More To It

Chapter 10- Women Are Important

Khalid

“Are you well rested?“,mama asks Zaynab who walks down the stairs with Yousif beside her. Her face is still a bit swollen, her head still bandaged, but other than that, she’s okay.

“Yeah, am fine”,she nods.

“Let’s go see daddy today”,Yousif frowns.

“We can’t, not yet. Maybe next week”,she tells Yousif who glares at her.

“YOU SAID THAT LAST WEEK”,he yells at her.

“Okay, first of all, I don’t know who you think you yelling at, and secondly, next week. Okay? Next week”,she snaps at him.

His glare hardens then he pushes her away into the stairs.

Well a beast has been unleashed.

“YOUSIF!“,everyone yells and stands up. I didn’t even bother. I already had a bad feeling that something like this would happen when she started lying to him about taking him to meet his father. She just keeps lying to him because she doesn’t want to go.

She looks at Yousif with shock, I guess surprised by his strength.

“I WANT TO SEE HIM AND I WANT TO SEE HIM NOW!“,he screams at her.

Anger flashes through her face then next thing I know she stands up abruptly and slaps him so hard the boy fell down and hits his head on the couch.

“DON’T YOU DARE YELL AT ME. YOU’RE NOT MEETING HIM AND FOR WHAT YOU JUST DID, YOU’RE NOT MEETING HIM NEXT WEEK EITHER. IF YOU WANT BANG YOUR HEAD ON THE WALL”,she yells at him.

“ZAYNAB”,her dad yells.

Yousif looks up at Zaynab with his hand on his cheek then stands up. Wallahi the boy did not shed one tear.

“Am telling daddy on you. You promised that I’d see him. You lied to us. Daddy doesn’t like liers. I don’t like liers either”,he tells her but his tone wasn’t shaky or nothing, it was stern and threatening.

“You shouldn’t have slapped me mommy. You’ll pay for this”,he snaps at her then he pushes past her and runs up the stairs.

Zaynab’s eyes widens and her jaws drop.

“You shouldn’t have slapped him. He’s only a child”,her dad tells her.

“He’s Abiodun in a child form. He’s going to turn out exactly like him”,she whispers in a shaky tone.

“You’re going to turn him like that if you don’t stop being too hard on him”,aunt Jumoke tells Zaynab who looks at her shocked.

“What?“.

“Abiodun grew up with violence. All he knew was violence. He turned out like his father. But he wants to change. For his son. He doesn’t want his son to be like him. That’s why he’s getting help. What you’re doing to Yousif won’t get him to change, it’s going to worsen him. You have to be extra careful with him. And you can’t keep him from his father. Abiodun has just as much right as you do on him. If you keep doing this, you are going to end up hurting yourself, Abiodun and Yousif. And if Abiodun gets angry, am not so sure I can stop him. And if Yousif gets angry. He’ll turn out to be exactly what you don’t want him to be”,she explains to him.

Zaynab groans lowly then she rubs her head.

“I can’t promise that I won’t smack him now. Will you talk to him?“,she asks me.

“Me? Talk to him?“,I raise an eyebrow.

“Why so you say it like that?“,she asks looking offended.

“I don’t know. It just kinda seemed like it was just y’all. I didn’t exist anymore, so am kinda shocked that am now being asked to talk to him”,I shrug.

She sighs then frowns.

“Well can you please talk to him?“.

I walk up the stairs and make my way towards Yousif’s room. I open the door to find him pacing the floor with anger.

“What do YOU want?“,he snaps when he sees me.

“Can we talk?“,I ask him.

“No”.

“Sit”,I walk in and close the door.

“I don’t like you. So do-“.

“Yeah. I noticed. I didn’t take your mother from your father. Tour father pushed her away. But your dad is gone to get better for you. You can’t be out here disrespecting your mother like that. Your dad wouldn’t like it”,I tell him.

“Daddy doesn’t like when girls disrespect us. We have to show them who’s boss”,he replies.

I scoff then shake my head.

“That’s not how it goes. Do you know how men are created?“,I ask him.

