His Suitable Bride ✔

Chapter sixteen

  Nasir sat in his car, feeling tired, frustrated, and angry at everything. He had being wrong that night to think Omotoni would be back to their room, she hadn't slept in their room the next night also, and the other nights that followed. She had practically moved out of their matrimonial bedroom and moved into the room Yeni was staying, this left a bitter taste in his mouth. Little things like her toothbrush, deodorant and body lotion were no longer in their bedroom. For the two weeks she hadn't slept in their room, he hadn't being able to get a good night rest either. He was cranky at everyone at work, his demeanor was down, and he wasn't even interested in lifting it up.

  The house before him suddenly felt strange to him. He wanted to go in there and be with his wife, but he knew she wouldn't even give him any attention. Aside greeting him and serving him his food, Omotoni didn't say anything more to him, and this left an ache in his heart each day. He knew it, she had withdrawn from him totally. He always suspected that Omotoni would get tired of the married life easily, and he had thought he would be happy with that, but he hated it. He feared she would soon ask him for a divorce, and he couldn't take it. And as each day pass, he feels his worst fear coming to pass slowly. Yesterday's incidence had being the one that made him realize that Omotoni had replaced him in her life with Yeni.

  They had being in the sitting room, watching some old movies of hers, and he had being enjoying himself so much because it was the first time he would sit to watch Toni Davies. And each time during the movie, he couldn't help but glance at his wife who had distanced herself from him. Her hand was permanently placed on her tummy that had grown bigger in the last week. The urge to walk over to where she was seated and place his hand on her tummy was so strong that it took every of his self control not to do it.

  Toni had suddenly sat up with a look of surprise. "It kicked! I felt the baby kick!"

   He had sat up with eagerness, wanting to know how that feels, but Omotoni had reached for Yeni's hand and placed it on her stomach. It was at that instant he knew he had no formal place in his wife's heart or life anymore. She had successfully erased him out, and if he wasn't careful she would erase him out of their child's life too. And even when he had stood up and left the room for them, they hadn't noticed, he had become invisible to his own wife.

   Everyone else seems to be in her good book, even Zainab, Zaytun, and Fatimah weren't left out. They came over to his house frequently now that Yeni was around. The four girls had hit it off fast, and became fast friend, and together they all made Omotoni happy, while he, her husband was left to be nothing but an invisible being.

  Nasir punched the steering hard, trying to let go of pent-up frustration. He needed to have his wife back, and to do this, he needed Yeni out of Kano. He wanted to stylishly ask Omotoni when Yeni planned to leave because their original agreement was a week, how it had turned into two weeks is what he didn't know about. But then he also feared that she wouldn't have that smile of hers anymore once Yeni left, that light that had now become permanent in her eyes since Yeni's arrival might not be there anymore. And that scared him greatly.

  Nasir figured just sitting in his car wouldn't do him any good, he either go into his house now, or go somewhere else. But then he came up with the great idea of calling Ummu. He brougt out his phone and dialed her number, he was grateful when she picked up on the first ring.

  "A Salam Alaykum, Ummu," he greeted.

  "Walaykum A Salam, son. Is anything the matter?" She asked as though she knew something was wrong.

  "Is it wrong for me to call my mother?"

  "No, it's not wrong," she answered, and Nasir couldn't help but hear the smile in her voice. "But Nasir calling his mother at 5pm, on a random Thursday evening. That is just plain weird. So just tell me what is eating you up."