•Bilal

"Daddy don't go!" Kauthar, Lalyla and a sleepy Bushra begged.

"I have to go. It's important. I'll be back as soon as possible to take you hiking, ok?"

They all wrapped me in a hug as they wept noisily against my shoulders.

"We'll miss you." Layla shuddered.

"Can you take us with you at least? Since our exams are over." Bushra Begged.

I scratched at my beard as I thought about it and found that it was a good idea so I smiled, "Ask your mother first."

They all turned behind them to meet their slightly angry mother with clenched fists, forcefully smiling.

"Babies, I'm sorry but you can't follow daddy. He'll be too busy to spend time with you."

"We'll be fine. It's just for the holiday." Kauthar grinned, revealing toothless spaces in her mouth.

"Two weeks!" Layla added with two of her fingers pressed to her mother's stomach.

I could tell she was finding it hard to accept her children's reasoning with the passive aggressive tune her voice took to use on her kids.

"I said no! And that's final." She folded her arms across her chest and sighed, slightly annoyed that I didn't say anything to deter the children's plans.

What could I do? I wanted my children with me but this woman has tied an invincible leash around me and she's the person that can loosen the grip.

I'm getting fed up with this long distance relationship and having to visit at a specific time of the year just to see my family. I guess I'll just have to man up and say my mind.

I rose up from my comfortable position on the couch and pulled her outside to try convincing her.

"You have to let them go."

"Why?" She grimaced.

"They also have family they need to get to know back home."

"They have family here too so what are you saying?"

"Can you quit being selfish for once?"

She took a long breath as her eyes got wider, her hands on her chest, "Me? Selfish? That's not true!"

"You alway make everything about you. Why can't you see that everyone needs a break? I love you but your attitude is unacceptable."

"I don't care what you say, you're not taking my kids."

"Your kids?" I scoffed, "They're rightfully mine as well."

"I gave birth to them."

"I don't want to get into this with you, just pack their clothes in their boxes so that I can take them."

All of a sudden, she started crying and yelling, "Why do you want to take them and leave me alone?"

"Did I beg you to stay?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She hissed.

I thought you were crying?

"You're the one who decided to fly out here and now you're complaining."

"You can live here with me." She pointed out.

"No, thank you. Bilan, I have until tomorrow to buy them tickets so please go back in. I have work to do."

She murmured something and hissed. To her, I didn't hear anything but I heard clearly with my eagle ears.

"If you know Tadalesh wouldn't do this to you why don't you go back to him?"

"What?" She fretted, visibly shocked at my response.

"I don't even have your time again." I walked back inside to see that they had left upstairs and her parents were downstairs.

She followed me inside, about to start yelling till she saw her parents watching a movie, laughing loudly.

I walked in unnoticed and squatted to greet them, Ruqayyah did the same before we sat down on th same couch.

"This movie is the best!" Mrs Bint said while her husband agreed, smiling.

They looked so peaceful. If anything, I'd say they lived a perfect life without quarrels and arguments. I wonder what their youth held. Did they even go through any of the issues I and Bilan were going through? Only they can tell.

"My children, is everything ok?" Baba asked.

"Everything is fine." We chorused. She looked at me and we both burst into an unreasonable laughter.

"We know something is wrong but we won't talk. The movie is over. We're even leaving so feel free to figure out whatever it is." Mrs Bint rose from her chair and helped her husband up and they left upstairs again.

"Are you going to do what I said?"

"Layla and Bushra can't go. I've already enrolled them in a summer camp." Bilan avowed as she gently sat down on a couch adjacent to mine.

"How about Kauthar?"

"She said all she wants to do is learn some new languages so I'm planning on finding her a teacher."

"How long is the camp lasting for?"

"Two weeks." She smirked.

"I'll take Kauthar since you haven't found her a teacher. I can get her a teacher there."

"Hmmm toh." She grunted, slowly walking up the stairs to call our children.

They all ran down in excitement with their mother trailing behind them with a permanent frown on her face. What did she tell them?

"Sit." I tapped the spaces on the chair I was on.

