ALIYA

Chapter 37 - Aliya

Yesterday was tough for me, and not only me but Bilal as well. I never knew things would escalate to that level until just after Bilal escorted me to my office and left, a security guard came and asked me to follow him to the conference room which was in the top floor. He didn't say anything except, "Follow me!" which I curiously did.

When I arrived there I met Jibril, Khalil, and an aged woman who eventually turned out to be Rahina's mother. I greeted them but they refused to reply me. They had only asked me to sit down and explain what was between me and Bilal. That moment, I felt like I was carrying the entire earth on my fragile head. From where should I even start explaining to them? I pondered.

By the way, Bilal and I were simply potential lovers. Whatever was between us exists in possibility and not reality, plus we hadn't even gone far. So, how do they expect me to answer their question? I was fidgeting my fingers at the same time thinking about what to say when suddenly Bilal walked into the conference room, was he also called?

Anyways, the question was diverted to him and eventually he was given two options. To handover his position to Jibril or fire me. That was the same time I learnt that his wife was carrying his second child. I should be happy for him right? Well it seemed I wasn't. The whole event made me to question myself wether I was ready to be with Bilal or not, even though he was the man of my dream and I... loved him.

Bilal stood perplexed, and when he turned to me I gave him a confusing look to tell him I was also muddled. One funny thing was how he seemed to be oblivious about his wife's pregnancy, I thought all men used to know... so why was he an exception? Or was his wife hiding it from him? Well I think it's every woman's responsibility to tell her husband she's carrying his child whenever it becomes clear to her or whenever she undergoes a pregnancy test and the result comes out positive.

Waiting for your husband to discover you are pregnant can be very regretful. The earlier he knows, the better for the two of you. I know you would be shy to do that, I also couldn't imagine opening up to my future husband one day and telling him I am pregnant. I believe he would be overjoyed but how about me, would I? Hmm, I would be shy for sure and I might just be uncomfortable...

"Bilal please don't waste our time, fire her or stepdown!" Jibril had chimed while wearing a very terrible face.

"Barshi, yana wasa da ni (don't mind him, he's playing with me)" Rahina's mother had eyed him before turning to me. "Ke! (Hey)", she had said and continued. "Go and pack your things and leave please, you are fired!"

"No ma!" Bilal had snapped at her. "I should be the one to leave because..."

I couldn't wait for him to complete his words when I decided to leave the conference room for them. I wasn't really angry but I was so sad because I never thought a day like this would come. Sadly, I should have expected such humiliation right from the beginning the fact that my lover boy wasn't the sole owner of the company.

While in my office packing my things, Bilal bounced in and began begging me to stop. He thought I would listen but I pretended deaf ears until he got hold of me and dragged me into a hug. "I would rather stepdown than have you fired" He had said while tightening the hug.

"And I would rather go than have you humiliated" I had said while trying to pull away. "Please let me go, I don't have anything more to do here. I don't want any trouble. I hate trouble, please Bilal"

"I still don't want you to go, this is your job and you can only be paid when you work but me? I can stay at home and still make the billions I am making right now" He had said giving me the strength to finally pull away from him and stare at him.

"We also have money in our house, and by the way I am not leaving because of anything but because I don't want you to be humiliated or to put me into trouble. I won't even be safe here if you leave so just let me go" I had explained.

It took me forever to convince him to let me go, I had to bring his wife's topic into the conversation. As a pregnant woman, she needed her husband's care. His care! She needed him around her after all the pregnancy didn't come from nowhere, it was his work and he ought to take full responsibility of it.

I had said a lot to him and hopefully he understood me, he knew I would never shun him away and he also knew that his wife needed him more at this moment. Hence he gave me a lift home before driving away, wearing a very sad look. He had to be strong if he really wanted the best for us. Talking about being strong, it wasn't as if that was the end of our relationship or was it? So I see no reason for him to be sad or upset.

While explaining everything that had happened to Balaraba, my phone began ringing. I picked up and found out it was Rashida, the presumed relative of mine. We greeted and she told me to meet her in their family house at Samaru. I was overwhelmed, so I bade Balaraba goodbye and took off to the main street for a cab without hesitation. Hopefully, I was able to get one in time.

It was a joyful drive to Samaru, I called Rashida the moment I arrived there and she came and took me in. Just as she ushered me into their family house I saw myself in the midst of strangers, all staring at me. The oldest among them was an aged woman laying on a mat. She gestured to me to come over to her which I did, thus she touched my face and busted into tears. "You look so much like Azima, your mother" She had said.

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Another chapter again o!

Hope you enjoyed it?