Chapter 26

She stared at him longer than she had intended to, with her mouth slightly ajar as her heart rustled with emotions she didn't know how to tame. What was that she just heard? She was his wife, I mean, how did it happen? She began to shake her head so she could be able to comprehend what was going on, and no matter how she wanted to have this conversation as a matured adult, her tears gave way to her fragile heart.
"You can't be serious!" She exclaimed, immediately standing up as she tried to figure out what she had to do now. Why would they get her married without her knowledge? Because without doubt, Nadia knew Mama was in this. She didn't know who amongst the mothers suggested it first, but she knew her mother was in this. That explained why she hadn't spoken to her about going back home since she gave birth, when before she did, that was mostly what they spoke about everyday.
He slowly stood to his feet, his heart thumping because he knew, Nadia will never accept this and her expression said a lot about what she was already thinking. He slid his hands into his pockets and stared at how her chest thumped up and down and how she was trying so hard to stop herself from having a breakdown while she stared between his face and that of Baby H. "I'm serious, Nadia." He whispered.
She cleared her tears and with a mustered courage and bravado, she shook her head. "They can't do this to me, and why will everyone keep shut about this?" By they, Hussain figured she knew she would never be married to him without her family knowing and accepting that. So, she wasn't just accusing Hajia in this.
"Because they want to have the perfect time to tell you this. After the ceremony, that is. I wasn't supposed to say a word about this but then..." He let his words trailed off, because he didn't have the perfect words to tell her why he had to tell her this, they both knew.
Outraged, Nadia began. "Yes, you had to! If only you knew how to keep your hands to yourself, you wouldn't have had to convey this to me!" She was glaring at him with her bloodshot eyes that were now filled with hurt and an expression only a betrayed person could have. Her palm got to her forehead and she said, "I can't accept this, I'll have to go and see them." She turned to the door with a determined stride, "And you, get ready to divorce me, let me go...or whatever damn thing is right for us to separate!" She stomped out of the room and Hussain slumped back on the sofa as he palmed his face.
He didn't know what to do or say, was it because he had foreseen it? Because he knew, it was hard for him to accept the fact that he was married to his brother's wife now and would even be harder for her. It felt like he was cheating on his brother, surely. But then, there was a part of his heart that was feeling ecstatic about this and he was hurting with the guilt of having to be a hypocrite.
He called Sohila and in a few minutes, she was in his room with a worried expression. "What happened, Second H?" She asked calmly and sat beside him on the sofa.
"I just told her about it. And..." He huffed out some air to calm himself, "She's not taking it lightly. She asked me to get ready to divorce her or do whatever it takes for our separation before she comes back."
Sohila slightly gasped before she quickly regained her composure. "I knew it, I heard her crying in Hajia's room while coming here. Look," Softly, Sohila placed her hand on his and he turned to her, with each breath he took, his heart continued to fail him. He didn't know why despite knowing this was how she was going to act, that she would never accept the marriage and it wasn't like he wanted it either-but he had come to terms with her unsaid decision but it still hurt him hearing it from her, was appalling. And the main reason why he acted all that way with her was so that someday, years after their separation, he wouldn't have to blame himself that he didn't try with her. All he knew was, he did, to the best of his ability.
"It's going to be fine, Second H. We all have foreseen this. She's a good woman, she'll come around." He could only nod his head, feeling as his heart was weighing more than usual.
He got up, "I need to be there, I think." His eyes turned to the baby and he softly smiled, "Take care of him for today, I bet if she would worry about him for the rest of today." They softly chuckled at the same time, knowing how dramatic Nadia could be. "Do you have his supplements with you? He could be hungry but don't bring him to her, just feed him." He crouched down and pecked his forehead with a loving smile displayed on his lips. "He has to excuse me today, I need to patch things up."
She chuckled lovingly as she scooped Baby H into her arms. "I have even the things I don't need for him, don't worry. He'll be taken care of, okay?" He stared at her and she figured he wasn't confident enough to go and meet her in the presence of both their mothers. Sohila patted his arm encouragingly, "Come on, go and patch things up with your wife before it's too late too. And I'll have to console you over and over again."
He sighed dramatically and she laughed, "It's not like I'll be depressed if she left. I only care about the life Baby H will live elsewhere, that's all."
This time, she threw her head back and laughed with a teasing tone. "Tell that to someone that doesn't know you or have never seen how you act around her." He walked out of the room without a word and Sohila knew she was right. She had always been right about him and Nadia. She silently prayed it would be success before she went out of the chamber too.
Hussain had to stop in front of Hajia's room as he tried to calm himself and regain back his composure, he could hear the sounds of her cries from the door and his heart involuntarily constricted with pain. If only she would say her point without having to cry, he could take that. But having to hear her cry and look miserable, he wasn't ready for that.
