Tears Of Farida

Eight

'I want to leave. I feel suffocated by their presence. I no longer look at Kamal with admiration anymore, I fear that I might slowly start to hate him', she cried out.

'And I don't want to, I love him so much that it hurts to wake up every day to the realisation that he breached the trust between us. He is slowly succumbing to Karima's will without knowing it. I don't want to be trampled on, I can't stay and watch my husband slip away from me right under my watch. I'd rather leave mummy'.

Farida clenched her eyes shut, willing herself not to cry. She was done shedding tears over the matter.

'My dear, don't make decisions when you're emotional. Most times such decisions end up in regrets, regrets that may cost us. I know that you're hurt by what has happened and is happening but, that doesn't mean that you should make the decision to leave your home. I always tell you to pray sincerely to Allah, cry out your problems to him, he listens, and will surely answer your prayers if not now then at a better time', she paused and gave her daughter's hands in hers a gentle reassuring squeeze. As she stared at her daughter, she saw the pain in her eyes and felt a jab to her heart. Wishing she could take away all her pain at that instance, she felt the urge to weep for her sake but, she needed to be strong for her. Her prayers and advises were what she needed the most.

'So, go back there, keep being the good wife that you've always been, also be good to your co-wife, ignore her rubbish and let peace reign in that house, your home. Take your situation to be a test from Allah, and be sure to pass it at the end of it. You are my strong child and I know that this will not break you but make you stronger'.

Farida's mother pitied her daughter, she hated to see her in pain, the pain that came along with the disappointment of being unable to conceive after so many years. To add to it all, her mother-in-law, has never missed an opportunity to ridicule and demean her. She only tolerated the woman for her daughter's sake and nothing more, if not, by Allah she would have given her a piece of her mind and set her doings right. Nonetheless, she never always kept quiet, she sometimes called her in law up to speak to her about her attitude towards her daughter.

She hoped that hers and her daughter's prayers will one day be answered.

Farida hugged her mother tightly for she had no words to express her gratitude. She prayed silently for a longer and healthier life for her.

*~*

Karima quit being a spoilt brat, you can't keep lying around doing nothing. Be reasonable please.' Kamal spat out feeling irritated by her attitude.

'Don't even start with your nonsense, Kamal please! Lubna helps her out so what's wrong with that?. Besides, she did the cooking before I came to this house and she has continued to do so without any complains'. She huffed out, dragging out a dining chair to sit on while Kamal did thesame too.

'Get me some apple juice', she ordered the standing Lubna who just dropped a jug of freshly made tamarind juice.

Lubna stood hesitantly before responding to her 'small madam' as she referred to her. 'We don't have any apple juice left ma'.

'Then make me some!', she barked out.

Lubna hurriedly walked back to the kitchen, cursing her small madam under her breath. She always yelled out orders to her and treated her like trash, unlike anty Farida who always treated her with respect. She was getting fed up with the ill treatments and made up her mind to leave but, had a change of mind only because of anty Farida and the thought of how good she has been to her.

'And back to you...', she turned her gaze away from the retreating figure of Lubna to her husband sitting beside her.
'...or did your darling wife here,' she paused and glanced at Farida before she continued to speak, '...push you to bring this matter up with me?'