Episode Twenty-One
“Are you okay?” I stared
at Taofeek skeptically. I could have assumed the worst but his face flickered
with a smile.
“I’m perfect!” he
exclaimed as he pulled into the parkway.
His hands trembled as turned
off the ignition and grabbed his phone from his pocket. Staring at him, I could
tell that he was overly-excited he would be seeing his first daughter after
months of not being around her. I could tell that he wished he could get to
wherever she was in a few seconds and pull her into a tight hug.
“Who knows where she
would be now. That girl,” Taofeek smiled as he dialed her number.
Aliyah picked at the
first ring. “Aliyah, where are you?”
I watched as he pressed
the phone to his ear and listened to her. “A restaurant in the airport? Don’t
you know their food is ten times the usual price…you were hungry…okay, we’ll be
on our way.” He said and hung up the call.
“You wouldn’t believe
it. Aliyah bought food from a restaurant here. Can you imagine how much she’d
have spent? Well, I’m sure her mother had given a lot of money,” Taofeek was
saying as he pulled off his seatbelt. “Let’s get going. We need to leave here
on time so that we won’t get stuck in Ketu
traffic.” He stated as he opened the car door.
I took a deep breath
before alighting from the car. This was the moment I dreaded so much- the
moment I would get to be with Aliyah, my husband’s daughter. Honestly, I
thought getting married to a man with children out of wedlock would be
easier…but it wasn’t.
‘Taofeek
loves Aliyah as much as he loves me. If you love Taofeek, you should love
Aliyah. Aliyah is only a teenager, you can handle her.’
I muttered as Taofeek held my hand while we walked down the road.
We hadn’t arrived at
the restaurant when someone yelled ‘dad’ from afar. I could spot Aliyah, who
was dressed in a red jumpsuit and black blazer, waving at us…or Taofeek. As we
got closer, I noticed she was putting on gold heels and her veil had a row of
beads that sparkled in the afternoon sun.
“Dad!” she screamed in
frisson as she jumped on Taofeek in excitement. He pulled her into a tight
embrace that lasted for minutes.
“How
could I have missed this naughty little girl so much?” Taofeek chuckled as he
pulled away and stared at her in awe and admiration.
“Am
I not worthy to be missed…Aunty Khayrah, Asalamu ‘alaykum. How have you been?”
she smiled at me, stretching her hand.
I
shook her hand and smiled in return. “AlhamduliLlaah. Never been better. How
was your journey? I hope it wasn’t too stressful.”
“Oh,
no. it wasn’t. I decided to pull a surprise for my dad and it turned out
perfect. I never knew he had missed me this much. And oh…you guys are the power
couple oo. Imagine the way people
were staring at you while you held hands,” Aliyah grinned.
Taofeek
had shown me a picture of Jasmine. Just once. He never did so after that
because of the way I had reacted upon seeing her picture. Believe me, I was
jealous of my husband’s ex who was already married with kids. Jasmine had the
super-model figure and looks. When Taofeek showed me a picture of her, I saw a
tall and fair-complexioned pretty lady with the whitest set of teeth.
“One
of her parents has Irish blood.” Taofeek had said when I asked how a Nigerian
could look that way.
And
Aliyah was her mother’s carbon copy. Only younger and prettier.
“Can
we be on our way? We need to beat the traffic.” Taofeek said as he placed his
hands around her neck.
While
we were walking to where the car was parked, I placed a hand over my forehead to
prevent the rays of the sun from entering my eyes and pretended to be busy on
my phone.
“How
are Hassan and Hassanah? Eyin father
of three.”
“Ah,
they are fine. I would be expecting another one soon,” Taofeek said with a
proud one.
I
whipped my head up to see Aliyah gasping in surprise. “SubhanaLlaah. So, you’ll
become a father of four. I can’t wait to have one more sibling.” Aliyah was
saying when her phone started to ring.
We
walked quietly till I arrived at where the car was parked. When Taofeek had
stared at me with a look of concern and asked if everything was fine, I smiled
and replied in affirmative.
***
“Check
out this one. I took this with mom in my room. Yes, I have a room there.” I
could hear Aliyah from the living room, talking and laughing in excitement as
she showed Taofeek photos she had taken back in Canada.
I
muttered in between breaths as I sieved the spaghetti and took bulbs of onion
from the tray. On a normal night like this, Taofeek and I would be in the
kitchen, talking about a random thing as we make dinner. But tonight, he sat
with Aliyah in the living room while I made dinner for them.
“…no.
Mom’s hair is longer than mine. Very long, black and silky. Gosh, my mother
should have contested for Miss Universe.” I heard Aliyah say from the living
room.
I
winced in anger as I imagined Taofeek thinking of the woman he had once
professed love to. Feelings do not easily fade away. How could I be certain
that he doesn’t wish he were in her husband’s shoes?