He knocked softly before he walked into the room. And there sat her mother and Hajia on the sofa while she was slumped on the carpet as she cried her eyes out. She didn't look up at him because he was certain she could already sense who the intruder was until he sat down beside her on the carpet and her mother flashed him a smile while Hajia looked heartbroken to the point that one could think it was the early days after Hassan's death.
Mama spoke, "Can you see how you made every one sad, Nadia? What's there in getting married to Hussain? He's just like Hassan, or is there something that differentiated the two and it's missed in my eyes? Don't you know that it would be better to raise your child with him than any other man? There, little Hassan will face so many discriminations, in some households he would even be called agola. And if they don't allow you to go with him, he either have to live with me or Hajia here, and do you think no matter how lovely, growing up without a mother is what every child will want? It's hard, and it doesn't matter how easy the life has been, a mother will always be one."
Nadia cried more at that, she wondered why all they spoke about is Baby H, didn't she have a life? Just because she had become a mother, did that mean her own personal life had ended and now she'd have to act as someone's mother for the rest of her life? She shook her head and her tears stumbled down to her cheeks.
"Mama, I told you it's not about little Hassan. It's about me, my feelings, my conscience, everything. I cannot stay married to him, I'll have to kill myself with guilt and whatever." She flashed him one last glance and broke into tears, "I mean, he looks exactly like him! Chances are I'd either completely forget about Hassan or forget that he's Hussain. And none of them deserve that because they're all different individuals and should be treated like one. I just..." She let her words trailed off, she lifted her hands up in a begging manner, "I beg you, Mama, I really can't do this."
Mama was about to speak when Hajia beat her at it, "It's fine, Nadia, stop crying already. I've always known that this will be very hard on you, we just thought it's the best for the two of you. We should've asked first, and we deeply apologize for that, okay?" It was a bit comforting to know that at least one person was with her, and she knew Hajia will always be that one person. To be truthful, she felt bad about insisting that they got separated because of her, but then she was in no good mental health to force something down to her throat which she wasn't ever ready to cope with.
Hajia continued, "We will agree with whatever decision you make, but go and speak to your husband. Come to an agreement together with him, whatever the two of you decide, even if he has agreed that you'd have little Hassan for the rest of our lives, I have no objection to it. Just go and speak with him, come to a conclusion and it doesn't matter how long this will take, we will accept it." She turned to Mama that flashed her a knowing look and had to try so hard to stifle her smile.
'Your husband", that stung at her heart. She was used to referring to him as her husband's twin, and now all of a sudden she had to start seeing him as a husband? Why was it that no one was seeing the injustice that was done to her? To him, it was a win-win situation. Naturally, he was in a need of a wife and he got one along with a bonus of a son that will certainly turn out to look like him. But what about her? Did she tell anyone that she was ready for a husband in years to come?!
Everything wasn't in her favor, and as they walked back to their chamber, having to forcefully smile at everyone they met on their way and for her to realize that everyone knew they were married except her, Nadia wanted to scream her lungs out. She remembered that she had left Baby H in his room and walked inside without a second thought.
She had forgotten that he was a few steps behind her until he closed the door and she heard the sound it made as he turned the key. With her glaring eyes, she turned to look at him, "Do you have a liking for locking door?" Her eyes momentarily went back to the sofa and then back to his face, "And where's my child?" Hussain watched her, with keen eyes as she roiled with anger and the urge to fight him to the point that she would have to prove her point about not staying married to him.
He was deeply hurt, but then for this to work, he would have to play the ice now while she became the fire. A soft smile graced for his lips as he walked toward her. Subconsciously, Nadia took two steps behind as she just got to see the situation they were in, if only she hadn't come to his room, but it didn't matter even if she was in hers, he would still have entered. When he stood in front of her, she had to incline her head backward to have a clear look of his face as his body hovered over hers and in an instant, her heart began to thump.
He leaned so close to her face level and stared blankly at her face. "What?" She asked with a voice that quivered slightly at how unnerved he made her feel, "And don't even think about it, because this time, I assure you it won't end well."
He softly chuckled, and she could swear she felt the reverberations his chest made because of how close they were. "Think about what?" Slightly, his eyes wandered to her lips then back to her eyes.
"Hussain." She said through gritted teeth, annoyed at the amusement that was dangling in his eyes.
He lifted his hands, palms up to show that he had surrendered. "I won't kiss you, Nadia. At least not until after I've hugged you for you've cried a lot to need a hug right now." He pulled her to his chest and possessively wrapped his hands around her waist and brought her even closer. They both needed this comfort and he was glad he was getting it from her, even though unwillingly.
Nadia thought for a moment about how he was able to do the right things at the right time and say everything right. She didn't mention to him that she needed a hug, but deep down she knew she did and was glad he had given her one. She didn't struggle to get out of it, yet, she used that as an opportunity to hit him on his back. She kept hitting him on his back until he leaned to her ears and whispered, "Don't you know that a man's back is kind of a sensitive area, Singleton? I'm afraid, but if you keep doing this, I'd have no choice but to take you to my bed."