Last Tears

Chapter 31

There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts- before this and after this.

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I heard a piercing scream from beside me; Afra. She was in hysterics while Ahmad tried to hold her. I watched him struggle to keep her in his hold as she screamed while crying. I walked up to them noticing the tears in Ahmad's eyes himself as he tried to console his sister. I pulled her hand and she paused to look at him. Her face smeared with the mascara. Her hands came unto me gripping my shoulders.

"It's a lie right?" she asked struggling to be audible. "You also know it's a lie. Tell me it's a lie" she pleaded her voice breaking again. I pulled her in for a hug the tears I hadn't known about freely falling down my cheeks onto her shoulders. I don't know how long it was we stood there. Daddy then spoke

"I think it's best if we wait till morning before we meet him. By then we'd have controlled our emotions. We can't appear to him in this mess" Daddy spoke his voice solemn as he tried to sound strong and firm. I looked over Afra's shoulders at him and watched his red eyes. Maama was sunk in a chair looking as though she was waiting for someone to pinch her out of this bad dream. For the past few months since I began working for my father in law I'd seen a lot more of him. I'd seen him in his all-business-no-joke mood. I've seen him stressed out mood, his busy mood, his doting father mood, his jovial husband mood and a lot more. This was different. The confident man who always had it in control was gone. He looked weak. He wasn't strong enough to support himself but yet he was here supporting his family. We needed one strong person at least.

We all left the office and quietly walked to the cars. Even Abubakar who had no idea what was happening wasn't in a playful mood. Afra asked if I was coming home with them but I told her I needed to be alone tonight. She reluctantly let go of my hand before getting into the car. I couldn't fathom how this was happening to us. My brain resisted the idea that Akram would die. He was such a good person, hadn't intentionally harmed anyone his entire life. So how was this happening to him?

I hit the brakes and stopped at a spot we had been a long time ago. It was where I almost hit a kid and Akram misbehaved with the mother of the child. It was the only time I could remember him hurting someone. It was 9pm but thankfully she was still there. I spotted her sitting in front of her stall and I hurried to her. After greeting her I asked, "Do you remember me?" I began crying, "My husband and I... we uh... we almost hit your son some time ago. And my husband misbehaved with you" I reminded her

She nodded. "I remember" she recollected.

"Yes I just wanted to apologize on his behalf. He's such a big hearted person" I stopped trying to compose myself as much as the situation would allow. "He uh...he's not usually that rude to people. It was just a one-time thing. I...uh. He's ill....I just need you to forgive him" I lowered my head as I continued to cry

"Oh dear" she said sadly. "Your husband came around the next day to apologize" I looked up at her as she continued. "I understand why he acted that way. I slapped his wife after all. If anything I'm sorry" she said to me and I hurriedly shook my head. "And by the grace of Allah. It'll be well with him. Before Allah created the ail, he created the cure"

I left her and slowly drove home. On entering the living room I saw the envelope that had been my biggest problem just a few hours ago. I dejectedly walked over to the couch and picked it up and slowly bring out the paper. My mind scanned through the paper until it found what it was looking for

Positive

It was a long sleepless night

XXX

True to Charles' description he was in isolation. The building was small and despite the several times I'd been in this hospital I had never seen it. Maybe I had; I had just never paid any attention to it. As Afra and I held hands following after the family who walked ahead being led by Dr. Charles, I couldn't help but see the irony of this situation. Akram and I met here. Allah had acquainted us here and he was going to end it here. The room we were led in was a medium size rectangular room whose one wall was made with glass. The room on the other side was where he was. I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself before facing the glass.