50

Their cheeks were a mess of their tears by the time Aisha finished telling them the whole story of her life. The revelation of Mommy being a prostitute was a hard blow to Humaira’s heart and she had never wanted to see someone like she wanted to see Mommy. She wished her mother wasn’t like that, she wished she was a pious woman as Humaira always had a memory of her dead mother. She lived her life with the thought of her mother died when she was five, and now that she knew her mother wasn’t dead, she felt heartbroken over her. It was now that she dotted the lines, that stupid man that kept pestering her in ATBU was the man that made Aisha’s life a living hell and he was the one that revealed the darkest secrets about their mother. Indeed it was dark just like he threatened to reveal the dirtiest secret of Mommy.

But why? Humaira wondered. Why would she choose prostitution over all the businesses that were in the world, why would she choose prostitution and even human trafficking overseas for sexual purposes? She had lived her life knowing she was the karma to everyone that did her wrong, but she knew the real definition of karma when Aisha told them she was raped by five men, all in the name of revenge. She wished she can know those men and have their groins castrated. She would never forgive Jaafar and those five men.

And Abba, even though she was sure he paid for the crime he committed, she couldn’t help but feel untamed anger towards him. She loved him, but she was so sad and heartbroken about what he did to her sister. She wished she was all there when it all happened, none of them would’ve gotten away with his life while he did what they did to Aisha.

All their attentions were on Daddy, who was crying bitterly as he shook his head in a remorseful manner. “I regret ever doing that to you, Asiya. I wish I can turn back the hands of time, you wouldn’t have found yourself into prostitution and have my daughter’s life damaged along the process.”

Confused, both Aisha and Humaira looked at him and they asked the question that was in their minds. Even though that question had lived in Aisha’s mind for all the years she knew herself as human. It was a new feeling to Humaira, and it was roaring and urging, in a quest for a satisfying answer.

“Daddy, what did you do to her? How did we get estranged?” They asked at the same time and he hung his head down.

“Call those guys you came together with and ask them not to come, it’s going to be a long, tiring and heartbreaking night for us.” Humaira nodded her head vehemently and sent Abba a text, she knew her voice sounded hoarse and she wasn’t in the right position to speak.

Daddy looked at how eager they were and chuckled, “You need to go and wash your washes, you’ll have to cry a little bit more, and I’m afraid you’ll hate Daddy for a while.”

They stood up for a while and smiled amidst their tears, “We can’t hate you, Daddy. All that happened in the past, we can't a thing, why wallow into it? And besides, it all happens for a reason unknown to us.” They uttered and Daddy had never felt this overwhelmed all his life.

They entered the living room’s bathroom and washed their faces, and before they got back Humaira stopped Aisha and hugged her. “You’ve seen a lot in your life, Humaira. I was only a spoilt brat, thinking I had it all in life, not knowing my other half was out there stranded between the will to live or give up.”

Aisha smiled and hugged her back, “I wouldn’t have met you and Daddy if my life went al smooth, Humaira. I guess it’s for the good, and it happened for this reason; to know the rest of my family. I’m glad it all happened.”

They walked back to where Daddy was, deep in thought. As soon as they sat down, he looked up and smiled at them, “I’ll start from the roots of your mother, she was from Maiduguri, from Babur tribe.”

The small town of Magumeri was a well known local government under Borno state, Nigeria. There was a girl that lived in the house of the head district of the town known as Malam Bukar. He had two wives and eight children. His second wife died and he got married to his third wife, which was Asiya’s mother. From the time she gave birth to Asiya, she closed her eyes and that was forever. Malam Bukar cried over the loss of two wives and handed his newborn daughter to his first wife, Kamila. At first, she didn’t want to take care of the child but he was so persistent that she had no other choice but to do as he pleased.

Even though living in her father’s house was never good for Asiya, she had an impeccable love for her studies. She finished her primary school education and begged her father until he agreed and let her furthered her education. Her stepmother Kamila wasn’t fond of the studies Asiya loved because all her daughters and even her sons weren’t fortunate enough to go to school. She kept pestering Malam Bukar about how he let Asiya went to school and didn’t get her married while all her mates were in their husband's house. Every time Malam tried to talk to Asiya about getting a suitor, she cried and told him, “Baba, I don’t want to get married, I want to study.” And he believed her because he saw the true love of that in her eyes.

Days passed by, and Asiya had grown up into a beautiful young lady the caught the eyes of her admirers, but none dared to come to her because they all knew she wasn’t going to give them listening ears, and even if they went to her father, it was of no use because he wasn’t going to give her out without her consent. Her consent, that’s the hardest thing to find with Asiya Bukar. She was at school when she got a call from the principal’s office and she walked there, being the head girl had given her a lot of pleasures and opportunities.

She greeted the principal and the young man she saw with him. “Asiya Bukar, this is Hamisu Sada sent to our school from the state government. Please take him to the Duty mater’s office, he will show him around the school and see where we need some more facilities.” She nodded her head and walked towards the door, the young man called Hamisu Sada following behind her.

On their way to the office, he looked at her and smiled. He had admired her beauty and courage the very minute she walked into the principal’s office. And he loved how the ambience changed with her juicy scent and how she blinded his eyes with her charms and unnerved him with her sophisticated aura. “Do you live here?” He found himself asking, and Asiya smiled shyly before she nodded her head.

“My name is Hamisu Sada, as you heard your principal said. I was sent to your to Magumeri local government to check around their schools and report back for whatever work that was needed to be done. I’ll have to stay here until my project is done.” She nodded her head and still kept her eyes on the floor.

