28/08/2024
By: Awau Wuraola Tijani Yusuf
🌜RAMADAN🌛
CHAPTER EIGHT
The beating continued until she passed out, thinking she was joking, her father shouted her name several times but didn't wake up. Deacon Shola who had been shouting for her release rushed to her and removed her khimar, her mother heard the noise and rushed out of the compound to join the scene including her brother John. They rushed her to the hospital and she was attended to.
After a few hours, the doctor sends both father and mother to his office to enlighten them on the issue of their daughter.
DOCTOR: Sir, I think you act reckless with the way you beat her, what if she gave up and died? If not, I am your family doctor. I would have called the police on you.
ARIA’S FATHER: I am really sorry, you see ehn… ehn… just forgive me sir. I don't know what has come over me.
ARIA’S MOTHER: Don't tell me that nonsense, you want to kill her because she embraced Islam? What's the problem? You have already killed her with emotions, you yelled at her on phone yet she comes home you almost beat her to death! I regretted the day I met you. (She started crying) Were you not the one that told us we serve the same God? When Alhaji Sanusi gave you 500k as his support for your house, you said so. When he gave you a car just because you prayed he wouldn't be involved in an accident while going out a few years back and he escaped an accident just because he was late talking to you on street road development. (Still crying) But when our daughter decided to join that religion, you beat her to a coma! You are a wicked soul !!
DOCTOR: Calm down madam, the issue here is different from what you both are displaying, listen to me. Your daughter is four months pregnant which has been affected by the beating you gave you. (Aria's father cut in)
ARIA'S FATHER: Yeh ! Yeh! Jesu cristi ooo,(he puts his hands over his head, he stands and start sweating profusely, facing Aria's mother) You see your life? The daughter I am proud of in front of Deacon Shola and his wife hoping to make her their son Daniel’s wife now pregnant with the child of no family! Aye mi ooo
DOCTOR: Daddy calm down, at this rate you need to evacuate the remains, if not the baby might not come out well and might also be a threat to your daughter's life. Sign this form and let complete our work on her.(Giving Aria's father a form to sign with a pen. He looked at both the doctor and the form including Aria's mother and walked out of the office, he went to a nurse and requested to see his daughter, the nurse pointed the directions to him and left.)
ARIA'S MOTHER: Doctor, truly I know nothing about her pregnancy but hope this won't affect her womb? Will she be able to get pregnant again? Please let me know her chances. (She started crying again as she saw the doctor shook his head negatively)
DOCTOR: Ma, you see. I can't say that for now, but I assured you nothing will happen to her womb as long as you evacuate the remains on time. The one your husband left without saying a word or signing this (he showed her the form).
ARIA'S MOTHER: Can I sign it on his behalf?
DOCTOR: Let me check on him and your daughter too before making the decision.
They both left the office and went to MUBAROOKAH'S ward. Her father is already in the ward scolding her on how and who got her pregnant when she was supposed to be studying, she refuses to answer until he raises his hand to hit her again when the mother shouted.
ARIA'S MOTHER:(rushed in and held her husband down yelling at him) Don't kill her finally, please! Is it not enough you aborted her pregnancy out of your uncontrollable anger? You will rather kill me today then touch my daughter!(She stat pushing him to the wall while shouting)
DOCTOR: Madam, this is hospital, you are disturbing our patients here, kindly take your sinero home. Aria how are you feeling?
MUBAROOKAH: Doctor, I am now Mubarookah by name, not Aria again. I am fine but still feeling pain in my abdomen.
DOCTOR:(Smiling) well, whatever religion you find yourself, I pray you have peace and what it takes to do well.
MUBAROOKAH: Aameen.
ARIA'S MOTHER: Aria, tell me who impregnates you? Who is responsible for that thing in your stomach?
MUBAROOKAH: (stammering) mum...mum…. It is….. Da… ni…el…
ARIA'S FATHER:(Cuts in angrily) which Daniel?! Tell me, before I bounce on you there! ( He raises his hand again to beat her)
MUBAROOKAH: Daniel, Deacon Shola’s Son (she speaks faster to avoid being hit by her father again)
ARIA'S FATHER: Do you mean Deacon Shola's son Daniel whom I am working on your marriage with?
