49

Aisha threw her head in laughter, she was beyond happy. “I mean it, Dr, you need to come and see her, I bet you won’t be able to recognize me. Abba is hell-bent in love, I think we’re going to have a wedding to blast soon.” She had been on phone with Nasir, telling him about Humaira and how Mama freaked out when Abba brought her home. They stood there laughing while Mama kept touching their cheeks to make sure they were two different people.

“Aisha, there is no way I won’t recognize you amidst thousands of women. You’re the one I love, you stand out of them all.” He was still arguing when Aisha said he can’t recognize her when he saw them with Humaira.

Aisha looked at her door when it creaked ajar and Humaira walked in, she was leaving tomorrow and she came to say he goodbye. Aisha’s smile grew wider and she waved at Humaira before she spoke to Nasir. “Dr, here she comes. Just say hi to her and you won’t believe I’m not the one that talks to you.” She hugged Humaira tightly before she handed her the phone.

Humaira collected the phone before she laughed, “Good evening, Nasir.” She greeted, just like she heard Abba calling him. She couldn’t come to the reason why Aisha couldn’t call him by his name. They still hadn’t spoken about their past, but she had to wait until she did what she had in mind.

Nasir laughed and shook his head, “Aisha, you can’t fool me you know? Yes, I get it you have an identical twin sister, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to know your voice. I won’t buy this, just because you called me Nasir.”

Humaira laughed and spoke, “It’s Humaira, Nasir. How is work?” He was silent for a few minutes before he answered and they exchanged pleasantries. He still couldn’t believe it wasn’t Aisha.

She handed back the phone to Aisha and sat down at the edge of the bed. She pulled out the bedside drawer and her eyes got in contact with Aisha’s journal. Humaira heard as Aisha spoke for some time with Nasir as she read her poem, awestruck. The moment Aisha finished, she turned to look at her, “You write poetry? Aisha, this is truly amazing!”

Aisha sat on the bed and peeked through the poem Humaira was currently reading, she blushed. It was a poem she currently wrote for Nasir and even though she didn’t let him see it, she felt walking on cloud nine whenever she read it. It felt good to be in love, and even more good that she was now free of any trauma from Abba. She had a twin sister that could disguise as her and be wherever she wanted to be. She can even hide away from the world and Humaira would be there to act like her.

“I was turned into a poet, with love. Humaira, I so much love Nasir but I feel like I’m not ready to be married again. My first marriage with that Psycho of your’s wasn’t easy.” They laughed together but before Humaira was able to ask her more of her past life, she stood up to her wardrobe and brought out her veil. The light purple floral veil.

Humaira shrieked and snatched it away from her, “Aisha, that’s my veil!” she hugged the veil to her chest and lifted its edges, indeed there was the embroidery of ‘A & H’.

Aisha smacked her head playfully before she snatched her veil from her hand and sat down, “You’re not serious, Humaira. How can I get into your room in the mansion of yours that’s full of security just to steal your veil? Mommy gave it to me and I always wear it on my birthday. I remembered the ‘A&H’ on it and thought maybe you have it too.”

Humaira nodded her head vehemently as they stared at the embroidery, their faces full of smiles. “25th March, that’s our birthday, right?”

Aisha nodded her head before she folded her veil and took it back to her closet, she was still standing by the wardrobe when she turned to look at Humaira. “Yes, that’s it. I guess you were the one that had a party and I got punished and divorced on your behalf, right?”

Humaira solemnly nodded her head before she chuckled, “Poor guy, he saw me kissing Rafiq and thought I was his wife. And you know, he called me Aisha that day, and I freaked out thinking it was Daddy.” They both laughed and Humaira kept asking her questions about poetry. All Aisha could do was laugh as she answered her questions.

“Aisha, if you write something like sitting on the edges of the moon while play with the stars together with your beloved, does it happen? Perhaps in a dream?” Humaira had never felt as free as she did when she was together with Aisha. She felt there were no restrictions, she can be her true self without putting on the facade of being cold or pretending to be a strong woman, which deep down she wasn’t just. Not just like she portrayed herself as. She broke, she cried in the sanctuary of her room, she felt afraid of certain people and dread an encounter with them. but the moment she stepped out of her room, she was nothing other than a sturdy lady that seldom laughed or cried.

