BRAVE

Chapter Fourteen

Indo sighed as she lowered herself onto the small mat she'd spread just outside her room.
The house was quiet, it was to be expected as she was the only person in it.

This was the one time she felt at peace for not having Lailah, her foster daughter with her. At the thought of the young lady, a smile graced her lips and she let out a small chuckle.

Lailah firmly believed she was Indo's daughter and she, Indo wouldn't have it any other way even though the truth was that a friend of hers, from the brothel had asked Indo to raise the child as a favor.

Her eyes snapped up as the sounds of sands being stepped up brought her out of her reverie.

Contrary to what she thought she would, Indo smiled and let Umar walk into the house.

Having a company right now didn't seem so bad so she folded her legs properly and shifted, giving a wide space between them.

"She wouldn't have been able to see the pregnancy through the end" Umar voiced out what had been disturbing him all day.

Having seen his son leave the village in a fit if rage, he wished he could have done something to help, not willing to see the two couples torn apart by walls they'd erected to keep out their weakness.

"Ahmadu would have known that."

"Yet he still believed it was his fault" Indo commented and Umar found himself relishing at the sound of her voice.

He stole a look at her. Twenty five years had done a good number on her as she'd stepped out of her teenage cocoon. She now had a matured woman's trait and demeanor.

Indo was beautiful, still beautiful and this fact Umar couldn't deny.

"Don't apologise" Indo blurted and faced Umar. She knew she guessed right when his mouth remained half open and his eyes wide in astonishment.

She knew he wanted to apologise, to say how sorry he was and how he wanted to make everything up to her.

But she did not want or need to hear that. Twenty five years later, Indo learnt that Umar really had no fault. For one, he didn't even know she had a son and he wouldn't have if he didn't send a private investigator after her.

He gave her money to get an abortion, he wasn't ready for the responsibilities and made it clear. Deep inside her, Indo laughed at her plight and miserable fate.

Her father, who was the Liman in the neighbouring village Kazure was a domineering man who didn't take disrespect lightly.

He had three wives, her mother being the first wife and the one who was scorned because she had only given him six daughters and no son. Malam Garba could not bear that a man of his caliber wouldn't have a male child and so he married two other women who gave strong male children, marking the genesis of indo and her mother's suffering.

She had always been a curious wild child, always butting heads with her father because she refused to learn her place and stay in it.

She challenged the rules and frustrated Malam Garba who would then take it out of Zuwai, her mother. That always worked in pulling her to submission.

At fifteen, just like the other girls, Indo fell in love with a young man whose name she couldn't remember now. They were ready to get married and her father had even consented.

A teenage Indo was elated. Her suitor didn't look down on girls like her father did and she was sure he would treat her right.

A certain call to the Maigari's home changed everything. The old man fancied her and was willing to pay a hefty sum to make her his fourth wife.