Jidderh (On Going)

chapter 32

Once we reached Hajjiya Rukaiya's house, she sat me down and asked me about what she had heard. I wanted to hide, but I had no choice but to tell her everything. I could see sympathy on her face, and she told me to go and rest in my room. As I left for my room, I left her with Naima.

"Since we will soon start our WAEC and NECO, why don't you register for her so that we can write together?" Naima suggested happily.

"Yeah, you're right. I will register her. When does the registration start?" Hajjiya Rukaiya asked.

"In 1 week," Naima replied.

"I will talk to Umar to go and register both of you before he leaves, and you need a home lesson teacher," Hajjiya Rukaiya said.

"Thanks, Ammi," Naima happily thanked her.

"You're welcome, darling. Let me go and rest," she said, standing up and heading upstairs.

Just then Umar walked in, finding Naima watching Tv

" welcome ya umar" naima said as she glanced in his direction, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Thanks , I thought you went to spend some days with Jidderh,"  Umar replied, taking a seat with a grin.

"Hmm, you don't know what happened," Naima said, teasingly dramatic in her delivery.

"Enlighten me," Umar said, pretending not to be already aware of the situation.

Naima went on to narrate everything, recounting her confrontation with Ya Moh and her decision to involve Ammi. "So, you're the one who told Ammi," Umar teased, raising an eyebrow.

Naima nodded, a mischievous smile creeping across her face. "I won't allow Ya Moh to threaten Jidderh that way," she insisted, her eyes sparkling with determination.

Umar chuckled and Naima quickly shifted the conversation to the upcoming WAEC registration. He promised to take care of it the next day before excusing himself and heading to his room.

Meanwhile, Muhammad was lost in thought as he lay on the sofa. The ringing of his phone jolted him back to reality as he answered the call. "What's up?" he greeted.

"So, it was all Naima's plan. She just finished telling me everything. Come and apologize so that you can take your wife back," Umar suggested.

"I will, but not today, not tomorrow," Muhammad replied cryptically.

"Bashir, let go of your ego," Umar warned him.

"I will, man," Muhammad said, his voice tinged with determination.

"Anyways, I'm going to register both Naima and Jidderh for the upcoming WAEC and NECO," Umar announced confidently.

"Okay, I'll come when she's done with her exams. I don't want to distract her, you get me?" he emphasized, making his point clear.

"Alright then, as you say," they bid each other farewell, the conversation coming to an end.

Days were flying by, and it had been a month since Ammi took Jidderh. Muhammad's mind was filled with thoughts, his troubled feelings consuming him. Whether he was at work or at home, Jidderh was all he could think about, and it was taking a toll on him.

"I need to make things right. Maybe I don't even love her," he muttered to himself, grappling with his own conflicted emotions.

"Or maybe you don't want to accept it," his subconscious prodded at his self-denial.

Finally, Muhammad made the decision to go and check on Jidderh. The house felt too big and empty without her, and he couldn't ignore the longing to see her. After getting dressed in a striking outfit, he stood in front of the mirror, mustering up the courage to face Jidderh. After clearing his throat and grabbing his phone and car keys, he headed downstairs. He locked the door behind him and hopped into his luxurious Benz, igniting the engine and driving straight to their house, determined to bridge the distance that had grown between them.