Five
That was how Mama fed Aisha until she was satisfied. She helped her back on the bed before Nasir stood up as well. “Mama I'll go for ward rounds then we will leave,” Nasir said and Mama nodded before he walked out of the room.
Mama and Aisha sat silently in the room, with none of them able to utter a word. It was until after almost thirty minutes that looked at Aisha and smiled. “Aisha,” she called, and Aisha despite having the war between crying and not crying, she held her tears back and looked at Mama.
“Na'am, Mama.” She answered, her eyes getting filled with tears.
Mama sat on the bed and held her hands in hers, “I told you to take me as your mother, Aisha. I know I can never fill the place of your mother in your life, but I'll try to. Please say whatever it is that is eating you. Crying will only worsen the pain in your heart.”
Aisha let her tears rolled down successfully, she kept crying bitter, her voice getting choked with her own tears. “I have no use in this life anymore, Mama. They've ruined my life, completely.” She felt bad that she had lied to them about the actual thing that happened, but still, it was no lie. She was raped, not by her uncles, but by the five men that wanted to revenge on her Mommy.
Mama hugged her to her chest, “You should stop saying that, Aisha. There's nothing like non importance. You're still important, you still matter to the world. Don't you ever look down on yourself because of this. It's destined to happen in your life, but that can never define your self worth.”
Aisha nodded and she rested her head on Mama's shoulder. She wanted to call Mommy, to let her know that she was safe and out of bad hands. But she knew Mommy would trace that down because wherever she was, she was up the creek. And she had cried until her eyes hurt.
After a while Nasir walked into the room and found them like that. He cleared his throat and Mama turned to look at him. “Mama I'm done with everything, we should leave. I've already discharged Aisha. We can leave together so we drop her off at home.”
Aisha wasn't ready to face Mommy, and she had already told them she had no parents left. She wanted nothing to do with Mommy and what Jaafar did to her made her hated school at all. She wanted nothing anymore, she was so heartbroken beyond repair. Mama helped her down and she slipped into her slippers, she put on her hijab and they slowly walked out of the room.
They kept driving through bauchi until Nasir turned and looked at her, “Which area do you live, Aisha?” he asked, and she felt tears stinging the brick of her eyes. She knew he knew the area they first met, and he was driving towards that area.
“Please take me to the car park, I need to leave this town as soon as I can. They promised to kill me the moment they set their eyes on me.” Why is she doing this? She guessed one lie led to another. There was no way she was going to tell them she was lying about her parents and the reason she did that was because she found out her mother was a prostitute and the guys that raped her did that as a way of avenging on her mother. No, she had to go on with this, no matter how painful it will be. No matter what it will cost her.
Mama turned from the driver's seat and watched as Aisha cleared tears from her eyes. “Where are you going to, if we take you to the park?” She asked, for this girl had entered her heart with just one glance. She felt she can take the risk she was planning in her heart, no matter what will Baba say or do.
“I don't know where I'll head to. I'll just leave far away from Bauchi.” Aisha answered.
Mama turned to Nasir and he looked at her at the same time. He realized what she was thinking and he silently nodded his head for her. He had that thought too, it was only because he didn't want to say it first before her. “I'll take you home with me. As much as staying with your uncles is not safe, so as leaving this state to somewhere you don't know. Will you stay with me, Aisha? With us?”
Aisha felt a pang in her chest. What was happening in her life? What turn had she taken? What was going on? Can she leave Mommy while she didn't know where she was and live with a complete new family? They knew nothing about her, they only knew her hours ago. Can she take the risk? “Yes, Mama. Thank you so much. May Allah bless you abundantly.”
And it was a wrap. She watched as Nasir took a turn and he started driving to Tafawa Balewa. She watched as he made a halt in front of a huge humungous gate and the gate man opened it for them. She watched as Nasir and Mama got of the car before they motioned for her to get out too. She felt as her right leg marched on the marbled floor and she felt a wave of chilled air that made her shivered. She had a new home now, a new family. Did Mommy deserve what she did to her?
“Let's go in, Aisha. Walk slowly,” Mama said and she held Aisha's shoulders and guided her to the entrance door. For the second time, Aisha turned and she had her eyes merged together with Nasir's, as he flashed her a quick and soft smile.
They entered the living room and Aisha got amazed at what she saw. It was luxurious. Mama asked her to sit down on one of the lush and luxury sofas before she disappeared to where Aisha thought was the kitchen, because she came out holding a tray with a chilled drink and water.
“You have to take your medicines first, Aisha.” And she made sure Aisha had swallowed all the medicines Nasir prescribed for her before she looked at her with a smile.
“My name is Hajia Maryama. And my Husband's name is Alhaji Tijjani. I have a daughter, she's married in Katsina with a boy; Sudais. Her name is Nana Firdausi, but we call her Firdausi and sometimes Nans. Abba is older than Firdausi then Nasir. He's the last born, and you can call him Mama's boy.” She laughed, and Aisha chuckled as well.
“This is the little about my family. I now live alone, whenever Alhaji is not around I always call Nasir to chat away with. I don't have a maid, I cook for myself and clean my home. That's all about my family, Aisha.” Mama smiled warmly and stood up, she walked to the kitchen and came back again.
“I'll now show you to your room, I hope you won't mind, Firdausi used it before she got married.” Mama said and took Aisha's hand in hers, Aisha could only smile, but the tsunami of thoughts that was rummaging in her heart was all about Mommy and Mommy alone.
She loved the room at first glance, and she instantly missed her old room. “I love it, Mama. Jazakillahu bil jannah.” She said with a beautiful smile on her lips.
