Ya Amar (My Moon)

The wintry air that kissed my face was soft and cold like frost on my delicate skin. As I breathe in the sharp cold air of the winter, my lungs became cold and my breathing became shaky. I sighed leaning on the stone baluster to gaze at the night. The blanket of darkness had no stars except for the silver glow of the full moon which cast a dull light to the night. The trees stilled in the wintry wind, their leaves brusque. The small river flowing across the manor was still like glass. Faint cricket cries were the only sound audible in the quiet night. I stood up dipping my cold hands into the pockets of my thick hoodie, my heart heavy like metal from the day's event. I walked back into the warmth of our room closing the balcony doors and pulled the heavy gold curtains against them. Amir was not back from work. He left this morning before I woke up and I have not seen him today. It was annoying. He could have woken me up to tell me he was leaving. When I tried his number countless times, he did not pick up and I regretted not having Fawaz's number. I had just been in London for a day and we have been married for five days. We arrived the day before in Amir's private jet. It was still shocking Amir had a private jet. Not just that, but we arrived at his mother's family house in London in a convoy of three cars and his mother's family house is a mighty manor. Amir had said our house was not ready so we had to live in his mother's family house for some time. I did not like the idea but at the same time, I found it okay because I will be able to know everyone. The eldest after Nani was Suhaan Khalu. Suhaan khalu is married to Aaliyah khala and their children are Sami bhai, Faiz and Tubassum. Sami bhai is married to Zoya bhabi who I noticed was not a hijabi but a beautiful woman with a pretty bright smile. Sami bhai and Zoya bhabi have three kids, Zahra a very smart cute little girl like a pixie who is six years old and twins Farhaan and Farhaana who are four years of age, very troublesome but adorable especially when they chatter. Faiz is married to Sahibah bhabi with two kids, Yusuf who is just four and Aisha a nine months old baby. Tubassum who I got to know was my age mate but does not like me is a nurse at one of London's prestigious hospital. I really do not care. She is best friends with Shazia so I knew where her hatred had come from. The difference between them was the way they dress. Shazia wears skimpy clothes while Tubassum dresses decently except she does not wear hijab but their way of thinking was obviously the same. Tubassum was beautiful just like Aaliyah Khala. She was not really her mother's replica but she took most of her mother's facial features. Her hair was black and wavy cascading down to her mid back. I saw too much of long hair that made me feel like the hair on my head is short. Amir's mother was Nani's second child and eldest daughter. We had a little prayer section for Amir's late family. Aunt Sabr is the third and married to Uncle Raees with three amazing beautiful daughters then Aunt Naimah who is a widow with two sons Dawud and Rayyan. Dawud is age mates with Hooriyah while Rayyan is a year older than Zafreen. The youngest was Rizwan mamu who is married to Ayat mami who does not like me for any reason. They have three children. The eldest Reshma is a fifteen year old teenager then Aaryan who is thirteen then Ihsaan, a very shy girl of eleven years old. I slipped into bed pulling the thick duvet over me to keep my body warm. London is very cold during winter. I was used to Nigeria's heat and Harmattan which is not freezing cold like London's winter. Faint sounds eloped from the television where an English show went on. I was least interested in it, my mind drifting back to my husband who was not yet at home by 12:37am in the morning. I wanted him. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms like every time after what happened between us last night. My cheeks flushed as my hands went up to my stretched lips. He kissed me. I felt those red lips of his on mine. My heart banged against my chest, jittering with excitement. His mouth was pure sin. They did more than making my legs turn water under me. I was in a different world where I could only see colorful things. Restless, I jumped out of bed slipping my feet into the bunny slippers beside the bed. I pulled off the hoodie and slipped into an abaya and a hijab before walking out into the quiet hallway of the manor. Everyone was asleep. I closed the door noiselessly behind me. My slippers made no sound as I walked through the noiseless hallway. As I walked down the staircase to the foyer, something jumped out of nowhere. I jumped back, my heart in my mouth as a tiny squeak escaped my lips and my hands flew over my chest. With wide eyes, I looked at what had jumped out. It was a man. I