A Promise From My Heart

Chapter Thirteen

"Ya Allah Sister Amy, why can't you just seat well so that I can tie your gele very pretty for you" Raihana groaned at Amatullah putting her in place.

"Can't you see my baby looks like he want to cry" She shifted her head making the gele loose. Raihana let out a tired sigh.

"Why don't you leave the baby and use your phone instead" Raihana collected the baby and gave Amatullah her phone.

"How do I look?" Amatullah asked me as I wore my fila (cap) bending it to one side.

"You look gorgeous" I said and walked up to her. I pulled her closer to me and kissed her nose. She blushed at our closeness.

"Please you guys should remember you are not the only ones here. I am here. Please don't make me blind" Raihana said in a very dramatic way. We both laughed at her reaction. Amatullah threw her head back and forth resting it on my chest. She looked so adorable laughing that way.

"Are you ready my princess?" I asked Amatullah holding out my hand. She slipped her hand into my arm.

"Always ready prince charming" she smiled.

We headed down stairs together with Raihana trailing behind us. My father and Raihan were busy adjusting their black and white agbada worn over their white trousers and buba. My grandmother was gorgeously dressed in her iro and buba with her ipele hanging elegantly on her shoulder. They all smiled at us which we returned back. We were all going to attend the wedding of a distant cousin of mine except Noor. She was still hiding in her shell. Her psychiatrist had said it will take some time before she comes out of it but I hope for the best.

"Yusuf, I forgot something" Amatullah gasped beside me.

"What did you forget?"

"Our baby" she answered turning back to run upstairs but I held her hand.

"Do you have to go with him?"

"Sure, people need to know about him" she said with a very sweet smile. Every pair of eyes turned towards us. I smiled at my family releasing Amatullah. I stared at her as she ran up the flight of steps her heels clicking the floor.

"You should all be going. Amatullah forgot something upstairs. We will meet you at the wedding" I said. They all left except Raihana who laid a hand on my shoulder.

"It will be okay" she said, sympathy filled her voice.

I just nodded at her feeling low and sad. I felt dejected and angry. I slumped into a chair my agbada making ruffling sounds and I laid my head back on the headrest. Amatullah came down few minutes later a big happy smile on her face. She held the plastic baby in one hand and a baby's bag in another hand. I looked at her curiously. What is she doing with a baby's bag?

"I just want to make sure I have all his needs throughout our stay at the party" she said as if she was reading my thoughts. She was so happy. The joy in her voice can't be denied. At that moment I got to know that if she had become a mother maybe our story today would have been different. I smiled back at her and got up. I just prayed this party turns out well.

AMATULLAH'S POV

I held onto Yusuf's arm tighter and grinned at him as we walked into the hall. He returned my smile with his usual enchanting smile that I could die for more than a million times. He looks so handsome in his agbada like a typical Yoruba man. People were many in the hall dazzling in their traditional attire waiting for the bride and groom to arrive.

"This is beautiful" I voiced out, my voice soft.

"It sure is" he answered gazing at me.

His cousin's mother came to us and took us to our seat. I sat beside Yusuf holding him tight.

I was possessive. It was a wedding. There were lot of single ladies and not everyone has dignity or shame. Some of them are shameless and I won't like to have some lady gawking at my husband or trying to flirt with him because I would forget my pride and throw a big blow at her pretty face.

"We should take a selfie" I said pulling out my phone from my gold clutch purse. Before Yusuf could talk, I pulled him closer to me and took a shot. He groaned and I laughed which made him smile at me. I checked the picture and it was cute because the picture was funny. "Wow, it is cute" I said and he leaned closer to me to check the picture.

"We should take more pictures" I said.

"No way" he protested.

"Please" I beat my eyelashes.

"Okay" he said giving in with a loop sided smile.

We took lots of selfies and few minutes later the MC announced the arrival of the couple. The reception took place and it was an interesting place to be. To say his cousin's wife was beautiful was an understatement. She was more than beautiful. Yusuf and I went to greet the couple. I hugged the bride and Yusuf hugged the groom. We chatted with them for a while and I decided to leave. I went back to seat down and noticed father, grandmother, and Raihan were not on our table.

"Where is everybody?" I asked Raihana, seating down.

"They went to meet people" she answered. "Sister Amy, let's look at the pictures you and brother Yusuf took" she moved from her seat to seat beside me.

"Sure" I brought out my phone and we began to check the pictures Yusuf and I took. A popular Nigerian hip pop music begins making people dance to it.

