They sat together in the cozy parlor, engrossed in a movie. Zainaba rested her head on Usman’s thighs, enjoying the comforting touch of his fingers running through her soft hair. As she looked up at him, she realized their food was almost ready, and she voiced her concern.
“D, our food is almost finished. I think we only have rice, nothing more,” she said, a hint of worry in her voice.
He snapped, “For now, I don’t have money. We need to manage.”
Ok then she smiled and say “Okay, then what’s that I’m smelling?” She asked curiously
“It’s the food! I forgot about it. Your head on me took away my attention. Let me go and check,” he said, gently removing her head from his lap and rushing to the kitchen.
He returned with a platter of food, relief washing over him. “Thank God, it didn’t burn,” he said with a smile, placing the food before Zainaba. “Try it before it gets cold,” he added, grinning mischievously.
However, as she prepared to take a bite, her appetite suddenly disappeared. The aroma of the food had turned unpleasant, and she quickly rose, covering her nose and mouth with her palm, and hurried to the bathroom. Usman followed, concerned.
By the time he reached her in the bathroom, she was already vomiting. His fear grew, and he anxiously asked, “Are you sick? Why did you hide it?”
Zainaba tried to reassure him, her face still wearing a smile. “Calm down, it’s nothing serious,” she said after washing her face.
“How can you say it’s nothing serious when I saw you vomiting?” his voice trembled with worry. “Let’s go to the hospital. You need to see a doctor,” he insisted.
“But you don’t have money…”
“Please don’t say anything. We need to go now,” he interrupted, determined to take care of her no matter the cost.
After following the doctor’s instructions and undergoing some tests, they returned to the doctor’s office. Usman, unable to contain his anger, couldn’t let the doctor speak.
“Are you really a doctor? How can you smile when you have a patient in front of you?” Usman’s annoyance was evident.
The doctor apologized softly, “I’m sorry, sir. Her illness isn’t something to panic about.” He took a deep breath. “She’s in her first trimester. Morning sickness isn’t something serious,” the doctor explained.
“Did I just hear first trimester? Did you mean I’m going to be a father soon?” Usman’s happiness overflowed, his expression radiant.
The doctor confirmed, “Quite sure you heard me right.”
Usman joyfully scooped Zainaba into his arms, overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you, dear, for making me a dad. Thank you for being my woman,” he whispered, his heart brimming with love.
Zainaba, aware of the doctor’s presence, whispered in his ear, “The doctor is watching. Can you put me down?” Usman glanced at the doctor, his smile widening, before gently placing her back on her feet. They left the doctor’s office with prescriptions and valuable advice.
Usman took great care of her, not letting her do any household chores. He cherished every moment of her pregnancy and eagerly anticipated becoming a father. He asked Sa’ada to come and assist Zainaba at their house since he was busy, wanting to ensure she didn’t suffer in his absence. Sa’ada’s frequent visits brought them closer than before.
On this particular day, Zainaba sat in the living room, engrossed in her book, while Usman was in the kitchen, frying eggs for her. She had been craving them since morning, and with Sa’ada at work, she had no choice but to ask Usman for help. Despite being occupied with his work, he immediately rushed home upon receiving her call.
As Zainaba rose to collect the plate of fried eggs, Usman stopped her. “Don’t tell me you’re carrying me like you always did. I’m too heavy now. You better not do that,” she teased, a smile adorning her face.
He didn’t utter a word. Instead, he bent down and placed his ear on her protruding belly. “My baby, is your mom heavy?” he asked playfully. Zainaba smiled and shook her head.
“I knew it. She isn’t,” he declared. “You see, my baby said that you aren’t heavy.” He straightened up, his eyes filled with affection.
Zainaba turned around, a playful glint in her eyes. “Okay, I’m not heavy, but let me walk myself. Didn’t you forget what the doctor said? I need to keep exercising, but you never let me.”
“Okay, then let’s go,” he replied, extending his hand towards her. Zainaba reciprocated and held his hand firmly. He gave her a tender kiss and, unexpectedly, lifted her into his arms. She couldn’t help but smile, leaning on his strong embrace.
Gently settling her into a dining chair, Usman began feeding her, treating her with utmost care, as if she were a precious child.
Their blissful family life took a turn when Zainaba entered her last trimester. With little time for anything else besides her daily prayers, she struggled to even find a moment to pray for her husband. Meanwhile, Usman’s old habits of going to clubs and drinking started to resurface, overshadowing the positive changes he had made. At first, Zainaba didn’t notice the gradual shift in his behavior, but as things worsened, she couldn’t ignore it any longer.
Usman began leaving home early in the morning and returning late at night, sometimes even after three days, often in a drunken state. However, Zainaba, preoccupied with her pregnancy and her studies for FCE Kano, remained oblivious to his actions.
After giving birth to their daughter, Amatullah, named after Usman’s mother, they lovingly referred to her as Ummi. Despite Usman’s reversion to some of his old ways, he continued to care deeply for his wife and their daughter. He stepped up to help Zainaba with Ummi, especially during her tests and exams. Usman didn’t mind going against tradition and would eagerly give their daughter a piggyback ride, patiently waiting for his wife in front of the examination hall.
Yet, things took a darker turn when Zainaba became pregnant for the second time. Ummi had turned four, and Zainaba had completed her NCE, eagerly waiting for admission to BUK in Kano. The second pregnancy brought along new challenges she hate it for no reason when Usman try to touch, knowing that he is the type of person with strong desire make her want to endure everything but then she found herself struggling to cope. Despite her best efforts to accommodate Usman’s needs for her, she started to feel a growing aversion towards him. Gradually, patient became distant, and she began refusing Usman’s advances.
Usman tried his best to endure everything, but his patience wore thin. Intimacy became a source of frequent fights, as Zainaba believed he only cared about himself and sometimes resorted to forcing her despite her reluctance. Usman despised himself for resorting to such actions, but there were moments when he lost control.