OCEAN EYES

TWENTY NINE

Salma was last so she entered inside the last car. Umma came out with her long hijab and went to enter the car.

"Aisha what is happening here I am confused" Abba said to her.

She smiled and said "you can ask your brother when he returns"

She entered inside the car and Bilal closed the car and they drove off. They were dropped off at the airport where they met Naseem who was as quite as a dead man.

Umma walked to him and held his hand "babana(my dad! Somewhat a nickname that mothers give to their sons when they don't want to call their name."

He looked at her and said "let's get going umma"

The nineteen family members split and two maids they brought split into two and entered inside the two private jets waiting.

Aseem looked at Naseem who was quite the entire time and said "don't hold in your anger Naseem"

Umma looked at him and said "it is alright to be angry at your father Naseem."

He just closed his eyes and stayed that way until they landed in Lagos. They met with one of his airport contacts.

He gave him three large envelopes and said everything has been processed. Naseem in return gave the envelopes to the closest person to him at that time which was saliha.

They shared it amongst themselves and in two minutes everyone got their passports. "The jets leave in two hours time. Get or buy whatever you'll need"

Salma sat there with him "do you need a friend?"

He looked at her and the tight expression he had earlier was gone "why not?"

"You can be angry because you are human too"

He held her hand and sighed "I am more disappointed than angry salma."

"Why?"

He looked deeply into her eyes and said "To be honest I knew about his secret family for almost three years now.

I wanted to tell umma about it but seeing her high blood pressure rise because she didn't know where he was made my blood boil and made me pity her.

I believed she should hear it from him so I told him to come clean to her. I thought of how hurt would she be when she learns the man she had been married to for forty two years stabbed her in the back.

I feared loosing her so I didn't tell her and I secretly believed or hoped that he wouldn't tell her either if it meant not loosing her."

He looked up for a while before saying "I knew he had a soft spot for those kids but I never once thought he would slap me because of his son."

She held his hand tightly and said "I am sure it was just a moment of weakness. He was in the heat of the moment. Baba didn't slap you because he hates you or anything."

He shook his head "we can try to run away from the truth salma but the truth is always the same.

It is what we never expect. I just want to leave this country maybe when I breath different air from them maybe I'll be calm."

"Okay but you should talk to umma. She is worried about you."

"I know"

"Let me go get something's for us. I saw lots of boutiques around here"

He took out his wallet and gave her his Zenith bank card "use this"

"It's fine I have mine with me"

"Did you forget you're my wife?"

"I won't spend a lot"

He eyed her "spend as much as you can this guy here has lots of bank notes"

Salma laughed heartily and left the private room. Unknown to both salma and Naseem umma was in the small prayer room behind the sofa they were seating on.

Umma who was already crying silently cried harder upon hearing their conversation. She rose her hands up to the sky.

"Ya Allah you are seeing this injustice. Ya Allah bless my children and keep them united and ever loving to each other. Anyone with bad intentions towards me and and my children ya Allah return their bad intentions to them.

Ya Allah ease the pain and confusion Naseem is going through right now. You know the heart of your servant ya Allah stop him from hating his father. Ya Allah give him peace.

The way this child obeys me, loves me, cares for me, pities me and cherishes me Ya Allah I pray that you give him children who treats him just like he treats me if not more.

My merciful Lord please make all my children happy and successful in this duniya and hereafter. Keep them united and keep them close to you and guide them on the righteous path."

She wiped her tears and closed her eyes. In no time she went to sleep.

Salma shopped in a boutique and decided to get something cold for herself. She opened the fridge in a shop and went to grab the hollandia milk when another hand adorned in henna grabbed it.

She looked at the owner of the hand and said Jiddah?

"Wow salma"

She grabbed another one and closed the fridge before saying "longest time"

Jidda smiled showcasing her dimples "it's you I'll say long time to because you left even before our graduation"

Salma smiled and paid with cash before heading out with Jidda. "I heard you got married?"

"Yes it's been a while now a few months"

"I got married this week"

Salmas eyes went wide "you can't be serious"

Jidda blushed "I am serious"

"Wow and I didn't even hear anything"

"It wasn't as popular as your wedding"

Salma chuckled "my wedding wasn't that popular"

A foreign voice interrupted the conversation "Jiddah are you done?"

She turned around "babe am sorry I kept you waiting I met my friend and we were catching up on life"

She introduced him to salma and they greeted each other. They stayed there talking for a while.

"So you're here?"

She turned around and found those mysterious eyes looking at her.

"Am I late? Sorry I met a friend we were catching up and I lost track of time"

He looked at the man as if he knew him. Jibril (Jidda's husband) and Naseem shook hands and exchanged Salam.

"It is me the manager of sales department at vintage petroleum Lagos branch"

Naseem nodded "I was wondering were I saw the face."

Salma pointed to Jidda and said "my friend since junior secondary school Jiddah. Jiddah this is my husband Naseem"