Hidden Seed

Chapter Five

AFTER THREE YEARS

It had been four long years since Radiya's marriage, yet she had never once missed her monthly cycle. Because of the defect Uncle Sani had, the problem was not from Radiya at all; their biological compatibility was simply not the same, which was why she had still not been able to conceive.

At this time, she had completed her Nursing studies and was doing her internship at Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano city.

Anyone who saw her would never guess she was married, and she herself rarely mentioned it. She had grown into a fully beautiful and elegant woman.

What fascinated people most about Radiya was that she never bleached her skin; she remained completely natural, carrying a striking natural beauty that attracted attention effortlessly.

Radiya had become more enlightened and polished. Her English was fluent and confident, especially due to her association with educated people, her hostel life, and her sharp intelligence with a quick grasp of things.

You would always see her dressed neatly in white uniforms because of her love for cleanliness. Her fair complexion and elegance made her attract the attention of many men.

However, she paid no attention to anyone, because in her world there was no man who appealed to her more than Uncle Abbas. Despite being youthful, fashionable, and very neat, she still upheld the responsibilities and boundaries of her marriage.

As usual, after returning from the hospital one day, she entered the house and began preparing food. Suddenly, she felt her abdominal pain tighten again.

This pain was no longer new to her; she was already used to it. That made her hurry quietly back to the bedroom, where she took the medicine she normally used, and sleep quickly carried her away.

When Uncle Sani returned and found her in that state, he went straight to the kitchen and prepared food for them. No matter what, he never showed her any sign of irritation. In fact, he now handled her with great care.

He had noticed how much she had matured and realized that if he pressured her, she might completely rebel and his secret would be exposed. That was why he treated her as delicately as an egg.

When Radiya woke up and realized he had already finished cooking, she quickly got up, went to the bathroom, bathed, came out, prayed, and then began eating—though her heart felt heavy.

Her thoughts had started drifting toward childbirth, but for fear of stirring something in Uncle Sani's heart, she never mentioned it to him.

In her mind, since he too had accepted the situation and was patiently living with her that way, she also had no choice but to endure. Quietly, she began searching for a solution.

AFTER ONE YEAR

He was lying on the bed, watching Radiya as she ironed her white uniform, when he said:

"You know, there's a health organization that is recruiting staff—women only, under 35 years. I sent the portal link to your w******p. Try it; maybe Allah will make it successful."

She stopped abruptly and looked at him, then asked:

"What kind of organization is this that insists on only women and even limits the age?"

He handed her his phone. She took it, looked at it in surprise, and said:

"And imagine—the environment looks very clean; I really like it. But it's in Abuja, and they said 'unmarried.' You see, they're only looking for single women."

He smiled, sat up, looked at her, and said:

"Radiya, this country is already complicated. Just fill it in. Who would look at you now and say you're married? Just fill it and select 'unmarried.' We don't know where destiny will favor us."

She simply pouted and said:

"Send it to me then. May Allah make it successful."

He sent it to her, she filled in everything, put her phone aside, and continued with her chores.

The next morning, as she got ready to go to the private hospital where she worked, her phone rang. Anty Ummie's name appeared on the screen. She answered quickly, surprised by such an early call.

The tone of her voice immediately unsettled Radiya, as it sounded like she was crying. She asked anxiously:

"Anty Ummie, are you okay? What happened?"

Through sobs, she replied:

"It's Abban Muhammad. He's been unwell since yesterday evening. They brought him in after he collapsed and started gasping for breath.

During the night, they had to rush him to the hospital. We're now at Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital; he's been placed on oxygen."

In deep distress, Radiya exclaimed:

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un!"

"I'm coming right away."

Alarmed, she informed Uncle Sani. Even though he offered to take her, she didn't wait; she rushed out, calling her workplace to excuse herself.

When she arrived, still wearing her uniform and being familiar with the hospital due to her experience there, she went straight to the room where he had been admitted.

Overcome with fear, tears streaming down her face, she stared at Abbas as he struggled to breathe. The sight deeply shook her.

She stepped out and went to the doctor's office, and to her surprise, Dr. Nazir was on duty—a doctor she knew well. After exchanging greetings, she asked about Abbas's condition.

He explained that excessive stress had overwhelmed him, causing his blood pressure to rise dangerously and begin affecting his heart. However, in shā' Allāh, everything would stabilize once his blood pressure came down, and with medications and injections, he would recover.

She left quietly, then greeted Umma and Anty Ummie and asked:

"Where is the prescription?"

Softly, Umma replied:

"Sadiq has gone to buy the medicines."

Radiya nodded, her heart full of wonder about what kind of worry could push her brother into such a condition.

