We had breakfast which was prepared by Maa because I couldn't wake up early enough to make anything.
At around 9:30am i went i to my room to get ready. I wore a dark grey abaya and wrapped a lighter shade of grey veil around my head. Khalid had gotten ready and was waiting for me. I noticed how his eyes were fixed on me and followed my every move.

'Is there a problem?' I enquired because i found the act quite strange.
'It's nothing Asiya,' he said, with my name also as he pinched the middle of his brows. 'Hurry let's go, we're running late...i have to be at work by 11am,' he said as he got up, picked up his wallet and phone.
Maa wanted to go with us but we convinced her to stay as we wouldn't be long.
He held my hand as we waited for our Uber downstairs at the lounge of our building. He held my hands in his as he turned to face me.
'Are you feeling okay?' He asked with clear worry in his eyes.
'Khalid you really need to stop worrying about me, if not because you insisted to go to the hospital I wouldn't have come, these are just cramps. You'll hear for yourself when we get there,' i managed to calm him down.

He simply let out a sigh and kissed my forehead signifying his agreement to what i said. Just on cue, our Uber pulled over and we proceeded to enter.

In just about 15mins we were at the hospital and went straight to the Ob-Gyn that we booked an appointment with.

'Hello, I'm guessing you're Mr and Mrs Bande?' The plump doctor who appeared to be in her mid 40s asked. She pronounced the name omitting the 'e' as if to say 'Band'. Her glasses placed on the tip of her nose as she scanned the papers in front of her.

'Yes ma'am,' I and Khalid replied simultaneously.

'May i have details?' She asked.

'Well i got my period yesterday and had severe cramps and my husband here freaked out and insisted we come to the hospital,' I chuckled and so did the doctor.

'But—' Khalid began.

'In his defense though doctor, I've never had this much pain before it was really intense and sort of felt different,' I added.

'Okay I see, have you had regular periods?' She asked as she scribbled some words in her notepad.

'Yes,' i answered.

'Have you had a miscarriage?' She asked again.

'Yes some months back almost a year now,' I answered sheepishly.

'I want to do a quick check on you, Mr Bande if you wish you can stay here or wait outside,' The doctor said as she got up from her seat and gestured towards the hospital bed at the extreme end if her office.

'I'll be with my wife,' he uttered.

I laid on the bed and she ran some scans on my tummy, checked what she needed to and we went back to sit.

'So, the unusual menstrual cramps you felt were because your uterus has expanded a bit hence contractions increased. The expansion is just an effect of the miscarriage so it's not much of a big deal. If you don't mind me asking have you tried for a baby again or are you planning on trying anytime soon? Because i want to give you a medication to get the uterus back to it's normal size and I don't want anything to be an obstacle,'

I and Khalid looked at each other and he cleared his throat ready to speak so i let him
'Well we haven't really tried but we're looking to in the coning months,' He replied.

'Okay, this medication you should take for just a month,' she said as she wrote it down on a piece of paper.

A few minutes later we finished with her, headed to the pharmacy and got the drug before I headed straight home. It was almost 11am so Khalid left for work from the hospital.

____

Things were good for I and Khalid since we'd been to London, Maa's had improved so much and she already had her last appointment with the doctor in fact, the infection was completely gone and she was perfectly fine. I couldn't have been happier and more grateful to Allah because it was all his doing. My health also got better due to the medications i took and the amazing support system i had
I said to Khalid 'Thank you for everything you've done for my Maa, I'm so so happy for this I can't imagine if something had gone wrong, i will always love you more than ever,'
'Oh come on, you're acting as though she's just your mum she's my mum too and as sons and daughters we have to care for our parents. And i love you too,' He kissed my forehead. We cuddled that night and talked about a lot of stuff.
His phone chimed and he turned to check it on the bedside drawer. I noticed he read the notification without replying and hus face turned gloomy.

'What's the matter?' I asked.

'It's nothing my dear, just work. Oh and speaking of that we actually leave London in about a week from now, they cut the course short so we don't have to stay for the remaining time,' He said as he adjusted back to the position we were in before the message interruption.

'Oh really, well I actually missed home you know, and Alhamdulillah since I'm finishing my interior decor course by next week,' I chipped in. He only responded with a hmm and rubbing my left arm up and down with his left arm that was wrapped around it.