“From sands?“,he asks.

“Well yeah, partly, to make clay. Yeah basically. And do you know how women are created?“,I ask him.

“Sand?“.

“No, some. Are created from the ribs of men”.

“What? That makes no sense”.

“Women are special to Allah. Did you know that?“,I ask him.

“Why would they be special? They’re useless”.

Wooow.

“Have you ever read the Qur’an?“.

“No”.

“Do you mind following me to my room?“,I ask him.

He shrugs so I get up and lead him towards my room. We pass the stairs and everyone looks at us. I open the door to my room and enter with him behind me.

I take one of my Qur’an and sit on the bed. He sits beside me and starts swinging his feet back and forth.

“There’s many chapters in the Qur’an and do you know there’s a whole chapter dedicated to just women?“.

“But why?“.

“Because they are special. They are the foundation to everything. There can’t be progress in man without a woman. For another woman or man to be made, you need a woman for that, don’t you?“.

“No?“.

“Okay. Um, let’s look at it this way. Who gave birth to you?“,I ask him.

“Mommy”.

“That’s right. But for your mother to give birth to you, she has to be alive which means someone gave birth to her. And who’s that someone?“.

“Grandma Jumoke”

“Exactly but for her to give birth to your mother, she has to be alive for that which means another woman had given birth to HER. That is your great grandmother. See? For another generation to be made, women are needed. For your father to be alive, his mother gave birth to him. Women are important. They’re supposed to be treated with respect, care and love. Every woman, no matter what they look like, shape, size, no matter what it is. They should all always be treated with importance and whoever respects one, automatically pleases Allah, and don’t you want to please your Lord?“.

“Allah is good?“,he asks me.

“He’s amazing. He’s Great, The Most Kind, Most Forgiving. The Only One God with many messengers, the last messenger being our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)“.

“I want to please him then”,Yousif smiles.

I smile and ruffle his hair.

“If I do, will he bring daddy back?“.

“He’s already helping your daddy. Your dad has done thongs he’s not proud of, things that made Allah angry, things that would take him to hell fire. But Allah loves your father. Which is why He sent your grandma Jumoke his path. Your grandma talked to him, and because of that, your father is getting help so he can be a great dad for you so you can be a great and kind son to him and your mother. Allah loves those who obey Him. Won’t you obey Him?“.

“I want to, but what do I have to do?“.

“First of all, you hurt your mother, so to please Allah, apologize and hug your mother, tell her that you’re sorry and you love her and you will never hit her again”.

“And then after that?“he asks.

“You are going to learn how to read the Qur’an but we’ll start from the alphabets first. Okay?“.

“Can we start today?“,he jumps off the bed with excitement.

“Whenever you’re ready, we can start. But you have to believe firs-”

“I believe, I believe”,he cuts me off then he races out of my room.

“Wow, can’t believe that worked”,I whisper to myself then smile. I get up and make my way down the stairs. The scene in front of me is beautiful mashAllah.

“Mommy, I love you. Am sorry I hit you, I won’t do it again okay?“,he tells Zaynab who’s eyes widens.

“O-okay?“.

He hugs her tightly then gives her a big kiss making her smile.

“Mommy Khalid said you are special to God so I have to treat you nicely so I can please Him so I can get daddy back. I won’t yell or do anything bad again. I promise”,he tells her.

Everyone’s eyes land on me then smiles spread throughout. Zaynab’s, the biggest.

“Okay”,she whispers and hugs Yousif.

“Am sorry I hit you too. I didn’t mean to. I won’t do it again”,she tells him.

“Okay mommy”,he smiles then he looks up at me.

“Let’s go learn to read”he yells.

“You have to eat first. After that, then we can go”,I tell him.

“Okay, tell me when its time to eat”,he tells Zaynab who nods then he runs into the play room.

Zaynab looks at me and smiles a little.

“Thank you”.

I nod then walk back down to my seat.

“Zaynab, take him to meet his dad, if you don’t, you’re setting everything we did up for failure”,aunt Jumoke tells her.

