Dried Ink

Epilogue

Khalifa

Karima squeezed my thigh and my eyes flew open. We had just gone to bed fifteen minutes ago.

"Baby! What's up?" I asked sitting up quickly. She squeezed her eyes tight and bit her lips.
I understood this. I knew what was going on. Mama was the same way when she was about giving birth to mufida.

I picked up our phones from the night stand and my car keys. I then picked my wife up effortlessly and went down the stairs.

Tears were already falling down her cheeks as she painfully bit her lips. I was afraid it will draw blood.

I carefully put her in the back seat and started the car. The huge blue box was already in the front seat.
I almost flew to the hospital because Karima had started screaming in pain. I listened to my wife recite dua's before and after she screamed.

I picked her up shouting "emergency" as a nurse came out with a wheelchair.
I carefully put her in it before following behind them.

Right as they were about entering the labor room, karima held my hand with tears in her eyes.
"Babe, I'm so scared. Please don't leave me"

Tears were already welling up in my eyes when I asked for a private room and she was taken there.

A few minutes later, she was asked to push. She held my hands and screamed as she pushed.

"Mr. Khalifa would you like to help bring the child out?" The doctor asked.

I was thrilled and I wanted to. I slowly let go of my wife's hands and went to the front.

The sight before me was one I'd never forget.
I screamed when Karima screamed and when the doctor took out the baby, everything went black.

********
Karima

Khalifa slumped to the ground and I watched a nurse rush toward him. The doctor brought around my bloodied baby and I held him.

"Congrats Ma, it's a boy" she smiled.
Tears dropped from my eyes. Now all the pain was worth it.

"We have to clean both of you up. Your husband would soon be awake" she giggled at the end and I joined her.

Khalifa passed out from the horror.

*******
I woke up to a sloppy kiss on my cheek and on my eyes.

I found Khalifa smiling at me holding a bundled up blue baby blanket.

"Good morning baby" he smiled.
"You've done well. May Allah bless you with Jannah" he added and I smiled.

"Can I hold him?" I asked as he bended over to show me his face.

"He looks a lot like you Babe" I grinned.

"Of course, I'm the better looking one among us" he said.

"You still haven't given him to me to hold" I reminded him. He has been holding him like his life depended on it.

"Rest up baby. I'm not sure you feel well after all that" he said, a horrific look on his face.

"I can't believe you passed out" I burst into laughter.

"Dude! You didn't see what I saw!"

"But it was me you saw. I was going through the pain" I told him

"How do you not hate me? I got you pregnant" he said.

I burst into laughter. While he stared at me as though I had two heads.

The door soon burst open revealing Mama and Muflihah.

"How do you feel big sis?" She asked.

"You didn't tell me it was this bad." I replied and she burst into laughter.

I smiled at Mama and she laughed. "Do you wish to apologize for being rude to me?" She asked and I nodded gingerly.

If my child should ever be rude to me, I'll slap him into oblivion cos whatttt????

Muflihah's baby girl came later with Ya Dj. Lara was already on her way to Lagos and Adams and Ya Isah were on a flight to Nigeria.

I told them we could FaceTime but they all wanted to see the baby Khalifa and I made. My beautiful baby.

Then it occurred to me and I looked towards Khalifa.
Mama was holding our baby and he was shamelessly standing right there. As though Mama would mistakenly trow the baby to the floor.

"Uncle Khalifa" I called.
He turned to me with a frown. I've forgotten when last I called him that but I couldn't call him babe in front of my mother.

"Yes baby?" He smiled and rushed to me.

"We haven't picked a name. Do you have any on your mind?" I asked him.

He smiled sadly at me. "I did his khutbah with the name Anas. I hope that's fine?" He asked.

I nodded as tears brimmed my eyes.
Khalifa kissed my forehead.

"I think it's time for us to go" Mama said loudly enough for us to hear. I was immediately shy and looked away while they burst into laughter, even my traitor of a husband.

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Whoever picked Anas refused to let him go. Especially Adams. Ummi came earlier today and hugged me and cried. We both cried our eyes out as she thanked me and blessed both of us.

Lara cried too. It wasn't a new thing for Ummi and I to hold eachother and cry.

Captain and Ya Asa came too. Since the Mujahid incident; I haven't been able to look them in the eyes.

Khalil was already three. I called him over and he hugged me. Ya Asa eyed me.

"So you just pushed us away right? You don't even pick our calls" she hissed.

"Ya Asa I'm so sorry, I was embarrassed"

"Why? You made a mistake Karima. Everyone does" she wrapped her arms around me.
"I'm only glad you're fine now"

Captain shook hands with Khalifa and they immediately fell into a conversation about sports.

Amatullah came too. With her four children. Her co-wife passed away and she decided to raise them all. One would never imagine they all weren't hers.

I looked around. From Mama, Baba, Anty Maryam, Khalifa's mother, Ya Isah and his family, Ya Yusuf and Mufida, Muflihah and her husband, Ya Asa and captain, a shouting Lara and a silent Abdullah clutching on his child, Ya Kubra and her husband, And my sweet husband holding his child and smiling at him; then I realized, THIS is home.

This is was what was meant to happen. I now knew how Dry the Ink was. I now understood that whatever is yours will never pass you by and whatever is written would surely come to pass.

Khalifa loved me with everything and I can't believe I ever doubted him. I know our marriage would never be a smooth sailing but I'm very confident we will pass all the hurdles. We just welcomed our first child and from Khalifa's behavior, he wanted more.
I pray Allah gives me the strength to give him more.

Thank you for reading!!!!
This is the last chapter In sha Allah.
I really hope you had a great time here.....
May Allah bless you abundantly and may whatever you desperately seek for come to pass❤️❤️❤️