It’s been a day since Umma saw Abu around. Umma had a sudden bad though which scared her, she rose up quickly from where she was seated and strolled to Abu’s room.
An empty room stared at her as she entered the room. Abu was no where to be found, “May be she went to toilet to excuse herself when am in my room” umma thought before leaving the room to check the toilet.
Nobody is in the toilet, when Umma checked.
the bad thought that keep crossing umma’s mind about why Abu is not home, made her went out of the house swiftly, Umma checked all the near by places but Abu was no where to be found, not a single person saw her.
Umma is still outside, asking whoever come to pass by whether he/she saw Abu, when Mansur (Abu’s brother) come back from work.
“Umma what are you doing here?” He asked, surprisingly for their mum never stays outside the house the way he saw her today.
“I can’t find Abu, by any chance did you see her on your way here?” She asked with a disturbing voice.
“What happened?, Did she say she’s going out?” He questioned, all his attention with his Mum .
“No she didn’t, I just can’t find her for the whole day seems like she left home since yesterday.” Umma said uneasily.
“Mansur rubbed the nape of his neck while saying “did you look for her in the neighborhood.”
“I told you she’s no where, I have the feeling she has run away.” Umma said sobbing.
“We need to inform your father that she is missing.” Umma instructed still crying.
Mansur exhaled deeply, before he brought out the phone from his pocket and dial his father’s number, after Baba answered the call Mansur narrated everything to him, and Baba hummed, “there’s nothing to worry about, she has no where to go so she will definitely come back.”
It wasn’t as Baba thought, because it’s already 2 week but Zainaba never show-up, and nobody call from the family members to say she’s with them.
So Baba decided to order his children to go to their relatives and Abu’s friends, to find out if she is staying with any of them.
Baba’s confident start to vanished and fear start to replace it, after searching close and distance relatives places without finding her.
Umma always had a bitter sob, she keep blaming herself for not considering Abu’s feeling, she always thought if only check on her every day they might have find her before she’s gone too far.
*****
Sa’ada was reading some medical books, when usman come out well prepared seems like he is going out.
“Are you going out?” Sa’ada asked looking at him still holding the book open.
He turned on her with a sour face “No am going to lay down” he said annoyingly.
she sighed “I don’t mean anything, am sorry” Sa’ada apologize.
“Can you please sit I wanted to have some words with you.” Sa’ada begged.
He look at her with his eyes narrowed down “Do we speak or hear with our legs? if you can’t tell me while am here you can hold back your words.” He said trying to to move.
She hummed “our food is about to finish, I have been seeking for an opportunity to speak to you but you always left home early, and come back when am already asleep.”
“What! All that food, what did you do with it?” he asked his eyes wide open.
“What will I do with it?, Is not like we keep it to just be looking at it and it’s now 9th month of our wedding, how can you complained, when I said the wedding gift food is about to finished is not like you buy it yourself, we have been eating the food for 9 month, am just telling you in case, I do not say you must buy it now.”
” Ok am broke for now, manage everything, and you are a working woman you can help me buy it.”
“But usman,”….the ringing of his phone stopped her.
He looked at the screen, it his ex father in-law zainab’s Father, as far back as he could remember Baba Never called first, it must be something very important he thinks.
He greated Baba with respect as if he is infront of him after picking the phone.
Baba answered and say “If you are available can you come home I want to see you.”
He forgets about Sa’ada, and what they are discussing, he left the room hurriedly, she only nod her head and continue reading.
Usman Announced his present after arriving Zainaba’s place before getting in.
They sat on the sitting mound, Usman sat upright opposite to Baba with his head lowered down.
Baba clear his throat before he begin, “I called to ask for a favour, you please tell me between you and Allah if you know any place where Zainaba will be hiding” Baba said pinning Usman with his eyes.
Usman rise his gaze and gape at Baba “What happen to her is she missing or what?,” The awful look and the curiosity on Usman’s face made Baba believe he knows nothing about where Zainab will be.
“It’s been 3 weeks since she is missing, we first thought she only took a break, that she will be back but not any more seems like she leaves forever.” Baba said trying to hide his fear by gathering all his manhood together.
