Maryam's grandmother stared at Maryam as she ate from the hot foodflask of noodles she had prepared minutes to her departure from home, knowing if prepared hours before the consumer eats, then it might turn out soggy and it's quite unpleasant eating soggy noodles.

She had asked if either Noorie or her mother would want to come with her to the hospital, to check on Maryam's health but, they had both declined her request, with the excuse that they would come visit later because, it is too early for them to leave home. Aliya had volunteered to come with her, even before she asked.

Being a private hospital, the rule about visitation hours wasn't implemented. Infact, one could go and come as they please. Unless, the patient is in the emergency unit or intensive care unit, that required serious security.

Zarah exited the bathroom with a fork, she frowned at how Maryam was almost half way through noodle. She had just gone to rinse her fork, she squinted and grumbled towards the food. She eyed Maryam menacingly making Maryam chuckle.

     "Sorry, I was so hungry" Maryam spoke with a mouth full.
   
     "So was I" Zarah retorted and they both continued eating in a comfortable silence with Aliyah watching them silently. Aliyah had always been very playful, she was never the type to specifically disrespect Maryam, unless if Noorie was around to fuel it.

Mama's children on the other hand, were stark disrespectful and Maryam had learnt not to step on their toes, because of the beatings from the older ones. She tried as much as possible not to cross their paths, because she would be at the receiving end of whatever punishment was to be given. Aliyah had always been a bystander and a follower. As she grew, she noticed her mother was always wrongfully accusing Maryam of things. Some accusations were ridiculous. What had happened yesterday had made her understood, her mother did not fancy Maryam at all, and ofcourse she felt really bad.

With the last spoonful of noodles, Zarah urged Maryam to drop her spoon in the foodflask, then she headed to the bathroom to give it a rinse. She hated how people would give her back dirty foodflask even after being of held to them. Whenever her mother sends her to go deliver food to her family house, Zarah would sit down calmly and wait for the miss to do the needful. There was an instance where her mother's friend had just relieved her maid of her duty.  She did not want to stand up and do the needful, and Zarah did not like this woman particularly.

     "And my maids are not even around to wash this thing" she had said smiling, hoping Zarah would either take the foodflask or give it a rinse herself. The woman had grown up daughters for crying out loud. Seeing the woman did not want to wash the foodflask, Zarah sat comfortably waiting to see what she would do. "What will I do now?" She mumbled exasperatedly as if it was a big deal to wash plates.

The irritating part of all this is, they are new money. It hadn't been long her husband got an appointment with the federal government. All of a sudden she's a pampered baby. Zarah could remember how tattered their old house had been, and how she used to use firewood to cook and how her children would rush and collect the food from Zarah happily because, they knew her mother made the best festive food ever.

She chuckled softly, before heading to the kitchen when she realized Zarah was going nowhere until she cleaned the foodflask, she had grumpily dropped the foodflask, but Zarah feigned ignorance and beamed at the woman, before exiting her home tht Eid.

Maryam's grandmother pleaded with Zarah not to wash it, but ofcourse she refused. She knew they would wash it again when they get home. But, an effort to do the right thing always makes people respect you. 

When Zarah exited the bathroom, there was a knock on the door and ofcourse it was Mama and Baba Direba. Zarah swallowed, because she has known that the two women were best of friends, until Maryam's grandmother had agreed to get her own daughter married to Mama's husband. Baba Direba was with a gigantic food flask, and water flask.

Aliyah and Zarah quickly relieved him of the food. They greeted Mama and she answered in a strained voice. Maryam's grandmother's presence was affecting her and she hated it. She turned to Maryam with a smile, she felt her temperature. She sat on the sofa close to the bathroom without a word to Maryam's grandmother.

The room became quiet, after Baba Direba asked and prayed for Maryam's health. He left moments later leaving the two girls and the older women including Maryam ofcourse. They had nothing to say to each other and each had a frown plastered on their face. When the silence became too hard to bear, Zarah decided to slid in a conversation.

     "Maryam, I met someone yesterday when I was coming back" she had said dreamily. Maryam scoffed making Aliyah chuckle. Zarah glared at both of them, nonetheless she continued. "He was the most beautiful person ever. He's tall and so handsome. His hair is to die for. So, when I can down from my car, we almost collided at the entrance. He just stared at me dreamily, I was so irritated at first, but then his friend came and explained her likes me! I've met my husband Maryam" Zarah squealed making her mother clear her throat a little loudly as a warning. But she ignored her and turned to Maryam blinking multiple times. "I am telling you the truth" she said again and Maryam could not help it but she burst in to laughter.

     "What is the title of the movie?" Maryam teased making Zarah gasp. She could not believe she was being teased.

