NADIYA'S STRUGGLE

Chapter 34

Hajiya Hadiya galvanised upon Zaliha's statement. What on earth? She'd never had imagined someone would've guessed something like that. Not even close to coming up with such question or thinking about it. It has really surprised her! A lot. Not even her family members thought of this. But then, this is not some ordinary person. This is Zaliha we're talking about. A very curious yet smart person, who no matter what, figures what she wants to. At any cost.

At this point, Hajiya Hadiya observed that they have some similar character with Zaliha because she also thinks the same. Hajiya Hadiya didn't get a call declaring to her that her daughter is with her father, neither did she saw who kidnapped her. She simply concluded that her father kidnapped her, just as Zaliha thought of that too. Only someone who fully understands the full story and thinks deeply over it will conclude that too. Plus there're so many hints of who might've kidnapped her.

First was the statement he made about promising on coming back for his daughter before leaving. Secondly, the call she received some months back from him, threatening her about returning to take his daughter away from her. Then both the mother and the daughter got spied by some foreigners... and her husband is mingling with such people now since he's not living in Nigeria but Brazil. The last was when the said foreigners kidnapped Nadiya, obviously ordered by her father to bring her to him. That speaks volume and has clearly proved ones suspicions correctly.

Nadiya always tells her how smart Zaliha is that it even scares her. Zaliha is famous in the school, known as the intelligent being. Not only on her course, but on other courses too and also good on resolving real-life problems, a life coach as they call her. Now Hajiya Hadiya has understood all that she's heard about Zaliha. The only mistake she made is not seeing it coming.

After what seemed like ages,—with Hajiya Hadiya hesitant about speaking because honestly, she doesn't know how to begin. Should she tell her everything? That question she threw at her confidently, made her realised she knew the answer already. She only wants to confirm it. So there's no use hiding it from her. Maybe her knowing will help in some way.

The reasons she doesn't like disclosing her past is because she feels ashamed talking about it. She feels as if there's something she'd have done back then to stop all that's happening right now. She thinks people will be sympathetic towards her which she hates but they do it anyway. She regrets ever meeting someone like him. She regrets marrying him. She regrets the day she made him leave though, all that's happening wouldn't have happened if she had stopped him. One thing is certain though, she hadn't regretted ever having Nadiya, albeit with him but it brought her immense joy. Nadiya is like a bright light who shined the darkness of a life she lived in. She rekindled all the light that had went down in her life without much effort. She is the person Hajiya Hadiya thinks first before any other being. She cherishes her daughter and will do anything for her.

Upon Nadiya's growing as a youngster, she has faced a lot and is still going through struggles. She knows she contributed too, but only for her own good. She knew she did a very good job hiding the fact that her father is alive.

Albeit Nadiya grew up adopting the habit of stubbornness and having a short temper, she used that as a way of sending her away, complaining about her attitude and what society would say. That day was the worst day for her, sending her daughter by camouflaging. The day they went to her brother's house all the way to Abuja from Lagos by flight, after seeing Nadiya heading up towards Khadijah's room and is out of sight, she immediately briefed her brother and his wife about what she has planned to do and upon their approbation, she left. Even that day, she only said one or two things and didn't disclose it in details as she left, with tears in her eyes. She returned home with broken heart and tears, she felt as if she should go back and pick her daughter.