Chapter 2 Hamid

On the eve of my wedding fatiha with Rahmat Ali, something tragic happened!

I was in my parents' house planning on how things would be the following day when a friend of mine called and told me something wasn't right.

I asked him what was wrong and he told me Rahmat was seen on a live video raped by some guys at Malibu Club where she was throwing a farewell party with her friends.

At first I thought he was joking but after sending the video to me, that was when I realized I was doomed.

I tried to control myself but couldn't. I ended up involving my parents into the matter as tears streamed down my cheeks.

My parents were shocked too considering the fact that our wedding was supposed to take place the following day and a lot had been planned for.

They calmed me down while burying their own pains. They told me they would reach out to Rahmat's parents and that I shouldn't tell anybody in our family about it yet.

Well, I just nodded as if I understood what they were saying. Thus they left the room and later on I heard the sound of a car leaving the gate, I needed nobody to tell me they were the ones.

If only I knew they were going out, I would have followed them so I could ask Rahmat in person why she did what she did! To me it was her fault because I had warned her not to throw any party and I had also warned her long ago to stop drinking.

When I first met her, she was lost. It was during our university days and she was sleeping around for money to pay her tuition and so on. I had to help her out since I was from a rich family and was interested in her.

I wouldn't say she was a bad girl though but God, she could drink more than some boys. Some used to even say she could smoke too but I had never seen her with a stick so I wouldn't mention that.

When I came into her life, I turned it into a paradise. I told her to move into my apartment, and together we lived like a couple. Hers was just to prepare food, I was the one providing everything.

From the first day she moved into my apartment to the day we both rounded up our programs, we had not for once had sex. Actually, she was very attractive but the piety in me was as strong as a rock. Alhamdulillah!

After our NYSC, I got a job with an oil company. I wanted her close to me so I secured a job for her too in the same company with all the power I could muster. Her family were so happy about it, they thanked me wholeheartedly.

That was the beginning of their success. They became rich the fact that our salary was undeniably fat. It was 400k, making it 4.8million in annual. Sometimes though, we used to have bonuses especially during religious festivals.

Two years into working together at Natural Gas Ltd, I asked Rahmat out and she told me she wasn't ready for any marriage yet. I had to involve her parents into the matter and hopefully, they were able to convince her.

But now, everything was complicated. The chance of us getting married the next day was slight the fact that my parents would never allow me to marry her. In fact, if they had knew about her past they wouldn't have even welcomed her in the first place.

I had hid her past from them, I thought she had totally changed not knowing a lion will forever be a lion and a cat will forever be a cat. Now that she had shown the world who really she was, who would marry her?

Of course she was beautiful but trust me, no sensible parent would allow his or her children to marry such a lady. She was too wild to be kept at home as a wife or mother. Her type can never be trusted, they are better seen as whores than housewives.

If only I knew she would disappoint me, I wouldn't have wasted my time on her! I thought burying my face in my palms. Verily, the only thing I could do now was thinking and regretting every single moment I had with her.

Hours later, my parents came back and told me they met Rahmat's parents and discussed thoroughly about the situation.

"Her father was terrified and so was her mother," my father said and continued. "They weren't happy at all because they had been receiving calls from people about the video. Their daughter did a very bad thing and they knew it, so they told us to cancel the wedding if possible to avoid getting our family involved into the mess the stupid girl created"

"Okay dad, but did you cancel it?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well, not really" He heaved a sigh and continued. "We made a replacement with someone of our own, and that person is Amani"

"Amani?" I puzzled standing to my feet. "Which Amani, our Amani? The daughter of uncle Bashir?"

"Yes!" My mother chimed in.

"No mom, I can't marry Amani. That small girl? She's just 17 for God's sake and I am 28!" I squalled.

"Then who do you want to marry apart from her? Tell us so we can..." My mother said as my father cut in.

"He's marrying Amani and that's final! We know why we chose her for him, she's the only decent cousin he has plus we don't have to go out knocking people's door to give us their daughter as a replacement to Rahmat" He said making me to gulp.

"But dad, Amani is a small girl. Can't you see her chest? She doesn't even have much breasts, how can she breastfeed my kids?" I said trying to back up my selfish reason. Deep down, I just didn't love the girl.

"And so what if she doesn't? Was Paris built in a day? That girl is still growing and marrying her will make her grow even more faster. If you think I am lying, ask your mother" He said gesturing towards my mother.

"You are not lying, Alhaji" She chimed in and continued. "Let me explain something to the boy" She said turning over to me. "Look, Hamid" She heaved a sigh. "I don't see anything wrong with Amani's breasts being small, at least not in the case of feeding your children because as soon as she starts conceiving the breasts you are complaining about will fully be ready to welcome your children"

"But mom..." I said as my father chimed in.

"Look Hamid, this conversation is over. If you like, accept her. If you like, don't. But put it at the back of your mind that if you don't marry her then I will remove my hands in your matter. I will also tell our people that no wedding is taking place again so they can all return back to their homes but know that, I will never support you when it comes to marriage again and I will not invite any of our people. Let's go, Zainabu!" He said and then left the room together with my mother.

That moment, I felt like the whole world was on my head. That was how I ended up accepting Amani against my wish, and in the evening of that same day she was conveyed to the storey building I recently completed at Rose Garden.

I had initially wanted sharing the house with Rahmat and our future kids but somehow, things didn't go the way I planned and I wasn't really happy about it.

Was this a test from God or what? How was I supposed to live with Amani? That teenager was too small for me and by the way, wasn't she supposed to be allowed to further her education first before getting her married?