     "It's not a movie. I met him yesterday" she whined making Maryam nod just to appease her. "O my God, you don't believe me" she squeaked out clearly offended.

     "Pardon me, it's a little to good to be true. There's no way you would meet your husband without some stress, it only happens in movies" Maryam deadpanned.

     "You met Khalid!" Zarah pointed out, making Maryam cower. She could feel it in her bones that she and Khalid would never end up together. Not after the threats and vile words her mother says whenever he comes into a conversation.

     "We are not married yet! You cannot conclude" Maryam chided with a frown, but Zarah ignored her. She wasn't going to let this die down.

     "But you'll get married eventually. I know when you guys met for the first time, you had the butterflies too. I had it, but I did not recognize it quickly. Not until after I left him standing. I thought he would chase after me or something. Why did I not go back, I wanted to go back" Zarah lamented with a frown. Maryam rolled her eyes and shook her head tiredly. The truth was she never felt anything for Khalid. Infact, it had all just happened. She felt safe with him because he knew her and everything in her life. It was easier to relate with him. She's never met anyone interested enough to want to know her. It has always been Khalid. Maybe she would love him after their marriage. But, there was never a butterfly with Khalid, it was just pure comfortability.

     "I still don't believe you" Maryam drawled making Zarah squint. Maryam loved how dramatic Zarah could be when she wanted to. "Alright then, I believe you. What is his name?" She added and Zarah sat dumbfounded.

They all waited in silence, but nothing. Zarah swallowed hard, she had no name to back up her claim. "We did not exchange names" she said and everyone burst into laughter, except the  older two who had an evident smile on their faces. "I am telling the truth. I met my husband yesterday! Stop laughing, why are you laughing?" Zarah yelled stamping her feet dramatically. They all quietened down in a comfortable silence.

Soon, Maryam drifted off to sleep.
****

Maryam tossed in her sleep, she kept hearing voices, angry voices. Accusations were being thrown but she could not fathom what they were saying. If it was a dream, then it was getting really disturbing because she kept shaking her head, trying to get the noise far away from her but to no avail. Her eyes bolted open when she couldn't take it anymore.

There stood her family arguing heatedly. She blinked couple of times trying to understand if she was still dreaming. But when someone received a slap, Maryam knew she wasn't. So, she stared at them. Alhaji Matazu was standing between the two women, begging them to keep their voices down.

Once again, they had forgotten Maryam was the priority here, they were throwing insults at themselves. Zarah and Aliyah were nowhere to be found, she had to witness this all by herself.

     "You've woken her up with your stupidity! Are you satisfied now?" Alhaji Matazu seethed when his attention landed on Maryam who was staring at them tiredly. Her grandmother and Mama quickly stepped away from each other, adjusting their rumpled clothing. Maryam could only stare, because she knew why they were fighting, everyone knew why they would fight. They would never be able to breathe in the same air, one thing must lead to another subjecting them into fist fight.
Maryam wondered if they were forgetting how old they are. They were no longer those young girls they used to be, they could literally cause an everlasting damage, yet that never seem to refrain them from wanting to class each other's eyes out.

They each sat back down huffing and shaking angrily. Alhaji Matazu was searching around for his cufflinks. Their wrestling tournament had lost his cufflinks. He hissed and started peering at the floor. When he found it, he sighed tiredly then crouched down to pick it up.

He sat where Zarah had been seated with a frown. He stayed mute for a few seconds, thinking of how to address the issue. It surprises him how his wife was being extremely emotional over Maryam's issue.

     "Go back to sleep Maryam. Sorry we woke you up. I'll have a talk with them outside in a minute" Alhaji Matazu said to Maryam, conjuring a smile that did not meet the eye. It's obvious he's angry. Maryam nodded but didn't sleep off. Infact she was wide awake. She turned to her stepmother who had an evident frown on her face. The woman hadn't looked at her. So Maryam decided to make things easy for them. She closed her eyes and feigned sleep. After a few minutes she heard them shuffling around and soon she heard the door to her room close. She opened her eyes slowly and stared at the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Matazu, his wife and his mother in-law trekked down to the parking lot with the fear that Maryam might overhear them. He would have gone to his friends office the CMD but, the man is out of town. The parking lot would do since people here normally minded their business. Besides they must behave themselves or by God he would relieve them of being his wives for a very very long time.

     "Listen Amina, you do realize she's this girl's grandmother right. If you calm down and think about it, her explanation is the most sensible thing ever" Alhaji Matazu stated calmly. Mama hissed and turned away, she wasn't buying this miserable idea of her ex friend. This doesn't make any sense at all.

