My New Home

Chapter Fifteen

The week that followed, Mama got discharged and the house activities was back to normal. We continued our daily routine of saying our prayers, eating breakfast, going to work, and so on.

Mama said she was glad that she's still alive to join us again because she used to fear going to the hospital. She claimed that when most old people visited the hospital, they usually don't come back alive which was why she preferred to get treated in her home and if it's her time, she should breath her last while sleeping in her sofa and not become 'Gawar asbiti' (an hospital corpse). We all laughed at that and I realised that death is everyone's fear not just the old people, I also prayed to Allah to grant us long lives.

After giving Mama few days to settle, I decided to bring up my issue in her presence and see how she could help me convince her son. She promised to
seriously take it up.

After few days of grumbling, shouting, threatening and intense glaring, most of which was directed at me by Alhaji, he finally approved and I hastily packed my things before he changed his mind. He said his driver would be dropping me off. I didn't know he had a driver since I've never seen anyone drive him other than himself.

The following day, I set out early for my home and Jamal accompanied me to Berger though I didn't see the need since he couldn't go with me anyway due to his job and the fact that it's a critical time for him at work since they were experiencing some issues with the latest software they were trying to develop. He soon got down with a promise to call.

I received his call in less than ten minutes since his departure and he kept badgering me with calls that I wondered if he was doing anything at all in his office. After six hours, due to the little traffic congestion we encountered, we got to my home and packed the car.

I didn't inform anyone that I was coming because I don't want to raise up their hope only to disappoint them in the end, and I'm sure my dad would have refused to let me come had he known. My Mum also will not support the idea but for a different reason and that is so that people won't gossip about me and think I've left my matrimonial home because I didn't have enough home training and my in laws finally had enough, which is not far fetched from the truth considering the fact that Alhaji has threatened to send me back to my parents on more occassions than I could count while Mama was bed-ridden in the hospital.

Immediately I entered, the driver followed suit although he insisted on going to a nearby mosque to observe his prayers and travel back to Lagos but I was able to convince him to come with me. He's strong headed but I'm more stubborn and I told him he only needed to eat and he can go with my dad to the mosque. The door was unlocked. Mum, dad and three of my siblings were in the living room and they all had an expression of muted shock on their faces while my mum had another expression that I couldn't pin point and I saw her eyes dart between me and the driver. I understood what she must have thought and quickly rushed to make introduction but I was a little disappointed that my mum did not have any faith in me to have arrived at such conclusion. It's not like I've ever done anything to warrant such suspicion.

"Asalam alaykum, this is Alhaji's driver, I began, Malam Chado. He drove me down here".

Mum finally overcame her suspicion and found her voice. "What are you doing here? She asked. We weren't expecting you, is there a problem with your and your husband?"

"Calm down mum, I said. I'll explain everything in due time". I took my seat but before we could continue our discussion, dad invited malam Chado to a seat. He was offered water and mum stealthily moved out of the room signalling to me to follow her. I don't want to go along since I knew she'll query me but knowing my mum, if I don't follow immediately, she'll take to whispering loudly and embarass me unknowingly in front of my guest. My siblings left as well to give them some space.