed it the centre table at his reach.
Baraka's phone ringed and she went to the room to get the call, Ruqayyah was about to also leave the living room when Aleeyu called her attention.
"Please stay, I want to talk to you."
Ruqayyah closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breathe before she settled on one of the sofas of the room.
"You don't have all day, so be quick." She fused.
"Ruqayyah..."
He trailed off, Ruqayyah scrunched her face in annoyance of how he had pronounced her name. She doesn't know why but she just dislikes the guy ever since he stopped her by the roadside and was asking why she's wearing a school uniform.
"I'm sorry on behalf of my sister Khadijah, I know what she did was totally uncalled for but..."
"Save it Mister..." She halted him with her palms. "I need none of your apologise." She finalised and left to her room.
"What did you do to my aunty?" Yahya pouted.
"Nothing, she's just having a mood swing. Here take it to her..." Aleeyu passed a brown envelope to Yahya. "And this is for you." He passed a new five hundred naira note to him.
"No, my mommy will beat me if I collect money from strangers." Yahya defended.
"Don't worry, she won't beat and by the way, who said I'm a stranger? Have you forgotten I told you to call me Alee." Aleeyu smiled at the child innocence.
Baraka walked back to the living room and Aleeyu bid her bye.
"You didn't touch the food."
"I'm in a haste, maybe some other time if I come." He politely decline and left.
"What are you saying Zubaida? Are you out of your mind?" Mariya snapped angrily.
She knew Zubaida getting pregnant was a fate that was meant to happen but what Zubaida is saying now is just never ever going to happen, not with her concern.
"Mariya, you're my only hope, I don't want baba to know of this, please." Zubaida pouted.
"No! Zubaida No! You won't be judged for what happened to you, but you will be judged for what you're thinking of doing. What will you tell your creator on the hereafter?"
"Mariya, I can't live with this..." She pointed at her stomach which will gradually begin to swell as the zygote starts growing.
"I need to remove it out of me, please reason with me, if you were in my condition what will you do?" Zubaida had begk qdin to sob as she looked at Mariya pleadingly.
"I will never support this decision of yours, its better your father knows than for you to try anything near abortion."
"You were my only hope, yet you turned me down. I would be ungrateful if I say I didn't appreciate the listening ears you gave me. Thank you very much." Zubaida stood to leave.
"Zubaida, I'm ready to stand by you and support you if I can, but abortion is a no! And even if you abort this pregnancy, it won't bring back what you've lost. You're in trauma, calm down and reason again.
It was already Maghreb when she reached home and her father is back from his shop and is getting ready to go to the mosque. She his behind the mango tree and watched till he had left before she entered home.
"Daga ina kike?" Zainaba asked the moment Zubaida entered the house.
"I went to Mariya's place."
"Zubaida..."
Zubaida had never heard her mother called her by her real name, but today she did. By the looks of things, she had indeed pushed her to the wall.
"You know the main reason behind your present condition was you sneaked out of the house without the knowledge of me or your father, and I had to cover up for you because of the condition Sule brought you back to this house."
"What!" She exclaimed.
"And now, you still don't want to change the habit of yours right?"
"How did Sule brought me back home?" She asked.
"You were..."
"Sule is indeed a traitor, he's the reason for my condition and still has the zeal to bring me back to my father's house after what he did..."
"What did Sule did?" Malam Musa asked as he walked into the house.
Its now or never Zainaba thought.
"Malam, Zubaida na dauke da juna biyu!"
Glossary.
Inna Hanne ... Mother Hanne. Hanne is the shirt form for the name Hannatu.
Zubaida, yau kece a gidan namu? ... Zubaida is it you in our house today?
Gashi kawar taki yanzunan ta fita ... And your friend just left now.
Inna ... Mother
Ba komai ... There's nothing/its nothing.
Alhamdulillah ... All thanks be to Allah.
Baba ... Father
Daga ina kike? ... From where are you?
Malam, Zubaida na dauke da juna biyu ... Malam, Zubaida is pregnant.
2⃣9⃣/1⃣1⃣/2⃣0⃣1⃣9⃣
Thank you🙏.