Tales

Tales Of A Widow
Season 2 Episode 14

Episode 14:

Grandma entered with a weird smile.
"Habeebah, longest time.. How is your health?" She asked.
"AlhamduliLlah! I'm fine ma." She replied her with a shaky voice.
"Habeebah, don't you think your tummy should have been protruding by now, hope you've registered for antenatal" She inquired with a sacarsm.
"erm..mm mm very soon.. m. Ma" she stuttered.
Grandma interjected
"Habeebah the pregnant woman!" She exclaimed with a scary laughter..
Habeebah was frightened on hearing this, she had no clue her mother in law is cognizance of her miscarriage.

"Maami let me get you a glass of water." She said sofly as she headed the kitchen
Grandma drew her back, Habeebah's fear intensified, her arms stood akimbo and she was dumbfounded.

"Enough! Habeebah and stop making these acts. Your secret is out in the open, everything you're concealing about your miscarriage is glaring already.. Will you stop acting like a faithful daughter in law? You've succeeded in hypnotizing my son, but not anymore. His mother is here to unleash the spell you casted on him.. Not any longer Habeebah. All I'm here to do is to let you  know my son is done with you. If you love yourself, kindly leave my son's house humbly without any constraints." Grandma screamed with an offensive tone.

"A'udhu biLlahi Mina shaytani Rajeem! Maami, this is a plot from shaytan and his accomplices. We shouldn't allow him take control of our affairs. Please ma forgive me for hiding this from you , I was only scared of the possible outcomes.. Very soon insha Allah I'll give your son the joy of a fatherhood. She replied.

"Look at this stupid gold digger who wants to ruin my son's life.. Do you think I'm here to play. The only shaytan who is plotting evil is you. Out of my five children, four are married, three have lovely kids already, your brother in law that also got married this year, his wife is expecting.. The only one who is yet to be blessed with the fruit of the womb is my loving Ibrahim.. Till when will you deceive us with your fake promises and acts." Grandma flared with anger erupting in her like a volcano....
Habeebah now realized Grandma was serious and meant everything she's been uttering, she was provoked and decided to summon the courage to free herself from her threat.

"Maami, the only person who can order me to leave this matrimonial home of mine is Ibrahim. He brought me here, after legalising our union. He's my husband and I'm his companion, we both belong to each other and nothing can separate us except death. In as much as I'm breathing I'll always be Ibrahim's wife, even when I'm gone, I'll always remain in his heart. So, Maami this house is mine. It's my sanctuary, because it belongs to my love....

"What gibberish! So, you have learnt to talk back at me. Bravo! I must commend your courage.. At least it's obvious that you've been pretending all this while. Take it or leave it you're going now. And if you try any foul play, I'll call the attention of the whole neighborhood to what is transpiring between us. I was thinking of letting another woman join you before, now I know you won't let her live in peace. You might even tie her womb.. And I've been assured my son will only have children if you're out of his life." She blunted.

Habeebah approached her phone to call her husband but Grandma snatched it from her. The phone dropped and scattered around, Grandma picked them up and placed the phone in parts on the couch..
"I know you'll try to be smart but I'm smatter than you." She said as she slapped Habeebah... She broke down in tears and left for her room. Habeebah came out with a traveling bag and took her exit.
"Finally you've learnt your lessons. Now my son can bring in a fertile woman. What a lowlife girl! Saying it to my face that no one can separate her from my son.. Metchewww.. Arrant nonsense!
Grandma fix the phone and went home with it.
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Ibrahim was feeling uneasy at work and decided to go home early that day. Directly after attaining home safely, he expected his wife to open the door and fall in his embrace as usual. But he was surprised nothing of such occurred.. He thought she was sound asleep and opened the door with his spare key....Ibrahim was dismayed when he couldn't find his wife in her room.

"My love! Where are you?" He inquired as he searched every room including the kitchen and bathrooms. Yet no sign of Habeebah. "Where could she have gone to." He asked himself.. My wife will never leave this house without my permission, must she have gone to Umm Sulaim's house? I think calling her on phone will answer my questions."He said as he dialed her phone number.

Ibrahim was devastated when the voice he heard was that of the Network woman saying "the number you dialed is switched off".. He decided to go to Umm Sulaim's house, alas! She wasn't there, he called Habeebah's mother.

"Assalam Alaykum ma" he greeted
"Waalaykum Salaam my son, how is everything and how is your wife too." She replied from the other end.
"AlhamduliLlah! She's fine, I only called to greet you ma, extend my teslim to everyone ma." he said and dropped the call.
From the conversation, Ibrahim was able to deduce his wife wasn't there.
"Could she have gone to her brother's house?" He asked...But the conversation wasn't different from the previous one, when he spoke to her brother Hassan from the fact that he also asked after Habeebah... This also means Habeebah wasn't there as well...

"Where are you my love? I don't know what to think anymore. Come home, your love is anticipating your arrival!" He exclaimed as he peeped through the window hopping to sight her on return. If only Habeebah could hear his voice it would have  jeered his countenance but she couldn't..

"This is getting beyond my control."He said as his attention got attracted to a yellowish object on the couch and he took it up.

"What is Habeebah's Sim card doing here? There's something I'm unable to grasp fully." he said to himself bewildered.

"I need to find my wife, the only place left she could have gone to, is Maami's house, but will Habeebah go there? Why is my instinct keeps telling me to go to my mother' residence? I just hope she's there. Anyway the two are on good terms now." Ibrahim said to himself and left.

On getting there, he exchanged some pleasantries with his mother...

"Maami did my wife come here?" he asked some minutes later.
"And why will she come here, do we have any business together?"Grandma replied with a grim.
Ibrahim explained everything to his mother about his missing wife.

"Ibrahim, your wife is an adult she'll come home whenever she feels like, you said it yourself that you were feeling uneasy and decided to go home early... Who knows what she has been doing behind you all this while. This only means you caught her red handed today." She blunted.
"Habeebah will no do no such thing, but Maami I thought you both are good terms, why this horrible remarks?" he wondered.
"let me get you a cold drink, because you look thirsty." She said and headed the kitchen.

As soon as Grandma left, her phone buzzed continously. Ibrahim searched for it and realized it was in her bag, he dipped his hand in her bag and brought out Habeebah's phone.
"My wife's phone in Maami's bag? And her Sim card on the couch at home ? Vividly something is amiss." He thought to himself.

Grandma returned, holding a tray in her hands
"Maami where is my wife?" He coldly asked.

To be continued. 
Olafiku Maryam Umm Muslimah.