     "She's been with us for more than a decade, why must she leave now. She's doing okay, this was just a mishap from that useless daughter of yours who has no regard for people who are clearly her mother's age" Mama took a jab at Maryam's grandmother. But, she hadn't retorted because she knew her daughter had gone out of her way to disrespect her co-wife. It was a mistake that she would not be able to overlook.

     "No name calling Amina! Stop it. This isn't about either of you. It's about Maryam. That girl will continue to suffer if left with her mother, it's better she stays with her grandmother for now. That house is obviously toxic for her" Alhaji Matazu had explained.

     "She should stay with me then" Mama countered making her husband groan. Maryam's grandmother actually scoffed obviously irritated. "What exactly are you scoffing at, you mannerless woman?" Mama had asked ready to  indulge in another fist fight.

     "You! I am scoffing at you Amina. You were actually the ring leader who maltreated my grand daughter. Yet, here you are trying to keep her with you at all cost" Maryam's grandmother stated eyeing Mama. Alhaji Matazu groaned frustratingly for the umpteenth time. At least they were whispering, no one would suspect a thing even though they each had a gigantic frown plastered on their faces.

     "At least I did not hypocritically marry off my daughter to my best friend's husband" Mama seethed making Maryam's grandmother cower. She knew that move had been very wicked, but she had no choice because her husband had insisted on it. She wasn't going to anger her husband for the sake of a friend she knew could desert her at any time.

     "Both of you stop it! Maryam will live with her grandmother from now hence forth, it's better for all of us. Staying with her mother would cause her more harm than good. I'll send her tuition and feeding allowances to you Habiba. Please inform you daughter to pack up Maryam's belongings, and have them sent to you. Tell Ummi to come back home with the kids tonight" Alhaji Matazu had said much to Mama's annoyance. She hissed loudly and pushed her husband and Habiba aside before storming off to Maryam's designated room.

Alhaji Matazu regretted why he had not married a sophisticated educated woman from the onset. He would not have had to deal with all this bickering because she would've thinking about how to make a living. His two wives lacked in Education and that was costing him his peace of mind. He had been blinded by wanting a submissive wife and he got himself two annoying uneducated persons.

     "I am sorry about her behavior" he apologized to Maryam's grandmother_Habiba. She shook her head knowing fully well she deserved what Mama was doing to her. She should have stood her ground when her husband suggested getting her daughter Hafsat married to her best friends husband. Mama had been the one to bath Hafsat and during her naming ceremony, Mama had been in charge of all the affairs. Yet, shepaid her back by dumping her grieving daughter into the arms of her husband.

     "I am sorry for my daughter's behaviour. With Maryam out of the way, I am extremely sure she would be of her best behavior. The child reminds her of her first love. I am surprised she was acting this way towards the girl, I expected affection. Nonetheless, thank you for taking care of her and her daughter. May Allah bless you Ali" she stated and Alhaji Matazu nodded slowly. Thanking him would not change how regretful he was about including her daughter into his family. The children ofcourse he's thankful for, but he wished they were birthed by another woman.

Meanwhile Mama had noisily arrived in Maryam's room. The doctor had come to check on her, seeing she was perfectly fine, Maryam would be getting discharged within an hour. After the doctor exited Mama smiled at her.

     "Aren't you hungry?" Mama had asked with a sad smile. Maryam nodded and Mama had happily stood up but stopped when she remembered she hadn't included a plate when she was coming. she groaned tiredly as she eyes Habiba's foodflask which Zarah had rinsed right before she had arrived the hospital. Maryam chuckled knowing Mama did not want to touch her grandmother's belongings. But she had no choice because she needed to feed Maryam. She yanked the foodflask as though it had offended her and dished out some hot rice for Maryam. Maryam started eating and they talked about random stuff before her grandmother came in.

     "Your husband said you should come, so he would drop you home" Maryam's grandmother stated frowning deeply. Mama hissed before yanking her bag from the floor.

     "Take care of yourself Maryam. Make sure you come visit okay. I'll come visit you in school too" she had said closing the door. Only after settling down in her husband's car had she realized she had slipped and told Maryam she would not be coming back home with her. She groaned softly making her husband turn his attention towards her. She ignored him though besides she owes him no explanation.

On the other hand, Maryam chewed the rice in her mouth slowly. She swallowed with outmost difficulty, before looking up at her grandmother, waiting patiently to hear what explanation she had.

     "I am sorry Maryam, you will move back home with me. It's best if you leave the Matazu's household" her grandmother said making Maryam drop the fork in shock. She stared at her grandmother waiting for her to laugh and tell her she was joking. But that didn't come, and then Maryam knew she was never ever going to beloved by her mother.