"And do you know what I've found out? That we can get him here without telling him much about her situation." Dr. Abdussalam announced, surfing through some papers in front of him critically with his bifocals right atop his nose.

Hajiya Maimuna sat up, leaning closer to his desk. She's already called Adnan to come back to Nigeria that his wife is not alright, he is coming back in ten hours. They are prepping themselves on what to say so their entire story can turn out well. Jannah is currently lying down on a hospital bed playing with her daughter and Aisha is there with her too.

Dr. Abdussalam asked to see her privately and so here she is. "What is it? Stop talking in riddles and just talk."

He narrowed his eyes at her but went on. "There is this amnesia that is caused by stress. Post-traumatic amnesia —PTA. Most people hospitalized for a traumatic brain injury experience post-traumatic amnesia according to research. PTA may occur after a period of unconsciousness. You're awake, but you may behave and speak in a bizarre manner that's not like yourself. You may not be able to remember events from minutes or hours ago.

"The length of time that PTA lasts may indicate the severity of the brain injury. And there is Severe trauma or stress which can also cause dissociative amnesia. With this condition, your mind rejects thoughts, feelings, or information that you're too overwhelmed to handle. A specific type of dissociative amnesia called dissociative fugue can lead to unexpected traveling or wandering. It can also lead to amnesia around the circumstances of traveling as well as forgetting other details of your life.

"When you have dissociative amnesia, you have difficulty remembering important information about yourself, such as your name, personal history, or family and friends. Dissociative amnesia may be caused by a traumatic or stressful event. It usually occurs suddenly and may last for minutes, hours, or days. In rare cases, it may last for months or years." Dr. Abdussalam removed his bifocals and rubbed his lean nose.

"That's like four or five types of amnesia you've mentioned." Hajiya Maimuna made a face. He only mentioned like two but all those weird names, to her they are all amnesias.

He grinned suddenly, it made him look younger. "I only mentioned post traumatic amnesia and dissociative, there are a lot of them. And in the case of dissociative, it rarely lasts for years so why don't we use it? She should use it for as long as she wishes. Till she gets tired, of course."

Hajiya Maimuna was quiet for awhile not knowing whether she's got the right to choose what her daughter-in-law should do or not. She doesn't want to come off as that dominating mother-in-law but she would probably want that for years, just so she could bask in another body that isn't hers. And who knows? Start liking it in the nearest future?

It's decided then, dissociative whatever it is. "We should work with the dissociative and make sure he knows just how serious this is. Look as grave as you can while talking to him about it."

Dr. Abdussalam rolled his eyes. "I'm not used to lying so don't expect me to just act it out. I save lives, not help ruin them or play with them in this case. Give me a break."

Hajiya Maimuna's left brow rise instantly. "And you think I'm playing with my son's life?"

"Isn't that obvious? You want him to not be the person he is by using your daughter-in-law so don't get me started." He stood up from behind his desk and shrug on his laboratory coat.

Now she is fuming if her gentle scowl is anything to go with. "Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do with my sons life. I don't care what you think about this, just get the job done and get paid."

"Why didn't you ask any other doctor? I'm not even a neurologist for goodness sake!" He retorted right back, his entire back facing her so he won't see her frail expression.

"Because you are the family's doctor. If you like, help and if you like, quit. That's you problem but just don't question me ever again. We both don't want to go way back, do we?" She gritted her teeth, her nostrils flaring angrily.

Dr. Abdussalam furiously pivoted with this dark aura that suddenly ensheathed him in a somber cocoon. "You want to go way back? Then let's go there! I am not hiding any secret but you are, thousands of them."

"You know what? After you've talked to him, I don't want you to ever contact me again. We are so done!" She took her tote bag from the table, adjust her veil around her shoulders and swirled around to leave.

"That's exactly what you said the last time. Always huddling away like a coward. Common, keep running away from your own life maybe you'll start believing it doesn't exist. Fake amnesia too if possible. I'll write it down for you." He taunted from behind, forcing himself not to look at her.

Hajiya Maimuna gnashed her teeth painfully, she wanted to put him back in his place but that is going to drag the argument and then the words she never wanted to haul at him would ricochet without her own knowledge. With a deep breath, she exhaled and left the room like nothing has happened in there. Like she wasn't upset just few seconds ago.

She's gotten used to the façade like he's said, she loves it like that too.

She made her way to the exclusive hospital room Jannah was admitted to an hour ago. Before entering the room, she erased any form on sweat or distress from her face. Jannah can be really nosy when she wants to be just that she won't ever open her mouth to talk about it. She'll just keep thinking it till her head burst, totally not good for her health.