They sat and played with their sweaty hand, anticipating—hopefully—a positive response.

"Bushra don't be angry, Layla you too. I can only take Kauthar with me since she isn't going to the camp with you."

"But daddy," Layla protested and Bushra joined, "You can't leave us here! Mummy can tell them we aren't joining them again."

"I can't Layla. They don't give refunds." Bilan countered.

"What does refund mean?" They simply asked as they sniffled light before the tiny droplets of their tears filled their faces.

"Just forget that for now. Daddy will come back soon to see you when he wants to drop Kauthar." Bilan stated, tapping both their backs with each of her hands.

They both started yelling and ran upstairs even as their mother called them. Kauthar remained fixed to the chair waiting for what was to happen next.

"Kauthar, get ready we're leaving tomorrow. We have to wake up early." I said.

She nodded and left immediately.

"Bilal I don't like what you're doing." Ruqayyah avowed.

"I never liked how you were acting but did I complain?"

"You did, today!" She hissed.

"Because I was tired."

"If you're tired of me why don't you leave me?"

"Let's not talk about this, it'll end up in tears for you."

"Only you, not me."

"I'm leaving. See you tomorrow. Remember you were better at giving motivational speeches to our kids? Talk to them."

With that, I exited the house and rushed to my car so that I can go and prepare for my trip to Abuja.

****

The next day

06:00AM

As expected I woke up early.

But what I couldn't get out of my mind was Bilan's words 'I know if Tadalesh was the one he wouldn't do this to me and You can leave me if you're tired'.

Why do I feel she wasn't being completely honest two nights ago? She never really answered whether she loved the man or not but that didn't give her the right to say such to me, her husband.

I finally get off the praying mat and head for the bathroom to take a bath before I get Kauthar and leave Somalia.

*Knock knock*

Immediately, I open my eyes and see that I'm still in the bath tub, wrinkles all over my body.

Begrudgingly, I took slow, careful steps to avoid falling and heading to an early grave. I laughed once I was out and rinsed my body under the shower before rushing out to put on clothes.

Amara wasn't available today so I ordered for an Uber that was already late so I cancelled the ride and stood by the road of the hotel with my luggage in hand, waiting for a taxi that seemed to have a nice driver, not the rude ones I've met in my previous travels.

"Hey taxi!" I hollered at the sixth driver that had passed since I left my room.

"Good day sir, where would you like to go?"

I directed him to my in-laws house and dropped off after paying him.

"Daddy!" Layla screamed. She was the first to see me from the window of their room before her sister's.

A maid opened the entrance of the house and I entered with my box in the other hand. I kept it by the door and stood by the stairs to hug each of them as they ran down.

"Daddy we'll miss you and Bushra, will you take all of us next time?" Layla asked slowly, as if her words were what would stop her tears from falling.

"Yes. Where's your mother?"

"She said she's sick and we shouldn't disturb her."

"Ok. How about grandma and grandpa?"

"They travelled this morning."

"Ok, take me to your mum." I climbed the stairs with Layla and Bushra in front, holding my hands all the way, "Kauthar tell the maid to bring your box downstairs."

She smiled and disappeared with a nod to the kitchen to get the maid to help her.

We entered the room where Bilan layed asleep like a kitten wrapped in her cotton blanket.

I sat by the bed, asked the kids to leave and shut the door on their way out before sitting beside her on the bed.

I touched her cheek and Drew circles with my forefinger till she stirred in her sleep and woke up.

Her eyes fluttered open seductively and shut close in anger immediately her eyes met mine. She smiled and looked away, murmuring.

"Are you refusing to see me off because I'm taking kauthar with me?"

"Who told you that?"

"I don't need to be told that you're hurt."

"I'm not hurt, just leave me and go."

She just wanted to be dramatic. I know with one touch she'd get out of her funk.

A muffled noise erupted from her throat as soon as she felt my lips attach to her neck, slowly dispatching kisses all around.

My hands caressed her rear and rose to touch her hands before lastly resting a finger on her luscious lips.

She sucked on my finger and I shifted closer so my free hand could reach her neck.

