So close, yet so far

27

ABUJA, NIGERIA

"Mi Reina, you're trying to tell me that Safar, my younger sister, pushed you off the stairs intentionally to kill our baby?" Sa'eed asked, his voice laced with incredulity, as he rubbed his hand over his forehead tiredly.

"Yes, Sa'eed," Hauwa replied, her eyes welling up with tears as she held onto Sa'eed's arm, her grip tight.

Sa'eed's expression changed, his eyes widening in shock, as if Hauwa had slapped him. He looked at her, his face pale, his lips parted in dismay. "Hauwa, how can you say that?" he asked, his voice shaking with emotion. "Safar would never do something like that. She's my sister, my family. She loves you, Hauwa. She would never hurt you or our baby."

Hauwa's face crumpled, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head. "You don't believe me, do you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sa'eed hesitated, his eyes darting back and forth, as if searching for the right words. "Hauwa, I...I just don't think Safar would do something like that. She's always been a good person, a kind person. She would never intentionally hurt anyone, especially not you or our baby."

Hauwa's eyes flashed with anger, her face reddening. "So you're saying I'm lying?" she asked, her voice rising.

Sa'eed held up his hands, a placating gesture. "Hauwa, no, I'm not saying that. I just...I don't know, maybe there's another explanation for what happened. Safar didn't mean to push you, it was an accident."

Hauwa's face twisted in pain, her eyes filling with tears. "You don't believe me," she repeated, her voice cracking. "You think I'm making this up, that I'm lying about what happened."

Sa'eed's expression softened, his eyes filled with concern. "Mi Reina, no, I don't think that. I just...I need to talk to Safar, to hear her side of the story. Maybe there's something we're missing, something that can explain what happened."

Hauwa's face hardened, her eyes flashing with anger. "Fine," she said, her voice cold. "Go talk to Safar. See if she'll tell you the truth."

Sa'eed's face fell, his eyes filled with sadness. "Mi Reina, please...let's not fight about this. Let's just...let's just try to figure out what happened, okay?"

But Hauwa was already turning away, her back to Sa'eed. "I need some time alone," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sa'eed's face twisted in pain, his eyes filling with tears. "Mi Reina, please...don't shut me out. Let's talk about this, let's figure it out together."

But Hauwa just shook her head, her back still to Sa'eed. "I need some time alone," she repeated.

Sa'eed's face fell, his eyes filling with sadness. He nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Okay, Mi Reina. I'll give you some space. But please...please don't shut me out. I love you, Hauwa. I need you."

But Hauwa didn't respond. She just stood there, her back to Sa'eed, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

Sa'eed's face twisted in pain, his eyes filling with tears. He turned and walked away, leaving Hauwa alone in the room.

As he walked, he felt a weight settle in his chest, a weight that he couldn't shake. He felt like he was losing Hauwa, like she was slipping away from him.

He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to make things right. All he knew was that he loved Hauwa, that he needed her.

And he was willing to do whatever it took to make her happy, to make her stay.

As Hauwa lay on her bed, she couldn't shake off the image of Safar's malicious smile as she pushed her off the stairs. The memory haunted her, replaying in her mind like a broken record. She tossed and turned, her body drenched in sweat, her mind racing with thoughts of revenge.