Hidden Sun

chapter eight

Chapter eight
A few weeks after Yazeed and his parent left Zaria to come to Lafia, they started preparing for his younger sister’s wedding; there was so much work to do in the house, Yazeed was the person who did almost all the buying and he was the person who brought his sister from Kaduna because she was staying with her grandmother there. On the first day of the wedding the dowry was paid, then there were so many other functions held and after that Yazeed took his sister to her in-laws,
During the functions, Yazeed saw Samira, his cousin from Jos, who came to attend the wedding and he liked her a lot and he decided to talk to his parent about her,
“Mama, I really like Samira, the girl from Jos”
“Oh she’s not only a girl she’s your cousin”
“Ok mama, I want to marry her”
“Then I’ll talk to her parents”
“Ok mama then I’ll go and finish my work now” Yazeed left and his mother called Samira’s parents to talk to them about the alliance. As it is in the Hausa culture, a girl’s acceptance is not needed to decide her wedding, when a boy meets her parents, then they just fix the date and tell the girl and their weddings are mostly family related, not all of them marry outside their family. When Samira was told about the wedding, she was not comfortable with the idea because she wanted to study and become a doctor like her elder brother Khalid, who was now in Lafia but her parents did not agree with her; they wanted her to get married because their thought was a female child education was a waste, even Yazeed’s sister who got married has just finished secondary school, the Hausa’s only gave more importance to their male children’s education, in some families male children are sent to school and the females are made to hawk. Samira was not happy about the wedding but still she had to give in because she had no choice. Two months later, the wedding took place; there were no much celebrations due to the bride’s behavior.
   After the wedding, they always had problems because she would not even allow him touch her, she does not even cook for him and wanted him to allow her study or divorce her but he refused because he said he love her but in turn he always fornicate with different women to the extent of bringing them home and he even started drinking, this was the only reason Samira needs to leave the house, after three days of bringing a woman to the house, Samira decided to return to her parent’s house, and that was how the marriage came to an end and also once his parents travelled and he raped their maid which made his parents sent her away.
“Oga your car is repaired” shouted the mechanic who was fixing his car
“Oh thank you” he paid the man and drove off.
Yazeed met his mother sitting alone in the living room
“Good evening mama”
“How are you Yazeed?”
“I am fine and you”
“I am fine too; you said you wanted to speak to me? What about?”
“Yes mama that is what I am here for”
“Ok I am all ears”
“Mama, I really love Laylah and I want to marry her, what do you think?”
“Seriously, Yazeed do you want to marry that girl?, a girl who left her father’s house for so long, do you know how many guys she had mingled with? No you will not marry her, I will not allow it”
“But mama, still she is a good girl”
“No I don’t approve of it, I only allowed you to be her friend but marriage? She is not fit for that but if you decide to go against me, then you are on your own”
“Ok mama, you know that your wish is my command, I will not disobey you”
“Thank you, may God bless you”
“Ameen”
Yazeed left the house and returned to Laylah
“Laylah I want to talk to you”
“Ok I am listening”
“Well about what I told you the last time, I actually met my mother and she agreed to get us married, isn’t that good news”
“Wow I don’t have words to express my joy”
“Now we’ll become a couple soon, so what will you give me as a token for this?”
“What do you mean? Wait until after the wedding”
“What is remaining? After all we are getting married so why the delay”

  *              *                 *                    *                  *                   *
In the morning after breakfast, Yazeed told Laylah he had a surprise for her
“Laylah, come I have something to give you”
“What is it?” He handed an envelope to her
“Open it” She opened it slowly and screamed as she read it
“Oh thank you so much Yazeed” It was an admission letter
“Well I want you to study, so here we are, tomorrow you will go for the examination”
“Thank you so much, in fact I don’t know how to thank you for this, you are gradually fulfilling my dreams”
“You don’t have to thank me it’s my duty to take care of you”
“But Yazeed, I also want to thank your mother”
“Well my mother is out of town, she told me she will visit her uncle today but she will be back very soon then we’ll get married”
“Ok then send my regards to her”
“Alright”

Two weeks later Laylah started having fever and pains all over her body
“Yazeed I don’t feel okay, I want to see a doctor”
“Alright I will take you”
They went to the hospital and the doctor said she was pregnant
“Well Yazeed, the doctor said I am pregnant”
“That’s good news”
“Do you think it is, well your mother, will she be happy about it”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it, I will talk to mama about it”
“Ok” Laylah was too tired so she slept.
In the morning the next day, Yazeed told laylah that he had to attend a conference in Abuja which will last for a week, so he gave her some money and said he will be back the next week.
“Take care of yourself Laylah”
“Ok safe journey”
Yazeed left the house and laylah was left alone, she attends school and return in the evening.

Two weeks had passed and there was no sign of Yazeed’s return, she called him but all he said was he will be back shortly, she waited helplessly for him months passed and he still hasn’t returned, she became restless, her pregnancy was getting older and she could not attend school again so she continued to stay at home.
One day, she decided to visit Yazeed’s mother and tell her about her condition
“Good morning mama”
“How are you Laylah?”
“I am fine”
“So you haven’t gone back to Zaria, Why?”
“I am studying here mama”
“Oh I see, so what brought you here?”
“I wanted you to call Yazeed back so we could start preparing for the wedding and as it is my pregnancy is getting older”
“What do you mean, do you think I will allow my son to marry you and you are talking of pregnancy, whose pregnancy?”
“Mama it is Yazeed’s child and he told me you agree for him to marry me”
“No my son is not like that, you go and get pregnant somewhere and because my son tried to help you, you are now accusing him of making you pregnant, are you sick”
“mama it is not like that, I swear I am telling the truth”
“I don’t care, just get up and leave this house before I throw you out” Laylah got up very surprised wondering why Yazeed had to lie to her, then the woman said again
“And you better leave the house before I throw you out” Laylah was very ashamed of herself, she tried calling Yazeed but he does not pick her calls anymore, Laylah got more worried by each day, she started thinking of all that happened in her life, she decided to go back to Zaria and seek for her father’s forgiveness but now she was too heavy to stand up, she decided to leave after she has given birth.