About ten minutes later, Sadiq returned with the medicines and injections and handed them to her. She took them back to the doctor, and together they went to Abbas's room to begin his treatment.

When they finished, Dr. Nazir looked at her and said:

"Aren't you going back to work? He's improving."

She shook her head and replied:

"I can't. I'll stay and take care of him."

"That's fine. May Allah grant him healing," he said as he left.

"Ameen," she replied softly, watching Abbas sleep with oxygen fitted to his nose.

By evening, Abbas woke up. Radiya was still there, constantly attending to him. She even made great effort to secure an amenity room for them so they could stay alone.

When he opened his eyes and saw Radiya beside him, he reached out, held her hand, and responded to her comforting words while trying to regain strength.

Soon after, Umma and others arrived to greet him. Later that night, when the doctor returned, he instructed them to go home, saying he needed rest and no disturbance, and that Sadiq could stay to care for him.

And so they all left, Radiya included—though she didn't want to. Abbas insisted until she finally agreed to go.

The Next Morning

Early the next morning, she woke up, cooked, and headed to the hospital. This time, Uncle Sani drove her there.

They exchanged greetings with Abbas, then Uncle Sani left for work. After making sure Abbas had eaten, she looked at him and asked:

"Brother, what is really going on? What is troubling you like this?"

He smiled and looked at her.

"There is nothing bothering me, Radiya."

She pouted slightly and looked at him again.

"Brother, there must be something. Please tell me. This illness of yours is caused by stress—please tell me."

He looked away briefly, then said:

"Honestly, I don't even know what's happening. I've felt this condition for a long time, it just wasn't this severe before. In the past two days, there was a small problem at the market, that's all. Apart from that, there's nothing troubling me. Please calm your heart.

You know hypertension runs in our family; it was what caused Baba's death. And as you can see, I'm also getting older—so we must be patient."

Radiya nodded, appearing satisfied. Still, she advised him gently and reassured him until he himself felt better. Later, Umma and the others arrived and were very happy to see how much Abbas had improved.

He spent three weeks in the hospital before he was discharged. Only after it was confirmed that he had fully recovered was he allowed to go home, along with medical advice.

Even after his discharge, Radiya continued visiting him daily on her way home, taking care of him until she was sure he had regained his strength and resumed going to the market. Only then did she stop visiting regularly.

During these visits, Umma and Anty Ummie pressured her strongly about childbirth, insisting that they should go to the hospital for tests.

This forced Radiya to lie to them, saying the problem was from her side and that she was already on medication and improving greatly. Her words made them sympathize deeply with her—Umma even cried.

Though it troubled Radiya deeply, she had no choice but to endure and wait until Allah brought her a solution, because she truly did not want anything that would cause problems between her and her husband.

Around noon one day at the hospital where she worked, the abdominal pain struck again. She rushed to Dr. Saleema's office, as she was on duty. After giving her injections, Dr. Saleema looked at her and said:

"Radiya, are you taking your condition lightly? This is a very serious issue. If you continue like this, surgery will become unavoidable—they'll have to remove what is accumulating in your abdomen."

Radiya closed her eyes, clearly tired of hearing the same warning over and over.

"Maman Twins, what can I do? This is how my condition is. You know I don't want to live like this either, but I'll endure until Allah brings me a solution..."

Dr. Saleema replied angrily:

"Radiya, let's be honest with ourselves. You know very well the fault is your husband's, not yours. And since he knows he can't satisfy you, he should have stopped altogether instead of continuing when it has become a medical problem for you."

Radiya smiled bitterly and looked at her.

"So you're saying he should stop taking care of me? Then who should he take care of instead?"

Dr. Saleema smiled slightly.

"And there's your extreme jealousy—you don't want anyone touching your husband. But seriously, Radiya, you need to find a solution. Your condition is getting worse, and the issue of infertility worries me the most."

Radiya smiled again and replied calmly:

"He's still on medication, and as for childbirth—it's a matter of time. When the time comes, it will happen."

"May Allah make it easy," Dr. Saleema said, astonished by the depth of Radiya's love.

⸻

After returning home, while she was sitting quietly, her phone rang. She noticed it was an unfamiliar number. She almost ignored it, but eventually answered and greeted.

On the other end, the voice said:

"Good afternoon. Am I speaking with Radiya Hamza Gaya?"

Calmly, she replied:

"Yes, this is Radiya speaking."

The caller continued:

"Good afternoon, Radiya. My name is Daniel. I'm calling from Concordia Institute. You filled an online application form with our organization some weeks ago."

Radiya paused, momentarily confused, then remembered the link Uncle Sani had sent her.

"Oh... yes, I did. Please go on."

