When Love Is War.

4

Mrs Hassan (Sarayu's POV)

I sat crossed leg on the Persian rug in the guest bedroom of my house , I was wearing my favourite sports bra and shorts combo glass of wine in hand. In front of me was an empty pizza box which contained a medium size meat lovers pizza half an hour ago. My best friend sat beside me researching none other than the infamous Zainab Ahmed on her xphone. Layla and I have been friends since Senior Secondary school so naturally after the weekend I had i sent her an SOS message so after work she stopped by with junk food and wine. I recounted the story that was my life like a detached narrator while she listened, shock and anger marring her pretty face.
Trust Layla, the internet stalker to find everything available on the girl, so I wait patiently, sip my wine and wait for her to finish her research.
"So Zainab Ahmed is twenty eight years old,  last born of her late father and only child of her mother. Her mother was the third wife, very powerful woman. Zainab herself is an equally powerful woman in her own right, she graduated with double major in political science and international diplomacy from a renowned American University. She also has a master's  degree from the same University. To top it all off she has a honorary degree from the University of Abuja for her work against domestic violence in our society. She was actually married, for about two years to one Abdullahi Ibrahim. She was twenty six at the  time of the annulment, it was a messy divorce, domestic violence case".
"Both her late father and ex-husband are politicians right, the names sound familiar".
"Yes they are", Layla answered me.
The internet these days, I was astounded by what Layla found. I wanted to hate her but I was more impressed and weary of her because she was an achieved and intelligent woman.
"She also has a large social media following, she's an influencer," she added.
" Quite the overachiever I said," I said.
"Yh, but babe how are you?" She asked.
I didn't know how to answer that, I wasn't fine. She was watching me as she slowly placed her wine glass and her phone on the tiled floor, turning to me she lifted my head up till I was looking her in the eyes, I couldn't take it anymore so I burst into tears. "I'm not  fine " I said in between tears. "How can I be fine?" .
She just rubbed my back telling me everything will be alright.
Thirty minutes after my good crying session I threw on a top and some slippers to escort Layla home. It was already dark outside but we live in the same relatively safe estate, we walked in silence till we reached her gate. She gave me a hug and we parted ways at her gate. I walked home feeling a kind of peace like the calm before a storm.
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Zainab Ahmed

