This chapter is for my mother in law and friend  ZeenahKabir. Happy Birthday sisterly, May God's light and blessings be yours forevermore. 🎊🎊🎉🎉🎇🎇👻❤

"You zone out a lot." I looked at him and watched as he manoeuvred the steering wheel. My eyes stray to the fuel indicator. Full tank.

Just the way I feel,  I feel full, I feel too full. I feel like the walls will soon begin to close up on me. I feel like I'll soon be in an airtight space that only Allah can get me out of.

"I'm just worried. Your father made me think of the rumours I heard at the beginning of the year. I had completely shrugged them off as trash talk." I sigh and look out of the window.

"Our Father. He's both mine and yours together." I glance sharply at him, what does he mean?

I don't get an answer as he honks for the gate to my parents home to be opened. One of the security looked out and opened the automated gate and we drove in.

Adeel placed the car on park and I put my hand on his arm for the second time today. "You can call me Beela. It's less of a mouthful." He nods stiffly and opens the door adjusting his cap after stepping out. I wrap my veil around my face and shoulders properly.

When we walk through the front door, Hajiya Mama, my parents, and some of my father's relatives from Kano are sitting on various chairs in the living room, leaving a sofa for I and Adeel to sit on. All these people never asked why I left my marriage to you_know_who, all they did was judge. All they did was point fingers at me, call me names. Now I'm married again and they want to see the man I'm married to.

I sit next to Adeel and after studying my nails, I make a mental note to myself to make a manicurist appointment. I need to rebuff my nails.

".......Keh, I hope you've started taking care of him, you can't let him send you back home like your ex-husband did." I look up to see my uncle, Hajiya Mama's second good for nothing third son whom two of his children almost became Almajiris if not for the timely intervention of Baba. I growl at him mentally.

"I'm taking care of him." I answer with a silly smile I put on my face. Adeel straightened up and asked my father how business was. Baba launched into a never ending tirade. He's like that with whoever asks him about his business.

A few minutes later the Adhaan for Asr began to sound and all the men walked out of the room to pray in the mosque behind our house. Hajiya Mama led us females.

Once prayer was over, my mother  walked me to her bedroom. I've not been in it for a long time so I looked around, everything is in a beautiful shade of cream and chocolate, from drapes to chairs to bedclothes.

"Nabeela, you must ensure that Adeel makes you his one and only wife, men like women that can endure, they like it when they know there's someone they can take their frustration out on at home. So, be his soak away, take all his troubles away. You see how I've been able to manage your father and his relatives for almost thirty years. With only you as my child. It's not easy." I look up to see that she's expecting an answer so I nod stiffly.

Mother, the only reason you've stayed here this long is because you've tolerated too much, your husband cheated and instead of you to castigate him, you tried to kill his mistress, you did all sorts of things that I'll never do to keep myself in one man's house. Never ever.

She hands me a gift box wrapped in blue paper and on one hand I want to see what it is and on the other hand, I want to leave this place. I choose the latter.

When we walk out, Adeel is standing talking to Baba and uncle. They are nodding enthusiastically at what he's saying. Wonder what has held them in rapt attention though.

He squats to greet them goodbye and I catch an indulgent smile on my mother's face. She feels like she's done the best matchmaking job. Humph.

******

"Do your parents and family berate you in front of others all the time?" I nod and from a corner of my left eye I see how his jaw clenches and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. Is he by any chance angry on my behalf? I decide to change time subject.

"Did you really buy the rings for both of us?" He nods stiffly and I look out of the window, what does he expect from this marriage. Sometimes, I want the best treatment and sometimes in the past two days I've been so skeptical of the both of us working as partners. I feel like I'm in a dream and I'll wake up to the reality of his wickedness soon.

A few minutes later, he opens the Dikko gate with just a touch of a part of his car. I'm not surprised, those two are touted as one of the best friends I've ever seen. We drive in and before we park, Fawad comes running out followed closely by Khayrat. I smile. Once the car opens, Fawad launched himself at Adeel.

"Daddy Two!!!!! "

Adeel carries Fawad in one arm and removes the keypod of his car, balancing Fawad, he opens the back seat to bring out a black fancy bag that I didn't even notice was there earlier. He sets down Fawad before handing it to him and they launch themselves at him again.

"Asalam Alaykum."

Adeel greeted as he turned the knob of the door, Ajike and Muad'h were waiting at the door. I hug Ajìkè and she pats my back in silent empathy.

We sit in the small living room after exchanging pleasantries. Adeel and Muad'h begin talking about the fall in oil prices and how it would affect tomorrow's stock prices.

Ajìkè winks at me before hooking her elbow with Muad'h's. "Mr Dikko, I'm hungry." He growls at her before running a hand over his curls.

"Is it my turn to cook today?" She nods cutely bad he growls loudly this time. He pulls Adeel up from his slouched position to the kitchen. The moment they get out of the room, Ajìkè laughs out loud.

"Today's menu will soon make him cry." Muad'h's wailing voice soon reaches us from the kitchen. She laughs out loud harder. I crack a smile, the fact that I might loose my business makes my smile die.

After putting the kids to bed some thirty minutes later, she pulls me gently to a room next door that turns out to be a mini cinema. "What so you want to watch before I make you spill your guts." I look up from where I'm wringing my hands in sharp surprise.

"I'll be fine." I decide on a whim not to tell her.

She pats my joined hands slowly as one would pet a baby. "I'll be here anytime. Kinji?"  I smile, she doesn't speak a lot of Hausa.

"Let's watch Lion King." I arch one British w at her in question, Lion King, at this stage. She's so full of surprises.

We settle in and begin watching the touching animation. When Mufasa roars loudly, a thought occurs to me.

"Does Babban Fawad cook for you all the time or is it due to your pregnancy?" She smiles and paused the movie to reply me.

"In this house,Babban Fawad cooks once or twice a week. Depending on how flexible his schedule allows him to be." My mind begins to whirl. Cooks?Twice a week? An African man? Arewa man?

"Men should come and take lessons from your husband." She laughs and waves her fingers.

"Once when his cousin came over, he had just finished making dinner. His cousin went and told everyone that 'That yoruba woman has given him juju to eat. How can a full grown man be cooking' Muad'h cut off his allowance after that."

I'm still in marvel mode when the intercom rings, she leans over to pick it and she informs me that dinner is ready.

"Jollof  rice and grilled fish. You like?" Muad'h opens the first warmer with a flourish that rivaled that of a Michelin star chef. Ajike blows kisses at him and we begin to eat.

Adeel's Kaftan top is splattered with stains of stew and it takes all of my willpower not to burst out laughing. He concentrates on eating so seriously and I on not letting my giggles disturb dinner.

"Adeel, all you did was stir the stew, how come you have stew all over your Kaftan?." That ended my struggle to keep my laughter in. I laughed out loud and with little abandon.

"I forgot to wear an apron. Don't be stupid. You cut your fingers twice while slicing onions." Ajike joins me and we laugh until tears stream down my face.

Bad news totally forgotten.

******

How far?

How una dey. I want to say thank you for three thousand five hundred reads. God bless all of you for me. I love all of you.

See all of you on Friday.