UNFURLING FATE.

Knot tied?

Madinah.

When maama called me today at work to tell me that the date was set was the precise moment the situation at hand almost choked me.

I thought I had accepted it but now I was suddenly having images of my husband in white embracing his new bride in white too. I was having images of her in his arms and him leaving me alone in our home almost every other day. Someone else was going to have him the way I did, potentially even more.

Needless to say, I couldn't concentrate properly at work. But I forced myself to do it since I had piled up work from the day before. Maama told me that they were only holding the nikkah on Saturday and it was going to be intimate, they hadn't told anyone, she'd said.

It felt so weird how no one seemed so accepting of the marriage. I couldn't help but feel guilty because it felt like they'd all picked sides, but knowing how pure their hearts were, they probably wouldn't treat her any differently.

When I got home that evening, I received a call from my husband telling me that he had to travel to Lagos for work as he hadn't been there in a while. He'd originally planned to go a few weeks after but with what has now arisen, his marriage that is, it was better to push it forward.

I offered to pack his suitcase as he told me the essentials he needed. By the time he'd gotten home, I'd packed it all along with a herb blend of my chai recipe, all he had to do was add water to brew it. I wonder if he's going to be going with it to his other wife's home.

Positive thoughts madinah!

I subconsciously scolded myself for thinking the worst.

General got home and offered for me to go stay at daddy's house, I was too eager to agree since I didn't want to stay home on my own for the next few days.

He and Robert had dropped me off at the main house where he had peppered me with kisses as we said goodbye.

"Come straight here after work maryaam. I will call you once I land." He emphasized as he kissed my hand one more time,

I giggled and all but snatched my hand away, "I will be fine. Be safe." I stepped out of the door that was already opened, then made sure none of the staff could see me when I blew him a kiss.

That managed to crack a smile on his face, it was all I needed to see before I turned around and walked into the house, hearing Susan trail after me with my luggage.

No one was aware that I was coming here so I went straight to maama's living room, happy to find her there.

"Madinah? Is everything okay? Why are you here this late?" Maama's voice expressed shock but she got up and embraced me in a warm motherly hug.

"Everything is fine maama. General has a work trip so I'm staying here for a few days." I explained.

"Alisha is going to be so happy! When is he coming back?" Maama said as she picked up the intercom and called for a maid.

"On Friday inshaAllah." I told her, as I sat and got comfortable on the couch.

There was a lady sat in maama's living room with a basket of what looked like incense, maama sat back down once the maid had taken my suitcase to the room next to maama's.

"I am trying to including traditional oil perfumes in the lefe as well, since you are already here, pick yours please." Maama said to me.

It was a tradition that required a man who was getting married again to get his first wife everything he gets for his second wife, including the lefe.

I regarded it for a while, feeling exhausted just from the thought but I didn't want to be rude to maama, so I passed her a light smile, "I trust your judgement, maama."