echoes of defiance (Rewriting)

chapter 17

As soon as I left my father’s living room, I rushed to my room, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to lock myself away from the world. To escape. To hide. But as I reached for the door, I froze. She was already there—my second mom, my best friend, my confidant—Amma. Of course, she had predicted that I would try to shut myself away. She always knew.

Amma stood with her arms wide open, waiting for me. I didn’t hesitate for a second. I ran into her embrace, collapsing into her arms, and the tears came like a flood I couldn’t hold back.

"Amma, ko sunanshi ban sani ba! Amma wai sun auramunshi," I sobbed in Hausa, gripping her as if she was the only thing keeping me grounded. "Amma, wallahi tsoronshi nake!" The words fell from my lips like broken confessions. I didn’t even know his real name, yet they had arranged my marriage to him. And the truth was, I was terrified of him.

Amma’s embrace tightened around me, her hand gently stroking my back. "Farhana," she whispered softly, and I felt the weight of her words press down on my heart. *Even Amma is serious now*, I thought to myself. Why was everyone so serious about this?

Her voice was calm, soothing, but the words were heavy with reality. "As much as I want things to be the way you want them, this is beyond me, and even beyond your mom." She sighed, her hand continuing to trace soft circles on my back. "Your daddy and Abba believe in your actions, and as men, they trust in honesty. Even I believe that if you’re going to continue at the same school and live in the same building, then it’s better for you both to be married. Since we can’t ask either of you to give up school, this is the right decision."

Her tone was the most comforting she could muster, but it still felt like the world was collapsing around me. I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, couldn’t stop the sobs from shaking my body.

"You both love each other, you’ll figure things out," she continued, her voice soft, filled with reassurance. "And you know, your two fathers wouldn’t have agreed to this if there was truly something to worry about."

Her words were supposed to comfort me, and maybe, in a small way, they did. I felt the tightness in my chest ease, just a little. I raised my head slightly, only to see my biological mom standing in the doorway, watching us. Her expression was a mix of love and gratitude.

"I wouldn’t know what to do without you, Halima," she said, referring to Amma with a fond smile.

Amma gave her a playful glare before a small smile curved on her lips. "Tunda kun taru kunwa, autata aure bata shirya ba," she said, chuckling softly. The two of them shared a quiet laugh, and for a brief moment, the tension in the room lightened.

"Go take a shower and get some rest," Amma said gently, patting my arm. I glanced at the time on my phone—9:30 p.m.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un!" I exclaimed, jumping off the bed in a panic.

Both Amma and my mom looked at me with confusion. "What is it?" they asked almost in unison.

Grabbing my phone, I hurriedly dialed Saddiee’s number. As soon as he picked up, I blurted out, "Ka kawo maganin! Amma’s 30 minutes late—da sauri, please!"

Amma watched me, a bemused smile playing on her lips. "Sannu, diyar Amma. It’s just one day. Stop panicking. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she said, chuckling as she reached out and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Her smile, her warmth—it was the anchor I needed in the storm of my emotions. Even in the midst of my panic, with everything spiraling out of control, Amma was there, steady and unshakable. I took a deep breath, letting the comfort of her presence settle over me like a warm blanket.