MAKESHIFT HUSBAND (COMPLETE)

CHAPTER FIVE

*

"What are you doing with my phone?" Kamal frowned, his eyes roaming from Maryam to the phone in her hand.

"Well, someone called you so many times and I answered to take a message if possible"

Kamal nodded and went to the mirror, not knowing which cream was which or for what. He however put a lot of one that scented good on his palm and applied it all over him.

Last night, he wasn't quite himself so he had to get an early morning bath, hence his grouchy mood.

"Who called?"

"Wifey" Maryam said and walked to the door. She was headed to the kitchen to whip up some breakfast. She felt really hungry as she hadn't eaten last night.

Everyone insisted the groom would come with some package and insisted she kept an empty stomach but rather than food, he came with a belly full of anger.

"My wife called and you answered?"

"Hey" she yelped and struggled to get her hand out of his death grip. "You're crushing my wrist you know. Please let go"

"What did you tell her?" He could feel a headache coming. "What did you tell her? I'm asking you a question!"

"I told her you were bathing. What was I to say?" Maryam blinked hurriedly to prevent the tears from spilling. She was still struggling to get herself free.

"You did what?" He released her and placed a hand on his head.

Maryam lost her balance and fell to the floor, crashing horribly with the wall.

Kamal paid no attention to her as he tried calling his wife but she wasn't answering. He muttered some angry words as he sped through dressing and rushed out the door without leaving the lady on the floor a backward glance.

Maryam finally let her tears slip and she leaned against the wall stretching her leg slowly and wincing as she did so. She pressed a finger to her ankle slowly and winced again. She'd twisted her leg when she fell and couldn't stand straight.

She felt so alone and scared at the moment. Her mom wasn't with her and neither was her brother. The morning after she got married and her husband was gone to chase his wife.

Her appetite was almost lost by the time she made to the kitchen and stared at the full store. Even though her mother had tried, she knew Kamal had done his own share of getting foodstuffs.

She opened the carton of indomie and picked one, washed two eggs and a tin of sardine later with a huge cup of tea that had lots of milk, Maryam's breakfast was complete in thirty minutes.

Eating had always been a solution to her right from school. Whenever she felt sad, she would eat. When she was angry or when someone upset her, she would make herself a really good meal and enjoy while getting her mind off whatever had been bothering her.

She thought about Kamal and his wife, she wondered how he was doing. Would they have a fight?

"Up NEPA"
She yelled and switched on the television and decoder. She flipped through a couple of channels and settled on Nickelodeon where Henry Danger was showing and as she gobbled down her food, she felt that life was good at this moment.

*************

"Zee open the door please" Kamal yelled and continued knocking on the door. It had been a mistake to spend the night at Low Coast and he deeply regretted why he didn't drive back yesterday.

_Because it was late and the roads weren't really safe_

He answered himself and knocked again. A thought suddenly struck him.

What if Zainab had gone back home? What if she had packed her things and left? He wouldn't really blame her though. After making promises to not care for the other woman, he went right to spend the night at the woman's place. What sane lover wouldn't be livid?

The vibration of his phone broke his train of thoughts and he blinked, feeling a headache coming up as he saw the caller's identity.

Hajiya Binta, Zainab's mother.

"Salaam Alaikum, hajiya ina kwana" he lowered his voice a bit, assuming the position of the wrong person.

"There is nothing good about the morning kamaludeen" Hajiya Bintu lashed. "So this is how you treat my daughter after she has given you a son? What is Zainab lacking in Kamalu that prompted you to get married again?"

Kamal bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from spilling words he would later come to regret.

"That is the highest form of disrespect ever. I have six daughters before Zainab and not of their husband's dared to get married again but you, you whom I would have refused in the blink of an eye if not for Zainab's insistence, you have the audacity to marry another woman."

"Listen to me Hajiya...." He'd started but the lady didn't let him get a word in.

"I will be willing to let my daughter return to your home if and only if you divorce the shegiya you brought in."

Click! She hung up right after saying her part. Kamal gripped his phone so tight it would be broken.

This was one of the problems in their marriage. Zainab's family were rich and top notch wealthy class people. They were involved in business, politics, acting, you mention it and were really influential.

His talent was what attracted him to Zainab's father. The man was willing to partner with him when non of the big scale companies were willing to.

From there, he began to look up to the older man in a way he didn't to his uncle and would more often than not, find himself in his house seeking advice on how to tackle a problem or just there to pay respects.

Hajiya Bintu had been okay with it but the moment Alhaji mentioned his desire for Kamal to wed his last daughter, Hajiya Bintu absolutely refused.

Zainab, to her, was her most beautiful daughter and should be a senator's wife or someone in the higher ups not some random man who was still struggling to find his footing in the business industry.

She later caved in after Zainab declared an undying love for him. He loved her too, but her mother's meddling and overbearing attitude in every part of their relationship was starting to get to him. Not to mention her other sisters as well or the fact that she went running to her mother no matter how small the argument was even after three years of marriage.

A vibration from his phone and he hissed thinking it was Hajiya Bintu again. He however felt calm when he saw it was a text message from Alhaji, Zainab's father.

Kamal knew without a doubt that he had to get himself in Abuja soonest.