Za'afar

ii

Eleven years later

Maryam's POV

Depressed!

That's exactly how am feeling right now.

Lying down on the thin mattress with my legs on the wall and my upper body on it, I can't help but count the ceilings, which i have done more than a thousand times, but that's boredom for me, driving me to the edge of insanity.

The door clicked open and in came Rahama with a sour expression.

"Har ya tafi?" I asked her sitting up glad for a distraction.

"Yeah" she replied playing with her fingers.

"So.....how did it go" I asked again.

"It went well" she shrugged and turn to the other side, lying on her side of the bed.

"Oh....OK" I sigh

Looks like she's not up for a conversation.

After some minutes, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in"

Khadija peeked her head inside

"Mama is calling you" she said.

"OK am coming" I replied getting up to go for the call.

I went out and found mama in the kitchen doing the dishes.

"Mama!" I whined "you could've told me to do it" I went to her trying to take over.

"No, just leave it, am yet to finish" she replied smiling.

I insist for a while before she glared at me making me shut up with a sheepish smile.

"I called you for a different work" she replied drying the plates.

"You know on Thursday which is in two days, is the kamu for aunty jamila's house and she needs more helping hands, thus the need for you to go and help"

"OK, ni da wa?" I asked.

"Ke da khadija mana obviously, but ask Rahama if she can join you, maybe it will get her mind off, she's been troubled this days" mama replied with a sigh.

"Yeah I will try, she's shutting everyone out"

"Just try, OK"

"OK"

Khadija came in shortly with an envelope.

Mama gave her a curious look as she gave it to her.

"Baba said you should keep it for him" she told her.

Mama examined the envelope before taking it.

"What's it for?" She asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like money, maybe from Alhaji sufyan" khadija shrugged taking a sit on the kitchen stool.

Mama's shoulder slacked a bit and she let out an exhausted sigh.

"So he's really giving her away" she mumbled to herself "she hasn't even recovered from the recent one yet, but he's doing it all over again......why is he like this, why?" She faced me with glistened eyes.

I felt myself tearing up as well because that's the question I have been asking myself for ages, why is baba like this, I wrap her in a hug, as my sister joins too.

We parted a while later and mama proceed to her room to keep the envelope and also retired for the night.

"No wonder she refuse to talk to me" I mumbled after a while referring to yaya Rahama

Khadija doesn't say anything and I raise my eyes to look at her only to see her thinking with a faraway look.

"What is it khadija" I asked.

"Khadija!!"

Startled, she comes out of whatever gaze she is in and look at me.

"Khadija Mene ne?" I asked going closer to her as I take my sit on the mortar close to her.

"It's nothing" she replied playing with her fingers.

"It doesn't look like it" I took her hands in mine.

"Really, am fine" she try to smile which came out as a grimace.

"Khadija please what is it" I pressed again.

She look down at our entwined hands and shrug mine off.

"Khadija idan baki gaya min ba, who will you talk to then?".

I hate seeing her like this, in fact all my sisters and my mom, because we've only got each other no one else.

And khadija is the most secretive, tana da zurfin ciki, always putting on a smile admits her problems because as she said, she don't want to bother us as everyone is dealing with his own problem.

My thoughts were broken as I felt a single drop on my hand, and then drops, drops of tears, khadija's tears.

I pulled her in for a hug and she broke down into hysterics crying on my shoulder.

After minutes of calming her we sat in silence for a while before she spoke.

"He's marrying me off too" she mumbled so low, but I heard.

I waited patiently for her to continue.

"Maybe together with yaya Rahama's"

I squeezed her hand as a sign of reassurance.

"Maryam a politician with two wives , and he's almost fifty maryam , an....and he's not even in kano......maryam he's from zamfara" she replied through hiccups.

I feel helpless, because I don't know what to do in situations like this.

"Khadija......I.....

I couldn't fathom any sentence and I feel so bad for not saying anything, I could only hug her more as she continue to cry.

"insha Allah all will be fine , its just a matter of time , have faith in him and you shall see" that's what I told her.

"Have you told mama" I asked.

"No" she croaked.

"I don't want to worry her the more" she spoke.

"But she will eventually find out" I try to reason with her.

"She should deal with yaya Rahama's case first, telling her all at the same time won't be good" she mumbled.

"Yeah you're right" I sigh

Khadija is just too caring, this cruel world isn't meant for the likes of her.

She stood up and I follow suite as we walk to our rooms.

The three of us use the same mattress for at leat seven years, it has already loose it's cover and the foam is beginning to shred into bits, maybe it's even expired, who knows.

We lie down and said our goodnight, but for hours non of us could sleep.

We dread the coming of tomorrow, for we all know what's waiting for us, more Like what's waiting for me, they have all gotten their own suitors but not me.

As the realisation sink in, I gulped and my stomach churn uncomfortably.

I just hope tomorrow brings goodness, but we all know it's just a wishful thinking.

Yayyyyyy!!!! Alhamdulillah, here is chapter 2 on our new book.

Hope you like it.

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💋💋💞💞 see you in the next insha Allah.