Chapter 42 Ahmad

Three days ago, we celebrated our company's 35th Anniversary. Things went perfectly as planned, and in the end my wives and I were interviewed by Wattpad Tv.

To say I was impressed by how they responded to each and every question thrown upon them by the interviewer is an understatement, Humairah especially. Rania too did her best.

It's good to be extra careful, you know, with what you say during interviews because it would spread and go many miles away. After the interview, we all headed home.

The following day, I took Humairah and our kids to their village. She had insisted in seeing her parents. Actually, it had been quite some time since we last paid them a visit.

Upon our arrival in the village, we were humbly welcomed. Our security guards helped in controlling the crowd outside as we walked into the renovated house of Humairah's parents, my parents in-law.

Alhaji Mus'ab was happy to see us, he widened his kolanut stained teeth and opened his arms to embrace his grandchildren — our triplets. They were happy to see him too.

Humairah however was embraced by her mother who carefully took note of her pregnancy. "Let's go inside, you need to rest" The woman said.

"Ba matsala Mama (No problem, mom)" Humairah sighed. "Parlor is okay" She added with a smile.

Thus, they sat in a sofa and I couldn't get enough of her beauty as she took off her hijab.

I kept looking at her as she conversed with her mother, forgetting our triplets as they play with their grandfather.

I love you, Humairah...

I said in my mind and guess what? She turned making me to wonder if she was a telepath. I mean, when did she started reading people's mind? Lol, don't mind me.

She smiled at me and then sighed.

After nearly six hours in the village, we decided to return back home. And on her behalf, I gave her parents six hundred and twenty thousand naira (N620,000) cash in hand.

I also made contribution of a million and half (1.5million naira) through cheque for the completion of a nearby Masjid (mosque) which we saw on our way coming, hopefully I would be rewarded abundantly for it.

As soon as we were home, I took shower and prayed before putting on my nightwear. Nothing like eating dinner because we had ate before coming back, a super delicious local food if I may say. Yes, tuwo!

Humairah, however, went to lull our triplets to bed immediately she took her own shower and wore her nightgown.

Eventually, she returned back and saw me not asleep yet. Actually, I was going through some business documents in my laptop.

"Honey, you are still awake?" She asked as she walked into the room. "You really need to rest!"

"Humairah, I tried" I smiled shutting off the laptop. "I think I have insomnia these days" I said trying to scare her.

"No, you don't" She said as she gently climbed the bed with her bump and covered herself with the blanket. "Just try and get some sleep, okay?"

"Alright" I said dropping the laptop aside.

"Good" She smiled and turned her body to the other side of the bed, giving me access to her back.

Thus, I drew closer to her and embraced her from the back in order to enjoy the warmness of her body.

"Something is telling me twins are in here" I uttered cherishing her bump with my hand.

"Twins?" She asked. "I... I already gave you triplets and it wasn't really easy" She complained.

"Hmm" I sighed.

"Okay, if that's what you want then no problem. May Allah Almighty give me the strength to bore them for you" She said making me to smile.

"Ameen" I pecked her on her shoulder. "I love you, Humairah" I said.

"I love you too" She said.

"Goodnight" I bade her.

"Goodnight" She bade me back.

...

Today was Sunday, and as usual I would drive Humairah and our triplets to Faizah's house to plait their hair. Rania had her own hairstylist, the founder of Najmah Beauty Saloon and she normally dressed her own hair on Fridays.

"Dad, don't go!" The triplets chorused as soon as I dropped them in the plaiter's house and was about driving back home. "Please, dad!" They added.

"Hmm, kiddies I have a lot to take care of at home" I said and continued. "I have files to arrange for tomorrow"

"Dad, please..." Qudrah, one of the triplets said. The other two were Aisha and Jasraa.

"Okay, I will stay" I rose my hands in defeat before gently hopping out of the car to meet them.

"Thank you, daddy" They rushed and hugged me. "Let's go inside together" They held me.