"We're calling to confirm if you're still interested in the position you applied for."

"Yes, I'm still interested."

"That's good to hear. May I ask—are you currently available for work?"

"Yes, I am available."

"Alright. The next stage of our recruitment process is a physical interview, and it will be held in Abuja."

Radiya paused slightly.

"Okay..."

"The interview is scheduled to take place within the next three days. Will you be able to attend if shortlisted?"

Although she didn't even know what kind of job it was and knew it would be difficult to travel all the way to Abuja, she found herself replying:

"Yes, I can attend."

"Excellent. We will send the interview details, flight ticket, venue, and date via SMS and email before the end of today."

Quickly, she said:

"Alright, thank you very much."

"You're welcome, Radiya. If you have any questions, feel free to reply to the message we'll send."

"Okay. Thank you for calling."

She ended the call, completely astonished. What kind of job sends flight tickets?

Perhaps Allah had answered her prayers—maybe she would finally get a good job to support her relatives, especially Abbas, who touched her heart deeply. Still, working in Abuja felt difficult, especially with a long-distance marriage.

Within minutes, all the details arrived via text message and email, including the flight ticket. She was utterly shocked.

When Abbas returned, she told him everything. He was overjoyed. His reaction surprised her so much that she frowned at him and said:

"So you're not even jealous if I travel all the way to Abuja? It doesn't bother you at all?"

He smiled and replied:

"I trust my wife. Wherever you go, Allah will protect you for me. If this job works out, our struggle will be over—we'll move to Abuja, and you'll become a big Madam, a 'Hajiya,' and I'll be the husband of a Hajiya."

She smiled at his teasing. He continued joking and persuading her until he finally convinced her. She agreed to start preparing for the trip to Abuja—but without telling anyone else, because she was sure her family would never allow her to go.

AFTER TWO DAYS

No sooner had she arrived in Abuja than a clean, comfortable vehicle came to pick her up directly from the airport and drove her straight to Fraser Suites Hotel, located at 294 Leventis Close, Central Business District, Abuja.

The hotel was exceptionally luxurious. Radiya stood there taking it all in, unable to decide what she was truly feeling in her heart—joy or fear.

Suppressing her emotions, she proceeded to her room, then video-called Uncle Sani. They chatted for a long time, and she even showed him parts of the hotel.

The next morning, at about ten o'clock, she prepared herself carefully, dressed in a black abaya that suited her beautifully. She heard a knock on her door. She had already anticipated it, so she picked up her bag and phone and headed out.

Standing outside was the same driver who had picked her up from the airport the previous day. After exchanging greetings, he led the way, and she followed him to the parking area.

She got into the car, her heart pounding, but she held herself together, mentioning the name of the Almighty until they arrived at a massive corporate complex whose beauty and architectural design could only be appreciated by one who had seen it.

She was taken into a well-furnished hall where there were at least fifty chairs. Each table had a modern computer.

About thirty people were already seated, and what surprised her the most was that all of them were young Muslim women, almost the same age as herself. Her mind began to sense that something was not quite right, but she restrained herself and took a seat.

After about thirty minutes, the hall filled up completely. They were then informed that they would undergo a digital test consisting of fifty questions.

Each person was required to answer honestly, without lying. After completing the test, each candidate was to proceed to the laboratory to have a blood sample taken. The announcer pointed toward a glass door some distance from the hall.

In utter confusion, Radiya raised her hand intending to ask a question, but she was immediately stopped and told that no questions were allowed at that moment—only after the test. She had no choice but to comply and began answering the questions on the computer.

What astonished Radiya most was that all the questions were centered on family medical history, genotype, blood group, and related issues. Not a single question was asked about academic qualifications or educational background.

She found this extremely strange, yet she went on to complete the test. She then stood up, went to the laboratory where her blood was taken, and afterward came out to stand in the parking area, waiting for the driver.

Another thing that deepened her suspicion was the way almost every woman who came out was picked up by a different driver in a different car.

This development greatly unsettled Radiya, especially since they had instructed her to remain in Abuja for an entire week before returning home.

When she got back to her hotel room, she explained everything in detail to Uncle Sani. He, however, was not worried at all. Instead, he encouraged her, repeatedly telling her, "Most health organizations operate like this.

Even banks do the same, because they want to recruit young people who are physically strong and healthy."

Radiya, on the other hand, still could not completely put her mind at ease about this job. She accepted his reassurance not because she was convinced, but simply because she wanted to go along with the process and see where it led.

However, she resolved that if this one week passed and they treated her with any form of disrespect, or if there was anything she found unacceptable, then nothing would stop her from taking the road back to Kano immediately.