LIVING A LIFE OF DEEP SECRECY - Episode 11

As soon as hajiya Hauwa heard that Justina had been discharged, she began to make plans to return to the country. She went shopping for baby things and she instructed Justina not to leave the house for anything after she had been discharged from the hospital. Two days later she boarded a flight to Nigeria after she had informed her husband and her step sister that she had given birth and wanted to return home for the Islamic naming ceremony which is usually done seven days after birth. Her husband, overjoyed at the news that his first wife had given birth to a son began to make plans for her return. Hajiya Hauwa did not disclose the time the plane will arrive Nigeria for fear that they may send a driver to pick her from the airport. As they were waiting to board the plane, she remembered that she needed to make an important call; she picked up her phone and dialed mallama Fatimah’s number.

HajiyaHauwa: “Hello, Fatimah. Are you there? How are you?”

Malllama Fatimah: “We are fine, my sister. Allah has been merciful to us”.

HajiyaHauwa: “Tor, alhamdullilahi. I will be returning to Nigeria anytime soon so that we can have our ‘sunna’ in Nigeria. When was the last time you saw Justina?”

Mallama Fatimah: “I haven’t seen her since the day she gave birth. I have been down with fever and I don’t even have the strength to step out of my room”.

HajiyaHauwa: “Okay, I don’t want you to tell her that I am coming back to Nigeria”.

Mallama Fatimah: “Okay, but why is that so? She will be more than glad to know that you are coming. Or are you planning to abandon her now that you have your own child?”

HajiyaHauwa: “No, I want to take her by surprise. I bought some baby things for her and I want to see how surprised she will be when she sees me”. She lied.

Mallama Fatimah: “Okay, I understand. She will be more than surprised kam”.

HajiyaHauwa dropped the phone and laughed out loud. “Mallama Fatimah is so gullible. I can’t believe that she accepted the reasons I gave her. She doesn’t know that I don’t want Justina to be aware of my return so that she won’t run away with the child”. She said aloud.

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Justina had just finished bathing her baby for the night and was dressing him up when she heard a knock on her door. “Who could be knocking on my door by this time? Who knows me here? Or is it mallama Fatimah? That woman that didn’t come to check on us since I gave birth even though she knows that I am a primer who doesn’t even know how to bathe a baby properly?” she thought. The knock continued and she carefully laid her baby who was beginning to doze on the bed and covered him up, gave him a peck on the forehead and tip toed to the door  so as not to disturb her child. She froze as soon as she opened the door and saw who it was standing there in a plain black loose trousers and Navy blue cardigan.

Hajiya Hauwa: “What? Why are you staring at me like that? Aren’t you excited to see me?”

Justina: “Erm, ah, I am. Only that I wasn’t expecting to see you at this time”.

HajiyaHauwa: “Do I need to seek permission from you before I visit you in a house I paid for?”

Justina: “No, that is not what I mean, I thought you are still in the States. Of course, I am happy to see you, ma. Come right in”, she forced herself to smile.

Hajiya stepped into the room leaving Justina to bring in the luggage she left at the door. She ran to the bed and carried the sleeping child and held him close to her bosom, deeply drawing in the air around him. Justina stood in the room with the luggage in the hands watching her.

Hajiya Hauwa: “Oh, my child. I love you so much. I have waited so long for you to come to me. At last the flesh of my flesh and the bone of my bone. I love you so much, mama is back for you”.

Justina became overcome with anger seeing Hajiya bonding with her child.

Justina: “Your child? Hajiya, did I just hear you call my baby your child?”

Hajiya Hauwa: “What are you saying?”

Justina quickly checked herself and remembered their agreement and

Justina quickly checked herself and remembered their agreement and faked a smile.

Justina: “Oh, don’t mind me, hajiya. I guess I am getting attached to the baby”.

Hajiya Hauwa: “Well, you better don’t get attached”.

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Achema decided to go in search of Justina and his baby. He knew from his calculations that she may have delivered or she was close to delivery. Determined to get her and his child back, he began to pack his things into his hold all bag in preparation for his trip the next day. His grandmother who had been watching him for some minutes came close to him and touched his shoulder.

Grandma: “My child, where are you going?”

Achema: “Mama, I am travelling for few days”.

Grandma: “I know that you are travelling but where are you going to?”

Achema: “To the city in search of Justina, it has been more than nine months, she should have given birth by now. I cannot allow her go away with my child like that”.

Grandma: “My child, exercise some patience. If the child is truly yours, he or she will come looking for you”.

Achema: “No, mama. I can’t just sit here and fold my hands doing nothing and expect the child to come back to me. That child we are talking about is the first fruit of my loins, I am sure I am the father. I met that girl a virgin and she has no one except me”.

Grandma:”The city is not like our village, how will you trace her? You can get lost searching for her in the city and you don’t even have a place to stay there”.

Achema: “Don’t worry, mama. I am going to Abuja, she has always had this dream of living in Abuja when we were together and I am sure that is where she is hiding. If I don’t find her and I have to sleep over, I will spend the night in a hotel. I have about N20,000 on me”.

Grandma: “Achema, please. Don’t go…”

Achema: “You can’t stop me, mama”. He walked out of the room leaving her in great sorrow.

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Hajiya Hauwa stayed in the house rocking the baby until it was 9pm when she was sure that everywhere was dark without the risk of anyone seeing her leave with the baby.  Justina looked on, unable to say a word. “If only I knew that she was coming today, I would have escaped to the village with my baby”. She thought.

Hajiya Hauwa: “Open the bag, I got baby things and few things for you. Wear one of the sleepsuits I bought from abroad for him, I don’t want my co wives to notice that he is wearing a made in Nigeria cloth, that could raise some suspicion. I am taking him home with me tonight”.

Justina: “I am sorry but you can’t take my baby home”.

Hajiya Hauwa is shocked but she managed to keep her calm. “And why can’t I?” she asked.

Justina: “Because he is my son and I am his biological mother. Only I have the right to bring him up”.

Hajiya Hauwa: “Are you crazy or something? The same child we agreed you will give me to bring up as my biological child? Have you forgotten the agreement we had months ago after I found you homeless and hungry? Have you forgotten so soon how I fed you, clothe you and got this place for you? Have you forgotten that I registered you for ante-natal and I paid all the expenses concerning this child even when you gave birth? You want to breach the agreement now? What has labour pains done to you?”

Justina: “Labour pains has done a lot to me Hajiya. Yes, I remember that you did all these for me but the bond between a mother and a child is not something that can be explained. I love my child and I can’t give him up for anything in the world. I realized how strong this bond is after I held him in my arms for the first time”.

Hajiya Hauwa: “Oh, I see. You now talk back at me. The same child you swore to abort is the same child you now love so dearly. Do you think you would have kept this child if I hadn’t picked you from the gutters where you belong? If you hadn’t succeeded in killing him with dangerous herbs, hunger would have killed him in your womb. Listen, I am going in there to ease myself, before I come back, this baby has been dressed for me to take away. And, do not try anything funny, you won’t like me if you do”.

As soon as Hajiya entered the restroom, Justina took her baby from the bed, wrapped him up in his blanket and ran out, without thinking of where to go. All she needed to do was to get as far away from Hajiya as could. She ran with all the strength in her and made for the gate.

Question: Will Justina succeed in taking the child away? What will Hajiya do when she finds out? Will Achema find her and the baby?

 

Re-shared by REGEN Relationship Clinic

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