54: The King's Demise

She believed that Mujaheed could do whatever it took for him to protect their marriage. She knew having another wife apart from her wouldn't destroy their marriage if they wanted to keep it but with Mairamou it was a different issue. From the looks she flashed her, to the glares her parents sent her way, Fareeda knew that if for just, one for a few weeks Mujaheed will stay with her as his wife, nothing could stop their marriage from being completely broken, she could feel that.

She had no one to talk to about this apart from Nana, someone that knew her deeply the way she did. Nenne would act unbothered because she knew if she acted as if something would be wrong, that would make Fareeda even more worried than she was. Kulthum was always together with her, but it wasn’t the way one of her family members would. Because with them, she would speak the language she had known, say thing she knew they would understand without her elaborate more on it. There were things that she didn't even have to say for them to understand.

The ringing tone of her phone brought her out of her reverie, and she felt relieved seeing it was Nana. She smiled sadly and placed the phone on her left ear, “Nana...” She uttered weakly; she had missed home. It was even ironic to say she had missed Alhaji even though she knew even if they were together she can go on for days without saying anything to him.

“Ya Fareeda, good afternoon. How are you doing?” Nana asked with a soft smile that was meant for Fareeda to feel relieved, but she knew Fareeda will never feel that relief now.

“I'm doing fine, Nana. How’s everyone at home? How are you? Ummah, Dahlia and him?” She realized she wanted to know how he was feeling. He might be a monster in her eyes, but deep down she knew she had no father but him and it would hurt the day she lost him. Maybe being married to Mujaheed had changed the perception with which she viewed and reacted to things. She still hated him, but a father will always be a father.

Nana chuckled lightly, “They’re all fine, Ya Fareeda. I heard that Asma’u will be coming back next month, I don't know what she’s coming back to do though. Didn’t she hate us all now? Or maybe because she heard you weren’t home anymore?”

Nana will always be Nana, Fareeda thought and chuckled softly. “I don’t know her reasons for coming back, but you’ll always miss home when you’re away from it, Nana. How’s Nenne? I've been calling her for the past two days, but she isn’t picking, I hope she’s fine?” Fareeda didn’t know why Nana was laughing so hard. “What is it? Will you stop laughing and tell me what happened, Nana?” She asked, and Nana had a hard time suppressing her laughter.

“Nenne and her usual problems. Last week Abba bought her a new phone because her old one was giving her problems. I called her and told her that she should take care of that phone, I can buy a huge farm in Sardauna, and guess what this old woman did?” Even before Nana was done, Fareeda had had her head thrown back as she began to laugh, because she knew so well where this was going.

“She called for a Salima, right? And somehow, at night someone got into her room and stole it. I know so well this is what had happened even before you told me, Nana.” They were both laughing when Fareeda suggested what had happened which happened to be the truth.

“She called me with Lami’s line to tell me about it, and I told her she should call him and tell him about it. He can have her sim welcomed back and buy her another one, but this woman claims to be a lovely mother now...” Fareeda was laughing so hard, she so much loved the drama between Nenne and Alhaji, you just can't know what’s between them. Because a minute, she was scolding him left and right and in the next minute, she was being the most beloved mother anyone would wish to have.

“Please, tell me what she said in her tone, I could even imagine her talking.” This wasn’t the first time they were having a phone drama with her, and each time, it was the same thing.

“She was like, ‘No, Fadimatu. I won’t call him, dan yana da arzikin kuma ai basai na karya shi ba. Ke kikace zata says katuwar gona fa.’ (No, Fadimatu. I won’t call him, just because he’s rich, I shouldn't bring his downfall. You’re the one that said it can buy a very huge land.) and I had only one option at the time, I told her to ask around for whoever bought a new farm, that must be her phone’s thief, we should only wait for the results now.”

“Nana Fatima Yaqub, I wonder how I would’ve laughed if you aren't in my life. So basically, Nenne is now like a police officer in Sardauna? She’s investigating someone that will buy land?” She could imagine Nana laughing so hard as she nodded her head.

“Exactly, I'll just wait to see who has fallen into her trap this time, will be such a pity.” They kept conversing and even though Nana didn’t outwardly ask her about the marriage thing that was going on, Fareeda knew she had it in mind when she called her, and she wanted to take her mind off thing.

Nafisa walked into the room a few hours after she was done with the phone call with Nana and she sat down in the room thinking of the turn her life had taken. Mujaheed had still not said anything about the marriage to Kawu Sadam but she dreaded what would be of her life. She had Muhaseen in her hands while she slept.