Water
spilled from my eyes as I sliced the onion. I fumed as I watched tears drool
down my face. It wasn’t because of Jasmine and Aliyah. It was the onion. But I
wasn’t 100% certain!
I
tried to drift my thoughts to something else- beans and plantain tomorrow
morning. Trying out the red gown to Quwam, my cousin’s wedding. Calling Janet
and maybe… visiting her on Sunday. There were so many things to do…better
things other than getting jealous of my husband’s ex or disliking her daughter.
I
spent about seven minutes to make the fish sauce. I served the food into the
three plates and called out from the kitchen. “Food is ready!”
There
was no response from any of them. I placed the plates in a tray and headed for
the living room. I froze in shock as I spotted Taofeek on a call, grinning
sheepishly and speaking in a vibrant tone. Clearing my throat and trying to
maintain my composure, I strode over to where they were sitting and placed the
tray on the table.
“…how
is that my fault? It felt like you had stolen my daughter away from me.”
Taofeek snickered as he listened to the caller on the other end.
“Thanks
for the meal, Aunty Khayrah,” Aliyah said as she took a fork and started to
eat.
I
took a plate and turned towards her. “Who’s he talking to?”
“My
mother.”
“Okay,”
I swallowed hard as I turned on the TV and pretended to watch The Johnsons.
Taofeek
ended the call about twenty minutes later with the excuse of having to pray at
the mosque.
“We
need to pray Ishai’ at the mosque. I
guess I’ll eat when we return,” Taofeek said as he took his plate of cold
spaghetti and headed towards the kitchen.
“You
both go to the mosque to pray ishai’?” Aliyah asked.
“Yes,”
I replied as I wore my hijab.
Taofeek
hurried out of the kitchen and headed towards the room. “Please, give me five
minutes my love. I need to ease myself.”
***
The
sonorous voice of the unknown Qur’an reciter filled my ears and made my eyes
misty. One of the reasons I loved to accompany Taofeek to the mosque was
because of the calm atmosphere the night exudes. And sitting in the mosque
would be the best feeling of the day. Most times, I would wish that I remain
there till daybreak.
As
I supplicated and glanced at women that walked in and out of the mosque, I reflected
on the past few years and the blessing ALlaah had bestowed upon me. I never
believed that I would live for more years. I had lost hope that I would find
love and even carry my unborn child. Sometimes, I forget that I have a terminal
illness. I would read stories of people with a similar condition and thank
ALlaah over and over again.
‘Which then of the bounties of your
Lord will you deny?’ The reciter read a verse from Suratul
Rahman and I couldn’t help the tears that filled my face.
My
phone started to vibrate and I knew that it was Taofeek notifying me to leave
the mosque. I was about to leave the mosque when someone called my name. It was
Mama Kawthar, one of the estate women.
I
winced as I turned slowly towards her and gave a pretentious smile. “Asalamu
‘alaykum, Mama Kawthar. How have you been?”
“Wa’alaykumu
salam warahmatuLlaahi wabarakahtuhu. AlhamduliLlaah. You haven’t been attending
our meetings.” She scanned my face closely, expecting an explanation.
“I’ve
been busy. You know this is my first pregnancy experience. It hasn’t been easy.
And…”
“Your
husband doesn’t approve of you attending the meetings again, abi?”
“Well,
yes.”
Mama
Kawthar smiled. “But you’re not restricted from paying me a visit?”
“Ah,
no. You’re my Muslim sister.”
“Okay.
I’ll be expecting you tomorrow oo.
I’ll prepare a special delicacy for you. If you like yourself, don’t come,” she
laughed and I joined.
“Thank
you, Mama Kawthar. I have to be on my way. My husband is waiting for me.” I
smiled at her as I walked out of the mosque.
“What
took you so long?” Taofeek asked with a frown as I joined him on the dark path.
“I
was discussing with Mama Kawthar.”
“One
of the women that attend those ridiculous meetings?”
“Not tonight, Taofeek. Not tonight.” I said in between breaths as I started to walk away.
Taofeek
hurried to meet up with me. “What is wrong with you? You’ve been acting weird
since this afternoon. You even called me by my name. Taofeek. Tell me if I did or said something that got
you offended.”
“What
happens to the phrase, ‘leave me alone’?”
“I
get it. Pregnant women act moody sometimes.”
“What
did you just say? So, you’re implying that I’m acting crazy? If the other women
you impregnated acted moody, that doesn’t mean that I would do so!” I yelled at
him.
It
was pitch black but I could register the shock that engulfed his face. “What
has gotten over you? Don’t you know that we’re outside? What is it, Khayrah?
I’m trying to find out what is making you upset and you’re making it all worse.
You know what? I’m leaving.” Taofeek said as he started to walk down the path.
