She panicked and hid behind Meemah, crying. He grabbed her roughly, his eyes red with anger, and said,
“Stupid girl! I swear if you don’t tell me who got you pregnant, I will almost kill you in this house—and we will abort it since it’s an illegitimate pregnancy!”
She kept crying, unable to speak. Mama said,
“Mansoor, take it easy. She will tell you who it is. But the way you’re attacking her now, you won’t hear anything from her.”
He couldn’t calm down. He continued shouting and dragging her.
“Why did you do this to me? Meerah, tell me who he is—I will stand by you in court. Why didn’t you tell me what you were going through? You know I love you, so why would you do this to me? What did I do to you that you would hurt my heart like this, Meerah?”
By now Meemah was crying too, seeing how Meerah looked like she might collapse. Her face turned red from crying as he squeezed her hand harder, making her scream louder.
“Mansoor, you’re hurting her!” Mama said, unable to move from where she stood.
He stared at Meerah, breathing heavily.
“She hasn’t even felt the kind of pain I’m feeling. And this pain will never leave my heart.”
Yasmeen noticed the way he was holding her arm.
“Brother, you’re hurting her!”
Quickly, Meemah knelt before him, joining her hands together.
“I’m begging you, please leave her.”
“Who got you pregnant? I’m asking you—who got you pregnant?!” he shouted.
She cried harder, holding the hand that gripped her. Her voice was hoarse from crying.
“Al… Al…”
“I swear, if you don’t tell me who the father is, you and happiness will go separate ways!”
Angrily, Meemah stood between them and pulled Meerah from his grip.
“Who are you to deny her happiness?! For ten years without parents she was still happy, and now you want to stop her? Didn’t you hear that destiny can happen to anyone?!”
“Meemah, you’re saying this to me?”
“For my sister, there’s nothing I won’t do—not even for you or anyone who touches her.”
He shook his head, looking at Meerah kneeling and crying with her head bowed.
“Meerah…” he called in a voice hard to describe.
She couldn’t lift her head.
“Look up and tell me who got you pregnant. I’ll stand by you and fight for your rights.”
Mama said, “Mansoor, let the matter rest for now.”
He shouted, “Why should it rest when I’m not resting?! She’s carrying an illegitimate pregnancy and you say let it rest? I can’t!”
He grabbed her again and she screamed loudly. Suddenly, Meemah bit his hand. He released Meerah, who collapsed to the ground unconscious.
Yasmeen rushed to her, patting her face. Mama brought cold water and splashed it on her face. After about three tries, she gasped and said,
“Oh God, take my life. With this kind of distress, death is better…”
Meemah hugged her tightly.
“Don’t say that.”
Seeing he couldn’t control himself, Mansoor stormed out of the living room.
Yasmeen and Meemah helped her to their room. She fell on the bed and cried again. Soon all of them were crying, none able to comfort the other.
Suddenly, like someone startled, she stood up weakly as if about to faint. Meemah quickly held her.
“Where are you going?”
She didn’t answer. She went to her box, opened it, took out her phone, switched it on, and with teary eyes dialed the number saved as Best Choice.
He was asleep on his bed when his phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, he answered.
Her crying voice filled his ears.
“You wronged me. I will never forgive you in this world or the next. May God repay you for what you did to me. Just as you’ve made me cry, you too will cry, In Sha Allah.”
She ended the call in tears.
He didn’t move until she hung up. Then he sat up and called back.
Yasmeen looked at Meerah.
“So you know who got you pregnant?”
The phone rang again. Meemah quickly answered.
His voice trembled.
“What did I do to you for you to wish me such evil?”
“It’s not her.”
“Who has the phone?” he asked, getting off the bed. He could hear her crying, and it deeply unsettled him.
“Meeyah! What happened to you?”
“She’s pregnant,” Meemah said and ended the call.
He dropped the phone to the floor.
“Pregnant…” he whispered.
He rushed out to the compound, calling Alex.
“Book a flight to Nigeria now!” he said frantically.
“Sir, the earliest is tomorrow morning. It’s already 12 midnight.”
“However you do it, tomorrow morning I must be there.”
He went back inside and tried calling her again, but she didn’t answer.
---
The next morning, he and Alex boarded an early flight. By 10 a.m. they landed in Abuja and immediately took another flight to Kaduna.
Meanwhile, Meerah had not left her room all day. Since dawn she remained on her prayer mat.
Meemah came in again.
