A day after forever.

chapter 30

Their relationship took a turn for the worse. They were living in the same house but like angels and devils. Just like that, no fight or argument led to the way they were now.

Sultan came back from work one day and stopped acknowledging her presence.  She spent days without seeing him. And even if she saw him, it was just for a moment. Today, like another day she decided she would wait for him in the living room, she needed an explanation for what was happening in their lives.

Why this sudden bleakness and ghosting.

But what was going on was beyond her comprehension. She waited him to come back, but she fell asleep. When he came back he saw her sleeping on the couch he glanced at her and left.

*****
Sultana woke up after ten, She started to panic about Sultan's whereabout. She peeped outside and saw his car parked. And wondered when Sultan came in that she was unaware.

She knocked on his door, and there was no response. she took it as a cue and opened the door. She saw him sleeping soundly, she sat by the edge of the bed gazing at his sleeping form, more especially at her future.

What if things went on like this? How was her life going to be? how are they supposed to raise their children together? she pondered on what went wrong between them and couldn't point out the problem that made him stop talking to her, or eat the food she prepared for him so she stopped cooking for him. She could see that he was stressed too, his beards were overgrown and stubble. He stirred from his sleep and saw his wife sitting close to him. "Sultana," He said hoarsely. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you that I have the doctors' appointment tomorrow." She wasn't expecting him to say he'd accompany her but he did.

"By what time?" His gaze not meeting hers. "By ten Am." "Okay, then we would go together." He turned his back at her, covered his body with the duvet.

Sultana heaved an exhausted sigh, and she retired to her room. She set an alarm, to wake up at the midnight to pray to her lord. Ironic how it is that she and Sultan woke up at times to pray together. Now she was the one waking up to pray for her husband. Something was surely wrong, her guts told her. And she always trusted her guts.

************
The next morning, she woke up feeling very drowsy, and weak. The baby was draining her out. "Please baby, take it easy on mommy, I love you so much and I cannot wait to have you in my arms." She talked to her baby. It was her baby that kept her going all through the lonely days spent in bleak.
She was ready and all set to go, dressed in a brown abaya, she wrapped her scarf securely on her head. She went to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich that she had been craving.

Sultan came downstairs shortly. She was backing him. When she turned around she was startled. She placed her hand on her chest.

"Scaredy cat." He said smilingly. Sultana was surprised Sultan smiled at her, strange she thought, after how many weeks spent in silence.

"Want some?" She offered him. He collected the sandwich and munched it hungrily. He had to admit that he had missed Sultana's cooking, he had not had anything as good as this, in the past weeks he ate out, or in Hajiya Kande's house. And It was just a freaking sandwich.

He grabbed his car keys from the dining table all set for them to leave. Then suddenly, came Haruna, knocking on the door. He informed that Hajia Kande was at the gate and she wanted to see Sultan that it was urgent.

"Okay let her in," Sultan said impatiently. Sultana stood rooted to where she was waiting to hear what Kande would say.

"Haba Sultan ya zaka yi wa Manal haka? tace kiran ka take yi aman baka dagawa, ku da aure zakuyi kwanan nan, Sultan why did you do this to Manal she said she has been calling you, and you are not picking up your phone, you people are getting married soon."