Jameel returned from the masjid and went straight to his mother's room to greet her.

He met her seated on her prayer mat and sat beside her on the floor, waiting for her to finish her morning supplications.

When Hajiya rubbed her palms on her face, Jameel knew she was done.

"Assalamualaikum, Hajiya," he greeted. "Good morning."

"Ameen, wa alaikum salaam, Jameel. Are you just coming back from the masjid?"

"Yes, Hajiya." He replied and squinted. "I hope you did not forget to pray for me."

"Is that even possible? I always pray for your well-being. There is no time I don't."

"I know Hajiya," Jameel smiled. "I was only pulling your legs. I know you always do. Your prayers have kept me going. I know I don't always say this to you, but Hajiya, I appreciate you a lot and you're the most important person in my life. You've been both a mother and a father to me. I don't take that for granted. I pray Allah grants you more years in good health."

Hajiya's eyes glistened with tears. "You know when your dad passed away, I cried. I cried so much because I didn't know how I would take care of you alone. I didn't know if I would do a good job but seeing how you've turned out, I guess I did a good job."

"You did," Jameel reassured, wiping the corners of her eyes. "You surely did an excellent job, and that is why I will forever be indebted to you. Your happiness is my top priority."

"So is yours," said Hajiya. "Everything I have done till now is to ensure I provide you with all the happiness in the world. That's the reason I made you marry Najah. Because I know she's going to keep you happy forever and even when I'm gone from this world, I wouldn't have anything to worry about because my only child is in perfect hands."

"I know, Hajiya, and in Sha Allah, you're not leaving me anytime soon. I still need you in my life. There will never be a time I wouldn't need you." 

"Ameen."

"Have you taken your drugs?"

"Yes."

"Hajiya, your nails are long. Where is your cutter, let me help you cut them."

"It's in that drawer over there."

Jameel got the cutter and returned. He sat in front of his mother and placed her leg on his thighs. "Why did you allow them to grow this long?" He asked as he began to cut her nails.

"I missed you doing this for me."

"Me too, Hajiya, but you know I'm not always here to do it for you and you have to do it regularly."

Hajiya only smiled in response.

"Hajiya," Jameel called. "Isn't it time you came to live with me?"

She shook her head in disagreement. "I prefer it here. Besides, I have people I can depend on here. I can't just leave this place and move to your house. I don't want anyone to make me feel like a liability."

"What? Liability? To me? Come on, Hajiya, you know I can never make you feel that way because you are not and never will be."

"It's not you or even Najah, it's Afrah. I have seen the way she looks at me. She doesn't like me. The feeling is mutual anyway."

"No one can make you feel like a liability in my house, not even Afrah. If she doesn't like you, she will have to learn to like you or live somewhere else. It's just a misconception by the way, Afrah likes you, and I'm sure you like her too. How can you not like what your son likes?" 

•

Throughout the night, Jameel couldn't sleep. His mind kept diverting to Afrah and what she could be doing and what was possibly wrong with her. No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't remember doing or saying anything that would make her mad at him.

He tried to call her one more time and as usual, she ignored her phone.

Jameel dialed Najah's number and she picked up the first ring. "What's going on with Afrah, Najah?"

Najah sighed. "I sincerely don't know what's wrong with her. I even tried speaking to her...it was futile."

Najah's reply got Jameel even more worried. "But does she look okay to you? Do I need to call a doctor?"

"No...no, you don't need to call anybody. She is fine. She doesn't look like someone in pain."

"Did she tell you that?" Jameel wanted to be sure. He didn't want to take chances.

"She didn't but from what I can see, she's not in any pain. When you asked me to take the phone to her yesterday, I met her in the kitchen, cooking. She wouldn't have been able to do that if she was feeling fine."

Regardlessly, Jameel's worry didn't lessen. "Have you seen her this morning?"

"I haven't," she replied. "She literally locks herself in her room all the time, but I think she will be out when she starts to feel hunger."

"I know Afrah can be a handful to deal with but can you please overlook and make her breakfast?"

"I—"

"It's a request. Please."

"I can't do that because I'd only be wasting my time. I have made her food severally but she doesn't eat...she doesn't trust me enough to eat my food. I don't want to keep being in her business. I also know I promised you that I'd try my best to make her warm up to me, but right now, I don't think I will be able to fulfill it. She's gone back to the Afrah I first met. I really don't know what's going on with her."

"Did she say something mean to you again?"

Najah's hesitation before replying confirmed Jameel's hunch.

"No, she didn't... it's just her attitude. I even thought it was an issue between the both of you."

"We were fine when I left. I can't remember doing anything to offend her."

"Or maybe it's the pregnancy hormones."

Jameel didn't really agree with Najah but at the same time, he didn't make it known to her. He hummed his response.

"How about you invite her sister over? To keep her company..."

"There will be no need for that. In Sha Allah, I'll come back home today."

"But—"

"I have seen Hajiya, she's doing fine. I'm worried about Afrah. I need to know what's going on with her..."

"Okay."

Jameel cleared his throat. He suddenly felt a tad uncomfortable saying that to Najah. He wondered if it was insensitive on his part. "You know she's pregnant and—"

"You don't have to explain anything," Najah cut him off. "I understand."

Jameel hummed.

"I'm also worried about her. I think it's best this way."

Impressed by her benevolence, Jameel smiled. "Thank you, Najah. I will see you when I get back."

"Safe journey."

•

"So, you're really leaving today?" Hajiya asked as she watched Jameel zip up his duffel bag.