I cleaned my eyes and walked slowly towards
the house, wishing no one would be present. Not Taofeek or his daughter.
Episode Twenty-two
I woke up with a
throbbing in my head. Not just because Tijani had appeared again in my dream.
But because I had spent a major part of the night tossing, holding my stomach
in pain and sweating profusely. It had been long I felt that sick.
When I woke up the next
morning, it felt like I had spent the night carrying heavy metal objects. My bones hurt and I struggled to take steps
towards the bathroom.
Taofeek noticed that I
wasn’t feeling okay, but he was too angry to ask. I could see his mouth
quivering as if to mention a statement, then he would fix his eyes on the
Qur’an and continue reciting.
I was a step away from
the bathroom door when I felt a strong urge to puke. I opened the door with a
loud thud and poured the slimy liquids from my mouth in the water closet. A
gurgling sound came out of my throat as I bent and continued to puke.
“Are you okay?”
Taofeek’s voice came as he poured water on my head.
“I feel sick…” I
muttered as I rested on my head on the wall, feeling almost unconscious.
Taofeek flushed and
carried me out of the bathroom. He placed me on the bed and covered my wobbly
body with a blanket. “You don’t look so fine. When did this start?”
“Last night.”
“Last night and you’re
just informing me?” he gave me an incredulous look. “So, if you haven’t puked,
I could have just remained here, wondering if you’re sick or not.”
“I’m sorry,” I
whispered.
“Look, I’m sorry about
yesterday but you know you’re the one at fault. You wouldn’t even tell me what
I did wrong.”
“I’m not the one
talking to my ex like I’m still in love with him,” I said in an angry tone.
Taofeek jaw dropped.
“You think I still like Jasmine?”
“Yes. She is beautiful and
all that…but didn’t you even remember that your wife was seated in the same
room while you spoke to her for a long time?”
“She is the mother of
my child!”
“I didn’t ask you to impregnate
her.”
“But I hadn’t even met
you, Khayrah, and I was ignorant. You know I’m a changed man.”
“And I don’t want
everything to change because your daughter is back. This is hard for me, okay?
I haven’t said this before but I’m doing so now. It’s really hard. I’m just
trying to get used to all of this. Jasmine and Aliyah…and Funmilayo and Hassan
and Hassanah.”
“Sometimes, the past does
not leave without imprinting a scar that can never fade away. If I could turn
back the hands of time, I wouldn’t have indulged in fornication. But I thank
ALlaah for guiding me to the right path and I pray it remains this way until I
take my last breath.”
“Aameen,” I smiled at
him. “I guess I overreacted. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, yes you did. But
believe me, Aliyah has a good heart. You’ll get to love her more than you can
ever imagine. She is a lovely girl.”
“You love her so much,
don’t you?”
“I love her so much.
I’d nurtured her since she was a baby. She has nothing against you. She likes
you a lot. At first, she was scared things wouldn’t remain the same between me
and her when we get married but she has come to terms with the fact that I
still love her as much as I do.”
“I love you, Taofeek.”
“Same here, Khayrah.
And I’m bothered about your health. Shouldn’t we visit the hospital?”
“You have to go to
work. Let’s watch my condition till the end of today. If I don’t get better,
then we can know the next step to take.”
“Okay, love. Let me
take my bath and prepare for work.” He kissed my forehead before grabbing his
towel and heading towards the bathroom.
***
Aliyah grinned
excitedly as she watched me put a spoon of rice into my mouth. I chewed slowly
as if I was scared it would taste bad, but it turned out I was wrong. The meal
was very delicious.
“You love it?” Aliyah
chuckled.
“I do!” I laughed as I
took more spoons.
It was over four hours
since Taofeek left for work and Aliyah had promised to make breakfast- a
delicious Italian dish she had learnt from her mother. She called it Paella.
“I’m a good cook. My
dad taught me how to cook when I was seven.”
“Nice,” I smiled at her
as I continued to devour the delicious meal that had a unique taste, different
from the regular fried and jollof rice that I ate at least thrice a week.
“Aunty Khayrah,” Aliyah
started, clearing her throat. “I didn’t really mean to get my dad upset by not
returning to Nigeria early. I guess I just needed to change the environment. I
forgave my mother for leaving me when she narrated all that happened.”
“What happened?”
“My mother was the
pretty innocent only daughter of a wealthy father. She had only her father who
was overly-protective of his only child. So, when she started studying in the
university and she met my dad, she didn’t know what love entails,” Aliyah
chuckled and then continued. “She called him a playboy. He didn’t love her but
she was madly in love with him. Well, she thought he loved her until he broke
up with her barely a month after they met. The painful part was that he started
a new relationship with another lady from the same department. She was
devastated and she felt her world was over. She didn’t know the worst was to
come. She got pregnant and her father couldn’t take it. He withdrew her from
the school and waited for her to deliver the child. Thereafter, he commanded
that she take the baby to the father and flew her to Canada immediately. My
mother spent those years thinking about me and praying for my welfare. Years
after, she found love and got married. Then, she was too ashamed to come back
for me. Her husband urged her to return to Nigeria and look for me, which she
did.”
