Aishah

I COULDN'T SLEEP throughout the night thinking about the conversation I had with Fareedah,I shook my head as old and ugly memories ran through me,I stood up from my bed immediately shaking my head as I head to my bathroom having my bath,I came downstairs to eat my breakfast and I suddenly heard a knock on the door

I went over to open the door revealing my mom and she hugs me,soon enough Ibrahim came down and greeted my mom as we got ready to bring Nadeerah home,we left the house few minutes later,Fareedah and Qadirah promised to meet us at the hospital

We all met at the hospital exchanging greetings,Ibrahim decided to go and see the doctor and my mom tagged along,Fareedah grabbed my hands seeing me with eyes full of worries

"How was your night?"she asked

"I couldn't sleep" I said and my sister came forward holding my hand softly

"What happened?"she asked and I look away trying to swallow the lumps growing on my throat while  fighting back threatening tears

"Halimat is Mt Kandiri's daughter"Fareedah told my sister fears visible in her eyes

"Which Kandiri?"my sister asked in a low voice with her hand she used holding me growing cold

"Same Kandiri"Fareedah said and my sister went pale immediately almost fainting while we grabbed her

"No no no no! It can't be please,tell me it's a lie"she said after we sat her down on one of the seats

"I couldn't believe it myself when I found out,we are in a deep shit if the devil himself find out who we are"Fareedah said shaking visibly as she got frightened

I sat down with my sister rubbing her back gently but she look too pale to talk

"He can't come back to our life again!"my sister finally exclaimed standing up as she walks up and down

Ibrahim and my mom suddenly appeared ignorant of what's going on while we composed ourselves immediately trying to hide the present predicament

"The doctor said she's ready to go home"Ibrahim said beaming while I smiled quickly,we went to the incubator with the nurse while she gave us Nadeerah congratulating us,I hold my baby hugging her tightly as tears of joy left my eyes,she stir in her sleep pouting the more and I chuckled happily

My mom took her from me kissing her forehead before offering her prayers,the nurse asked us to meet the doctor in his office and we went ahead

"Good morning doctor"Ibrahim greeted and the doctor gestured us to sit down with his left hand while holding a file with the other hand reading it with his full concentration,he dropped the file few minutes later smiling at us

"Her name?"the doctor asked and Ibrahim answered

"Ibrahim Nadeerah Aishah"he said and I look at him while he smiled at me,he added my name to my baby's name and I smiled happily looking away

"Okay!"the doctor said adjusting his glasses,he took a file from his desk going through it "she's been in an incubator for a month two weeks,she have an olfactory and lung problems due to under development of those organs"the doctor said closing his file "so madam" he said looking at me "you have to take proper care of the girl because she's unable to smell things except the smell is really strong and she has breathing problems too and she will be on drugs,make sure she takes her drugs regularly and please make sure she's never goes near to a place full of smoke,she might get better as she grows up"the doctor said and I nodded in understanding

The doctor write out the prescribed drugs for us, Fareedah and Qadirah left earlier to get the house ready for the welcome home party

"Please don't fight"I told them and they chuckled

"We won't"I nodded in understanding and they left,I went back to meet Ibrahim who already went to the pharmacy store to buy Nadeerah's drugs

We went back to the car and drove home,Ibrahim parked the car and my mom took sleeping Nadeerah in her arms,we open the door into the house and everyone shouting welcome home

I smiled happily looking at the large come out of people,I wasn't expecting to see a lot of people but I was glad,the house was designed in pink with different balloons placed everywhere

My mother in-law came forward immediately taking Nadeerah from my mom's hand

"Such a beautiful little thing"she said and I smiled,I wasn't the type to harbour hatred just because she didn't ask of me when I was in the hospital,my father in-law came over too

"Congratulations Aishah"he said and I nodded,the rest member of the family came to congratulate me and Ibrahim on the arrival of our baby

I took my daughter back from my mother in-law when Halimat suddenly came over to meet me,I wasn't expecting to see her in the house or here for the welcome party,she had a sly and devious smirk on her face while walking towards me

"Such a beautiful little thing"she said touching Nadeerah's cheek while my baby stirs,I felt like slapping her hand away but I couldn't do it because of the different eyes on us,Fareedah and Qadirah were busy glaring at her but she pretended like she didn't see them "let me hold her"she says but I drew my baby closer to myself

"Aishah give her the baby"My father in-law said smiling and I look at my mom who nodded in agreement,I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and I hate situations I have no control over,I handed over my baby to her and my mother in-law came over leaning in my ear whispering