Usman tapped his forehead lowered his head down with eyes closed “Oh God!” He said briefly.
the room was quite for a while before Usman Said, “Baba did you said she’s nowhere to be found, but why is that no one inform me?” Usman said his eyes filled up with tears.
“As I told you earlier, we thought she will at least be back but we are wrong.”
“Did you check families who are in other states?” Usman asked
“I told you we all checked where we think she might go but she isn’t in any place we checked” Baba said in a sound showing how tired he is with Usman’s Question.
“What about police did you report?, Usman asked again.
“Yes they are doing their best” Baba said tiredly.
Usman wanted to cry but infront of Baba he needs to be strong, to keep back the tears he stretched his manliness to the utmost.
As Usman approaches outside his legs begin to quack, the sickening dread in his mind deaden his legs.
It’s when he come out that the tears he’s hiding flow fast, he entered his car and bowed his head on steering wheel of his car and begin to sob He has a silent but a bitter sob, something must be wrong, but Zainaba is not that kind of person that will run away from home.
Sa’ada heard the news about her best friend missing when Usman comes back home at night, that Zainaba is missing for about 3 weeks, she cry a lot, and blame herself for whatever happened. Everything is her fault, if not because she interfered their life might be perfect as it was before, Abu would still be Usman’s wife by now, Sa’ada thought.
Baba seems strong though he is in pain, he put all the blame on himself, but he keep telling himself as the Man and leader of the family he needs to remain calm.
It’s now that Umma think about the last time she spoke to Zainaba she thought it’s weird that Abu can’t say a word to her, she can’t even depends herself, no can she apologize even though she is the type of person that always apologize for anything. She keeps remembering the gaze on Zainaba’s face, it’s surely questionable, way Zainaba keep staring at her as if she wanted her to understand something she can’t say.
She cry for being a careless mother, had it’s been she notice early things wouldn’t be this worse.
She never know her hot temper and cold attitude towards daughter would destroyed her, everything was all an act she thought at least that will help Zainaba learn her lesson and adjust.
The fact that Zainaba become the subject of gossip hurt Umma the most, people raised their eyebrows and whispered furtively that Zainaba run away from home to escape from force marriage, that she’s now on her own she prefers being a prostitute.
Umma know they were mistaken and wrong, but nobody will believe what she wants to say saying anything will only sound as if she’s trying to hide her daughter’s fault or depend her.
*****
Hajiya sought an opportunity to speak to Usman over his marital life, she could see that clearly how he’s turning his relationship with Sa’ada into indifferent, she wondered why he quarrels almost every day with Sa’ada, after all he chooses her himself. She can’t keep watching her son domestic struggle turning to indifferent is not good to a marriage.
Her chance to speak to him come, one evening when Usman come to visit her on Friday, she did not want make it parents lecture, an informal chat would do more she thought.
“Are you still searching for Zainaba?” she asked after he greated her
“Yes but things are just like yesterday” he replied.
“We need to keep praying” Hajiya replied with care.
“How was your wife I thought you are coming together?” Hajiya asked again.
“No she’s at home making faces.”
“About what Hajiya” asked.
“I just don’t know, she’s always like this, she is the kind of woman that keep complaining over everything.”
Hajiya smiled “you must be mistaken but all women are like this.”
“Zainab excluded” he mumbled.
Hmmm Hajiya smiled “but you divorce her.”
“As I said women are all like Sa’adatu, what you must never do is turn your back on your wife, if you do so she will never learn your ways nor hers, It’s not getting very hot each time you quarrel, think of her as Amira yes think of her as a little girl needing constant correction, when baby annoys us, we don’t carry the anger on us all day do you?, Treat her the same thing after all you are several years older than she is.”
She snapped a little before she continued, “You can see how you are regretting mistreating your ex wife, and how you are missing her, and inculpating yourself, you need to be cautious, the same thing might happen, if you keep living like this, once you break up with Sa’ada the guilt will surely make you suffer.”
“Stop blaming her or yourself on what happened, life is all about next steps, you need to move on, am not saying you should stop looking for Zainaba or loving her, but know that life always goes on with or without people we value, please treat Sa’a like a woman u chose.