MUBAROOKAH: Y…ye..yes sir!
ARIA'S MOTHER: (Burst into laughter, she started dancing around the room, mocking her husband) You see your life outside? Gabriel, you see your life outside don't you ? I was telling you to let her choose her husband herself, you kept shouting, Daniel is a God fearing guy, he is cool and knows the word of God just like his parents, he is this and that. See your life now, he took the virginity of your daughter and impregnated her without paying a dime on her or walking her down the aisle . Let me tell you, just sign the paper the doctor told you to sign and wrap this mess up. But don't you know you're pregnant? (She turn to Mubarookah who was lying sadly on the bed)
MUBAROOKAH: I don't know not until the doctor told me few hours ago.( She replied sluggishly)
ARIA'S FATHER: Then how are you sure, it was Daniel who impregnated you? (Still finding it hard to believe)
ARIA'S MOTHER: Believe it or not, it is Daniel. Because I never taught my daughter to be wayward.
ARIA'S FATHER: What's this now? Is she not wayward? Why is she in the ward? (Laughed drastically) See I will call the useless father and son to come and take care of their mess. And for you don't ever return home if you don't want me to skin you alive!(He yelled at Mubarookah and left the room. Her younger brother rushed in with her phone ringing)
JOHN: Sis you've woke up, this number have been calling over and over again now.(He gave the phone to her and walked out of the ward, the doctor also left running after Aria's father. The mother sat at the edge of the bed caressing her legs gently, she checked her phone and saw that Aliyah as called and other sisters too to check on her, Ameer also gave her 5 missed call as she was about to return Aliyah's call, Ameer’s call interrupted)
AMEER: Assalamunalaykum Wa Ramotullah Wa Barokatuhu sister Mubarookah.
MUBAROOKAH: Wa alaykumusalam sir. (She managed to say, her mother watched her with her jaw open wondering how she was able to pronounce those words perfectly, she shook her head and sighed heavily)
AMEER: We are worried about you as you decided not to carry us along with the issue at home. You should've just dropped a message or called Sister Aaliyah to inform her that you got home safely. Hope everything is fine there? (There was silence at Mubarookah's end, she couldn't think of a good response as nothing was fine at home. Not even in the new pregnancy mess she finds herself) Sister Mubarookah! Sister Mubarookah! (AMEER called her name to be sure of who he was talking to, she ended the call and dropped her phone, staring into the empty space in the ward, her mother watched her closely, not sure of which conversation to start, the pregnancy or the new religion.)
Few minutes later, Aliyah's call interrupted the silence in the room.
ALIYAH: Assalamunalaykum Wa Ramotullah Wa Barokatuhu Aria! Oh sorry Mubarookah.
MUBAROOKAH: Wa alaykumusalam, Aliyah is better you call me Aria, because I don't think I can cope with this new religion.
ALIYAH: Why will you say that? Ahudhu bi llahi minna shaitan rajeem. I rebuke it for you. Please don't say that, if there is anything bothering you Bi’ithnillah we will solve it together, remember till jannah is the deal.
MUBAROOKAH: I am pregnant for Daniel, my dad beat me immediately I arrived and tampered with the pregnancy, I have to evacuate the remains but now the issue is he doesn't want me at home and he said he will stop his support on my school.(He burst into tears)
ALIAYAH: Please calm down, there is always a solution to things. I was surprised to hear about your pregnancy, no one knows about it here in school,you don't even tell us.
MUBAROOKAH: I don't know as well, the doctor told me when I was conscious. Please keep it to yourself for now, don't tell anyone.
ALIYAH: Oops, I am with Ameer presently and the phone is on speaker, but this won't leave our midst trust me.
MUBAROOKAH: Oh! Okay.
ALIYAH: I am really sorry, take care dear, and don't forget to send me the address of the hospital so I can check you tomorrow. But don't have the mind of dropping your Deen for anything, Allah is sufficient for you, and I am beside you to walk through this together.