Aisha laughed until she felt her cheeks lasting with pain, “Humaira, we don’t even need to ask Daddy or Mommy, this question proves that I’m the older one, for sure.”

Humaira whined and pouted her lips, “Come on, Aisha. I mean it.” She sobered up and the sophisticated Humaira was back, “Aisha, I was thinking if you could please follow me to Taraba? I haven’t asked Daddy about you, I just want him to see you.”

Aisha was taken aback by her words, even though she no more cared whether she was related by blood with Humaira or it was merely Allah’s choice of creation, she felt anxious. She was afraid if it turned out to be that Humaira was not her blood sister and her dream of having a father in her life, a normal family; would be crushed.

“You know, I can’t say yes, Humaira. I’ll have to ask Mama and if Baba agrees, I’ll go with you. I want to see Daddy too, I want to go to A & H and confuse its staff thinking it was you. I want to have a decent conversation with Daddy and told him all I’ve been missing from him my whole life. But most importantly, I want to spend some time with you and tell you the story of my past.” She was sad and her voice was so heartbreaking that Humaira felt glum. She wondered what happened in Aisha’s life, she knew it was full of pain. The only most painful thing that happened to her was Rafiq’s death, but she knew that wasn’t the same for Aisha.

“Aisha Umar Faruk,” she called out, putting on her serious and sophisticated look.

Aisha laughed before she answered, “Humaira Umar Faruk.” She had even got used to Humaira’s bossy attitudes at times.

“You’re going, there’s no more excuse. I’ll ask them myself.”

“I’m going, but I can’t leave without Dr, he’s coming back tomorrow. We can leave after he comes back.”

“Dr this, Dr that. Please spare my life, I’ll have to wait and see this Dr.”

Aisha laughed as she patted her shoulder, “You have to see him, he’s more handsome than that Psychopath you have as a boyfriend.”

Humaira shook her head sideways and laughed out loud, “He’s not my boyfriend, he’s too clingy for my liking. But I’m not sure if Nasir would surpass him in handsomeness, the guy is cool, Aisha.”

They laughed and stood up together, they walked out of the room to Mama’s room as Aisha said, “This is the first thing I’ll tell Daddy if we arrive. He should get you married as soon as he can. He’s cool, right? He’ll be a very cool husband I think.” Humaira punched her lightly in they walked into Mama’s room.

❃

Aisha and Humaira were in the car Daddy sent for Humaira and Abba and Nasir were in a different car. The first Nasir saw Humaira he was utterly confused that he had to beg Abba to show him who was Aisha and Humaira. But as he spent some minutes together with them, he was sure who his Aisha was and who Humaira was. Aisha was ever the silent and calm one, but Humaira seemed rugged even though she had the innocent part of Aisha.

When they arrived in Taraba, Abba called her and told her that he would take Nasir to his house and they would rest for a bit before they come to their house. She told Aisha and all she did was nod her head. She wanted to be with him when she would see Daddy but she guessed this was her battle to fight.

The guards and even the driver that was still flustered upon seeing Aisha got down and opened their doors for them. Humaira turned to look at them and she pointed at Aisha. “This is my twin sister, she lives in Bauchi that’s why none of you knows her. Her name is Aisha and I’m still Humaira. I hope you’ll be able to a different use.” She spoke with an amiable voice and took Aisha’s hand in hers.

The introduction was done to several workers Aisha didn’t care to count. She was in awe with the design and the architecture of the mansion. They got in and when Ilham came to welcome Humaira, she halted in her tracks, “Hum…” she stammered, unable to complete her sentence.

Humaira laughed and she pulled Ilham into a hug, “I met my twin sister in Bauchi, she’s the Aisha Daddy calls me with. Aisha, this is my stepmother, our stepmother; Ilham.” Aisha smiled humbly as Ilham stretched her hand to her for a shake. She still wasn’t able to different who was Humaira among the duo.

