Tears Of Farida

Four

After lunch, they went to umma's room as per her request saying that she had something to talk about with them.

'Now that you're here, you'll be going to mallam Kabir's house to see his daughter.' She spoke with her eyes fixed on her son.

Kamal sat quietly.

'Your uncles were there a while ago to formerly ask for permission on your behalf to court his daughter,' she paused then continued, 'I don't see the need for that but, you children of nowadays will want to get acquainted with each other first,' she added.

Kamal and Farida remained silent. Farida preferred to keep quiet whenever umma talked with her son concerning whatever issue until she was asked to talk. Especially with the fact that she wasn't liked by her.

'Kamaludeen', umma said bringing Farida out of her thoughts. 'Are you listening to me?'

'Na'am, I'm listening'

'And yiu remained silent? What are you thinking about?. There's no need to overthink this or do you want to say no to me for the second time?' She asked.

Second time? Well, umma never like Farida from the on set. She had opposed her son when he came to her telling her about Farida being the girl he wanted to get married to. She didn't know Farida before then but, she instantly disliked her at the mention of her name. Umma had already chosen a girl for Kamal so, she wasn't happy that he had made his choice which wasn't same as hers. She made a big deal out of it until Kamal's kaka Jummai, her mother-in-law stepped into the matter. She held the woman in high respect and never said no to her so she relented with opposing his choice but, she never accepted Farida wholeheartedly. Now, that kaka Jummai had left them, may Jannah be her final abode, there was no one to stop her from doing as she pleased.

He didn't like that umma had brought up the talk in the presence of Farida. He had made up his mind not to let her know about it and just keep it to himself.

Farida had by now made up her mind to leave the room. She couldn't sty there and listen to all umma had to say.
As she made to get up, umma stopped her.

'Where are you going to? Sit and listen. If you had given my son a child I wouldn't have bothered finding another woman for my son.' She said throwing her a glare.

Not wanting to upset her mother-in-law even more, she sat back down trying hard to push back the tears welled up in her eyes.

Farida's thoughts went far back to the times when umma, would either tell them to pay her a visit or when she would pay them a visit unannounced. There, she would give her local herbs of all sorts or forcibly take them to one mallam or the other who according to her were good in bringing solutions for childbirth issues. Neither she nor Kamal ever liked the idea of going to a so called mallam for 'spiritual help and cleansing' as umma always termed it. This was fetish if you ask them but, they did it to avoid getting her upset. Kamal got tired of it all and gave a umma piece of his mind, only then did she give them space. For a little while though.

'Umma. You don't have to talk to her that way.' Kamal came to Farida's defence at once.

'Oho, you've always taken her side so I'm not surprised that you're cautioning me now', she fired back.

Umma's temper was rising. Kamal tried to calm her down as she rained abuses on her daughter-in-law but she wouldn't hear of it.

The words her mother-in-law threw at her were too hurtful. Now, she was angry. Farida tried to tame down her anger but, she couldn't just sit there and be insulted continuously while her husband watched helplessly. She rushed out of the room for she knew that if she stayed there even for a second longer then umma will be getting a piece of her mind.