More To It

Chapter 9-Let Me Help You

Khalid

"Zaynab is still in prayer?",aunt Adelola asks me.

"I don't know what she's doing",I reply with a shrug.

"What do you mean you don't know? Didn't you get out of your room?",she asks me.

"I slept in the guest room",I reply.

"Khalid",mama sighs.

"This is a tough time for her. Just be more patient with her",she tells me and rubs my hand.

I don't reply, I just continue scrolling through my Instagram feeds when Amari's name pops up. I click on the message notification.

"Everything okay now?"-Amari

"Let's not talk about that"-Me

I put my phone down then look up only to meet everyone's suspicious looks.

"Are you speaking with that girl? Amari?",baba asks me.

"Does it matter?".

"You have a wife".

"Yeah, one that doesn't value me".

"Khalid",mama gasps.

"Mama. Please, am not here to talk about her".

"You can't seriously be entertaining some other girl when you have a wife. That's disrespectful",Aaleyah says.

"Yeah, well so is she",I mumble to myself.

"Someone go check on Zaynab, she hasn't come down since morning",mama says.

Aaleyah who's busy burping Amir starts to get up but Basha already starts making her way up the stairs when Zaynab appears at the top of the stairs fixing her hijab.

"Hey, you okay?",Basha asks her.

"Yeah, why? What's wrong? Did she call? Is everything okay?",Zaynab asks her.

"No, we haven't heard anything yet",Basha shakes her head and walks down the stairs with Zaynab who groans lowly.

She glances at me but doesn't say anything. She just sits beside Aayan who whispers into her ear. She looks at him and shakes her head. He continues whispering to her then all of a sudden she gasps loudly.

"I did-"

"You're acting like a real jerk",Fawaz lets out. By the tone of his voice, it seemed like he had been contemplating for a real time whether or not to say that.

"Sorry?",Zaynab turns to him.

Fawaz sighs and scratches the back of his head.

"You're being a real jerk to Khalid. It's not fair. I know y'all had a friendship before marriage and all which was good but when y'all got married, don't you think, I don't know, that he deserves more than what you're throwing at him. Am sorry but, y'all know I ain't as patient, you should even be lucky he's this patient. I would've dipped and got myself someone that actually values me as what I am. Your husband. Am just saying, you're listening but you're not taking it. You're pushing him away, I've met Amari and if yo ass ain't careful. I swear you bouta get a second wife for him or worse divorced. I can tell, his patience level is decreasing each time",he explains to Zaynab.

Well damn. He gets it. Maybe I should've just talked to him from the very start.

"I don't know what you want me to do, no seriously. I don't",Zaynab snaps with a hint of irritation evident.