She plastered that beautiful smile they've known her with and entered the room. A large bed sat there in the middle facing the door where Jannah and her daughter are lying, watching cartoon on the television slightly by the left side of the door. Their eyes all yawed to her when she entered but Imara's immediately went back to the television, distracted.

Jannah followed every movement of hers while Aisha busied herself writing down many curse words for Jannah to practice when Adnan comes. She said she was going to put her phone somewhere to record the entire encounter, she cannot not see it. She will give her grades for her performance since clearly they'll be asked to step out of the room for the couple to talk. She'll take Imara with her but her phone remains.

Hajiya Maimuna sat down beside her in the bed. Jannah frowned at the woman questioningly, she is still not herself. Maybe she is tired of the façade or the other way around.

"The doctor explained a few things to me about amnesia. I took away your prerogative. I chose Dissociative Amnesia because in rare occasions, it lasts for years. And I thought you would want to take your time." She raised a sheepish brow, hoping she did not detect how her voice broke.

Aisha chirped in from the other end. "You did great, Hajiya. She should choose when she wants to stop the charade and if I were in her position, it won't be anytime soon."

Jannah smiled thinly, she's having second thoughts or cold feet or jitters or whatever. "Should I really go with this? It's going to be goddamn hard not being myself."

"Ahhh, she used goddamn already! That's a good goddamn start. Wow, it rhymes, goddamn it." Aisha laughed to herself but didn't raise her head from the paper in front of her.

Hajiya Maimuna placed a gentle hand on Jannah's shoulder, her eyes motherly and tender. "It's your choice and you can back out now if you want to. And don't say you are not being yourself, that's all you. This is just the wild side of yours you've tamed for awhile, it wants out too. Don't be hard on yourself, hmm?"

Is she right though? Is it that there is this wild part of hers she wants to unleash? She grew up in a conventional, superstitious and ancestral home where everything you do is monitored closely. You are not allowed to wear your hijab the wrong way because it's clearly a bad omen. There is no way you are allowed to hum to any song, not even one that doesn't have a name.

There's no watching television, no wasting water during bath. They literally do nothing for fun or just on their own, supervisors are always around. Either the older siblings, uncles and aunties that don't have better things to do or grand aunts that are always after your life since clearly, they don't want to stay married. There was never time for fun.

She grew up all alone, her older brothers sent away for God knows what in another state. She rarely sees them and when she does, it's only brief that she won't be able to remember their faces when they come back. In the entire family, she is the only young female so each workload is dumped on her. And she stayed back there for nineteen years doing that all round. It wasn't easy.

But what is this feral side of hers? She's never felt it before she married Adnan. Not going to lie, there's been a time or two that she thought about doing so many wacko things to get her husband's attention. Like when she almost poured water on him intentionally from the kitchen, she stopped last minute and notice him staring at her.

"Do you want something? More water?" She'd asked in a quiet voice, her eyes wandering from his olive throat down to his still suit clad chest. She adjusted her glasses like she does whenever uncomfortable.

He blinked then shook his head negatively, he left the country the next day. But the way he'd looked at her then, she won't ever be able to forget it. It sent tingles down her spine, set her heart on fire and reawakened gooseflesh all over her. That was three years ago, while she was pregnant with Imara.

"I'll try my best to make sure he spends time with Imara. For the next few months at least." She forced a smile on her face before turning around to see the long list Aisha has written.

"What on earth is that?" Her voice rose an octave in horror because she's filled the page front and back all with how to use curse words.

Aisha grinned mischievously. "The first step you should take in making sure Mr. Heartless goes crazy is by cursing like a sailor. He hates that with every ounce of his being and you'll see how he turns into a Draco." She laughed maniacally, hitting her knee.

Hajiya Maimuna chuckled knowing just how right Aisha is. Adnan is definitely going to go haywire whenever she curses in front of him. Though he grew literally grew up in the streets, he never curses. He's never done that as far as she could remember.

"He's hit Ammar more than twice because of that before he gave up. I don't know what he'll do to you though. Definitely no beating but I'd love to see his reaction." She giggled like a young lass, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

"He shouldn't worry. We're going for British way of cursing because I've forced her to learn that accent. We have bollocks, bloody, arsehole, shite, twat..."

Hajiya Maimuna's eyes widened. Aisha is really the real definition of trouble. Had Adnan married her, he would've known what it's like going crazy. The girl is surely not for some poor guy, she'd set his life on fire with just a blink.