MUBAROOKAH: (smiling) I trust you. Alright I need to go now. Bye. (She ended the call and send a text message to Aliyah she dropped her phone and looked at her mother)
MUBAROOKAH: Are you going to abandon me just like daddy did?
ARIA'S MOTHER:(Looking surprised) Abandon you ke? When I don't have plenty of daughters or a new daughter elsewhere. You are still my daughter regardless of the offense. Please just don't think about anything now. I am beside you just like your friend said, nothing will Chase me from your side except death and I don't pray to die soon.(She spread her palm as she pray)
MUBAROOKAH: Aameen.
(The door opened, Daniel and his father Deacon Shola entered with Aria's father)
ARIA'S MOTHER:(Jumped on her feet immediately she sighted Daniel and held onto his collar) So you're the useless fellow that wants to ruin my daughter's future? You're the Animal that impregnated her?
DEACON SHOLA: Mummy Aria, please leave my son alone, he knows nothing about your daughter's pregnancy! (He shouted at her, Mubarookah who was dozing sit up immediately she heard the statement)
MUBAROOKAH: Well, Daniel cannot deny the fact that he is responsible for the pregnancy!
DANIEL: Of course I can't accept what is not mine, have you forgotten when you follow those terrorists up and down? When I will tell you to stop following those Muslim girls and men but you won't listen now that impregnated you, you want to pin it on me. It can never happen!
ARIA'S FATHER: (laughing drastically) oh oh, but I thought you said your daughter is not a wayward person? I thought you knew her more than I did not knowing she really took after you! Upon all the sermon and prayer I did on you before getting married, you still pass down that devilish gene to my daughter! Who knows if she's truly mine from the on set! Like a mother, like her daughter. (He clapped his hand and walked out of the ward. Aria's mother couldn't say anything that reminds her of her past when she worked in a bar in order to feed her siblings and poor widow mother. She got series of Assault and s*xual harassment from customer including the owner of the bar. She can't quit for the fear of starving her family. After few months of Assault and harassment, her friend Linda introduced her to Prostitution, she got paid by customer who need s*e*x services for short term. She attended to them in the toilet, kitchen or balcony at night. The pay from it really helped in sending her siblings to school and established a petty shop for her mother. Linda advises her to take it to the next level by introducing her to big businessmen and politicians. She got a lot of money and started living the luxurious life she had always wanted. Until one day, Linda got a call from a strange man who claimed to get her contact from a friend whom her and Linda had given services to, the offer was huge and this make them go to the said venue, unfortunately they were drugged and carried away to unknown place, she woke up to find herself tied to a big tree in the middle of nowhere. She looked around and saw blood everywhere including the body part of her friend Linda, she wanted to scream but her voice was gone. Few minutes later she saw a man coming from afar, she pretended to be sleeping till the man got to her side, seems like it was her turn to die, the man untied her hand and legs and carried her to the butchering table, he dropped her thinking she was still unconscious, and when into the small hut she couldn't notice was there before, she jumped to her feet and ran into the bush, until she got to a tied main road, she waved down on many bus passing by but non stop dor her until she stop Gabriel's car, being a student pastor, he stopped and carried her, he carefully listen to her story and believe thee Lord want her to repent. He took her through the process of being born again and decided to marry her.) Why would he say that to me in public? (She thought and dropped Daniel's clothes.)
DANIEL: You are joking! Aria I am not responsible for your pregnancy, I never for once touched you. I was even telling my father not to accept your father's request because of your waywardness in school. I was dragged from school to this place because of you. Forget about it. (He said and slammed the door behind him)
DEACON SHOLA: Madam, please don't spread false news around about my son impregnating you daughter, you know that campaign for the overseer pastor is around the corner i wouldn't want any stain on my well built name. (He walked out of the room as well, leaving both mother and daughter crying)
ARIA'S MOTHER: Ah ah (crying) Aria has killed me! Aria has burned me alive!Where should I start from?
MUBAROOKAH: Mum (crying) I am telling the truth, I know no man except Daniel. I can't l…i….e….. (They both continue crying until Mubarookah was carried away to evacuate the remains)
Sorry for coming back this late, I will explain later