"Okay... okay" I said before turning to Humairah with a smile. "I hope I won't be the only male inside?"

"We normally buy time from her, no one is allowed to get in while we are in. So, it's only us" Humairah said as we walked through the gate of the house.

"I love you, Humairah" I said, not minding the presence of our kids. "And I am so very happy to have you"

"Same here" She said smiling back at me.

We went into the house and just as the woman began plaiting one of our kids' hair, we heard a loud knock by the gate.

"I thought we book this time?" Humairah said to Faizah in an interrogative manner.

"Yes madam, and I already told my customers about it. Maybe it's a new client since I am not expecting any visitor this morning" Faizah said somehow annoyed with the knock too.

"Now what?" Humairah asked as the knocking continued. It was loud and unbearable.

"Let me go and..." Faizah was just about standing up when I decided to check instead. After all, she was busy and I shouldn't be useless.

"Just continue with your work, let me go and check" I said as I stood and walked to the gate. Just as I opened it, my eyes landed on Naziha. "Naziha??" I screamed. "No, no, no, this can't be real. This can't fucking be real!" I said glancing at her from head to toe, she had changed and the beauty was gone albeit I recognized her.

"Ahmad..." She said as she began weeping.

"Hey, stop crying" I said almost holding her hand when I saw a ring in her finger. "Naziha, are you married or something?" I asked.

"Yes," she sniffed wiping off her tears. "I married two years after I left your house but I lost the man I married to death!"

"Oh..." Was all I could say to her. She looked dark and pathetic. I never regretted losing her, I deserved Rania and Humairah more!

"I was surprised when I saw you entering this house with a woman and three little girls" She said.

"It's Humairah, our cook. I married her, and those little girls you spotted are our triplets" I said.

"What??" She puzzled. "Ahmad, you mean you married Humairah? That house girl?"

"Yeah, but I married Rania first" I said.

"Rania?" She asked.

"Yes, the one I once told you is my cousin, my first love and the girl I first made love with" I tried to remind her.

"Oh, yeah... I think I remember" She said.

"Well," I cleared my throat. "She's also my wife and right now, I have two kids with her" I proudly said with a smile on my face.

"Shit!" She cursed under her breath. "I regret losing you, Ahmad. And now I know it's too late, right?" She interrogatively said.

"Well..." I was trying to tell her to accept her fate when Humairah pulled the gate open.

"Naziha? How?" She said, not that surprised though.

"Humairah," Naziha said in tears. "So you married Ahmad, bore him triplets and now you are carrying another child for him?"

That moment, Humairah adjusted her veil downward to cover her bump but it was still showing. How could one cover seven months pregnancy from the world? Noway!

"Naziha, you changed" Humairah said.

"Yeah" Naziha heaved a sigh. "I am now ugly, and you are the beautiful queen. Indeed nothing is impossible in this world, Allah has granted you what you've wanted. I knew you loved him, I just didn't take it serious"

"I am sorry" Humairah said.

"No, it's okay" Naziha wiped off her tears again. "I should be going. Please greet those triplets of yours for me. Tell them a mother says hi"

"Okay, I will" Humairah nodded her head.

Thus, Naziha turned to me. "Ever since my new husband died, things have not been easy for me. From luxury to garbage, I am now selling palm oil and other cooking oil to survive. If you ever wish to patronize me, just come to the new market, shop number 206. Thank you" She said and left in tears.

I actually didn't felt like I loved her anymore, but the love we shared in the past made me to feel something for her. It's normal to feel that when you've been with someone for quite some time, but it absolutely means nothing.

"We are not going to patronize her, right?" Humairah said holding my hand.

"Yes, she's just trying to find a way back to my life. That's life, she was my queen" I said.

"Yeah" Humairah huffed and continued. "Let's just go back inside, I don't want our kids to be worried"

"Okay" I said.

Hence, we went back into the house.