“I’m so sorry about
that. Well, your dad is a changed man. I’m sure he regretted all he did and
have learnt his lessons the hard way.” I laughed as I glanced at Aliyah and
noticed that her eyes were moist.
“You’re lucky. I mean
you have a loving sister who is like your best friend. Spending these few
minutes with my siblings in Canada is a whole new experience and I enjoyed
every moment. I grew up in dad’s family house and….my grandfather wasn’t really
nice to me at first. People weren’t nice to me. They saw me as a taboo,” she
smiled ruefully.”
“We should thank ALlaah
for being a merciful God who forgives us of our sins and guide us right.”
“Yes. AlhamduliLlaah.”
Aliyah remarked as she sipped from her cup of water.
I stared at her and
cleared my throat, willing the words to come out. “Growing up was fun…but it
all ceased in my third year in the university…when I was diagnosed with
cancer.”
Aliyah watched me with
sympathetic eyes. “How did it all start?”
“I felt sick most of
the time but it wasn’t a big deal to any of us because I’d never been a very
healthy child. I usually parade the hospital for one treatment or the other
since I was little. But it became worse and my parents knew that we had to
consult a doctor. It was then that the doctor broke the dreadful news. But he
gave us hope because the cancer was in its early stages. He made us hopeful
that I could live longer than I would ever imagine.”
“How did you take the
news?”
“Or how did people take
the news? They started to stare at me on campus like I was a dead person
walking in the land of the living. I would be walking to the lecture hall and
overhear people whispering, ‘Chai. This young lady has cancer. I pity her oo. Imagine counting your last days.’
That would break me and I would sometimes spend the rest of the day in the
toilet, shedding tears. I couldn’t cope with studies. I failed most of the
courses. I had to withdraw from the university. I secured an admission to
further my studies at the University of Nottingham. A week before I travelled
out of Nigeria, my mother convinced my father that I remain in Nigeria because
she couldn’t bear to see me stay far away without knowing how I would fare. So I
remained at home and enrolled in an online bachelors programme.”
“I’m sorry, Aunty Khayrah.
I didn’t know you went through all that.”
“That’s not all. Before
all this, I was in love with my neighbor. His name is Abdul Lateef. You know
these love stories you would see in movies where a man would wash his car
downstairs and his lover would stare at him from afar, watching his abs and
smiling seductively at him? That was our love story. We were madly in love… I
mean, I was madly in love because when I reflect on the past, I wonder if he
truly loved me. Abdul Lateef deserted me when he discovered I was terminally
ill. So, I was all alone with my family members, until I met Taofeek, your
father.
“We met on Facebook. He
sent a message…and messages sprouted out of that single message and before you
know it, we were head over heels with each other. We met and got married. The
same Khayrah people had imagine would never get married, tied the knots with
the best husband in the world. Aliyah, your father is a blessing from ALlaah. I
met him when I’d lost hope in life. He proposed to me when I counting my last
breath and just waiting for death to arrive. Your father have given me reasons
to live, love and be happy.
“You see, cancer has
taught me a lot. To appreciate life and remember that our stay on earth is limited.
When I received the news, I became more conscious of ALlaah. I started to use the
hijab and study more about the deen. I also realised that being terminally ill
is a way of being conscious of life that could end any second. One of my
colleagues in school, who had consoled and wished me well, died just a week
afterwards. She had no terminal illness and no flick of an idea that she was
just counting her last breath.”
“Aunty Khayrah, you
should write a book to tell the world about your story.”
I laughed loudly as a
smile passed across my face. Taofeek was right. Aliyah was a sweet child with a
pure heart.” That’s just a cliché. I do not even own a diary. Really I don’t
have…” I was saying when my phone beeped.
I picked it up from the
table and realised that I had a new message.
Don’t
forget your promise oo!
-
Mama Kawthar.
I jumped up and packed
the plates into a tray. “Aliyah, would you like to accompany me to a friend’s
house. She stays in the estate.”
Aliyah shrugged. “Okay.
I’ll just go to my room and change my clothes.”
“Okay,” I replied as I
strode towards the kitchen.
Suddenly, everywhere
appeared dizzy and I struggled to maintain composure. At that very minute, the
contents I was holding fell on the ground. I could hear the cracking of the
ceramic plate as I slumped and became unconscious.
Don't miss out on the previous episodes:
Episode Twenty
Don't miss out on the previous episodes:
Episode Twenty
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