“Her highness said I should bring her back; Hamid has made her so tired that she fell asleep almost immediately after she bathed her. She said she would like to see you please.” Carefully, she placed down Muhaseen on her crib and walked out of the room after she showed to show her respect.

Fareeda wondered why Kulthum would like to see her. Nonetheless, she stood up and draped her veil over her head and walked out of the chamber after she had said the sleeping supplications on Muhaseen. It was getting to evening and she knew it wasn’t safe for her to leave her alone while she slept without any protection.

She walked alone to Kulthum’s chamber while she thought of how a few weeks ago, she couldn’t walk alone. But now she needed the walk to clear her head out and that was why she rejected it when Nafisa offered to walk with her. Most of the people didn’t notice her, while the ones that noticed bowed down to her and showed their respect. Fareeda was still not used to the ethics and the way of life in the royal palace.

When she reached Kulthum’s chamber, she met only Hamid playing a game on his laptop and she asked him in French, “Hamid, where’s your mother?” Hs French was bad; she knew but then there was no other way they could communicate but through that.

“She rushed out and when I asked her where she was going, she told me she’s going to see Daada, I should stay here to look after Kauthar if she wakes up.” Fareeda silently nodded her head and had it in mind she would go to Daada’s chamber. She hadn't gone back to see him since she greeted him in the morning.

When she arrived at the chamber, the guards there looked solemn and something dropped in her. She asked no one as she walked deeper until she stood in front of his room and softly knocked before she entered. She met doctors around his bed while Mujaheed hugged Kulthum as she cried. She rushed toward them and Mujaheed stared into her eyes. He needn’t to speak for her to know what was wrong, what he was going through and what he was afraid of happening. She could see fear in his eyes, the kind she had never seen in her life. So, this was the dread of losing a parent?

Their attentions were being called by one of the doctors that motioned for the two of them to come over and when they did, Mujaheed motioned her to come over as well. The doctors backed away to give them some time. “Daada, how are you feeling?” Kulthum asked with her lips trembling with fear and pain.

“I'll be alright, okay? You should stop crying, Kulthum. Mujaheed, don’t tell me you’re going to cry as well?” He was speaking weakly, and you needn’t be told that he was feeling so much pain for you to know. It was evident in his eyes, the way he spoke and also how weak his body looked.

“Daada, please hang on there, okay? I'll arrange for you to be taken abroad, you’ll be fine, Daada, right?” Mujaheed spoke with a voice that gave way of his soul, innocent, pure, and so full of love for his father.

“You don't have to worry about me, okay? I’ve lived a very long life and I'm so proud to have you both as my children. Your Yumma still awaits me there, I'll go there and meet.” They were shaking their heads at him and his smile was devoid of any pain, “Now, I need to tell you something...” He began and stopped, his eyes wavering around the direction of the doctors and nurses and Mujaheed waved them out before they turned back to him. “Do not trust anyone in this palace, Mujaheed. Yumma ate what you should’ve eaten and just because they failed doesn’t mean they won’t try it again and again until they make sure they succeed. You should take care of your sister, and just because she’s married doesn’t mean she’s no more a little girl that needs to be pampered. She’s my princess, make sure you have to show her all the love you could, okay?”

Their tears were now flowing down uncontrollably and Fareeda knew this would be the saddest thing she would ever have to witness in her life. “Daada please, what are you saying? Daada please don’t do this to us, you can’t do this to us, can you? Yumma left, you can't leave us all alone here, please Daada.” They spoke at the same time that one could think they were synchronized. Their words, their tones, their accent, the way they cried, everything was at the same time and pace.

“I'll leave, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be left alone, okay? You two have yourself to hold onto, I believe you can overcome any obstacle if you stay together. Fareeda...” He turned to her with a smile, “Don’t ever leave Mujaheed’s side, please. I have never seen him the way I did whenever he’s together with you. Take care of him, and to my grandchildren that will come after I leave...” Now, he was looking at both her and Kulthum. “Tell them all that I love them so much and I wish I've met them.”

“Daada! Daada please!” They chorused at the same time with their tears intensifying when they saw that the ECG machine had begun to start as an alarm. The doctors rushed back into the room and they went to the other side of the room as they clung onto each other and cried bitterly. The head of the doctors turned to them and shook his head sadly.

“I'm so sorry, but His Highness has passed away.” Somewhere among the distant sounds they were all hearing, they heard as one of the nurses uttered. “Time of death; 3:34pm.”

