Dried Ink

35

Karima

I tell the driver the address and I thought to follow him even though Amatullah had transferred the money.

I knocked on the door and I heard her voice. Two minutes later, the door flew open.

"Oh hanif! Let me get the door first at least" she huffed before turning to me.

"Oh I'm sorry, you must be Karima? Right? Please tell me I'm not just embarrassing myself" she gushed.

"Hi, yes I am. We brought the table and the chairs. Can they bring it in?" I asked.

"Yes of course, come in, I'll just call my husband to tell him people are coming into his house" she laughed.
It was cute.

"You didn't have to follow them, thank you" she said as she dialed a number.

Hanif, her son as I heard her call him hid behind her and peeped at me from the safety of his mother's back.
I grinned at him and tried to make him to come.

He surprisingly started making his way towards me.
His mother gasped just as her husband picked the call. She mistakenly put it on speaker.

"Babe! You would never guess what just happened" she said. He laughed from the other end and said "what?"

"So I told you the table was coming today yeah? Well surprisingly Karima came with them to drop it off and dont freak out but Hanif is walking towards her right now" she explained.

I didn't know what got the both of them excited but I heard her husband gasp.

"You don't mean it! Are you sure he hasn't met her before?" He asked.

"No, I just met her physically today too. She just picked him up. Oh my God Abdul!" She said excited.

I laughed at how both she and her husband were gushing about her picking up their child.
They soon indulged in another conversation about other times he did that. I managed to gather he was his mom's magnet, he doesn't even let his father pick him up after he has shaved his beards or after he travels for more than three days.

Amatullah was so deep in her conversation with her husband completely forgetting why she called him in the first place. Just then, she heard a cry from upstairs.

"Hanifa just woke up babe, by the way I called to ask if the guys can come in here to drop the table" she informed making her way to the stairs.

"Come on babe, you know I don't have a problem with that. Has hanifa's fever gone down? Do you need me to come take her to the hospital?" He asked.

"No don't worry boo, the fever has gone down a lot, I guess she's hungry that's why she woke up. Anyways, have a great time with my sister, regards to her and the boys." Amatullah said and that got me thinking.

Her sister? What the hell is her husband doing with her sister.

"Okay. Talk to you later, I love you" he said.

"Okay, love you too" she said before hanging up.

She came back downstairs with  a child identical to the one I was carrying. The only difference is I was carrying a boy and she carried a girl.

"Oh my goodness, they're twins? Wow" I couldn't help but breath out.
She nodded gingerly equally excited about her little girl.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry" she dumped the other twin on my free hand and ran off somewhere.
I played with the twins, they had obviously taken their mothers bubbly personality.

She emerged minutes later with a tray filled with goodies.
"I'm sorry, we don't have much. We haven't finished packing" she apologised.

Only then did I notice the house, the curtains were not even complete.

"Oh that's fine. Let me go and tell them to come in" I stood up placing the twins on either of my hips.

The guys came in and dropped everything, I paid them off before they left.

"Do you know where I can get a water dispenser? Those cute shaped ones?" She asked.

I shook my head in negation.
"I don't really know Abuja that much but I can ask my sister" I told her.

"Oh! For real? We just moved here two weeks ago too. Abduljalal got a promotion at work and they sent us down here from Lagos. Besides, the house was already getting crampy after he married his second wife" she explained.

My lips went wide. I'm sure she noticed too.

"Yeahhhhhhhhhh" she shrugged.
" I don't hate her or have anything against her but I'm glad I have my own space now, her house is three houses from mine and we have agreed she could have the twins three days a week and I have their brothers four days a week. Even though she gets an earful from hanif always" she giggled.

I laughed too. How can someone contain so much happiness?

"Um....do you mind going shopping together? And help me finish decorating the house?" She asked. Almost begged.

"Only if you'd help me with my errands too" I grinned. She nodded eagerly.

I really like Amatullah. She's a break from all the pity looks I got from everyone.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

I closed the booth of the car, thanking God I got everything on Ya Asa's list. I was about to get in the car when I heard a voice.

"Karima! Wait up" he said.

I turned to look at Mujahid running up to me. He wore black sweat pants and s white t-shirt. Anas looked way much better in sweatpants than anyone I'll ever know.

"Hi. Stop stalking me" I said with a huge smile.

"No I won't" he laughed.
"How are you? You never called" he accused.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I was quite busy" I apologised.

"It's been three weeks Karima. Let me take you out" he said.

Was it that long??? I looked at him unsure.

"We can go wherever you want. Please" he begged. Before I knew it, I nodded in agreement.

"Okay Mujahid, if you insist" I took my phone from my bag and dialed his number. His phone rang and he grinned.

"Thank you very much. You won't regret this. I'll call you later. Is that okay!?" He asked, excited

"Yes Mujahid. I'll wait for your call" I replied. I got into the car and drove off.