“Will you come then? I don’t trust Abiodun not to try anything. Just come”.

“Am working tomorrow”,aunt replies.

“Okay fine, uh today?“.

“Today?“.

“Sure”,aunt nods.

“Yousif”,Zaynab calls.

“Yes mommy?“,he runs in with a racing car in his hand.

“We’re going to see your dad, go put on your shoes”,she tells him. He instantly drops his car and runs up the stairs in seconds.

“Wow”,Fawaz chuckles.

“Am ready”,Yousif jumps down with a paper in his hand.

“What’s that?“,Zaynab asks him.

“I drew a picture of me and daddy playing on my ps4 like we always do”,he smiles.

“You can play?“,Malik raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah, daddy taught me. It’s easy”.

“Nize one. Let’s see the picture”,Zaynab tells him. He turns the paper around.

“Oh my God”,Zaynab gasps and takes the paper.

“This is amazing”,she whispers.

“Look”she turns the paper towards us. Its a highly detailed sketch of Yousif and Abiodun seated on a couch with ps4 controllers in their hands and laughter on their faces. This kid is good.

“Where did you learn to draw like this?“,Aaleyah asks him.

“I don’t know”,he replies with a shrug.

“It’s really nice”.

“Thank you. Mommy let’s go now”.

“Okay, calm b”.

She picks him up and looks at aunt.

“Will you drive?“.

“Ibrahim is coming with, he’ll drive and also wait in the car park while we go”,aunt tells Zaynab who looks at Ibrahim as he stands up.

***

The door to my room opens and Zaynab walks in.

“Hey”,she whispers.

“Hi. Watchu need?“.

Am surprised she’s even here. For the last 3 weeks she’s been sleeping with Yousif. She didn’t even announce it. She just didn’t come to bed. So am shocked she’s even here tonight. Maybe she needs something.

“I need to change”,she says.

Ah. There it is. It makes sense.

She walks towards the wardrobe and starts humming to herself.

“The visit was okay. He looked different. More calm I guess. He was happy to see his son. He even thanked me. He apologized and all”,she tells me.

“Mmm”I hum.

Where’s this going exactly? Can she hurry up and go like. She takes off her clothes one by one leaving her bare then puts on her baby pink silk nightgown. She takes her clothes and walks into the bathroom to put them in the laundry basket I guess. She walks back in seconds later but she doesn’t walk out, she walks over to the bed and gets in bed.

“Uhhh, are you lost?“,I ask her.

“What?“,she furrows her eyebrows.

“You don’t sleep here...that’s why am asking”,I whisper.

I take off my glasses and put my laptop on the bedside desk.

“Yeah, about that”,she sits up and starts playing with her fingers.

“Khalid, am really sorry. I know I’ve been a lot to handle. And I can’t tell you how grateful I am for being patient with me, for being here regardless, for tolerating me, for all that you’ve done. I also want to say am sorry. I haven’t been a wife to you and for that I am really sorry. I shouldn’t be treating you as if you aren’t my husband, am sorry for the disrespect, for the yellingx for the insults. Am sorry for pushing you away. I hope you can forgive me so that we can start over....if you want?“.

“Zaynab, we haven’t been married for a while now. What’s all this?“,I ask her.

“I love you Khalid. I do”,she whispers and looks up at me.

“Do you still love me?“.

I suck in my teeth and hum.

“I’ve loved you for more than 15 years. My love for you has never lessened. But us being husband and wife isn’t working out. We were better friends. You were right after all”,I tell her.

“But we can work if we try. Please, let’s try”.

“Am only trying with you ONLY for the sake of Allah”,I tell her.

She smiles and nods.

“Are you going to sleep or what?“,she asks.

“I was...but since you’re here, maybe not”.

She smiles then leans over and sits on my lap.

“It’s been a month. You know?“,I whisper.

“Am sorry babe. I suck, I know. I’ll make it up to you”.

“Well there’s high expectations then”.

She laughs and hugs me which made me chuckle.

“You know I love you Khalid”,she whispers with her forehead pressed on mine then she leans in and places her lips on mine.