Conflate

Chapter 32

                            (Unedited)

Abdullah watched as Aret threw up her graduation cap. He smiled and moved forward, stretching out his hand, he said; "Congratulations baby girl."

She shook his hand, "thank you, Savior."

   "I was expecting you to collect a prize but you didn't." He said teasingly. "But thanks for this." He raised the early bird award and the most neatest student award. "I'm proud of you."

She smiled and Ummi gestured for them to come so that they could snap pictures. They snapped a lot of pictures and walked back home.

"Ummi you're back already." Sadiya said as she came out from the bathroom in her aqua green towel.

Ummi stared at her. "Ya Allah! Sadiya are you pregnant?" Swiftly, Ummi was already in front of her. "Sadiya i asked you a question, answer." Ummi held her hands.

"I can't be pregnant, it happened only once." And when she realized what she uttered, she mentally smacked herself.

Ummi pointed out to her small baby bump and pretended not to hear her, she ordered her to get ready and within few minutes she was done.

Thirty minutes later, Ummi and Sadiya anxiously waited for the result and when it turned out to be positive, they both cried.

She was three months pregnant and her coconut brain didn't registered to her that she's pregnant till when Ummi insisted on a test.

Without thinking twice, she fished out her phone from her handbag and dialed his number, when it didn't go through that's when it dawned on her that she hasn't seen or talk to him for good six weeks.

"I knew it! I knew you were pregnant but denied it. Well, congratulations." Abdullah said as he lowered the volume coming from the TV.

She looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, Abdullah."

"So i was thinking of traveling."

She sipped her tea. "To?"

"Calabar, we need to know whether he is okay." And she nodded approvingly.

Two days later, Baba and Abdullah set out to calabar. A week later when they couldn't get any detail of his whereabouts, they headed back home.

Ummi sat with Sadiya beside her. Her head placed on Ummi's shoulder whilst Abdullah sat on the sofa opposite them as Baba paced to and fro in the parlour.

"Where could he be?" Baba asked no one in particular. "He is not the type with friends."

"How about we check the headquarters." Ummi suggested and they all nodded.

She walked slowly into Baba's parlour. "Good afternoon Baba, you called me."

"Afternoon Sadiya, Just wanted to let you know that he is safe. So please no more crying. Stay safe with our little love." He said with a glint of happiness in his eyes.

She smiled and thanked him before moving out to Ummi's room. At least, she could sleep peacefully today. Her baby would also know that his/her Dad is safe.

Ya Allah! Her baby! Their baby! She just couldn't wait for him to get back so she could tell him. How will he feel? She wondered as she stripped out of her gown to take a shower.

"We should check the gender, what do you think?" Ummi had asked a month later while they were about to sleep.

"Yes Ummi, Tomorrow in shaa Allah."