Tears of Zubaida.

•••••TEARS OF ZUBAIDA••••• •••Chapter Nine•••

Sule!
Sule!
Sule!

The name kept ringing on her head, making her flickered her eyes open.
The familiar red light coming from the bulb of the room made her sat up, trying to remember how she came here but gave up when she couldn't.

A tear fell down her left eye, which she quickly wiped; another fell from her right eye, and she wiped it. She looked around her room and smiled ruefully.

If only I hadn't followed Mariya.

She quickly wiped the tears that filled her eyes and made an attempt to stand up but decided against it after hearing the commotion coming from her mother's room.

"You know very well that I forbid her from going out of the house after Maghreb prayers, yet; you let her!" Malam Musa said.

"Mai gida, calm down, let's take things easy; what happened was meant to happen and nothing we do or say will change it. Don't forget, she's also my daughter." Zainaba  consoled.

"You know what? I'm regretting why I got Ruqaiyyah married instead of her."

Zubaida stood up and walked to her mother's room using the wall for support.

"Malam, you shouldn't be raising your voice by this time, and consider the condition she is now; by the looks of the condition she was brought, you will know that she was raped."

"Just shut up woman! Har kina da bakin magana? Unless you didn't let her go, all this wouldn't have happened." Malam Musa said and left the room, he met Zubaida by the doorstep but didn't spare her a glance.

Zubaida entered the room and met her mother pacing around the room.

"Don't cry 'yan'nan, with every hardship comes ease, consider this as  your destiny and stop crying, as for your father; I will talk to him, you know how he can be when his very upset especially now that we broke a rule he set."

Ruqayyah scavenged through a bag that was hanged on the left wall of the room, she unfold every paper she came across and threw it in annoyance when it isn't what she's looking for. A paper which was folded neatly caught her attention and from the handwriting, she needs not to be told it was his.

To Ruqayyah:
After everything I've done to your father, you think I will just let you go right? Ruqayyah, don't deceive yourself. I will never divorce you! I know when you will read this, it Will be too late. Check the paper and see, I just wrote divorce letter to make them think I've divorced you. Also, if you dare tell anyone about this or come looking for me or your daughter; you won't like the outcome.

Ruqayyah folded the paper and kept it under her pillow. Contemplating on whether to tell Baraka or not, she chose the former afraid of the threat he said in the letter.
She kept the bag where she picked it from and went to Baraka.

"Are you okay?" Baraka asked after noticing the uneasiness in her.

"Yes, I am." She replied.

"I will be going out, and you will have to come with me." Baraka said.

"I don't want to go anywhere." Ruqayyah protested.

Baraka chuckled and said "you have to, because; I can't leave you all alone  in this house. Besides, you need to get yourself occupied with something. So, you will get to meet Khadijah who is a baker and you shall be learning some pastries from her."

"Who is Khadijah?" Ruqayyah asked.

"She's my friend's daughter, and that's where we are going. Go and get ready." Baraka replied.

"Good evening." Ruqayyah greeted the woman whom her aunt had referred to Hajiya Karima.

"How are you?" Karima asked.

"I'm fine."

The living room became bored to Ruqayyah while Baraka and Karima began talking of their textile business.

"Good evening." Aleeyu greeted Baraka.
Ruqayyah looked up to see whom the person that greeted Baraka was, and upon seeing Aleeyu she mentally hissed and wished she hadn't looked.

"Please take her to Khadijah, since you are here." Karima said to her son.

Aleeyu replied with an okay and asked Ruqayyah to follow him.

"You don't want to tell me what happened between you and that man the other day right?" Aleeyu said chuckling as they walked through the corridor to Khadijah's room.

Ruqayyah didn't say anything, rather she kept playing with her fingers which were in her hijaab.

"Anyways, don't bother telling me. I met the person yesterday and he told me everything, we even became friends with him and exchanged contacts." Aleeyu said knocking on the door.

"Mama said I should bring her to you." Aleeyu said and left.

"Ruqayyah right?" Khadijah queried after Ruqayyah had settled on the sofa that was in the room.

"Yes." Ruqayyah replied.

"I'm Khadijah Tafeeda, Mama told me that you will be learning how to bake varieties of pastries with me."

Ruqayyah nodded her head and smiled.
"Okay, we will be starting next week. I hope you're okay with it?" Khadijah asked.

"No problem, next week when?" Ruqayyah asked.

"Monday, we will be doing it at home. You can come around 10am and leave by 03pm. Are you okay with it?" Khadijah asked.

"Okay, no problem."

"But wait, what of school?" Khadijah asked.

"We are done with our exams, so I won't be going until vacation day." Ruqayyah said.

"If you dare say anything about what you saw yesterday Sule; I promise you, you won't like what will happen." Magaji said as he held Sule's palm and placed five thousand naira notes on it.

Sule counted the money and looked at it, scrunching his face; he threw the money at Magaji's face.
"The Sule you know before isn't the one standing before you now. Take this thrash and leave my sight!" Sule said. "Leave this shop now!" He said pointing towards the door of the shop.

Glossary.

Mai gida ... My husband.

Har kina da bakin magana ... You even have the audacity to talk.

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Thank you.🙏