"Do you still want me to leave?" I asked even as I already knew I'd won this round.

She laughed, trying to push me away as she stood up and ran to the bathroom.

I followed her and stopped at the door she intentionally left unlocked. She brushed her teeth and rubbed some oils and lotion as part of her morning skin care routine.

She tapped something on the screen of her phone that was placed in the sink and a song began to play while she continued to scrub her face and apply water.

Her waist moved sensually to the rhythm in a circular motion as she used a white towel to wipe her face. She bent down to pick up the cover of a bottle and I couldn't help it to admire how enticing her butt looked in the tiny dress she wore.

"Abi you want to take a picture?" She laughed, wriggling her waist.

She shook her hips more as she stood on her toes to drop the bottles and containers into a cabinet.

"Let me help you." I offered.

"No. Thank you."

I pretended as if she didn't speak and I walked to help her. She joined me and hummed the tune of Davido's Jowo while she sat on the toilet sit watching me.

"Stop looking at me like that." I watched her through the mirror.

Her head was hung low as she covered her face to stop herself from smiling. She looked up and caught me staring at her then a smirk covered her beautiful face.

She straightened from her sitting posture and walked directly to me, smiling deviously. Her soft, cold hands found their ways to the back of my neck.

Tingles spread through my entire body—from the slight baldness of my head to my toes—in a frenzy. She held my gaze and stared intently before our eyes shut at the same time and our lips, mangled.

"Will you miss me?" I implored in-between kisses.

"Yes, my love. Yes." She answered, almost out of breath.

I'm sure we both beard footsteps yet we ignored them till we realized who it was.

"Daddy we're..."

It was Kauthar—this time—why?

She turned immediately and ran as fast as her legs could take her with soft giggles in her mouth.

Not again!

"Bad timing. Who's next? Bushra?" I laughed.

She grinned and tapped my chest lightly with both her hands, "This was nice but you have to go. Isn't your flight soon?"

"Oh yes, I almost forgot."

"You were lucky this time." She pointed her finger at me, grinning widely.

"Wear clothes, let's head downstairs."

We returned back to the room and I sat on the bed, watching her rummage through her closet to find something to wear.

"Aren't you going to leave?" She turned around, tapping her foot to the ground with her hands in her waist.

"No, why? Or am I not allowed to see what is mine?"

She shut door Kauthar forgot to lock and began to undress. She pulled the first strap for the dress down, revealing her breasts a bit before pushing the second with a fling of her finger and the distracting monstrosity slid off her body like a feather to the ground.

A string of sweat slid down from my forehead and suddenly, the whole room became hot.

I stood up immediately, steadying my breath's as I made for the door.

"Where are you going to?"

"Downstairs. I'll wait for you there."

I noticed the hint of a smile on the face once I stepped out. She knew what she had just done.

She didn't answer. I pulled the door handle to close it entirely before making my way downstairs.

A few minutes later, she joined I and our kids that were telling me about how the last school term went.

"She's annoying daddy. Her father is rich so she's mean." Bushra complained.

"Your father is rich too but that doesn't mean you should be mean to anyone, ok?" Bilan clucked.

All our eyes turned to look at their mother and she smiled, pecking each of their cheeks.

"Mummy you're fine again." Bushra exclaimed.

"Yes." She smiled, a bit embarrassed that Kauthar came in on them.

"Yayy!" They all screamed happily.

I watched the hands of my watch tick as I calculated how long it'd take me to get to the airport.

"Is something wrong?" Bilan worriedly asked.

"No, I was just calculating something.'

"Ok."

"Let me call an Uber so that we can leave."

"Toh, ok, let's wait while I prepare something for you."

I rushed so much I forgot to have breakfast. Then, I realized the level of hunger my belly was suffering with.

She left to the living to the kitchen to prepare delicious pancakes with syrup and coffee.

We ate in a loud, annoying condition. Layla, Kauthar and Bushra continued to sing the Sophia the first theme song.

The Uber arrived in the middle of the meal and the kids had a mini crying fest before I left with Kauthar. To her real home.

