Heart Broken (Unedited)

Forty-Four

*

It's been forty days since my mother's demise. I remember that horrible day she passed away. Ahmad together with his wife drove me to Daura. I silently hoped that Baba Dauda has been misinformed and that i would meet her healthy and hearty. If wishes were horses...! On arrival at our family house, my brothers, uncles and some men were seated all looking gloomy on spread out mats in front of the house. That confirmed my horror. Indeed someone has passed away and that someone is no other than my dear mother. Immediately he pulled over, i came out of the car but my legs felt wobbly like melting jelly and i almost fell. Ruqayyah was immediately by my side, holding me up and supporting my frame. She kept whispering comforting words, trying helplessly to console me but that did nothing to soothe my aching heart. The pain of death is just too agonizing.

Inside the house, she sat beside me and kept consoling me. She did her best to pacify me until her husband came in and conveyed his condolence to the women inside the house and sought to take his wife home.

They came back on the seventh day of mama's death for the seven days prayer. I really appreciated their effort. Ever since that day, Ahmad calls almost everyday to check on me. He became so concerned about my well being. His wife called about three times too. Abdulazeez and Yusra also called to extent their condolences.

Ruqayyah

He noticed my presence only when he got off the phone. I can't help but worry about his newly developed routine. He calls her almost every other day claiming to check up on her. He brings her up a lot whenever we are conversing. He says he feels pity for her. He sympathizes with her. He says he has never seen her this broken before. Something twitches in me whenever he mentions her name.

Feeling a hand on mine, i snapped out of my thoughts and forced a smile. He pulled me towards him and helped me sit next to him.

May i know what is on my beautiful wife's mind?

Forcing a big smile, i lied about school being the major cause of my distress. I could tell he didn't believe me but he didn't want to push further and i was grateful.

So how is she?

I inquired.

She will be fine.

Came his short reply.

For months i've been quiet. I tried so hard to wade off what has been pestering me. The doctors advised against worrying too. I was trying not to let it bother me for the sake of the baby. Even though he's always beside me, at my every beck and call, i still haven't come around the fact that they've become buddies with his ex-wife. With my project at the printer's, that's one less problem. I thought of confronting him many at times but i just couldn't get myself to do it.

During the drive back from school, i called him to find his number waiting. He was busy on another call and would call back when he was done, i knew. My phone rang immediately i tossed it on the passenger's seat. My face instantly lit up at the sound of the ringtone. My mood instantly changed since the call wasn't from him but from a classmate.

As i drove through the gates of our home, my phone rang again. This time it's from him.

Hi beautiful! Sorry i was on the phone with some investors when your call came through. Miss me?

You know i always do.

And i could tell even without seeing him that he wore on his handsome face that signature cocky grin. I laughed as he narrated his encounter earlier with one of the Chinese investors whose accent he didn't quite understand. He was still mimicking the said Chinese when he told me to hold on just a bit 'cause he had another call coming in. I held on for a minute longer until i eventually got tired of sitting in the car and then i ended the call and went into the house.