MY SISTER -IN-LAW AND I
CHAPTER 6
I was discharged after spending two days in the hospital owing to the fact that I was a first time mum and needed proper care, they also insisted on checking our vitals before we left the nursing home to be sure we were in good health condition. My parents footed my hospital bills without complaining.
I arrived home and my siblings were excited. They dotted on my babies and I could barely pry them from their hands. The love they showed me was overwhelming, it brought tears to my eyes and I wept for joy.
Two days to the naming ceremony I swallowed my pride and called my hubby. I called continuously, he didn’t pick nor deem it fit to return my calls. I knew right then another person will be naming my kids.
My parents -in-law visited me at home and thanked me for birthing the handsome babies for them. They promised to come for the naming ceremony, After visiting with my parents for a while they left.
Preparations were made without my hubby’s input save for my in-laws. They brought so many cooking condiments and bags of rice. Well built and strong Rams were made available for their naming ceremony.
When it was time for the ceremony hubby neither sent the names he wished the babies to bear nor did he come. He truly had abandoned me to my fate. His father took it upon himself and named them Abdur-rahman and Abdur-rahim Muhammad Khalil.
The names his father chose were beautiful and soon enough the ceremony took off. Food and drinks were served. My parents and in-laws seemed to be having the best time of their lives. They were proud grand parents and showed off the babies to anyone who cared to see them.
I waited all day for my hubby but he chose to ignore me and wasn’t present even to see the faces of his new borns. I felt rejected and alone, I knew right then that it was over between us. I accepted my fate and now more than ever i am determined to care for my kids alone.
Halima showed up in the evening with few of her friends and my hubby’s kids to mock me. She told them I was an adultress who sought to spoil her brother’s name. I didn’t even say anything in my defense because it was pointless. I just ignored them and played with my other kids while showing them their siblings. They were happy and planted soft kisses anywhere they could.
She didn’t only stop there she told anyone who cared that I was an adultress and the kids weren’t her brother’s. Her parents were mad at her and ordered her to leave the premises. She left immediately having achieved the aim of embarrassing me before the world.
I was praying for the event to be over let me breakdown and cry my heart out because the humiliation was too much for me to bear. But I encouraged myself and didn’t cry, instead I prayed to Allah to ease my affairs.
I began to wonder why he chose to ask for my hand in marriage when he knew his sister wouldn’t let him. I had always preferred to marry into an accommodating family, one who would love me for who I am and accept my shortcomings . His parents and older brothers accepted me except for the only girl in their midst who was supposed to be my friend, but turned out to be a thorn in my flesh.
I had heard stories where daughter’s-in-laws were frustrated, but mostly by their mother in-law’s. I didn’t know my own case would be that of a sister-in-law.
The older brother’s who weren’t in town because they based abroad, came back and met my absence they felt it was because I gave birth. As it is customary for me to visit my parents home and return after 40 days or more depending on how healthy I am or the time frame I was given by my hubby.
They didn’t suspect any foul play till they asked after the twins from hubby and he wasn’t given them straight answers. You obviously can’t give what you do not have. How can he answer their questions when he doesn’t even know how the kids look and they were few weeks old already. How can he answer them when he doesn’t know their names.
He kept on stuttering while they awaited his responses. He finally opened up to them that I cheated with another who impregnated me and that I was trying to pin the pregnancy on him, hence the babies weren’t his kids. They were dumbstruck and didn’t believe a word of what he said.
They proceeded to ask him questions, firstly how he got to know I was a cheat, the witnesses and if he had concrete proof. He was just staring at them unable to defend or say anything for himself. When they insisted, he told them it was halima that told him about my cheating ways and told him to come around so he could see how I openly flirted with my younger boyfriend’s.
They asked him if halima schooled with me? He shook his head and said no. They further asked him if she didn’t school there how did she know I was dating younger guys? They wanted to know if he told her to spy on me, also If this whole thing wasn’t staged how did she know the exact time that I would cheat on him? They asked about my relationship with halima to which he told them honestly that she hated me for no just cause and was doing everything possible to frustrate me before he cautioned her and now she doesn’t bother me anymore.
They made him realised his mistakes for not giving me a listening ear. Even in court the judge listens and gives fair hearing before passing judgement. They asked him what halima was doing in his house since he already had a wife who should ordinarily be in charge of his family and it’s affairs. He couldn’t answer he just told them that she wanted staying and he couldn’t say no to her.
They stayed with him for a little while and halima entertained them. They didn’t look cheerful at first but softened when they saw the other boys. They played with them for a while. When they were about leaving, they looked like they were about to beat up anyone who stood in their path.
They got home and asked to see their parents. They all sat down to resolve the issue at hand. They told their parents about their findings and their parents in turn told them that they had repeatedly told Muhammad to let Halima return home, But he didn’t listen.
They themselves had asked her severally to come back home as she was beginning to over stay her welcome but she refused. Their mum explained her own part in trying to curb Halima’s menace. She told them that her daughter was just trying to send the girl packing and she had succeeded. The only thing that baffles her is why her daughter wants her brother unmarried or does she wants to marry her own brother.
The brothers’s thanked their parents for all their efforts and headed back to muhammad’s house. Guess what they were heading back to do at his place??
ยฉ๏ธ HUSNA MUHAMMAD YUNUS.
