BY ZEE ASLAM
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It is one week now after the occurrence of everything. Farida is to resume work today since she was given a week off.
What could possibly delay her this time, she has no husband to cater for his needs nor does she have to waste her time listening to mama nag all day.
6am.
She woke up to series of apologetic messages from Bello, he wanted her back claiming to make amend.
She just hissed and threw the phone on the bed while she went into the bathroom. Some minutes later, she was all set for work.
She wanted to turn the door knob to Umma’s room when she overhead Sufyan saying, “God please let Umma wake up so that aunty Farida will stop crying everyday. God I know you can hear me, please wake Umma up for me so that she can be taking me to school and also come to pick me, that is what all my friends’ mothers do”.
Farida was taken aback. She has neglected her promises to Umma because she was busy looking after the wrong people.
She had dedicated all her life to Bello not knowing her brother needed her the most.
She flung open the door and ran over to hug Sufyan.
“Am sorry for everything, am sorry for making you feel the absence of Umma, please forgive me”. She said amidst tears while running her fingers through his hair.
Sufyan pulled away from her hug and used his palm to wipe away her tears. Aunty Farida please stop crying, I don’t like it.
She kissed his hands and held them. “I promise to be your mummy from now own, I promise to give you that motherly love in abundance”. She said smiling.
He also smiled and asked, ‘will you take me to school everyday and come pick me up’?
“Yes I will” she replied instantly without giving it a second thought.
“My friend use to call his mummy mami, can I call you that”? She heard him ask again.
“Ofcourse you can, I am your mummy right”? She said and he nodded.
What she love most about her little brother is that he is smarter than his age. At this his age he already know how to chose his words correctly.
To fulfill his promise, she had to wait for him to have breakfast before they set off together. She took a cab and after dropping him at school, she went straight to work.
Her boss wasn’t at work yet. The company had cleaners but he always prefer she clean his office herself.
She had extra key so she swung into action immediately. It’s possible no one had cleaned the office while she was away or they did not do it well like she used to.
Just when she has finished and was returning to her seat, Khaleel walked in.
He was happy to see her but he hid it and made to walk passed her till her greeting stopped him halfway.
“Good morning sir”
“Morning how was your health”?
“Am fine thank you”.
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After the exchange of greetings, he opened the door and walked in only to be welcomed by the pleasant scent that filled the air. A smile graced his chin. His secretary is always the best at what she does.
That day she had alot of work to do to fill in for her absence seeming like he didn’t touch any file while she was away.
It was a busy day but she did not tend to forget the promise she had made to Sufyan.
At exactly 2:30pm. She rounded up the files on her table and returned them back to him..
“Sir am done for the day, can I leave”? She asked doubting if she would be granted permission.
Without raising his head, he nodded and she left the office. Sufyan’s school was just miles away from her office so she got there just in time.
He was coming out of the gate looking round when he saw her. He ran over and hugged her. She could see the happiness written all over his face.
His friends too came over and he was overwhelmed with joy. He introduced her to them as his mummy before bidding them farewell.
They had to pass by Bello’s house before getting to theirs. She stared long at the gate, her mind fled into the past and memories rushed past like breeze amidst branches of trees.
She shook her head and muttered under her breath “such is life”. She was prepared to leave her past behind and start a new life.
She smiled but only briefly, her heart was heavy. She knew it wouldn’t be easy but she was determined to forget about everything that has to do with Bello.
When they got home, they showered and had lunch. Sufyan was enjoying the moments he had spent with his new mummy. Today he had no reason to be sad in anyway.
They went for evening stroll and just when they stepped their feet into the sitting room, she received an alert.
Bello had sent her a huge sum of money and then a message followed suit “a compensation for everything”. She only hissed.
At this moment, he knew she needed money so desperately so his intention was to buy her off with money but she choose not to be swayed by his money.
She didn’t think twice before sending the money back to him and a message too “Don’t you dare interfere in my personal life again, I have the ability to take care of my family, we don’t need your help”.
When he received the alert and message, he laughed out loud and muttered, ‘she will definitely come and beg me for this money someday’.
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For the years she had been fooled, she could only blame herself. If only she had allowed them check the result that day, maybe things wouldn’t have gone this far.
God knows everything she did was for the sake of Allah. Yes! She married Bello for the sake of his money but she didn’t let that get into her head too much.
She learned to love him for the sake of Allah and vowed to spend the rest of her lives with him.
Who could have thought things would turn out this way, that Bello would actually utter divorce or that he would attempt to choke her to death.
Indeed all this happened like a flash, like she was only dreaming but unfortunately it was all reality.
When she love, she happened to do that with all her heart and when she hate, she hates with passion and can even shred the other into pieces.
What she needed to work on now is her bond with Sufyan, he needs to feel alive again, he needs to feel that love she has deprived him of all this while……….
