Entwined by Destiny

Chapter Forty-two

The following day which happened to be Iman's resumption day,Mahmud's wives woke up to be faced with his foul mood once again. He locked himself in his room and refused to come out and join them in their routine chores.

With baby Ahmad strapped on her back,Iman and Walida shared the chores between the two of them.And before long,Iman's babies have been taken care of, the house was squeaky clean and breakfast was set on the table.

After freshening up and donning an attire that looked very attractive on her curvaceous figure,Walida sashayed towards Mahmud's closed door,with the intention of sweet-talking him into coming out and taking breakfast with them.

However,after several more minutes of purring which fell on deaf ears,Walida got tired of standing and carried her sore legs back to the table where she just sat down dejectedly and made no attempt to eat.

Swallowing a mouthful of yam balls,Iman said,"Oya serve yourself and eat now.If you say you're going to wait for your Majnun you'll rot in here.You know how unpredictable his mood swings are. He might take minutes, hours or even days before returning to normal. Just eat and forget him,na him sabi if he's planning to starve that gluttonous stomach of his."

Shaking her head,Walida replied "I can't bring myself to eat while he's locked up in there, angry with me.It's all my fault he's in that mood.I screwed up big time."

"C'mon dear.It's not your fault in any way.He caused it upon himself so he has to suffer the consequences. Now please eat,remember my Ahmadidi depends on you."

"I told you I can't!"

"Alright,you guys should go ahead and starve yourselves to death.I should be calling you Romeo and Juliet from now henceforth since you're willing to die for each other."

It was not until after a lot of persuasion before Walida finally gave in and took her breakfast though not much as she had really lost her appetite.

***

At half past ten,His Royal Highness the Oga of the two Nafeesahs finally emerged from his room,dressed in his signature jallabiyah.Really, if Guinness book of records decide to award the man who wears jallabiyah the most,Mahmud would surely fit the title.Eighty percent of his clothes are jallabiyahs and he wears them to almost every place except in occasions like weddings.

When Walida offered him breakfast, he politely declined and went straight to wait for Iman in the car without bothering to tell her so, letting his actions speak for him.

Unfazed as usual, Iman got up and Walida escorted her to the car as Mahmud had already taken her luggage.After Iman  kissed her Ahmadidi goodbye,Mahmud started the car and they zoomed off to their parents' house.

Mahmud didn't utter a word or glance even once towards her since they took off but that didn't deter Iman.She behaved nonchalantly, keeping her one-sided conversation flowing as if nothing out of the ordinary happened between them or as if she had forgotten all about it.Or maybe she has indeed forgotten,who knows?.

All the parents were home since it wasn't a working day.They started with madam de madam Hajia Mama Nafeesah Dikko.As soon as they exchanged pleasantries, Iman got up and started opening all the food warmers kept aside in the old lady's room.

"A'ah,you have come again,ko?Every time you won't eat in your house and come finish up the delicious food my daughter (Mummy) makes for me,ko?"

Scrunching her nose,Iman replied,"Abeg keep your paten shuwaka and kpomo to yourself. Who will eat that early in the morning and end up spending the whole day in the toilet?."

With that,she removed her hijab,hung it on the clothes' hanger before sauntering out of the room leaving Mama to chat with her megida.

About fifteen minutes later,Iman came back holding a plate of piping hot cous-cous with fish sauce and a bottle of chilled maltina and placed them in front of Mahmud,saying in a whisper so only he could hear,