Misfortunate (Completed)

Fifty Six: Togo

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I breathed in the scent of the ocean, pushed up my sunglasses and just basked in the joy of being next to the crashing waves. The water foamed near my feet as the waves crashed over and over at the beach where I stood.

"Enjoying yourself?" I turned to smile at Ma. She suggested were come here before my wedding and I totally agree with her, it's the best decision I could have made. It's so peaceful and just what I needed to unwind from all the troubles of the ongoing court cases, reporters camped outside my house not knowing I've not been living there for months now, but successfully disturbing Iyamé's peace and quiet. They want to hear my thoughts on Abdul's sentencing that is happening tomorrow, so I flew to Lagos, got in a car with Ma and drove to the border where we took a flight to Togo.

"I am. Ma, Thank you for bringing me. Togo is beautiful." If this was a text, I'd have found that kissy emoji but it's real life so I leaned forward and kissed Ma on her cheek. She playfully rubbed on her cheek and asked why I never stop slobbering on her cheek.

"Who else has the right? Your cheeks are mine, your whole face is mine to be slobbered on." Her laugh was unstoppable and she put her hands on her face, I know what that means. 'You this child, I can't with you.'

"I've heard you." She said, her laugh dying a little seeing that I was poised, ready to tickle her. I steadied myself and turned around to walk back to the beach chairs placed just ahead, white pristine chairs that had our towels and fluffy pillows put on them to aid good sleep, wonder who wants to fall asleep in this heat though.

I lay on the chair but took out my SPF fifty sunscreen, slathering it on my exposed skin. Ma arrived as I dusted my feet with a tissue paper to add sunscreen on it so I handed her the sunscreen. I adjusted my sunglasses and laid back down on the flop down chair to watch the fishermen in the very far distance throw their nets into the water and wait for the fish.

Ma finished and handed me the sunscreen tube so I placed it in the beach bag I brought with us to the water. I heard footsteps and it was the waitress who brought us here an hour ago coming with a platter of fruit and straws jotting out of a swaying liquid in glass tumblers. When she reached us, I got up to help her steady the tray, she had slipped on one of the rocks close by and nearly everything on her tray tilted.

"Thank you ma'am." I nodded at her and let her set the tray between Ma and I. Immediately she turned her back and left, I took a glass of what smelled like pineapple drink and took a dainty sip. I found Ma watching me intently with such soft emotions in her eyes, I swallowed my drink and asked her "What?"

She smiled, ruefully so.

"I'm so glad you're safe and happy. I used to be so worried, my only solace at some point was, you knew you had to leave. Then I watched that idiot throw you over the fence? I nearly lost it all. Alhamdulillah though, Alhamdulillah for you. Alhamdulillah for Allah's Rahama and Noor over your life." I bit my lower lip to stop my already souring nose from calling tears. This holiday is for enjoying myself to the max with my Ma, not for tearful reminiscing.

"Ma." I called. Trying to stop her. She shakes her head taking a paper serviette to press against her eyes. I handed her a watermelon juice and she took a sip.

"Before your Kawu died, in the week before he died, he would randomly remember you, make a Dua for me for accepting to raise you, for giving him the opportunity to be a father. He was proud of you, he said that everyday." I set down my glass and walked around the chairs to her side. I took her hands when I reached her, took the glass from her and hugged her. The hug conveyed my feelings. My appreciation, my love, my heart. All of it was in that one embrace. I don't want to say the words, I want my actions to convey more.

"I love you Ma. I love you so much." She nodded in my arms and it took all my willpower not to cry. May Allah bless those who take in Orphans, treat them well and raise them to be good members of society.

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"How did your day go?" I asked while I toweled off my hair that I washed. Ma and I had swum earlier in the penthouse pool, I shampooed my hair to get the chlorine out, since I got in the water without a cap.

"Finally finished drilling the boys in my battalion in preparation for a presidential check on Monday. I'm so tired." I laughed, trying to picture Sa'ad telling his colleagues to stand properly or have a better stance, it pulled more laughter from me.

"I hope you wore a hat? Or wore sunscreen?" He scoffed and I shook my head. "It's okay, when we're fifty you'll be looking seventy while I'll be looking thirty. Don't complain then oo." He began to laugh, making me laugh too.

"I know what worries you. You're afraid that I'm not going to be as handsome as you remember? Don't worry I'm not that old yet. Besides that sunscreen makes me sweat so much." I rolled my eyes and found a place to perch my bottom while I plugged in the steam cap.

"How's Layla?" I asked when I finally got the steam cap over my head with much difficulty. It's a little hard to use a hair dryer while making a call so I settled for a steam cap.

"They dragged me to taste the mocktails and fruit juices to be served on our wedding dinner today. I went in my uniform and I think I scarred the woman who makes the drinks because she opened the door to us and was scared." I laughed. Imagining Sa'ad's size, he is tall and fit with wide shoulders and all the works.

"She asked first, 'Is everything okay?'. Falmata said it was good when we left there." I stopped laughing and asked why?.

" According to her, the woman won't flop, she knows that the groom is an army officer." I put down my phone and laughed go my heart's content, tears streaming from my eyes and a light cough developed in my chest from it.

"Be careful." He cautioned when I put my phone back to my ear. I hummed and asked him if he had eaten. Sa'ad doesn't ever eat, always having little bites of everything. His body mostly runs on sugary drinks and fruits.

"I had noodles. Too tired to stomach anything else." I sighed at his words and he knew what was to come, so he quickly clarified. "Labeebah, it's far too late to eat anything more, I'll just be punishing my stomach. Okay?" I pouted and agreed. It's true.

"Those reporters are still camped outside your house oo. Ma'mun passed by there today on his way to work." I hissed and removed the cap from my head, feeling some of my hair dry. I resolved to use the dryer after the call.

"They can stay there. There are better things for them to cover but it's my gist they decided to wait for. Them go wait tire, they'll hear nothing from me." He exhaled, the sound of urgent air leaving his mouth travelled over the phone to my ears.

"Really, they should mind their business. The state sued him, not you. You weren't even on the witness stand once." That's not very true though, I attended proceedings online, my video camera was blocked and only an audio recording of me replying questions played in the courtroom. Even the carpenter who helped me change the locks to my room after my return from shooting Queen Amina was called as a witness, Rabiah went in too as she was there while I found out that Amal and Abdul, the thieving husband and wife had burgled my room.

"There was a time in my life when I wanted him to suffer, but now I've found out that even feeling like that drained me more than ever so I left him for God and those in charge to deal with him. Didn't take long and here we are." Sa'ad hummed and said something that I thought about long after I ended the call.

"I said to myself that my lifelong commitment as your husband is to make life easy for you. Nothing more nothing less. Nothing is going to make me ever put you through any sort of stress and may Allah help me." His words fueled something in a part of me, such that I sat there in my room with my semi dry hair wondering how I got to know such a miracle. From just passing by him at a checkpoint to getting ready to marry him, if feels like a mirage.

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