Nilefa: The Union

CHAPTER 28

It was the 25th night of the month, Ramadan. A great feast was held in both of Dr Abdulkarim's houses. People from all around the city had come to eat. It was a Mai Kura tradition to hold a feast on the 25th night. This time, a greater number of people attended, . Dr Abdulkarim Mai Kura only used to be heard of, but now he had been seen and dined with. Many had suggested that only people of high status in the city be invited, but Dr Abdulkarim ignored, saying status didn't matter to God. If he was doing it for Allah's sake, everyone was entitled to attend and be treated equally.

Cherry to the cake, each person that attended was made to take home, a bag containing fabrics and cash  in Hauwa's courtesy. 'Eid Mubarak', the bags that contained the items read.

" I leave for Saudi tomorrow." Dr Abdulkarim informed his children." I'll be returning in a fortnight. I want you all to behave, especially you." He said pointing at Sadiq" Do well to remember the warning I gave you." He said sternly and turned to Yasmeen." Your mother will be returning soon, so you will be leaving after the third day of Eid."

" Baba we are on break. Let me come with you please baba." Amir made cute faces to his father, making Hauwa smile and Sadiq snort.

"You have to stay while I am away. You two are the men of the house now, we cannot leave our family unprotected, can we?" Dr Abdulkarim tried to explain to his son hoping he he'd sounded convincing. He was satisfied with the look on Amir's face, showing pride for being named 'man of the house'.

He couldn't take Amir with him if he wanted to because with the state of things, he knew it would be a catastrophe adding Amir to the things he'd be responsible for, in a foreign land. He wasn't ready to answer to Aishe after he had made her leave the children unwillingly under his and Hauwa's care.
Hauwa did a great job with the boys nevertheless, putting up with Sadiq's tantrums, being Amir's mummy, handling their fights in the calmest way possible. He couldn't be happier  when he saw the way Yasmeen had easily warmed up to her.

" I didn't know you could handle kids so we'll." Dr Abdulkarim said to Hauwa after they had retired to bed.

" Why? Were you afraid we'd turn the house over?" Hauwa implied, jest lacing her voice.

Abdulkarim laughed" Nothing would have felt better you know, considering the fact that you don't want to accept your age while engage yourself in dealing with peculiar matters. It will be bliss to have you running about the house, chasing the children over flimsy things."

" I am glad it never came to that!"
Aishe sat on the dressing stool, laughing. Abdulkarim so far had seen her play many roles well and responsibly. It had to be baffling for him how much they had gone along, considering her lack of experience with kids. She didn't have younger ones, and had never been with her nieces and nephews.
Hauwa had grown up without a mother, gone to an all girls' military academy, and had come back to an empty house. She was told then that her brothers had left when their father decided to take a younger wife not long after their mother's death. Hauwa didn't expect them to do anything less than that. They were her father's spoiled brats anyway. Their mother; his wife then, did everything she could to be the only woman in the house. Hauwa could still remember how differently her mother was treated in that house. How she had beared everyone's hatred, and still kept going as if nothing was wrong, until it led her to her grave. After her mother's death, t didn't take time before Hauwa was sent to military school. Her father's assistant, Aji had suggested it when she was constantly being beaten and maltreated by her stepmother and half-brothers. She had never imagined she could be happier outside her own home, and with with everyone around her being a stranger, but she indeed felt the happiest there, among her peers. Holidays came and went and others cried mournfully when they left their loved ones, while in her case it was pure Bliss leaving her home. She made friends at the school. They served as the sisters she never had. The life she had lived, crafted a fierce woman out of her. A young woman, strong and fearless. But again, that didn't stop her from remembering one thing she had learned, that love was the thing everyone needed, and it didn't matter whom it was coming from. She had feared experiencing the hatred that her mother had suffered, being a second wife to a man with kids. The look Aishe had given her on the night of the dinner with the Bashirs had brought the dreadful feeling to resettle in her heart after a long time, but it didn't last. Aishe had nothing to fear from her anyway. She was prettier, holier and held the key to Abdulkarim's heart with her great cooking. Her mother was all that, and she paid the price for being the favorite wife.
Aishe's children were nice to her, especially Amir . His smile was contagious,she had fallen  in love with it the moment she'd seen him. His cute little nose and chubby cheeks. He had his mother's light skin but he was a striking image of his father. Sadiq on the other hand was dark. Given the way his legs grew longer by the minute, he had definitely taken after Abdulkarim. She noticed the way Sadiq flipped quickly over little things, the thing her did with his fingers while he spoke. That was a quality he had taken from his father, because she had seen Abdulkarim do so a lot of times. When she looked at Amir, she wondered if she was ever going to have a son like him. Aishe was most lucky to have these beautiful children, Hauwa thought. She would miss them all, but Amir she would miss the most, because over the days, they'd bonded even stronger.

"Besides, they are sweet children. I am going to miss them when they're gone."

" I can make them spend their weekends here if you want."

" I would love that. But you know after Ramadan we won't get the time we do now. And they'll be busy with school."

" And jazz will be married." It was there that Hauwa confirmed the sadness in his voice as he spoke. He was going to miss his daughter." I will be giving my only daughter away in a few days"

" It's bothering you." Hauwa moved from the stool and sat, facing him on the bed.

" I'd be lying if I denied that. I mean she's my babygirl, It's just like yesterday when I heard her first cry." He took his glasses off and placed them next to the lamp on the drawer." Sometimes, I feel like I put her up to it. I feel like I'd forced her to it, constantly bringing marriage up when she tried to talk to me. I wonder if I amdoing the right thing"

Hauwa held his hand reassuringly." Of course you are doing the right thing. It's all your have ever done for her." She remembered when he first announced it to her that he and Bashir were joining their houses in marriage. Then she had opposed it pointing that it was too quick a move for the girl. Those thoughts must have propagated doubt in him lately.

" Abdulsalam is a good man. His father was a man of honor, a man of integrity."

" Was?" Hauwa was confused. They both knew Bashir wasn't a man of the qualities he had mentioned, and Abdulkarim was not one to mess up grammar.

" His father, Abdulsalam Shettima. Bashir's elder brother"............

____________________________________