Go to a place where you're not going to be stressed, because a honeymoon itself can be a stressful thing.
–Diane von Furstenberg
                      

The travails of child marriage. 

Zainab stared at the bold letters. The title of her first blog post.  

What next? She asked herself. 

Beyond the title, her mind went blank. Words eluded her.  

Her head fell back and she let out a moan. 

This is more difficult than I thought. 

Her hands hovered over the keyboard, willing words to come.  

You need proper research, the voice of one of her teachers came to mind.  

That's it.  She smiled.

However, her smile wavered as she thought of what proper research consisted of. 

Proper research went beyond gathering information on the internet. It also involved conducting interviews. 

But how could she do that without rousing suspicion in the minds of her in-laws? 

Just then a knock sounded on the door. She shut off her laptop before calling the person inside. For now, her venture had to remain unknown. She had sworn Amina into secrecy.  The door opened and her sister-in-law ambled inside with a grin. 

"Hi, Rakiah." She sent her a fond smile. Rakiah was the only person in the family she shared an amicable relationship. 

 Her father-in-law and brother-in-law's constant absence made it difficult to form a relationship with them.  

"What are you up to?" Rakiah's voice brought her back to the present.  

"Nothing much. I was just browsing through the internet." She shrugged. 

"How boring." Her lips pursed. "Anyway, Bro is back from work and Mom has an announcement to make."

Zainab withheld a groan. The announcements so far had turned out to bring sorrow into her life. She couldn't withstand another shock but she couldn't express all that to Rakiah. 

A forced smile graced her lips and she followed Rakiah out of the room.  Much to her surprise, the whole family was assembled in the living room.  That proved one thing. It was going to be a big announcement. 

A queasy sensation filled her stomach and she tensed.  

"Have your seat," Binta said and Zainab obeyed her.  

Zainab spied a look at Danladi and she wasn't surprised to find him scowling. In the months they had been living together, she had never witnessed him crack a smile.  

Her eyes moved back to her mother-in-law sitting in a regal position with an upright posture, hands laid on her lap, and her ankles crossed. 

"What big news do you have, Binta?" Danladi's father asked. 

Binta's lips lifted in a smile. "Well, this mostly concerns the newlyweds." 

Zainab's heart sank and dread filled her.   She held her breath as she waited for her to continue. 

"As we both know, society has some expectations which we are supposed to meet. So with that, I have decided that Danladi and Zainab need to go on some sort of honeymoon." 

Zainab gasped and her eyes widened. That can't happen. Panic filled her and her heart raced.  

"Mom, that's not possible. I have work to do." Danladi's jaw hardened.  

"Oh come on, son. It's just a matter of days. And who says you can't work over there."

His lips thinned and he shook his head. 

Zainab's shoulders dropped and despair filled her.  

"That's great. So where are they going?" Rakiah asked. 

"Not far. They will be spending five days at Riviera Resort. And they will be leaving this evening." She produced a pleased smile.  

"That sounds lovely," Rakiah said with a dreamy look. 

"There is nothing lovely about it," Danladi gritted as he jumped to his feet and marched out. 

Zainab's eyes closed briefly as she struggled to contain her fraying emotions.

It was hopeless to argue. She had no choice but to comply. 

Her body trembled as she rose to her feet. "I will go and pack my things," she whispered to no one in particular and left the room.

Hours later, Zainab and Danladi stood stiffly beside the car taking them to their destination.  

"If you guys act like enemies what would be the outcome of the pictures?" Binta remarked with a frown.  

Zainab's brows shot up. "What pictures?"

Binta sent her an exasperated look. "You guys are going to take pictures that would be published in the celebrity magazines. That's one of the major reasons for your trip."

A rock landed at the pit of her stomach.  She and Danladi hardly spoke to each other. How were they supposed to pose to take pictures?   

"We are doing no such thing, Mom, and that's final," Danladi said. Without waiting for her response, he opened the car door and slid inside the car.  

Zainab sent a quick smile to Binta and Rakiah and hurriedly entered the car.  Zainab and Danladi sat on the extreme ends of the car, leaving a huge gap between them.  

The engine roared to life and the car zoomed out of the compound. 

Zainab unconsciously relaxed. It occurred to her that since she moved into the Yakubu mansion she hadn't stepped out.  How disheartening. Her life was once filled with numerous activities.  

Her eyes were glued to the window as she enjoyed the view of the outside world. She watched the fast-paced pedestrians on the sidewalks.  A smile tugged on her lips as the street hawkers struggled to sell their wares.  Her eyes moved to the passengers fighting to get in and off the buses. It was a typical busy day in Lagos. 

Silence reigned throughout their journey.  An hour later,  the car skidded to a stop in front of a cluster of beachfront villas. They alighted, carried their luggage and entered the building that had main building and reception written on it. 

Zainab stood back as Danladi conversed with the male receptionist.  Danladi's sudden shriek caused her heart to race.  

Oh Lord, please no more disasters.  

"What do you mean we have to stay in the same room?"

Zainab's stomach churned and her heart lurched. Although they had stayed in the same room for months, it was because of compulsion from Binta. 

"I am sorry, sir. Those were the reservations that were made."

Danladi muttered something under his breath and a dark look marred his face. 

"Can we book an extra room?"

"That won't be possible now. All the rooms are booked." 

Danladi's expression darkened and he shook his head. "Thank you.  Please our room key."

The receptionist handed him a white key card which Danladi pocketed and thanked him.  Danladi turned away and ambled to Zainab with clenched jaws and hard eyes.  

Zainab reached out for her bag but much to her shock, Danladi snatched it and picked up his bag.  Zainab stared at him with wide eyes but he didn't spare her a glance and walked off.  

She hurried after him and fell in step beside him. Her eyes touched on the decor.  The blue walls matched the ocean. Panoramic beach pictures hung on the walls. In the sitting area, wicker chairs surrounded wooden tables.  

Finally, they halted in front of a solid wooden door carved with intricate designs.  Danladi swiped the key card in front of the card reader and the door unlocked. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.  Zainab crept inside and her eyes darted around. 

The room wasn't as big as their room in the Yakubu mansion but it was big enough that they would not feel suffocated. Zainab's eyes grazed the king-sized bed, a set of armchairs and a coffee table.  

Danladi moved further into the room and dropped their bags. He went to the sitting area after collecting his laptop.  Zainab watched in wary as he removed his blazer, hung it on the back of the chair, and took his seat.  He put on his headphones and turned on his laptop. 

As Zainab stood at the door and watched her brooding husband, she concluded that it would be an agonizing five days. 

   
                      ★★★★★

Ooh, who saw that coming?

We are going on a honeymoon trip😍😂

Are you excited for what is about to go down?  😏

Let me know in the comments section

Also if you found this chapter pleasing, don't hesitate to click on the little star in the corner. XD

Until next time, stay safe.