"Oh, this picture is so cute" She pointed at a picture where I kissed Yusuf's cheeks and he was smiling. "You should send that picture to me" she gushed.

"Never" I protested immediately still looking at the picture.

"Why?" she asked confused.

"Just like that, you can collect another picture" I swipe through the screen.

"Why? Please"

"No way, I won't share such a picture to someone" I nodded my head negatively.

"Okay" she pouted.

The pictures were so nice making me smile and my heart beat just looking at his face. I bit my lower lip remembering our baby. I wished we came with him. Yusuf had suggested we keep him at my mother's place. I miss him so much right now.

"Wow, look who we have here" a familiar voice said. I looked up and saw Yusuf's ex-girlfriend Maimunah and her best friend Barakah. Two people with chicken brain "The psychopath is in the party and I never knew" she scoffs.

"Maimunah, please just leave" I said not ready for her trouble. She snorted and looked away before looking back at me.

"Barakah, just listen to the psychopath" she sneered. The lady is already married and she still had harbours for me even after six years just because of Yusuf. I really do not know what to do? She is the psychopath not me.

"Maimunah, please just leave" I got up, anger already building up in me as I gripped my phone.

"Where is that plastic baby of yours? I heard you still think you are pregnant or you have given birth to some plastic trash" she said looking around me like she was searching for something.

"Don't call my baby a plastic and I was pregnant. I have a baby" I said confidently still trying to hold my anger.

"Sister Amatullah, please leave her" Raihana said worry laced in her voice.

"This lady is really mad. I wonder how Yusuf is still staying with you. How does he cope with a psychopath like you? How does his family cope with a mad woman like you?" she said laughing and her friend laughed.

"Just shut up Maimunah" Raihana barked holding my hand.

That is it. I have had enough of her. My hand twitched and my reflex was hard on her cheek. Raihana screamed at the sound of the slap, she froze with fear, her eyes wide, and her hands on her chest. Barakah had the same reaction.

"What the hell is wrong with you crazy woman?" she shouted attracting some people's attention. I gave her another slap on her other cheek, her cheek turning red.

"Just shut up. I am not crazy and I was pregnant. I have a child" I shouted getting angrier with her words.

She laughed and wrapped her hand around her chest smiling at me confidently. The lady was really crazy. I slapped her and she could still smile even though her ego had been broken.

"You really think so. Why has Yusuf not thrown you into a mental asylum? You are not pregnant and you have no child" she screamed with anger.

I grabbed her by her chest with so much aggression.

"I am pregnant. Shut up!" I screamed people already gathering which I don't mind. I really want to kill her. How dare she say such a thing about me? I am pregnant. "You monkey!" I slapped her grabbing her neck as tears ran down my face.

"Leave me alone, you....you...psycho....psy...psychopath" she coughed struggling to talk.

"Leave her alone" Barakah and Raihana tried to remove my hands from her neck but I was too strong. My anger had gotten the best of me, the veins in my hand popping out and my eyes blazed with anger. My grip around her neck tightened every second that passed. I shook with anger.

"Leave her alone" people started talking and gathering around us.

"I....a.....am sor.....sorry. Le....leave me.....alone please" She choked trying to push me away and remove my hands. Every passing second, my grip gets tighter.

"Amatullah, leave her alone" I heard Yusuf's voice. He struggled with me for few seconds and succeeded in saving his crazy ex.

"Leave me alone" I screamed trying to free myself from Yusuf's grip forcefully.

Maimunah coughed people gathering her. She slumped to the floor and tried breathing back, her hand on her chest. Her face had lost colour and filled with dread and fear. Her husband came to the scene.

"What happened?" her husband asked crouching beside her.

"Ask your wife and tell her to know how to control her tongue" Raihana shouted amidst the confusion.

"Amatullah, stop" Yusuf shouted shaking me. I stopped and turned towards him holding his shoulder my breathing heavy.

"Yusuf, what happened?" I heard father's voice.

"Yusuf, listen to her. She said I am not pregnant. I am pregnant right?" I asked trembling looking into his worry eyes with blurry eyes, fear evident in his eyes.

"Amatullah, you are pregnant" he held my cheeks pulling me closer to him.

"Yes, yes, I am pregnant. Tell her that" I pulled him towards Maimunah. "Tell her" I pointed at Maimunah.

"Amy, let's get out of here" he pulled me towards the entrance.

"No" I shouted getting more aggressive "Let's tell her she is the psychopath not me and I am pregnant. She might believe you if you tell her" I protested as he carried me.