It was around 2am and we still couldn't sleep, there was a slight tension in the air but none of us was ready to talk to the other, or At least I didn't want to ask him what the text he received earlier was about. I'd respect his privacy until he's ready to share his despair with me. I told him to play Suratul-Baqarah on a low volume and i believe that helped us sleep.

I woke up and Khalid wasn't in bed, I thought maybe he was taking a bath or having breakfast or something, he wasn't, he had left for work. I went to the kitchen and asked Maa if he had breakfast and she said no as he said he'd be fasting since it was a Thursday. I passed on that and went ahead to prepare breakfast for us both before i also went to school to round up the final bits of my course. Our sort of mini graduation was the following day, Friday. It wasn't anything big just handing in certificates and whatnot.

Around 11am I left for school, Maa wanted to go shopping so i allowed her since she was a lot better.  Coincidentally, Nafisah called and asked if we were available but i told her neither of us was but she could come accompany Maa and go shopping if she wanted. She came just as i was leaving and left them to get ready and go as well. Nafisah was a really responsible girl, very sweet and sensible, in fact all the things one could ask for in a daughter, wife, sister, aunt, mother or even daughter-in-law.

Immediately i got to school i met my Egyptian friend, Ra'eesa also heading into the building. She was my only African friend and we acquainted each other immediately. We got along really well, went for lunch sometimes and she even visited my family once in a while and so did i. The class that day was basically a conclusion on everything we'd done, farewells and information about the mini graduation we were having the next day. I couldn't help but keep wondering what bothered Khalid the previous night, that text must've been an unpleasant one. I kept thinking of all possible scenarios until Ra'eesa pulled me out of my trance.

'I've been calling you Asiya, where has your mind wandered off to? Class is over, care grabbing a little lunch at Popeyes or something?' She ask all at once.
I simply rubbed my forehead and released a long sigh, got up and put my things in mt bag. 'Sorry i was lost in thoughts, come on let's get something to eat then,' i said as we walked out of class.

Popeyes was just a 5-minute walk away from the building so we just walked down. We secured a table and placed our orders.
'Hey, what's up with you? Noticed you've been unusually gloomy today,' Ra'eesa extended her hands and held mine across the table. I contemplated opening up to her but I decided otherwise.

'It's nothing really, you know by next weekend I'll be leaving, going back to Nigeria so packing and going back home to my family, it's a bit stressful you know,' I lied.

'And you're just telling me come on girl! Anyways I understand...i could come help you pack if that's what's stressing you out,' She said.

'My husband also just told me last night, his course had been cut short so we'll be leaving 2 months earlier now. And you don't have to bother yourself, isn't that the same weekend your sister gets married? You need to be there for her, i wish i would be around for it but unfortunately I wouldn't you know plans change,' I said with a wide smile on my face. Just then our food came. We both ordered some pasta, a medium pizza and some slush to go along with it.

I got home feeling really exhausted, Maa hadn't come home from the shopping spree with Nafisah, so I decided to call them and check up on them. Nafisah told me they were just rounding up and they'd be home as soon as possible. It was already almost 5pm so i decided i was too tired to cook and we were already low on a lot of groceries as we'd been cooking a lot. I still wanted to prepare a nice Iftar for Khalid maybe that'd cheer him up a bit. I ordered some food from popeyes for Maa and Nafisah and then got to the kitchen. I saw the left over beans paste i had and decided to make some kosai(bean cake) for him alongside kunun tsamiya. Mama sent us some local foodstuff from Nigeria after the ones we'd taken finished on us.

Just as i was putting the kosai in the flask to keep warm before iftar, Maa came in with Nafisah.

'You guys are late, look at the time' i said with mt left hand in the kitchen counter and my right hand on my waist.

'Sorry ma, if you see all we brought for you, your anger will disappear.' Nafisah said as she dropped all the bags in the living room.

'Nafisah, it's around 6:30 now why not just spend the night here or even the weekend if you're not going to be busy.'
I suggested.
'That'd be so nice, i guess I'll stay for the weekend.' She chuckled.
'I think I and Maa will go freshen up and pray it's almost Maghrib, by the way is Ya Khalid back?' She asked.

'Not yet but I'm sure he's on his way, with a little smile.
I went to set his plates on the table and took the kosai and kunu flasks to the table as well. Just as the adhan was coming from my phone, he came in. I went to get his laptop bag and gave him a hug, he returned the hug with just one hand, strange.

'I missed you today, you left very early.' I said smiling.