“I'll let you rest before it's time for salat, then I'll come back to wake you up for lunch.” As soon as she said that, she walked out of the room. Mama knew Baba would soon be back and she was so anxious and afraid of that. She brought Aisha home without his knowledge and she wasn't sure how he would take it.
Mommy was seated on her bed, crying her eyes out. She had been calling Aisha for all she could remember. Before she came back home yesterday, she thought Aisha wasn't picking her calls because of the exams, and when her phone got switched off, she thought she ran out of battery life. But the moment she came back home and found it empty, she felt a certain sinking in the depth of her stomach, something was surely not okay. Something had happened, but she couldn't point out what it was.
That night she went to all the places she had never visited with Aisha, but for the sake of searching, she did. But Aisha was no where to be found. This morning, as early as 7am she went to ATBU but she got the same story. The main gate guards said they saw when she drove of the school, and someone mentioned he saw her driving while she cried.
That got Mommy up the creek, and she was certain where ever Aisha was, Jaafar knew. As she sat on her bed crying her eyes out while she felt a certain tightness on her chest as she waited for her bestfriend, Halima to come. She rushed to side drawer and pulled out her diary. She began writing while painful tears were dripping non stop on the paper. “How can you leave me, Humaira? I can't lose you too. You all can't leave me alone in this cold and painful world.”
As soon as she put back the diary and stood up, Halima walked into her room. “Hajia Asiya, what happened? You said you haven't seen Aisha since yesterday?” Mommy made it clear to all her friends, that no one was allowed to call Aisha with the name 'Humaira' but only herself. Whoever knew her knew that rule.
“I didn't, Halima. And I'm sure it has to do with that lecturer of hers, he has to tell me where he takes Aisha to! Call the commissioner of police for me, he has to be investigated.” As they walked towards the parking lot, where Halima had parked her car, Mommy briefed her about all Aisha was telling her about Jaafar, and all Halima could do was to nod her head in affirmation.
They went to the police station and they were asked to wait until Jaafar was brought to the police station. Upon all their stay there, Mommy was crying bitterly. It was after 45 minutes that Jaafar was brought in by some police men, and he became motionless when he saw whom was seated before him.
She stood up, and the first thing he felt was a loud striking slap on both his cheeks, and she started talking before he could even feel the pain. He thought it was Aisha that told her all he said and she had him sacked by the police because of that, but he was wrong.
“Where is Humaira?! Tell me where did you take my daughter to?” She was crying real hard, and it was evident she didn't know about the information he told Aisha. But where is Aisha?!
He was asked by the police and all Jaafar could do was shake his head, “I don't know where she is, sir. I haven't seen her since yesterday.” Jaafar answered with a shaking voice, he was brought to his knees by the police men.
“I called her friend Safiyya, and she told me Humaira said she would wait for him until it was six pm. I called her when it was five pm yesterday and she told me she won't come back home until she sees you. You didn't allow her to write the exams. You were the last person Humaira saw yesterday, you must produce my daughter!”
“I know I last saw her around 6:30pm yesterday and we spoke for atleast thirty minutes before I left her there. I didn't know wether she drove back home or drove somewhere else.”
“DPO, you heard that for yourself? He saw Humaira last, and Humaira never goes out unless she tells me. She doesn't even go somewhere without me. Only school. He has to produce my daughter!” She was crying real hard while Halima was consoling her.
“Take him away and interrogate him further, he must tell where he takes her to. Hajia you should calm down please, we're going to find her soon insha Allah.”
Jaafar was taken away, and throughout their walk down to the hall he would be interrogated, he kept thinking about Aisha. What happened? She did something to herself after he revealed the dirtiest secret of her life? He was curious, because he could clearly hear her words when she said “Sir, remember, even if you don't have a daughter, you definitely have a sister. Imagine this done to her, how would you feel? Over something as feasible as that? How can you be so unforgiving? It's already getting dark now, but still I have to wait for you just for this. Even if you can't do this for me, do this for the sake of my mother that apologised to you and how I risked my life as a girl and waited for you. What if something was to happen to me? I beg you in the name of Allah. Forgive me and don't make me fail this course.”
What if it was something that happened to her as she imagined? What could have happened? Had he been so merciless that he risked the life of a girl? The loud bang he felt on his knees brought back his senses and he fell to the ground. “Where the hell did you take the girl to?!” The police man thundered. And Jaafar shivered before he answered “I really don't know sir.” But then the second bang came, then the third, and every time he was banged it was the same question that they wanted nothing but an answer from him, but what they didn't know was, he would be glad if they were to tell him what happened to her too.
Aisha wasn't asleep, she was tired of all that had been happening in her life that she didn't think she could ever sleep again. She was curled up on the bed when she heard a knock from the door, with a faint “Come in,” her voice uttered, she began sitting upright.
In came Nasir, as he smiled softly at her before he entered the room and sat on the sofa, “Hey, Aisha. I woke you up, right?”
She smiled weakly and shook her head, “No, you haven't. I couldn't even sleep after all. I haven't gotten the chance to thank you, Dr. Thank you so much.”
“Why can't you sleep? Is it because of the new room or what? Do you need something that you don't have here, I can get it for you.” Nasir asked, looking around the room as if she had pasted her list of wants on the wall.
She smiled, “No, I love everything here. It's just that I miss my parents and I can't seem to get over what happened. But I'll be fine.”
He stood up, “If you say so. Mama said I should come and wake you up for lunch and also we're going out later in the evening to buy some clothes for you.”
“Okay, Dr. Thank you.” She flashed him a beautiful and thankful smile.