Hamza and Amy's Romantic Journey

Chapter 7

Hamza Dawud

It's been a week since we've been trying to track Jasmine. She's asked to take some time off work to care for Kaiser.

We needed to find Jasmine soon. This couldn't go on much longer. I liked the kid, but I wasn't going to take him in and raise him. She couldn't just dump him on us.

Kaiser was having a tough time adjusting. He was missing his mum and was agitated a lot. He'd also cry at times that were most inconvenient. Amy was able to use her motherly skills to calm him and such but for me, it was just downright irritating. I felt for the boy and yes, I said I would help protect him. But I didn't agree on adopting him.

Not that we could. If Jannic turned up, we'd have to hand Kaiser over. If only we could find Jasmine and drill that news into her. We didn't have enough evidence to show that Jannic was abusive and had hit Kaiser. The scar on Kaiser's forehead could be considered the result of anything. The court would undoubtedly rule in Jannic's favour.

What were we going to do if that happened? I found what Amy was thinking as a solution to this issue when I found an open article on custody battles on her laptop. I wasn't snooping, the laptop was open and Amy had rushed off to see to Kaiser.

Amy walked in with a happy Kaiser bouncing in her arms. He was growing fond of Amy. I guess generally he was coping okay. He caused the most trouble when he woke up and his mum wasn't in sight.

"Honey," I started, stroking my beard. I looked at the laptop and then up at Amy.

"What else are we gonna do? We can't give him up if he returns," Amy defended herself. I sighed.

"Did you even ask me about it?"

"You don't want to?" Amy asked with a heartbroken expression. That's when I realised how much she had bonded with Kaiser.

"You want to keep him?" I asked, alarmed. "I thought we were looking for Jasmine to return him!"

"What if there's something wrong with me and this is my only chance at having a baby?" Amy asked and I gawked at her in disbelief.  "Look, I know it's a long shot but if they don't want him back, there's a chance we might be able to keep him. I wanted to talk to you about this but I was a bit nervous to."

"He's not our baby, Amy."

"We could make him ours. We could raise him to be a good Muslim," Amy urged. I shook my head. "Don't you want a baby? What's wrong with you? People get second wives to have babies and you won't even let me go to the doctor." I looked away, not wanting her to see how I felt.

I wanted a baby of our own, more than anyone could know. I loved my nephews and nieces so much and I could only imagine how much I'd love and cherish my own children. I imagined how ugly yet adorable my baby would be as a newborn and slowly become chubby. How the excess hair would fall and the baby would finally get a defined hair line and nice eyebrows. Then we could tell who the baby really looked like. I wanted it all so much but I hid it because if Amy found out how much I wanted this but we couldn't have it, she'd be crushed. I knew her too well by now. She'd feel guilty and feel like she'll have let me down. That was the last thing I needed.

But we couldn't keep Kaiser. He was a gorgeous kid but he wasn't ours. He certainly didn't feel like mine. I didn't feel like smothering him in kisses like I did with my nephews and nieces.

"Hamza," Amy said, coming over and sitting next to me. "What is it that you want?"

"I want you to be happy."

"I am happy. I'll be even happier with Kaiser with us."

"Honey, what if we do fight for his custody and we get it but then you get pregnant?"

"Doubtful," Amy said with a scoff. "But that would be awesome. Kaiser would have someone to play with."

"What if Jannic threatens us. Threatens you."

"I don't know. But... please consider it. Just look at him." Amy turned Kaiser to face me. Then she held up his hand to make him wave at me and he burst into giggles. 

Okay, so that was adorable.

But...

"We need to find Jasmine."

"I guess we do."

"If she asks for him back, would you give him?" I asked and Amy reluctantly nodded. "She's his mother, that's her right despite what she's done."

"I know," Amy said, stroking Kaiser's hair.

It was only the evening of the following day when we finally heard from Jasmine. She'd spoken to her dad and he'd come to our house, livid.

There was banging on the door and I cracked it open to have Mr. Faber pushing it aside and storming in, swearing and shouting. Amy ran to him, trying to get him to sit and calm down. Kaiser began crying, suddenly scared by the noise so I picked him up from where he sat on the floor and rocked him in my arms, hoping it was soothing enough to stop his shrieks. 

"She is no daughter of mine. At least you had enough sense to turn your life around. But that girl! She has no sense at all! She wants Kaiser back."

"That's a good thing though, isn't it? That's what we wanted."

"But she's with him again. Back with her Nicky," He spat the words. He swore some more. "They've apparently sorted all their issues and he's promised to change, again. Despite all the abuse she's endured from him, physically and emotionally. She always goes running back to that disgusting thing. And now they want him back."

"No. No way. We're not giving him back to them," Amy said, taking Kaiser from me as she held him protectively. "Hamza, please, do something. Dad?"

If his parents wanted him back, there was no chance for us to keep Kaiser. But the thought of handing him over to Jannic made me physically sick.

"We have to try!" Amy said, looking at our defeated faces. "We have to try," She begged. 

"We will," Mr. Faber said, rubbing his face with his hands. "We'll try with all our might."

I decided I would try too. I had to keep my word and protect Kaiser like I said I would. If that ended up with us keeping him and raising him, I guess I could do that. I think.