“Where’s Daddy?” Humaira asked as she moved further into the whole, all the way Aisha admiring the luxury in the house.

“He’s waiting for you in his office, I’ll be in my room when you’re out,” Ilham answered and they disappeared before her sight. They had the same clothes on, everything was the same and she would not be human if she was able to tell of a difference between them. That’s why Humaira was so persistent that they went to a boutique and bought two identical abayas, she said she relished in the satisfaction of making a lot of people flustered when she was together with Aisha.

Humaira turned to her before they entered the office and smiled mischievously, “Aisha, call out Daddy aloud with so much excitement that he won’t be able to recognize us even by expression. You have to act well, he knows me so well.”

Before Aisha could nod, Humaira turned the doorknob and they chorused “Daddy!!!” at the same time.

Daddy nearly fell from his chair, he looked at them, how they were identically smiling and took off his glasses. Their hands were entwined, and he could swear a mirror was placed beside his Humaira. But the other Humaira looked surreal. He rubbed his eyes and put back his glasses and saw he was still seeing two Humaira’s standing before his desk with smiles on their faces. He stood up and take a closer look at them, one had tears pooled into her eyes while the other was enthusiastic.

His heart fell, and he knew this was the moment he dreaded the most ever since he shrouded his past life and buried it into a hole he dug depth beneath the layers of earth. He stretched out his hands at them and each one of them took in his hand, he broke down without knowing where the tears came from. He didn’t know how Humaira finally got back this missing piece of his life, but the day he sent her to Bauchi; he knew it was bound to happen. But he didn’t expect it to be this soon.

He looked into Humaira’s eyes and spoke, “Aisha?” and turned to Aisha before he said, “Humaira?” They both nodded their head before they fell into his body and embraced him. Aisha was crying bitterly, and no matter how Humaira tried not to cry, she couldn’t. This was the first time she saw Daddy broke down, and it broke her heart.

He broke their hug and guided them to the plush sofas in the office. They all sat down and intensely looked at him, “Daddy,” they called again and this time, he laughed.

“You’re confusing me, Twins. It’s so hard to know which one is talking.”

They laughed too before Humaira placed her head on his shoulder as she used to and Aisha was reluctant before she placed her head on his shoulder. “Daddy we have a lot of questions, Aisha especially,” Humaira spoke, and he took in a breath. No matter how he hated talking about his past life, some things surely had to be enshrouded.

“I have a lot of questions for you too, Humaira. I’ll have to start calling you with your names, if not I’m going to confuse you and myself too.” They laughed and Daddy stood up before he walked them to the dining table.

“Aisha,” he called and Humaira turned before he laughed and shook his head, “Not the fake one, the real. The good girl, not the bad.”

Humaira whined and muttered, “Daddy! I’ve been a very good girl in Bauchi, ask Aisha.”

“I’m not talking to you. Aisha, how have you been? Where’s your mother and how is she?” He asked he noticed how nervous and uncomfortable she was, and he knew the only way to have her free with him like Humaira was, was by engaging her into a conversation.

Humaira chirped in before Aisha was able to gulp down the churn of bitterness that stood in her throat, and she had never been appreciative of Humaira until today. “Daddy, if we’re twins with Aisha, then what about my dead mother? Was she our mother or?”

Daddy looked at Humaira and sighed, he had surely shrouded a lot of things from his family, even Ilham didn’t know his dead wife wasn’t Humaira’s mother. And he figured out enshrouding all of his secrets would be hard. “That’s my wife, Humaira, not your mother.”

“Daddy, I’ve been fine. The story is long, but I don’t know where Mommy is, I think she doesn’t live in Bauchi anymore.” She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the looks on their faces, there were going to break her heart even more broken than it was.

Daddy’s heart lost a bit, what happened to Asiya? The last time he had his anonymous stalker checked upon her he was told they were living fine and Aisha was in a very good condition. She got tired of looking after Aisha that she left? “What happened, Aisha? Please tell me everything.” His voice quivered as he spoke, and Aisha nodded her head before she began. The story of Aisha Umar Faruk was long, a road full of potholes and rifts. If it were a rose, the petals would’ve been small and the thorns uncountable.