"I have to, Hajiya," he sighed. "But don't you worry, I'm going to come to visit you again soon. Is that okay?"

She shrugged. "Your mind is already made up. There is little to nothing I can do to change it, so yes, it's okay, you can go."

Jameel dropped the bag on the floor and went over to sit beside his mother on the couch. "Do you want me to leave tomorrow instead? I can do that if you want."

"No," Hajiya responded. "I truly don't have a problem with you leaving this soon. Truth be told, I have a wedding to attend later on."

"Are you sure?" Skepticism dripped off his tone. "You're not just saying it because—"

"I'm not just saying it. Go and take care of your wife."

Jameel puffed out his cheeks.

"Remember, I'll also be coming to visit you people before she gives birth."

"Right." Jameel stood. "I will call you immediately after I get home."

"Alright."

Picking his duffel bag, he smiled at his mother before walking through the door.

"Make sure you pray before driving!" She called after him. "And drive slowly."

Jameel chuckled. "Okay, Hajiya, okay."

•

An unsettling feeling piled up in the pits of Jameel's stomach.

All he could think of as he drove was Afrah and what could possibly be wrong with her. Despite how hard he tried to recall upsetting her, either by his words or action, it was to no avail.

Being worried was an understatement. If it was possible, he would teleport himself back home.

"Did Najah say something to her?" He thought aloud but vehemently shook his head in denial right after the words emerged. "She wouldn't do something like that..."

Jameel picked up his phone to see if Afrah had called back or at least texted. He wasn't surprised that she hadn't. He knew just how unyielding his wife was.

After driving for hours, Jameel finally arrived at his destination. The drive seemed longer than usual to him perhaps because he was in a hurry to get home.

Impatiently, he honked his horn repeatedly.

In less than a minute, the gate opened and he sped in. 

Alighting from the car, the racket coming from the house bewildered him.

Jameel shut the car door and stride into the house. He didn't find them in the living room but he could hear Afrah's high-pitched voice emerging from the kitchen, even though her words were incoherent to his hearing.

He quickly made his way to the kitchen.

The sight of Najah hitting Afrah across the face made Jameel halt in his tracks. Speechless.

His eyebrows scrunched together, making his forehead crease. He smoldered with resentment; his rage almost consuming him. "Najah!!"

"Jameel, I—"

"Shut up!" Irritation pricked at him. "I saw what you did," He averted his gaze to Afrah. "To her. How dare you!" He shook with fury as he spoke. "Who gave you the right to touch her?"

Najah gulped. "Can you please calm down and listen to what I have to say?"

"There is nothing you can say to justify what I just witnessed. Nothing at all! Do you understand that? Nothing you can say to me to make what you did acceptable." Jameel was almost choking on his rage. "I can't believe you'd do something like this. I always used to think you're unproblematic...that," he looked at Afrah regrettably. "Afrah is always the problematic one. Do you know how many times have I taken your side? How many times I have even defended you to Afrah? You have no right whatsoever to slap her and in her condition! Have you always been this heartless? The kindness and consideration you've been showing until now, were those all a sham?"

Najah's tears didn't move Jameel. His heart was hardened by anger. To say he was disappointed in Najah would be an understatement. He had always thought so highly of her.

"Is this who you truly are?" He asked in an eerily calm voice.

Najah remained silent as she wiped the tears on her cheeks away.

"Oh!" Realization hit Jameel. "Because I slapped her for talking down on you, you felt you can do the same to her? Is that it?" A fresh swell of anger flooded his vein. Merely thinking about it gave him a migraine. "I know Afrah can say hurtful stuff at times, but that doesn't warrant you to slap her! You also have a mouth, don't you? If she insults you, and you feel you can't ignore her, then you insult her back. I will not tolerate this act in this house! I will never tolerate it. This should be the very last time this happens! The next time you repeat what you did, you're going to dislike me."

Jameel took Afrah's hand in his and left the kitchen for Afrah's room.

Walking into the room, Afrah yanked her hand away from Jameel's.

Jameel tilted his head and shot her a quizzical look.

"This is all your fault! You caused this!"

Regret surged into Jameel's veins. He nodded, completely agreeing with Afrah. If he hadn't slapped her in front of Najah, Najah wouldn't have dared it. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Afrah asked; tears glistening in her eyes. "You're sorry for your wife slapping me or for you sl—"

Jameel placed a hand over her mouth, cutting her off. He dreaded being reminded of his mistakes. Especially that particular one. He still couldn't believe he had it in him to do that to the woman he loved so dearly. He was hunted. "Let's not do this right now, Afrah, please. At least think of the baby."

Afrah jerked his hand away. "Don't even try to touch me. Stay very far away from me."

Jameel heaved a sigh. "What more do you want me to do to prove to you that it was a mistake I made? I have apologized to you a thousand times! I walked in to Najah slapping you, I gave her an earful and warned her never to try it again. I didn't give her the chance to explain herself. I took your side because no matter what you may have said to her, she shouldn't have slapped you. I yelled at her."

"So to you, that's enough for what she did to me?"

"What more do you want me to do because I'm starting to believe there's nothing in this world I can do to impress you. Maybe I should have slapped her back...would that make you happy?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Afrah scoffed. "You've done it once to me, you can do it again to another woman!"

Jameel swallowed down his frustration. Afrah's word was piercing his heart and he had no remedy for it. "What do you want from me, Afrah? Huh, Afrah, what?"

"Divorce Najah."

"Is that what you really want?"

"Yes, that's what I really want. Divorce Najah today!"

•

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