MAIMAH: Sequel To Balqis (Preview)

Chapter 4 - Visitors

I was in the sitting room sleeping on the couch when nanny Safiyah woke me up. I yawned stretching my hands up. She took me to the guests room and asked me to stay there. "Why?" I asked. 

"I also don't know, it's your mother's idea" she said and walked away after having warned me to remain inside.

I obeyed and stayed put, after all the guests room wasn't bad. There was a Plasma Tv and a DStv decoder. My favourite channels were Cartoon Network, KidsCo, and Nickelodeon.

I watched until I started feeling hungry, then I decided to break the rule. I gently walked to the door and twirled its knob. I tiptoed out of the room to the sitting room where I oversaw my mum, Ramadan, Aunty Zubaidah and some other people having a conversation. I was really starving, and that was actually the only route to the kitchen from the guests room. I sighed about returning back to the guests room when my mum stood to her feet and began yelling, "Woman, if you think I'm against this marriage then woe to you!" 

"Woe to you too!" The woman who appeared to be older than my mum stood to her feet as well. "You think you're the only one that have voice or strength here? I will beat you right now in front of your husband and that will not stop him from marrying my sister!" She said while clapping her hands.

I hid and began eavesdropping on their conversation. Ramadan tried to quench the fire that just broke out in his house but mum and the woman kept shouting and raining insults on each other.

"Come here and beat me, yar iska (prostitute)!" My mum yelled at her.

"What did you just say?" The woman quickly removed her scarf and tied it around her waist. "Ni ce yar iska?"

My mum nearly got throbbed by the aggressive woman but Ramadan quickly shielded her. Then an old woman interfered, "Enough of this nonsense! Ramadan please take your wife somewhere and calm her down"

"Alright, Hajiya" He said and quickly held my mum affectionately. "Lets go"

"Get your hands off me" she roughly pushed him away. "Duk kai ka jawo komai" she said blaming him for everything before walking away.

That moment, I didn't even know how and when tears escaped my eyes. I wanted running to her but I was scared.

"Go inside and cry out loud but that won't stop Zubaidah from coming to this house, mark my words!" The woman started again but this time around my mum didn't say anything.

I kept watching her as she walked towards the direction of her room. I was still invisible, until somehow Ramadan noticed my presence. "Excuse me please" he said to the visitors. I knew he was coming for me so I ran back to the guests room. He came in just after I sat in the armchair pretending to be watching Tv. He gently close the door behind him and walked towards me. He knelt down in front of me, looked me in the eyes and sighed. "I'm so sorry, baby" he said as he brought out his handkerchief and wiped off my tears. "Your mother is just a little bit confused, but I promise... I will make it up to her"

"Okey" I managed to say with a nod.

He returned the handkerchief into his pocket and gave me a peck. "Are you comfortable here?" He asked standing.

"I'm hungry" I blurted out.

He smiled and gestured me to follow him, "Lets go" He said turning off the Tv and DSTv. Thus, he held my hand.

Immediately we reached the sitting room, all eyes were on us. Ramadan didn't say anything to them, and neither did they. He took me to nanny Safiyah who was in the kitchen cooking lunch. "Umaimah is hungry, please get her something to eat" he said to her. 

"Okey, sir" she said and gestured at me to sit on a stool in the kitchen island.

Ramadan smiled at me and left.

"Food isn't ready yet," she said slicing onions. "But we still have some cornflakes and milk. Should I..." 

"Yes!" I blurted out.

"Okey then" she said with a smile as she walked to the wall cabinet and brought out a packet of cornflakes and a bowl. The milk was in the freezer, so she went and brought it. She poured some cornflakes into the bowl, mixed it with the milk and then handed it over to me after having inserted a spoon in it.

"Thank you" I said as I quickly began devouring. You know how a hungry Lion eats right? I belched as soon as I was done. Thus, I took the bowl and spoon to the sink and washed them myself. Nanny Safiyah smiled, she was impressed. I wanted leaving when she asked if I would like to know how to cook. I replied positively. That day I learnt some new things. Immediately we were done she asked me to go and prepare for a real lunch. I ran out... I was a glutton. The visitors had already gone so I walked freely towards my mother's room. Just as I was about twirling the door's knob, I overheard my mum yelling at Ramadan. I gently turned the knob and pushed the door a little. I peeped through the open space and oversaw Ramadan on his knees.

"Balqis I'm not only doing this for myself but for Umaimah. It really pains me seeing her singing, dancing, and playing all alone. She needs siblings"

"And you think those discourteous are the right people to marry from?" She sniffed. "I'm asking you, Ramadan"

He shook his head. "I know they are impolite but Zubaidah is different from them, or has she ever say anything bad to you? Absolutely not, so please..." 

"Ramadan, me I'm scared. You saw how Zubaidah's elder sister stood to fight me, and you saw how their mother watched and didn't say anything to her. What if this is what will always happen..."

"No, don't go there Balqis" he said as he gently stood and sat close to her on the bed. "I love you, and will always love you. If things didn't go the way I want after the marriage, I will divorce her"

"Promise?" Mum said.

"I promise..."

Someone appeared from my back and gently placed one of his hands on my mouth and the other around my waist, thus pulled me away from the door...

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Wow, we are already in chapter 4! Anyways, who do you really think is that person? Air your views please.