Nilefa: The Union

CHAPTER 29

Hauwa was remained still, awestruck by what she just heard. It was surprising, literally, given how much resemblance Abdulsalam had with Bashir. She had only met him on the night of the dinner, but she could still gather vaguely what he looked like." How?......"

" He is their son. Halima gave birth to him. She was Abdulsalam's widow."

He'd caught her off guard with the first revelation, but for this, she had to blink twice to confirm the reality.

" Why are you so surprised? It is lawful."

" I know.... I mean..... It must have been overwhelming for her."

" It must have been, but it was done for the child's sake. Halima was heavily pregnant when Yaa Audu died, in a nasty car crash. It was murderously shocking for Halima to hear the news that she began her labours instantly. On the baby's 40th day, Bashir married Halima, so they could raise the child together."

" Who does that? Marry your husband's little brother while he's still cold in his grave."

" It wasn't that easy. Bashir was crazy in love with Halima during our youth. She rejected him so many times, and married his brother in the end. Abdulsalam's death had shaken him, but his was nothing compared to Halima's. She had lost her mind for a while." Abdulkarim paused to take a deep breath, finding Hauwa's curious eyes staring at him. She appeared to be immersed in the story." When Bashir sought her hand in marriage, Bashir's mother refused to accept Halima saying that she was cursed. You know how women are.. when she was asked why, she pointed out that Abdulsalam had died barely a year after they'd been married, that she didn't want her son to die too. They went ahead with the marriage anyway, having Bashir raise his brother's son with the mother."

" That's tragic. And Halima, how did she feel about it? You mentioned she never loved Bashir."

" She didn't have a choice, it was the only way she could be with her child, after the family had tried to take the child from her, pointing that a woman in her condition cannot care for a child. She still didn't want Bashir after the marriage. He was a tough man, but he'd always been patient with Halima. He'd had to wait years before they were able to have their first child."

Hauwa still looked on, interested in hearing whatever Abdulkarim was about to say.

"Bashir and Abdulsalam were more friends than they were brothers. They weren't born of the same mother, and with Bashir's mother being less agreeable, blood still ran thick. All the love he had for his brother, he transferred to the boy after his death."

"What a poignant past for a man like him."Hauwa had never felt anything other than spite towards Bashir, but hearing this part of his story had a piece of her soften towards him for the first time.

" The Bashir you know is a politician. A go getter. But every man has family before anything else." Hauwa smiled and looked down at their joined hands, her heart blooming over the thought that Abdulkarim put them, his family first, everything else coming after.

" You will soon be in-laws Hauwa, I ask that you get along for the sake of this union."

Of course Abdulkarim was no fool. He must have noticed the way the air shifted when they were in the same room. She had made it quite obvious being the one to stand against anything he had to say. And hadn't she already mentioned to him that she didn't trust Bashir? It didn't sit well with her the way Bashir involved himself in all matters concerning Abdulkarim. The fact that he was trying to create a bond, stronger than friendship irked her. She believed that he was up to no good. Their marriage was his idea, and it wasn't a bad one but she wouldn't let him use it to his benefit. And she would do everything she could to keep his filth far away from Abdulkarim's hands.