Marriage Transaction.

Interaction 10: Changing!

We finally ordered our food and handed back our menus to the waiter.
"So? You want to get a new house?" Sadiq asks me.

Sadiq and I have been friends since we were children, he knows about my wife and Illyasu situation.
"Of course! My daughter can't stay in that filthy house" I say back.

"She was created in that house" he says back.

I frown.
I knew Illyasu and Fatima have been having an affair but I was hurt to find out she cared so little about our daughter that she was willing to let a man she knows deals with drugs to take care of a little baby. Honestly, my biggest fear is the thought that she might not be mine in the first place, who knows how long they have been sleeping together? Oh Lord!

"That girl is yours"
I look at him, it was like he read my mind.

"How are you so sure?" I ask him.

"That girl is your exact replica. The only thing that you can pinpoint she got from her mother is her hair and nothing else. She even has your fingers" he says.

I look at my fingers and smile.
"She does" I admit, it always makes me smile whenever I cut her finger nails.

The waiter keeps our food and walks away.
"Anyway! What is going on at work?" I ask him regretting copying his order, I don't really like eating fish in public.

"Well apart from the fact that Illyasu's face is grotesquely swollen?" He asks with a smirk.

"What?" I ask.

"Don't worry. His firm came over to our office. Turns out a man sued our boss for money laundering"

I burst out laughing.
"No surprise there"

"Nonsense! Anyway what kind of house are you looking for?" He asks.
"A house that won't make it seem like I want to encroach on her privacy"

"I got you covered. Just show up with your wife tomorrow at the location I'll send you"

"I'll think about it" I say playfully.
"Think about it? When you're sleeping on the streets?" He jokes.

::

She hugs her tightly.
"I haven't seen my baby girl in a long time" Mama Aisha tells her granddaughter.

Mama Aisha is my late wife's mother and Ihsan's grandmother, despite Fatima's infidelity I still want her close to her maternal relatives.

"Sorry I couldn't bring her earlier. She was busy with school. Infact today is their open day we came from their school. I thought maybe she should spend Thursday night, Friday and Saturday here with you and her cousins. To enjoy her midterm break"

"Haba Abdul, you're her father I wouldn't dare question your decisions on your daughter"

"I should go I have a lot to do" I say getting up.
She turns and notices Ihsan isn't in the living room anymore.

"She is already inside playing with her cousins" she smiles.

"Yeah! I'll see you on Sunday then"

"Abdul!" She calls me.
I turn around and look at her.

"I hope you have forgiven our Fatima for her stupid mistakes" she says with pleading eyes.

"I have"

"Thank you so much, you're a good man".

I smile and walk out.
I lied.
At first I forgave her but after hearing what that stupid moron had to say I'm not so sure I have.

::