****

The plane just landed on Nigerian soil. Our pilot has just announced our arrival and a series of thank God's and Alhamdulillah's took over.

A scared Catholic family held their rosaries and said a few words I could guess were of appreciation to the Almighty while I and Kauthar continued to squeeze through the throng of people to the exit.

We finally made it out and into the lobby to meet a crowd and none was having Mr Temitope's face.

I dialed his number, he answered on the second ring and apologized, promising to arrive in about twenty minutes because of the unfortunate days traffic.

"Aaaah Bilal! Is that you?" A woman yelled admist the swarm of sweaty bodies.

I looked around, trying to scan the busy crowd for the person calling me but all I saw was the ignorant population that were either travelling or returning from a random country like I was. Who was calling me? I pondered while texting Baba Imran.

A girl tapped her slender fingers on my shoulder and pointed at an old woman from afar, "You're Bilal right? My grandma asked me to call you."

I followed the young lady to where the woman, a boy that looked exactly like the girl who's name I heard from her grandmother was Ene stood. Her name is pretty, it reminded me of my classmate in primary school.

She grinned, seeming overly excited as I stood before her dwarf-like figure, "Do you remember me, child?"

"I'm sorry, no."

"Are you sure?" She questioned. Tears filled her eyes and she sniffed loudly.

The wind blew so fiercely the feather-like veil covering her body flew off her body and landed in a slow motion on the floor—just by her sandal clad feet.

"Ok, Do you remember Mrs Halima Ogenyi?." She smiled, wiping her eyes with the veil she—not long ago—picked up from the floor, "She was a very good friend of your mothers'."

"Yes." I smiled, a bit relieved that the time it'd have taken me to recall who she was talking about would be embarrassing a bit had she not mentioned the woman's name, "I've met her a few times when my mum took me to her house when I came back for holidays from school."

She shook her head lightly as if to say can't you see the resemblance?

"Well, I'm her mother." She became silent, waiting for me to show signs of recognition in my rigid stance.

"Masha Allah! That's amazing." I exclaimed, utterly shocked and confused at the same time because she didn't look anything like the woman she claimed was her daughter, "And this is my granddaughter—her daughter—Ene."

I nodded, "It's nice to meet you Ene. Hajiya zan wuce, I'm leaving, I have to take my daughter home. She's already tired from the flight."

"That's ok. I'm sorry I didn't notice her before. What's her name?" She bent her frail back, holding her waist, to touch Kauthar's little hands.

"Kauthar." She replied slowly.

"Kauthar? That's beautiful. You look a bit like her too, did you know her?"

"Who?" Kauthar asked, confused.

"She doesn't." I interrupted, "She kicked the bucket before she was born."

"Subhanallah!" She gasped, unable to control the tears from flowing down.

"Allah ya jikanta." May her soul rest in peace.

"Ameen." We chorused.

I looked to the side and noticed her grandson looking a bit aggravated. Possibly because of his aunt's dramatic choice of dragging attention to us from our silent spectators who pretended to be in a hurry to be someplace other than the middle of the airports parking lot.

"Don't cry mami." Ene begged and all Ehi did was yawn before turning to the car, leaving us in his air of indifference and nonchalance.

"It's just sad to know that I've lost another daughter. First it was Halima, now Farida. They were all I had after your grandfather left me for that witch that still lives to control him." Their grandmother hissed, already feeling a kind of emotion that manifested into anger upon the remembrance of her husband.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I uttered, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Here, see this." She pulled out a picture from her bag to show me, "As you can see, this is my daughter, her mother—my second daughter, Fadila, your mother—and my second husband, George when they were just in their early 20s."

Indeed it was truly my mother. I was astonished at her youthful beauty and as she always had when she was alive, a cheerful smile. I came to to realize that I was a carbon copy of my mother and Mrs Halima, Ene's mother was an exact replica of the master piece Mrs Alache was.
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How was it? Did you guys enjoy it? This was a crossover with the book Nothing In Between by Stardust_Wendy . If you want to know what happens next at the airport go to her book and continue. You don't want to miss it! ❤️

Ciao!

~Aisha Safiyanu🥀