'Yeah i had to be there early,' he said as he  was removing his shoes.

'No problem, quickly freshen up and come and break your fast, i made kosai and kunun tsamiya for you,' I said and he looked up and smiled at me.

'Thank you Asiya, I already even bought food, didn't want to bother you, did Maa tell you i was fasting?' He asked.

'What do you mean you bought food?' That was when I noticed the bag on his other hand. I snatched it and dropped it on the kitchen counter. 'You're having my food now go and pray and come back,'

'I was really craving this burger, fries and slaw Asiya, you can have the kosai you made,' i felt really hurt. I came back tired but still made iftar for him and now he wouldn't have it. Tears threatened to come streaming down but i fought them. He was about to say something but didn't, Maa had come out of her room. He went to greet her and told him to quickly pray as i had prepared some local food for him. He responded that he'll quickly do that and cone and have it.

What just happened? Just now he told me he would have his burger. He doesn't want Maa to sense his change of attitude, I thought. I followed him to the bedroom and sat on the bed and watched him pray.
Immediately he finished, i called his name but he had shut the door. I simply lay on the bed and cried.

Why was he being cold, If Maa wasn't around he wouldn't have eaten what I prepared for him. He respected her a lot that was why he was behaving differently in front of her. Some minutes later. i heard the door creak open and Nafisah's voice came through.

'Ya Asiya Maa says you should come eat,' she said.

'Yeah i was just about coming down,' I lied because I definitely wasn't. I went to the bathroom and washed mt face because i knew my eyes were puffy I didn't want Maa asking any questions. After which i went to the dining. Maa and Nafisah were already having the food I ordered them from Popeyes and I noticed Khalid was having the Kosai, because of Maa of course.

'You can have the burger i brought,' he said not even looking up at me.

I didn't bother reply. I simply took it and joined them on the table. I took about half of it and some of the fries then i was full. The three if them kept conversing and laughing and i only chipped in where necessary.

'I'm really tired, I'm going to bed,' i informed.

'It's only just quarter past 7 my dear is something wrong?' Oh no! I hope Maa hasn't noticed anything.

'Oh no Maa, I'm just very tired nothing else,' I chuckled.

'Oh andddd...' i said in a tone to liven up the mood. 'Tomorrow at 2pm is my graduation from interior decor school we're all going together! Khalid you normally finish at 1 on Fridays so no excuses,' i said deliberately in Maa's presence so he wouldn't refuse.

'Sure I'll be there for my wife!,' He exclaimed.

'Yayyy opportunity to dress up,' Nafisah said gesturing yayy with her hands as she threw them up.

I turned to leave for my bedroom. I had a warm shower, did my skincare and just slipped into bed. I wasn't asleep but i turned off all the lights. Something was wrong and we're going to have that conversation tonight. I pulled the duvet over me and waited for Khalid to come in.

At around 9:45 he came in and i immediately turned on the bedside lamp.
He glanced at me and went to the bathroom. He came out and i watched him change inti a white T shirt and black adidas shorts. He then came to bed and picked his phone up and began going through stuff. Not a word to me.

'Aren't we going to talk? What's all this Khalid?' I asked. I was sitting upright with my hands crossed on my knees.

'About?' He asked in a husky voice not looking away from his phone.

I began to boil inside, I couldn't even say anything again, i just wanted to cry.

'Since last night, you received a message and ever since you became cold towards me, and otherwise in Maa's presence. If there's a problem tell me and we'll rectify it together, we're a married couple,' my voice got shaky, the tears were streaming down now. 'If it's something i did, tell me and I'll apologize and do better,' i said softly as i moved closer to him and held his arm. He turned and looked at me with no meaning to his expression.

'Go to bed Asiya,' he simply said as he kept his phone on the bedside and tried to pull the duvet over himself before i stopped him by holding his hand.

'I can't go to bed like this, we need to talk,' i said softly.

'We will talk when we get back home,' he said staring at me.

'That's till next weekend and a long time, will we keep living like this and pretending to Maa?' I asked as i wiped my tears.

'I'm sorry but please go to bed,' and he turned of his lamp. I gave up and cocooned myself into a ball. I managed to sleep after a long train if thoughts in my head.

Why did he say he was sorry? Why did he insist we'd only talk after we return to Nigeria? Why was he acting differently in Maa's presence? Did something bad happen? Was he no longer happy with me?