“Don’t harm what’s inside you, Meerah. It doesn’t know anything. Have mercy on it. At least eat something.”
“I won’t eat. Leave me alone,” she said, tears falling.
Yasmeen added, “Please think of the baby.”
“I’m going to abort it,” she said.
Suddenly, a male voice thundered behind them.
“What pregnancy are you aborting?”
She jumped up in fear. He was standing there in a coffee-colored jalabiya, his face stern.
“What pregnancy are you aborting, Meeyah?”
“The illegitimate one,” she said, staring into his eyes.
“If you try it, you’ll answer to me,” he said.
Meemah explained she was reacting to his perfume smell.
He moved closer.
“Where’s the necklace I gave you?”
She rolled her eyes. He shouted.
“I kept it,” she replied quickly.
He grabbed her hand and dragged her out. Meemah tried to stop him, begging him to leave her life.
He simply said, “I understand,” and walked out holding her hand.
In the living room, Mansoor and Mama were shocked.
“Bobo, what am I seeing? When did you enter the country?” Mansoor asked.
Without looking at him, he tried to leave with her. Mansoor grabbed her other hand. They both pulled her until she cried,
“Leave me!”
He said firmly, “Man, she’s not yours.”
Mansoor realized.
“So you’re the one who got her pregnant?”
“And if I did?” he replied.
Mansoor punched him. Blood burst from his lip. He punched back. The fight escalated until Meerah stood between them, begging them to stop.
Mama scolded them.
“You’ve been friends for twenty-nine years and never fought. Now it’s over a woman?”
He declared loudly,
“Yes, I got her pregnant. And she will give birth to my child, and you’ll watch him grow. There’s nothing you can do.”
Finally, he took her hand and left, declaring,
“From today, you and tears are separate. In Sha Allah, Mrs. Alyan.”
They drove to his family house. She cried the whole way.
When they entered, his mother saw him.
“My son?!”
She was shocked, especially when she saw the blood on his lip.
“What’s going on?”
Finally he said quietly,
“Ammy… she’s pregnant. And it’s mine.”
Two loud slaps echoed in the room.
Laylerh gasped in shock.
Meerah collapsed to her knees, crying, her hand on her cheek.
She panicked and hid behind Meemah, crying. He grabbed her roughly, his eyes red with anger, and said,
“Stupid girl! I swear if you don’t tell me who got you pregnant, I will almost kill you in this house—and we will abort it since it’s an illegitimate pregnancy!”
She kept crying, unable to speak. Mama said,
“Mansoor, take it easy. She will tell you who it is. But the way you’re attacking her now, you won’t hear anything from her.”
He couldn’t calm down. He continued shouting and dragging her.
“Why did you do this to me? Meerah, tell me who he is—I will stand by you in court. Why didn’t you tell me what you were going through? You know I love you, so why would you do this to me? What did I do to you that you would hurt my heart like this, Meerah?”
By now Meemah was crying too, seeing how Meerah looked like she might collapse. Her face turned red from crying as he squeezed her hand harder, making her scream louder.
“Mansoor, you’re hurting her!” Mama said, unable to move from where she stood.
He stared at Meerah, breathing heavily.
“She hasn’t even felt the kind of pain I’m feeling. And this pain will never leave my heart.”
Yasmeen noticed the way he was holding her arm.
“Brother, you’re hurting her!”
Quickly, Meemah knelt before him, joining her hands together.
“I’m begging you, please leave her.”
“Who got you pregnant? I’m asking you—who got you pregnant?!” he shouted.
She cried harder, holding the hand that gripped her. Her voice was hoarse from crying.
“Al… Al…”
“I swear, if you don’t tell me who the father is, you and happiness will go separate ways!”
Angrily, Meemah stood between them and pulled Meerah from his grip.
“Who are you to deny her happiness?! For ten years without parents she was still happy, and now you want to stop her? Didn’t you hear that destiny can happen to anyone?!”
“Meemah, you’re saying this to me?”
“For my sister, there’s nothing I won’t do—not even for you or anyone who touches her.”
He shook his head, looking at Meerah kneeling and crying with her head bowed.
“Meerah…” he called in a voice hard to describe.
She couldn’t lift her head.
“Look up and tell me who got you pregnant. I’ll stand by you and fight for your rights.”
Mama said, “Mansoor, let the matter rest for now.”