“Won’t you talk? Tell me your name and all?” He pushed harder because he didn’t hear her voice apart from the time she said, “Okay sir.” To the principal's order. They got to the office and Asiya nodded her head before she looked into his eyes, she immediately looked away. “My name is Asiya Bukar, and I’m the district head’s daughter. You’re welcome to our school, Sir.” She motioned for him to enter the office before she left. Hamisu smiled and walked into the office. He liked the way she walked, the way she spoke and the way she even acted.

That night while she was reading her books, Kamila walked into her room; which was her mother’s room and looked at her. “Asiya, Malam has a guest in the house opposite ours, you should take this food to him.” She collected the cooler and draped a hijab over her body. She didn’t want any hassles coming from Kamila, that’s why she didn’t object or gave an excuse that she was reading. She walked out of the house and was hesitant before she knocked on the door of Baba’s guest house and the door was unlocked. “Good evening, Sir. I came here to bring your food.” Her head was hung down, and she heard his chuckle.

“You don’t recognize me, Asiya? Come on in, I have something to show you.” She looked up and her eyes met with Hamisu’s orbs. She had never felt this flustered all her life, and the look he was flashing her made her blushed real hard. She watched as he moved aside and she walked inside the house. She knew her father always accommodate any visitor that came from the state government, but she had never imagined this person to stay in her father’s house. And she knew she would be the one to bring him every day for the course of his stay.

She placed the cooler down and smiled nervously, “I think I should go, I’m reading.” She excused herself and tried walking out of the room when Hamisu sat down and looked at her with eyes that charmed her heart with just a single glance. “Please sit down and eat with me.” And she couldn’t say no to him. She sat down and they conversed as he ate his food. Asiya had never felt this stirred all her life. She had never thought that she’ll meet a guy that’ll make her feel this flushed until she met Hamisu. And that night as she laid down to sleep, Asiya found herself thinking about him and all they said and she slept with a smile.

That’s how it went on, she was the one that always took his breakfast to him and they left to school together in his car. He supervised the repairments done while she became eager to finish her classes so they would rekindle again. She always hides her lunch and took it with her to his house and they ate together, and when she took his dinner to him; Asiya found it so hard to walk out of that house. Just like every day, Asiya had spent more time than necessary in his house after she took dinner to him. They were lovingly conversing when Hamisu Sada moved beside her and he slung his hand around her shoulders, she jerked upright.

“I think I need to go home, I’m sleepy,” she quivered and tried walking towards the exit when he held her wrist. She turned and got in contact with his now bloodshot eyes. “Please, Asiya, it will only be for this time. I told you I love you and I’ll marry you, I promise. I’ll take you to the city with me, enrol you into the university and when you’re done, I’ll find you a job. Please?” And it didn’t happen only for the first time, it happened for the second time, the third time, and times Asiya couldn’t care to count anymore. And when Hamisu Sada was about to leave, he promised to her that he would be back in two months and get married to her.

She was so naive, so she believed him. But when two months passed and she was sick and didn’t see him, she felt agitated. Malam Bukar took her to the hospital and it was revealed that she was three months pregnant. He was beating her, mercilessly throwing her on the ground and stumping his feet on her from the hospital until they got back home and a crying Asiya ran to hide behind Kamila. “What happened, Malam?” Kamila asked, looking at how Malam Bukar was seething with rage and the fact that he also beat Asiya. That was the first time he had ever raised his voice on Asiya not to even talk about beating her.

Malam Bukar slumped on the ground and held his head with both palms, “She refused to get married but she’s now three months pregnant. What am I going to do with her, Kamila?” He cried, and Asiya ran to his side and she held his legs. “Please Baba, have some mercy on me. It was Hamisu Sada, he said he was going to get married to me an..” She wasn’t able to finish her sentence when Malam Bukar slapped her hard across her both cheeks and he stood up and kept stomping his feet on her still flat stomach.

He called her brothers and asked them to give her the merciless beating of her life and they should make sure she didn’t sleep in his house that night. No matter how Asiya’s cries were surging into his heart, he didn’t come up and he heard as she shouted “My stomach! Blood, Baba. I’m going to die!” Even though he was certain the pregnancy was out, he didn’t come out until her brothers took her out of the house and the echoes of her cries fade away from the walls.

They dumped her on the highway road and Asiya spent her night in so much pain. She got into the cars passing by and didn’t ask where they headed to. When they arrived at their destination, and she pulled out the money Baba gave her when they were going to do hospital and she paid. She was still sick and was trudging around the car park when she slumped and fainted.

She woke up in a hospital, and turned around, taking a look at her surroundings, a nurse came above her head and smiled at her, “How are you feeling now?” she asked, and Asiya squirmed in pain. “Where am I?” she slurred, as her tears rushed down her cheeks.

“You’re in General Hospital, Bauchi state. I hope you’re feeling good? I’m sorry but we can’t save your child.” Saying that Asiya placed her hand in her stomach and felt it like it was before, and even after the nurse told Baba that she was three months pregnant. She looked at the nurse and smiled ruefully, happy that she was finally free. But as she remembered Baba telling her brother to throw her out of the house and she should never set her feet back again, she broke down completely on the hospital bed.

She didn’t know what life had in store for her, she didn’t know where she was going to find Hamisu Sada even though she had lost his child. All had jumbled up for her, together with the aching of her joints and the pain that was trying to decorate her heart. Hamisu Sada destroyed her life, but her father; Malam Bukar used a scissor and tore apart the connection between her and a good life.