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Seven months pregnant but they didn't let Nana rest. At first, they are treating her like and egg but now, they could careless about what she's carrying, they have enough children around the house to care about her own. Today, they asked her to take a bucket and fetch water at the neighbourhood where some men that serve their NYSC in Zaria live. The men alone have borehole because all around the place, it's only their home that have light, borehole and it's the finest house all around.

Nana sobbed as she walk to the house, covering her face with hijab as she hold her hand possessively around her baby bulb which was obvious even with the hijab. The pregnancy has changed her, big nose, puffier cheeks, more plump lips. She added a little weight around her burst and hips but she's still the same woman, if only her eyes didn't deepen into slits because of the weight she added. She liked the pregnancy though, she could talk to her son when lonely.

"Where are you going to?" Maajida asked her by the door to the house. A small door that is closed with poly bags around it.

"To fetch water from the NYSC's house." That is the name they use for the house, because they don't know how to put it. Not that they even know what they mean with the NYSC.

"They ask you to do it again?" She incredulously asked, fisting her hands in a ball due to anger.

For the past months, the two of them bonded awfully good and Maajida always helped her with her morning sickness, cravings and other hard house chores. Sometimes they don't allow anyone to help her and other times, they let Maajida help, mostly when they're not around.

"Yes. Baba Yadikko wants to wash her clothes. I hope she won't ask me to do it again." Nana released an exasperated sigh.

She still didn't call any of her family members, only Rukayyah. Her parents didn't bother to call and ask for her so she also didn't call them. Yes, she's mad at them for getting her married to someone like Isuhu. Someone they didn't feel the need to do a background check on, just how does that work. Just because you're somehow related doesn't mean everyone is good. They are the most evil people she's ever met, that is if she's met any. Their length of evilness is just beyond her own thinking.

"Then you won't do." Maajida yanked her out of her reverie.

"I hope she doesn't ask me to. Let me just go and fetch the water, you can cook something for us in my room. Use the stove, I added kerosene earlier." Maajida grinned evilly before nodding.

Nana signed and continue her journey down to NYSC's house. She knocked in their gate a few times before a guard opened the door and greeted her. She's been their regular customer so they're now friendly, not that she likes it but she has to be. She's never met anyone from the NYSC house but heard the teenage girls in Isuhu's house buzzing up and down about how handsome the men are. They'll even fetch extra water just to catch a glimpse of them to which Nana find stupid.

After fetching the water from the faucet which was just close to the gate, Nana turn back around to leave when her bucket was tumbled out of her hand, only to find it a good ten feet away from her and it's broken. Her heart fell in her throat because she knows she's in deep trouble if Baba Yadikko sees her bucket broken. Nana's tears started falling slowly down her cheek, already seeing the scenario that's about to take place in some short minutes. They'll involve her husband, knowing he'd beat her to pulp and they'll call her parents and ask them to pay.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" Someone, more precisely, a guy asked from behind her, probably the person that hit the bucket.

"Yes, I'm fine. But the --" she couldn't finish her sentence because a sob broke out of her lips.

"I have so many of those, I'll get one for you. Stay here." The guy ordered and rush into the house to look for the paint bucket. They already have many of them from the paintings they did to their house.

"Here, I'll fetch the water and take it home for you. You don't look well." Nana was grateful to this man, because she suddenly felt weak and tired.

"Yes, thank you so much." She raised her head to see the fairest person she's ever set her eyes on. He's very fair, with beard and also buzu hair trimmed back.

"I'm Mu'ayyad." He smiled, showing his left side dimple before going to the faucet and fetch the water.

She blinked, looking as he flex his arms and took the bucket, asking her to go out first and he'll follow. She did just that and walked ahead of him, thanking him after they reached the house. She collected the bucket and amble back into the house, thinking about the kind man she's met just moment ago. Here they are evil and there, he is kind. The world is so complicating for her but just continue to let fate play it's card. It's just the matter of time and patience is virtue.

"Maajida, you won't believe what happened earlier when I went to fetch water." Nana started, moaning as she ate the Cherie noodles Maajida cook for them.

