A Promise From My Heart

Chapter Fourteen

YUSUF'S POV

I ran after Amatullah when she got down from the car. She dashed into the house like an Olympic player almost stumbling. My heart bled with pain seeing her in that condition. Nothing felt so right. My heart pounded in my chest. She looked vulnerable, trembling and almost hyperventilating. She ran to our room shutting the door with a loud bang.

"Amatullah!" I shouted trying to open the door but she had locked it from behind. "Amy, please open the door" I hit the door turning its knob.

I brought out the spare key I had with me from my wallet and tried opening the door but the key got stuck in the middle. There was a key in the hole that means she did not remove the key from the other side.

I heard her scream and the next thing I heard was something breaking. My heart beat increased. She might hurt herself and that I can't take.

"Amatullah, please open the door" I begged my voice shaking as I hit the door.

"Yusuf, what is happening?" I heard father's voice. I turned around to see the rest of my family behind me except Noor.

"She has locked the door from behind" I trembled. We heard her scream shut up I am pregnant and something breaking again.

"What's happening here?" we heard Noor's voice. She sounded grumpy as if she just got up from sleep.

Father and Raihan ran towards the door. The three of us together tried pushing the door. For the next five minutes that we tried opening the door, Amatullah kept shouting I am pregnant and things kept breaking in the room.

I could feel my heart thumping, my body shaking and my gut twisted with fear. What if my biggest fear has come to life? The fear I have tried not to think about. Tears stung my eyes, my heart ripping apart. Sounds stopped coming from the room and my fear increased. What if something has happened to her? I trembled. The door finally opens. We all stumbled into the room and stopped dead in our track.

My eyes darted around the room. Everything on Amatullah's dresser was scattered on the floor some broken, some still intact, the liquid from her perfumes running across the room. The room smelt of her. The dressing mirror had a big crack on it. The floor scattered with the bed sheets and broken flower vases and glasses. The balcony door had a huge hole in it. She had thrown the stool she seats on whenever she wants to dress at the balcony door.

With wobbling legs, I skidded further into the room with my lips gapped, my heart beating fast, my breathing came out faster and I was dazed. The chest of drawer was on the floor and everything in it was out. The lamps on the nightstands were broken on the floor their parts spread out to different direction of the room. Every muscle in my body became so stiff. I tried to walk. I could see everything but Amy was not in the room.

"Ama...." I stopped when I saw her seated on the floor by the other side of the bed, her legs pulled up to her chest, her slim hands wrapped around them securely and her head rested on her knees with her hair covering her face. Her shoes were not in her legs and she had removed her gele. I walked up to her pulling off my agbada and crouched beside her.

"Amy" I shook her, my tears threatening to fall. She raised her head slowly. The hair on her face fell back with few strands affixed to her sweaty forehead. My heart broke at the look on her face. She looked like someone in despair. Her tear stained face showed tiredness and confusion with her eye makeup smeared around her beautiful eyes. She looks distressed.

"Yusuf" she called her voice so soft, shaking and low. She raised her shaking hands and held my shoulders. "Maimunah was lying right?" she stared into my eyes with trust in her dead red eyes.

"Yes, Maimunah was lying. Amatullah you are pregnant" I held her shoulders trying to sound confident.

"I knew it" she laughed hysterically making me frown. "They were all lying" she got up still laughing and walked away from the bed while I just stared at her with confusion. "Yusuf" she called me looking back at me. I walked up to her. She laid her hand on my shoulder and seeing her like this made me want to break down. "Tell them" she pointed towards the wall her eyes roaming about.

"Who?" I looked at her puzzled.

"Them, All of them" She pointed a finger turning around the room as if she was pointing at something her feet wobbling. "Tell them I am pregnant. They are lying. Tell them they are lying" she screamed and walked back to me staring at something, I could not see. "Tell them, Yusuf, tell them. Stop! Stop!! Stop!!!" she placed her hands on her ears screaming louder every minute. "Stop!!!!" she screamed going on her knees.

"Amatullah" I held her.

"STOP!!!!!!!" she screamed pushing me away as she picked up something from the floor and threw it on the wall opposite. "Just shut up" she pushed her hand in the air as if she was pushing someone away. Realisation hit me. She was hallucinating. She was seeing things.

"Sister Amatullah, stop this please" Raihana begged. Raihana held her.

"Just shut up. They are laughing at me calling me mad" she screamed with all her might pushing Raihana away. She staggered back falling on the floor. Raihana winced and got up blood oozing from her arm. She looked at both of us with pain and tears in her eyes before turning back to her arm.

"Are you hurt?" I heard Raihan ask her.

"Please stop this" I held Amatullah so firm wrapping my arms around her rigid body tears falling from my eyes. "Please Amatullah, stop this. You are pregnant" I embraced her so tight to my chest.

"Yusuf, tell them to stop" she cried into my chest.

"I knew she was mad but no one listens to me" I heard Noor scoff then heavy footsteps leaving the room.

"Doyinsola" My grandmother called Noor's Yoruba name.

"It is alright Amy. Amatullah, it is nothing" tears streamed down my worried face.

"They are mocking me" her voice muffled in my chest. She sounded broken.

"No one is mocking you. I am here. I am here" I rubbed her back trying to comfort her. She held me firmly like she does not want to let me go.

I never wanted this. I never prayed for this. Everything happening was just getting out of my hand. I don't know what to do. She calmed down little by little and I felt relieved a bit.

"Let's go to the guest room" I released her guiding her towards the door my hand holding her weak body. She looked traumatized and whacked making me miserable and low-spirited. As she walked unsteadily, I lifted her in my arms.

"Be careful" I heard father's voice.

They all moved out of the way for me and I took her to the guest room. I sat her down on the bed.

"You should change your clothes. I will get you something to wear" I said and went to get her something to wear from our destroyed room.

"Get up and change" I said in a low voice but there was no response from her. She was staring at the floor of the room not moving or saying anything. I bent down in front of her dropping the clothes I was holding beside her and held her small hands.

"Amatullah" I held her turning her head gently to look into her gorgeous eyes. "You should take a bath then rest" I smiled at her. She looked away and that broke my heart more. I exhaled and went into the bathroom, got a wet towel and a dry towel.

I knotted her hair to the back then mopped her sweaty face with the wet towel and cleaned her face with the dry one. She still looked shocked from whatever just happened. I helped her out of her clothes then changed into the clean clothes I brought for her. I helped her into bed and turned to leave when she grabbed my wrist.

"Stay with me" she said, her voice rough and weary and sounded more like begging, her anguished eyes pleading. I smiled relieved that she spoke. I laid beside her and pulled the sheets over our bodies. She held me more like clutched on to me like a string and soon fell asleep.

The night of that very day, I spent it on my prayer mat calling unto the only one that can help me through my rough times. After praying, I retired to bed having a feeling everything will be back to normal soon because I knew what to do next.