Scarred For Life

Chapter 73

*
Afrah would make a good mother. Everyone said so. None more than Adnan, who keep looking at her with a moist expression of warmth in his eyes each time he saw her. He'd changed since she told him about the pregnancy. He was more attentive than ever before, which came as a surprise seeing as how she couldn't imagine him paying any more attention to her than he usually did. He became more quiet, walking almost in tiptoes so he wouldn't disturb her.

"What do we name her?" he asked one day while massaging her feet. Afrah's hand was resting on her slightly protruding belly, a distant look in her eyes until Adnan had spoken.

"How are you so sure it'll be a girl?" Her smile came easily, as it always did whenever she discussed the baby.

"I know it's a girl, Afrah," he said. "I just do."

"Well then, if it's a girl, I want to name her Hafsah," she said. "And if it's a boy, we name him Aliyu."

"You've given this much thought, haven't you?" he asked with a chuckle.

"It's all I've done these last few months."

"And you're sure you want to give birth here?" he asked. "We can fly out to the States or the United Kingdom before your delivery date. Whichever one you prefer."

"I'm pretty sure I want my child to be born here, Adnan," she said. "Dual citizenship is a perk, not a privilege. Our child won't need it."

"If you say so." He sighed, leaning back into the couch while he continued to rub her foot tenderly.

"Any word on him?"

Adnan stiffened at her question. Afrah had taken a habit to asking about his father nearly every other day. He didn't understand why, as all he really wanted to do was forget the horrible old man.

"No word yet," he said, keeping his eyes glued to the TV.

"They're still looking though, aren't they?" she asked.

"Of course they are. It's just going to take a long time before they catch him. We don't want to go public with the news because it'll draw too much attention. And my first priority is keeping you and our child safe. So for now, we'll have to do everything underground. But don't worry. I have several people looking for him in several states. If indeed he does pop up, we'll catch him."

"Adnan, I'm scared."

It was the first time she voiced her fear to him. It had been festering in her heart for a while, clouding her thoughts and keeping her up at night. Yusuf was still out there, and God alone knew the extent and reach of his cruelty. What if he came back suddenly and murdered them in their sleep? Ever since she became pregnant, Afrah had taken to waking up at night to check on Adnan. Only after making sure he was still asleep peacefully beside her would she be able to sleep again.

Even now, Yusuf's hold on her life was still persistent, dictating her every move. And she hated it; hated him.

"Afrah," Adnan said with a touch of sympathy which always laced his words whenever they spoke about his father, "you have my word that I will protect you until my dying breath. Even if that... that man chooses to return, I will protect you as long as I can still stand. You don't need to worry about anything. I have put every precaution in place to ensure your safety."

Which indeed he had.

Since his father's disappearance, Adnan had doubled the security around the house, hiring a new security guard and a driver who would take Afrah wherever she wanted to go. He called her every hour of every day, just to make sure she was safe. Their street was being watched, as well as the house where his mother and siblings were staying. He'd shown a picture of his father to the security guards at his office, giving them specific instructions to detain the man should he make an appearance there. He'd shown the picture to the guards at the hospital where Afrah went for her antenatal checkups with the instruction that he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the hospital whenever she was around. Even with all that however, he still couldn't rest. The only time he would be able to relax was when the man was finally behind bars.