I AM ABLE

🌸 Bonus Chapter 1 🌸

F A T I M A H

...

With my heart beating fastly, all I could think of was my father, he had died few weeks ago. The doctors said it was stroke, but I believed time played it role because my father had the best physicians here as his personal doctors and was always taking his health real serious.

"Fatimah, be strong!" Qudrah whispered into my right ear, she was sitting by my right side. "It is his time and we can't change that, dear"

"I know" I sniffed, wiping off the moist in my eyes. "It is just painful, you know? That's it!"

"Yes I know, but take it easy because you are pregnant" She said, gently rubbing my back.

"Okay, okay!" I muttered and sniffed again.

We were in my former room at my father's house together with Munir's wife, Khadijah. She was observing her Isha prayer while her last born, Barirah, was crawling around and playing with things, she was ten months old.

"Bismillah..." Qudrah said as she withdrew from the bed we both sat on while swiping through her phone. "My hubby has arrived"

"Okay!" I huffed. Actually, she had married a lecturer she knew back then at Zulu College. He was pretty much older than her but they both loved each, their son senior my Raliyah with a year and half. He would soon clock 6!

"No need to escort me, Fatimah" She uttered.

"I have to" I said withdrawing to my feet. "At least to the gate, I am also expecting Yusuf!"

"Alright then" She said.

Hence, I searched for my Hijab and put it on. "Is my bump showing that much?" I queried.

"Yes, it is seven months after all" She replied and continued. "Don't you want it to be seen?"

"No, I was only asking that's all!" I muttered.

"Okay, madam" She smiled.

And that was how we left the room and went downstairs. There were a lot of people in the living room and majority of them happened to be our relatives from across the country, they greeted me and I humbly replied them. Hence, Qudrah and I headed out to the gate, and just as we were outside her husband horned at us and stepped out of his car. He greeted me, and thus they drove off. He was a wonderful man.

"Where are you please??" I texted Yusuf. He'd promised to come after Isha but I couldn't see him, perhaps it was the Minna evening traffic.

"Already in your quarters" He texted back.

"Okay, drive carefully" I texted him again.

"Alright, my love" He texted back.

And since he wasn't that far, I thought of waiting for him. Yes, that would save me the walk from the mansion after all I was getting much heavier day by day. "Ya Salam!" I sighed as I headed into the gate, I was already tired of standing. "This pregnancy is something else, maybe I should just go back inside" I thought. And as I began walking back to the mansion, the sound of accelerations made me to stop. Actually, that was Yusuf's new generation Mercedes Benz, he loved changing his cars. "Open the gate!" I ordered the gateman, thus he did and Yusuf gently drove in and parked in the parking lot. And with one of my arms akimbo - balancing my bump, I walked to him. "Good evening, sir" I greeted him as he gently alighted from the car holding a nylon.

"Evening, my love" He said shutting the door. And before I knew it, he walked over to me and kissed me on my lips. "Sorry for my late arrival, it was the evening traffic wallahi..."

"I know" I cut in and continued. "How... are you, Farzana, and our kids? I missed them"

"Fine, Alhamdulillah. They missed you too!" He said and then looked down at my bump. "How's the baby, hope it isn't stressing you?"

"It is, Baban kids" I heaved a sigh. "I'm eager wallahi to give birth to it because I am tired"

"Don't worry, it just remain two months" He held my hand. "How is mum? Hope she's..."

"She needs some space" I said as we started walking towards the mansion. "Every little time she saw me she would end up in tears"

"Yes, that's because you reminds her of her husband. You are the bond between them, seeing you will always remind her of him. That's just how it is, my love" He hummed.

"I will follow you back home tomorrow" I uttered and continued. "I want her safe!"

"Alright, Allah Ya kaimu" He said.

"Ameen" I replied. "What's in that nylon?"

"Junks" He responded. "For you!"

"Thanks" I smiled. "Are there Candy and..."

"Even KitKats and cakes are inside" He said.

"Nice" I said as we walked into the mansion.

*******

I escorted him to my mother's room, and just after the greetings he told me he would sleep over as we headed out of the room. "And our kids, who will take care of them?!" I queried.

"Farzana" He said making me to sigh.

"Fine then, come with me" I held his hand.

"Where are you taking me to?" He asked.

"To one of the guest rooms!" I responded.

"But, how about your room?" He asked.

"Already occupied, I am sleeping there with Munir's wife and her little baby" I muttered.

"Hmm!" He sighed.

Immediately we were in the guest room he refused to let me out. I tried but he was the stubborn type, so I succumbed to his wish. After all, I also needed his warmth. "I love twix but you did not buy it!" I complained while eating the junks he brought for me.

"Tomorrow we will get twix" He said.

"No, I want it today and now!" I whined.

"Fatimah, please..."

"Yusuf, I am not joking!" I squealed.

"Is it because I force you to stay?" He said.

"What do you think?" I rolled my eyes.

"Hmm" He sighed as he withdrew from the bed. "Put your hijab, let's go and buy twix!"

"Ain't you going alone?" I wrinkled a brow.

"So that you will run to your room?" He said.

"No, wallahi I won't..."

"Stand up, lets go" He said collecting all the junks in my hands. "The earlier we go, the better. Ba twix kike so ba, zaki samu yanzu"

"Yusuf, I was only joking" I gulped hard.

"Joking? I don't think so!" He said.

And that was how he forced both of us out, and while he drive with left hand he placed his right hand on my bump while beaming.

"You didn't let me finish those things" I said.

"You will finish them if we rerun" He said.

And after buying a packet of twix from TYK supermarket, he drove us back home. I had only ate three when I started feeling sleepy. Hence, both him and I retired for the night.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Here is your first Bonus!

Now you've known about Qudrah's marriage. And to those asking about Adnan, you might hear from him real soon. Condolences to our Fatimah Bulama for her father's recent death.