"I want to talk to you,can we go inside"she said and I nodded

"I will meet you in my room"I said and she nodded in understanding walking away,I look at my sleeping baby in the hands of the she devil I went over to my mom whispering to her

"Keep an eye on my baby and please take her from her as soon as possible, Ibrahim's mom want to have a word with me"I told her and she nodded in understanding

I left the crowd in the sitting room heading to my room,I met Ibrahim's mom sitting on my bed and I folded my hands looking at her

"How are you?"she asked and I scoffed,is she suppose to ask me that question now,where was she to ask that question a month ago

"I know you are definitely angry with me but I had no choice Aishah,I am not allowed to check on you"she said and I chuckled

She's not allowed to check on me

"How are you not allowed to check on me or you would have been here asking my dead body how am I?"I said throwing my manners out of the window,my eyes glisten with tears as fresh lumps formed on my throat

"You don't understand Aishah and I'm so sorry,I should be acting a mother figure in your life"she said standing up and I stepped away

"I don't need your apologies now and the time I needed you was gone so I don't care anymore if you ask about me or not,I'm surviving and will continue to survive without your family,thank God I have a family to call my own"I said as the betraying tears left my eyes,those tears are always there to make you feel weak but I'm not going to act weak in front of her or any Ibrahim's family,I wiped away the tears hardening my face

"If you got nothing else to say please excuse me"I said turning away while she hold my hands

"I'm not suppose to tell you this but you need to know, Halimat is not a kind of girl to play with and please take care of your daughter,her dad Mr Kandiri is well known for his bad reputation"she said and wipe away a lone tear that escaped from her eyes "take care of my grand daughter please that's all I ask of you"she added and left the room

I stood frozen thinking about what the heck just happened, I went to the bathroom splashing water on my face,wiping it out before leaving the room,I went downstairs to meet Nadeerah in Fareedah's hand and my mind came to an ease,I look at my father in-law who was busy talking and laughing with Halimat,then I knew reporting Halimat to him is totally useless

The welcome home party finally came to an end and everyone started leaving one after the other after giving me the gifts they bought for Nadeerah,Ibrahim and I thanked everyone that came and before we knew it the house is almost empty, Halimat suddenly coughed and clapped gaining everyone's attention

"I decided to host a dinner party within us the closest family to Nadeerah,I'm so happy for her birth"she said and I scoffed who is she trying to fool

Qadirah came closer to me whispering on my ear"what's she planning to do?"

"I don't know"I whispered back and Fareedah lean over too

"Is she planning to poison us"she said and I almost laughed

"She dare_"Halimat next words cut my sentence short

"So I decided to invite my dad and he was so honoured to come"she said smiling and I went rigid

Shit gone bad!

Qadirah eyes search mine and I could see how pale she is,I held her left hand trying to give her support because she look like she's going to faint at anytime

I look at my mother who was with Nadeerah ignorant of what's happening and my eyes got wet,I sniffed and went to my room with Fareedah and Qadirah following me

I open the door to my room and slumped on my bed,Qadirah came into the room quietly sitting on the bed visibly shaking

"Tell me I'm not meeting that man again"she says and her voice cracked,she started sobbing quietly while Fareedah was pacing up and down

"Oh mother!"Qadirah and I exclaimed at once and we started crying

"She doesn't know he is the one coming"she said and we all nodded in agreement

"The truth is we can't hide forever,we are going to face the man either we like it or not so I need you both to be confident and have trust in yourselves,he might likely have forgotten about you guys and please don't give him the power to step over you again,you have to be strong"Fareedah said and we smiled wiping our tears away,we stood up hugging her while she chuckled and we did thesame

We went back to the sitting room and met that Halimat is already getting the dining room ready for the dinner,I went over to her helping her out silently without talking to her but as usual she can never keep quiet

"Finally meeting my dad"she said smirking and I gave her a curt smile

"Your dad is not the first dad I'm meeting"I replied and walk into the kitchen bringing the prepared food to the dinning table,Fareedah joined helping me out but Qadirah was sitting on the sitting room unable to move

Few minutes later after we are done setting everything we suddenly heard cars driving in the compound with the police siren following, Halimat rush out of the house going into the compound to meet her dad,I look through the window and saw the man stepping out of the several cars

He didn't change at all

We all sit on the dinning room waiting for them to come inside and they finally did, Qadirah's eyes were on her hands she rested on laps but visibly shaking

The man came to sit-down and my mom's eyes shot open like she had seen a ghost

This is actually getting tougher