" Zee I can't believe you actually took the test" Sadiat my friend said.
"Why wouldn't I take the test, when I know it will come out clean" I answered her.
"But the guts of the woman" Sadiat said her emotions making her hausa accent more pronounced.
"Free the woman, she's still the boss for now but she should just wait and see when I become First Lady she will be old news"
" Yes oh ! Madam Zee !", Sadiat hailed me her fat arms flailing in the air.
Sadiat though dark like me was very chubby but I didn't blame her for that it was just her nature and she was a mother of four trouble makers after all.
" Sadie my wedding is on the first Saturday in March"
"Alhamduillah! that's a bit of a short notice for the cake but trust me, I can put something unique together".
She ran a very successful wedding cake business, which she was passionate about so it didn't surprise me when I told her the wedding date she launched into a one sided discussion about cake flavours, colours and patterns. I had to stop her mini rant and give her full license on what to do about the cake.
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Last night Timothy sent me a text that our results came out clean and I could come collect the results at his house that he stays in with his family while I meet them. We also have a meeting with the publicist he hired by six in the evening so its killing two birds with one stone. I have been beyond nervous to formally meet his family, I have seen his wife at several function from afar and I have to admit the woman was beautiful. Her fair skin and blue eyes spoke of her mixed heritage, her perfect model like figure and long curls all make for a perfect picture making both men and women alike to stare.
The moment I have been dreading is finally here, i am at the the doorstep of the Hassan family home. I feel turning and taking to my heels but I am no coward, I rung the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer. As I am trying to compose myself the door swings open  a boy who seems to be about twelve years old and a complete replica of Timothy stands in the doorway, "you must be Zainab" he says while looking me up and down.
"Yes I am, and you must be Ben", I answered.
He doesn't bother to give me an answer or a second glance he simply Walt's right into the house. How rude I think to myself as I follow, he goes down the hall and into the living room. "Assalamualaikum" I greet the the room full of people who seem to be waiting for me. I recognize his wife and two sons sitting on the sofa staring daggers at me and an unfamiliar face standing at the far corner if the room she must be the publicist.
Upon seeing me Timothy rises to his feet, "Good evening Zainab", he greets stifly and formally.
"Everyone this is Zainab" he addresses the room .
"Zainab please sit" he says as he gestures towards a two sitter couch that faces the flat screen TV.
"Zainab this is my wife Sarayu and my  children Jason and Benjamin", he said gesturing to each person with his hands.
An akward silence fell over the room as everyone seemed to be staring at me as I stared right back at them.
"Everyone this is Miss Evelyn and she will be our publicist. Miss Evelyn the floor is yours" Tim said breaking the silence while he took a seat beside me on the couch.
"Hi everyone, my name is Evelyn Sunday and I am honored to be your publicist. My job as your publicist is to manage your public image, that is how people view you. The way each and every member of this family is viewed will indeed affect your campaign Mr Hassan, so it is Paramount we take the assignments I give you all seriously", the publicist said from her place in front of the television as everyone listened with rapt attention.
"Does anyone have any questions?" the miss Evelyn asked.
"umm what kind of assignments would we be given?" Benjamin asked.
"That's what I'm getting into now Benjamin" she answered.
"Our first assignment is a general family assignment. I would like the whole family to be spotted at least three times in public or on social media doing something together before the wedding", she explained.
"When you say whole family does that include Zainab", Sarayu asked.
"Yes, Mrs Hassan it does. The whole idea is to show the world that adding a new member into your family unit is not causing any disruption to the bond you all share", she said answering Sarayu's question.
" Please can I have some suggestions, on activities you all can engage in" she politely asked.
"We could go cake tasting, take pictures and videos and then post it on my social media platforms tagging the whole family" I said.
"That's brilliant, any other ideas" Evelyn said as she typed away on her xpad.
"We already go out for lunch on Sunday after church, so we could just include her" Jason said.
" Thank you for the idea Jason, I will create a group chat so we can communicate the time for these events", she said.
"This next assignment is for Jason and Mrs Hassan as well, I checked out your social media accounts and I found out you both were not quite active. Jason it is important that you are active because you just might just be instrumental in the capaign, according to our research first time voters are easily swayed by social media. If you have a good social media following you being a first time voter yourself could encourage voters between the ages of eighteen to twenty five to not only vote but vote for your father. Another thing is that I want all members of the family to neither claim nor refute rumours surrounding Mr Hassan's aspirations to run for presidency". Halfway through her speech Benjamin looked to be asleep his head leaning on his mother's shoulder.
"Lastly Mrs Hassan and Miss Zainab, I'd like to see you in public together looking like friends it could be eating lunch or at a salon. Mr and Mrs Hassan we want to see you guys on a date or two before the wedding".
"If there are no more questions then that will be all".
No one seemed to have any questions so Miss Evelyn bade us all a good night and left the house. Timothy saw her out and the rest of the family left the room.
I sat in the empty room, admiring the decor and wondering how we could pull off this picture of a happy polygamous family the publicist wants us to achieve.
"Where is everyone," Timothy said, startlingly me .
"Oh, it's just you", I answered .
"They left",I added.
"Okay" he said making a move to sit back down on the couch beside me but I took his hand and rose to my feet.
"I'll be leaving now" I said .This house, their home made me feel uncomfortable like the intruder that I was.
He escorted me to my car, we stopped by his study so he could hand me my test results.
As I drove home the thought that settled on my mind was that Timothy didn't love me but i did not care I found comfort in the fact that he didn't love me, I reveled in it because I have been burned by love before. For me love was not something to strive for, love was ugly but ambition now that was something to aim for.