The two manage to get money from their husband when they will talk about hospital in front of Baba Atine, his mother. If they ask about it in front of her, he'd remove five hundred naira and give them which is enough for them for two to three weeks. They'll happily buy so many Cherie noodles and hide it, them buy kerosene or sometimes get some form the kitchen since they only use it to add flame to the firewood.

"What happened?" Maajida asked, working her ears up like an elf to hear Nana's story. It's not everyday that she gets to hear Nana talk about something.

"I met a guy..." She told her what happened with the Mu'ayyad guy, beaming all the way.

"Mu'ayyad huh?" Maajida wiggled her brows at blushing Nana.

Not that Nana liked the guy, but she's never gotten that attention from the opposite sex. So after meeting him and seeing how kind he is, she just felt a connection she couldn't decipher. It's not strong but she could feel the emotion swirling within her insides. She brush it off and continue to chat with Maajida, Maajida telling her that she doesn't live Isuhu anymore and she'll soon leave him. Nana begged her not to because she'll be so lonely.

Maajida is just twenty one years old and Nana is twenty two and they both look younger than their ages, making them look around the age of eighteen or nineteen. They're both beautiful in their own way, whilst Maajida is fair, Nana is slightly dark.

Later around ishā, Isuhu tumbled into the room with his belt in hands, ready to beat Nana. Nana started apologizing profusely when he locked the door, since it's her night, Maajida left some few minutes back. He menacingly step towards her and started hiring her with the belt and hands, not even telling her why he's beating her for that matter. It's been three weeks since he last hit her and that is when his younger sister complained that she bumped into her.

"You were with a guy huh?" He started after few minutes, taking deep breath because he's already tired of hitting her as she try to protect her stomach each time.

"N-n-no. He wa-was just h-h-helping me." Nana howled in pain and anguish, tears pouring down her face in anger and frustration.

"You were always a whore. Now you just proved to me that you are a big one. Following the city NYSC boys huh? You want them to use you right?" He kept hitting her face with his hands as if he's trying to take away her beauty.

"Wallahi, I only want you." She yelled because it hurts, everywhere hurts.

"Okay then, show me how much you want me." She knew she was doomed because he started removing his clothes, then yanking her own with so much force.

She lulled her head back against the wall as he yank it and continue to grope her. She because limp and he continue to jeep whatever it is he was doing, she couldn't feel a thing and she happy about that. She wants to feel lifeless because it's far better than the pain. She just hopes that, it doesn't affect her baby in anyway, she wants her baby alive even if she won't survive all these.

"Next time, go to them." He slapped thigh, yawing the place red with his fingerprint around. She winced at the sting and continue to cry her eyes just when the baby kicked.

"I'm okay baby." She whispered to her stomach, it's like the baby is feeling what she's feeling and she doesn't want that.

"What are you saying." He menacingly turn to look at her naked body when he heard her whispering.

"Nothing, just saying I love you." She fearfully retorted, tears streaming down like a waterfall. The man only slapped and and grope her before grinning and going to bed.

Nana curled herself where she was and continue to silently sob, trying not to feel the pain that's shooting down all around her body, especially her thighs where he made sure to leave so many bruises and scars. She hates him, she hates him with every fibre of her being. Then Mu'ayyad's smile popped into her head, making her mood light a little because even if she's not happy, she's happy that someone out there is happy.

"Come here and sleep with me." She heard Isuhu calling from the bed.

Nana sighed and quietly walk to where he threw her clothes, ready to wear something already feeling very dirty, like she needs holy water.

"Don't wear anything. Come now." He yelled the last two sentence when she didn't drop the blouse she's holding.

Abruptly, she threw the shirt in the floor and walk to the dirty man who always makes her feel dirty and unworthy. She lie down next to him, not even touching him but immediately move closer and he slapped her thigh again. She cried silently whilst he continue with his torture, making her squirm every now and then but will stop her with a slap at the same place where he did the other, the same thigh and exact place.