He shouted, “Why should it rest when I’m not resting?! She’s carrying an illegitimate pregnancy and you say let it rest? I can’t!”
He grabbed her again and she screamed loudly. Suddenly, Meemah bit his hand. He released Meerah, who collapsed to the ground unconscious.
Yasmeen rushed to her, patting her face. Mama brought cold water and splashed it on her face. After about three tries, she gasped and said,
“Oh God, take my life. With this kind of distress, death is better…”
Meemah hugged her tightly.
“Don’t say that.”
Seeing he couldn’t control himself, Mansoor stormed out of the living room.
Yasmeen and Meemah helped her to their room. She fell on the bed and cried again. Soon all of them were crying, none able to comfort the other.
Suddenly, like someone startled, she stood up weakly as if about to faint. Meemah quickly held her.
“Where are you going?”
She didn’t answer. She went to her box, opened it, took out her phone, switched it on, and with teary eyes dialed the number saved as Best Choice.
He was asleep on his bed when his phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, he answered.
Her crying voice filled his ears.
“You wronged me. I will never forgive you in this world or the next. May God repay you for what you did to me. Just as you’ve made me cry, you too will cry, In Sha Allah.”
She ended the call in tears.
He didn’t move until she hung up. Then he sat up and called back.
Yasmeen looked at Meerah.
“So you know who got you pregnant?”
The phone rang again. Meemah quickly answered.
His voice trembled.
“What did I do to you for you to wish me such evil?”
“It’s not her.”
“Who has the phone?” he asked, getting off the bed. He could hear her crying, and it deeply unsettled him.
“Meeyah! What happened to you?”
“She’s pregnant,” Meemah said and ended the call.
He dropped the phone to the floor.
“Pregnant…” he whispered.
He rushed out to the compound, calling Alex.
“Book a flight to Nigeria now!” he said frantically.
“Sir, the earliest is tomorrow morning. It’s already 12 midnight.”
“However you do it, tomorrow morning I must be there.”
He went back inside and tried calling her again, but she didn’t answer.
---
The next morning, he and Alex boarded an early flight. By 10 a.m. they landed in Abuja and immediately took another flight to Kaduna.
Meanwhile, Meerah had not left her room all day. Since dawn she remained on her prayer mat.
Meemah came in again.
“Don’t harm what’s inside you, Meerah. It doesn’t know anything. Have mercy on it. At least eat something.”
“I won’t eat. Leave me alone,” she said, tears falling.
Yasmeen added, “Please think of the baby.”
“I’m going to abort it,” she said.
Suddenly, a male voice thundered behind them.
“What pregnancy are you aborting?”
She jumped up in fear. He was standing there in a coffee-colored jalabiya, his face stern.
“What pregnancy are you aborting, Meeyah?”
“The illegitimate one,” she said, staring into his eyes.
“If you try it, you’ll answer to me,” he said.
Meemah explained she was reacting to his perfume smell.
He moved closer.
“Where’s the necklace I gave you?”
She rolled her eyes. He shouted.
“I kept it,” she replied quickly.
He grabbed her hand and dragged her out. Meemah tried to stop him, begging him to leave her life.
He simply said, “I understand,” and walked out holding her hand.
In the living room, Mansoor and Mama were shocked.
“Bobo, what am I seeing? When did you enter the country?” Mansoor asked.
Without looking at him, he tried to leave with her. Mansoor grabbed her other hand. They both pulled her until she cried,
“Leave me!”
He said firmly, “Man, she’s not yours.”
Mansoor realized.
“So you’re the one who got her pregnant?”
“And if I did?” he replied.
Mansoor punched him. Blood burst from his lip. He punched back. The fight escalated until Meerah stood between them, begging them to stop.
Mama scolded them.
“You’ve been friends for twenty-nine years and never fought. Now it’s over a woman?”
He declared loudly,
“Yes, I got her pregnant. And she will give birth to my child, and you’ll watch him grow. There’s nothing you can do.”
Finally, he took her hand and left, declaring,
“From today, you and tears are separate. In Sha Allah, Mrs. Alyan.”
They drove to his family house. She cried the whole way.
When they entered, his mother saw him.
“My son?!”
She was shocked, especially when she saw the blood on his lip.
“What’s going on?”
Finally he said quietly,
“Ammy… she’s pregnant. And it’s mine.”
Two loud slaps echoed in the room.
Laylerh gasped in shock.
Meerah collapsed to her knees, crying, her hand on her cheek.