✥

Mujaheed thought he had known grief so much since when Yumma died, but this, here, was something he had never imagined in his whole life. He looked at the way Kulthum had painfully clung onto Fareeda as they both cried but he felt nothing. His tears had stopped since he heard the time of his death. He didn’t know what he should do or say, he was just staring as the elders in the family kept walking in and out of the room to see him for the last time.

If he had known he would only have three months to spend with Daada after he came back home, he wouldn’t have left in the first place. Why did it have to be this way? Why did he have to have a lot of regrets whenever he lost his dear ones? When Yumma died, he wished he had come earlier than he did, he wished he was the one that ate that food and not her, he wished it was after she left when the maid brought the food. And when Fareeda nearly died, all he wished for was for him to have had told her he loved her, erase the words he had uttered to her, apologize for all he did. And now, Daada had left them also, how would he live now? What would he look at to know somewhere, there was someone that truly loved him and would never give up on him? He wished he had stayed for those five years and spent them with no one but him.

Baffah walked into the room with nothing but tears on his cheeks, he pulled him out of the room and took him to where no one could see them or eavesdrop. He made him sit down and handed him a cup of Zamzam (holy water) that had been supplicated upon. Mujaheed needed whatever it is that will melt the molten magma he could clearly feel in his heart. He gulped it down in a single gulp and Baffah placed his hand on his.

“I want you to listen to me, Mujaheed. I know we’re in so much grief, but this is something I promise His Highness to do immediately after his death. He told me that he wants to be given the ritual bathe, prayed for like every Muslim in the world, but no one should know where he is buried apart from you and me. Kulthum shouldn't know as well because someone might use her weakness and know it.”

Even though Mujaheed wasn’t thinking straight, and all he had to do was cried until he could feel the hurt in his heart vanishing forever, he had to listen to this. “But Baffah, why?” He managed to ask; his voice so husky that he knew no one would believe it was his voice.

“He has his reasons, I know some of the reasons, but I can’t tell them to you know, we have to wait until the right time comes. But whatever it is, we have to do as he wants.”

He palmed his face as he surged in a deep breath, feeling as everything breath he took weighed down his chest and he felt as if he was going to die to himself. “Is there something I can do? Will they allow us to bury him alone if we tell them?” He didn't like the word bury to be attached to his as much as he hated it and would love all this to be a nightmare, Mujaheed deep down knew this was the reality of things, and he would have to act accordingly, at least he owed Daada this.

“They will surely object to that when I say it myself, especially Sadam, whom is among the reasons why His Highness doesn’t want to be buried where they know. But if you stand on your ground and tell them that you don’t want your father to be buried, they’ll listen, you’re his successor.”

Mujaheed raked his fingers into his hair, all this was making him even more confused, more in pain. “Why do we have to do that? I know that Daada has his reasons and it has to be the right time before you tell me, but I really want to know, Baffah. That way, I will try to protect what he wants to protect as well.”

Baffah sighed and he knew deep down Mujaheed at least deserved to know something. “Your father’s six brothers both younger and older, each and every one of them wants to succeed on the throne. But Sadam is the hungriest one. And for them to achieve that knowing you’re alive and in this palace as well, the only way is for them to use some parts of his dead body in a witchcraft and their wishes will succeed. They will rush for his dead body, so we shouldn’t allow them to know where he’s buried.” Mujaheed wanted his heart to burst out of his chest. What life were they living? What kind of family did they have? Did royalty become so dirty that a dead man would fear where he would buried?

That brought tears to his eyes, and despite his uncle’s attempts to have him buried in the royal cemetery, Mujaheed stood on ground and they did like Daada wanted it to happen. All his world revolved around pain, sheer agony, and melancholy. Fareeda found him at the far end corner of their room, with his knees brought up to his chest as he rested his head on them and stared deeply into space.

She walked to where he was and sat on the floor beside him. He didn’t notice she was there until her hand softly touched his arm and he looked at her with his bloodshot eyes and a bleeding heart. Without a single word, Mujaheed went to her body and she hugged him tightly on her chest. She circled her hands around him and kept silent because she knew he needed nothing more than the silence she had given him.

With his head resting on her bosom, Mujaheed burst into tears, he felt as though it was today that both Yumma and Daada left. He felt weighed with so much agony that he doubted if his soul could overcome. He felt trampled upon with so much responsibility, so much fear, so much hurt that he doubted if his soul could ever heal from this. Everything ached. His heart bled, his soul shrunk and his body weak from the blow of pain. He felt helpless and shattered.