OCEAN EYES

NINETEEN

He looked at Sahla and Aseem who walked in and returned his eyes to Sumayya who was seating on the chair by his bed.

The minute Sahla placed her eyes on Qasim and the girls her heart skipped a beat. She could see the resemblance.

Aseem who was in his uniform placed his hand on his hostler and said to baba. "It seems you are getting better quickly baba."

Sahla looked at him and said "baba ya jiki?" He smiled lightly and said "Alhamdulillah ta farin. Sahla gave him an uneasy smile in return."

"Okay something is definitely wrong baba only calls me that nickname when he is nervous and is trying to get me to behave"

"Baba who are your guests? I hope one of our uncles did not have a secret family without the families knowledge" Aseem said after glancing at the kids.

"Why did you say that Aseem?" Sahla asked as she sat on baba's bed and opened her handbag. "Look at the children.

They look so much like uncle Musa and the boy looks a bit like Dawood won't you say? Ya Sahla?"

She looked at him and said "maybe they are uncle Musa's children."

"Ta farin you didn't greet her same with you Aseem."

Sahla looked at him and said "baba you didn't introduce us to her so I don't know how to address her."

"Meet Sumayya your step mother and my second wife" baba said as he pointed at Sumayya who looked at them.

Sahla and Aseem looked at each other before Aseem looked at him and said "baba it's your heart that had a problem not your head.

I thought the one who is at the house is your second wife. When did this one become your second wife unless you married both at the same time or you married her before the other one."

"Now is not the time to go into details I will call for a family meeting as soon as I am discharged from the hospital."

Sahla looked at the kids and said "are they yours? Yes these are your younger siblings Qasim, Arfat and Zaynab."

Sahla took out her phone and dialed a number which supposedly belongs to umma's driver. "Hello baba Sani!"

"Alhamdulillah baba did you pick umma from home?" He answered with a yes and Sahla said "go home take her back home.

If she asks you just tell her I told you to return home. Same for the kids at home tell all the drivers not to bring them to the hospital."

She stepped down from the bed and said "baba am leaving ba I have a staff meeting at one of my stores."

"Sahla what is the meaning of what you did?"She motioned towards his wife and said "am sure Sumayya and Hafsat can take care of you.

Baba Allah ya kara lafiya" Sahla said made her way to the door. The kids and Sumayya who quietly watched the drama unfold sighed as Aseem followed Sahla out the door.

Baba grabbed the blue bag Sahla left on his bed and took out a bundle of two hundred naira and gave it to Qasim.

"Take this and get yourself and your sisters something outside." After the children left Sumayya looked at him wow.

"I had know idea your kids would be this disrespectful." "Don't call my children disrespectful" baba said in a firm tone.

"What should I call them then? Your daughter looked me in the eyes and called me by my name.

Not even her the one that left before them had no idea what respect is. He acted as if I was invincible.

In front of you his father he had the guts to say that he has only...how many brothers and sister did he even say?