scrunched my nose at the smell of alcohol mixed with vomit and sweat that irked from him. My heart clomped in my chest as he slumped on the mahogany railing of the staircase trying to balance his staggering body. He was tall, wide shoulders, his eyes drooped obvious that he was not seeing clearly. He had the body of a wrestler making me feel so small beside him. Who is he? "Angel?" I heard the voice I had yearned for all day. My eyes grew wide with joy as my lips broke into a smile. "Amir" I called whirling around. There he was standing by the end of the staircase. His hair rough as if he had run his fingers through it many times. He held his suit jacket in one hand, his messenger bag in the other. His blue and white tiny striped shirt was wrinkled with his tie hanging around his neck to one side. My heart bounced in my chest. Happy was what I felt looking at him. Seeing him lit my inside creating a certain glow in my heart. "Amir" I ran down the staircase towards him ignoring the drunken man. I engulfed him into a hug. His hands went around me holding me tighter to him. "Why did you come late?" I whined my hand around his neck. He kept looking behind him. His jaw tightened and his eyes grew cold. I have never seen that look on him. I turned a bit to look at what he was staring at. "Who is he?" I asked looking back at my husband's face. "Aaban" he said his jaw clenched. "Oh, come on" I pulled him collecting his messenger bag. "Let's go to our room. Anyone can come out" I pulled him towards the staircase. He followed letting out a small chuckle. "You are late. Do you know how worried I was? I was scared. I have not seen you today. How can you leave without telling me?" I ranted pulling off my abaya and hijab revealing the baby pink nightie I wore. I shivered at the sudden cold that went deep into my bone but that was the least I cared about. "Sorry, I had work to do. I just came back after three years almost four. So it was hectic" he apologized, his hand went around my waist. Blushing, I looked at his hand that stood still on my waist then back at him before averting my gaze from him. "I missed you" I pulled off his tie. I could feel his gaze on me as I began losing his shirt. "You should bath. A warm bath then I will get your dinner. Have you eaten?" I asked loosing another button, my cheeks getting hotter at his intense gaze. "Oh I will get your food" I moved away. "Come here" he pulled my hand gently. "Forget the food. I want to talk to you" he settled down on the sofa pulling me to his laps. I sat as cozy as a cat on his laps. "I have a surprise for you" he kissed my palm. "Okay" I rested my head on his shoulder. "You know I really do not like surprises because they might be good or bad" I replied playing with the button of his shirt my finger brushed slightly against his toned chest. "Well, I hope this one will be good. I got an admission for you in Camberwell College of Arts here in London for you to study painting" "Oh no, you didn't?" I exclaimed raising my head to look at him, a smile stained upon my lips as happiness soaked my bones. "I did" he smiled. "Oh my God" I cried throwing my hands over his neck. "You are such a sweetheart. You did that for me" "You once told me before our marriage you don't want to be a full housewife. Even though you don't want to work you will like to have something doing. You told me many times how you have graduated with second class upper in mass communication but you are not happy with it because it was not something you were willing to do. You also said you the like to have a certificate in painting so I got you an admission" "You remembered that?" I asked, his act touching deep into my heart. "Every moment I spent with you" he looked into my eyes. "I remember them. Every word and everything that happened" his voice became soft and low. "I don't know what to say" I placed a hand over my chest gazing at him with pure happiness. "Thanks" I pressed my lips lightly to his. "Well, I think I really need to give you more surprises to receive that" he said, the left corner of his lips moved up. I laughed at his words. "You will begin tomorrow. I also have another surprise for you. Tomorrow In Sha Allah" his hands went down to my waist. "Okay, I can't wait to see that" My eyes drooped, my voice becoming low. I placed my head on his shoulder. "You want to sleep?" "Yes, I tried preventing myself from sleeping to see you today" I placed my head on his shoulder closing my eyes. "Then sleep Angel" he ran a hand softly through my arm sending slight shivers down my bones. I closed my eyes nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck. It felt like yesterday when I met him seating in that ward, with eyes dead from life. Here we were as husband and wife. It took a lot to be with him and having him now, I do not want him away from me for any reason.