part of her, however, that wanted it so badly. A trip to a beautiful village in
Too Little Too Late Complete Hausa Novel · about 44 min read
Greece; just the both of them. “You can’t do that.”
“I’m just…” He took a moment. “I don’t know how to do this, Ayra, and I
have to admit it now. All my life, for as long as I can remember, I’ve built
everything around work and the few times I go out with the squad, it still
feels like relaxed work dinners because we talk about contracts and
whatnot. Then you came along and I didn’t create the balance like I
assumed I did. Each time I let you down should have been a wake-up call
but I kept jumping back into the routines I was used to instead of making
my way around them for you. And I’m so sorry.”
She sniffled, blinking back fresh tears and he continued.
“The day of Eid, when we couldn’t catch another flight no matter what, I
realised the gravity of everything and it hurt. I couldn’t reach you and I
don’t blame you for not wanting to talk to me and then Ibty sent so many
texts to all of us and it broke me in more ways than one, Ayra. I hated that
I’d hurt you and I hated that I’d hurt Ibty too and I’m going to make it up
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to her but I have to make it up to you first. And then later at night, Mum
called and asked about you because she didn’t see you at the party and I
told them you probably went over to your family’s place to celebrate. I
asked why she didn’t call you herself and she said she would. Please tell me
she did.”
Ayra’s chest squeezed again. “She didn’t. No one called to ask and it hurt so
much, Ibrahim.”
“Oh God.” He held her even tighter. “I am so sorry, Ayra…I made up my
mind that day to put things in order so we could finish up, meet your
graduation and then while the squad implement the new changes, you and I
could be in Santorini so I could do everything to start making up for lost
time. I made the reservations after the day of Eid and I should have told
you that I was doing everything possible to make the changes that should
have been in place a long time ago but I just thought that if I promised to
catch up with the graduation, it’ll be enough. I assumed it’ll be enough and
that I could explain everything I’d been up to. But it wasn’t, Ayra, and I’m
so sorry I didn’t realise that sooner.”
She pulled back to look at him and she nearly wished she didn’t because her
heart broke; not for her, but for him. In the years she’d known him and in
the time they’d been together, she’d never seen him look so hurt, broken,
and apologetic at the same time. He’d never been like this and it hurt her,
maybe been a little more than he’d hurt her by not showing up when he
said he would.
“We finished up our meetings and I was so happy when we got to Paris on
time because it was easy to get another flight to Atlantica and as at then it
seemed like I’ll at least be in the country before you have to leave for the
ceremony and we’ll catch up but then the weather got so bad and flights
were grounded and…” His voice broke. “Ayra, I’m so sorry.”
Her chest squeezed again and all that went through her mind was that she
wanted him to stop crying. She wasn’t sure she even still had it in her to be
mad with him or disappointed. She just wanted him to stop crying.
“We got here too late and I still wanted to believe we could make it, no
matter how late it was. Showing up at the campus late to me was better than
not showing up at all but it seemed like every circumstance was against us
and we didn’t. And then just before you arrived, Ibty texted me as I was
getting changed and I swear, Ayra, I was so scared. I was scared and then I
was so disappointed in myself because you’ve been the best wife I could
ever ask for but all I’ve done is let you down to the extent that your best
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friend was wishing she could turn back time to stop you from marrying me.
I’ve never hated myself as much as I did yesterday, Ayra. I’m so sorry.”
Whatever was left of her battered heart dropped. “Ibty said that?”
He shook his head, blowing out a breath, and while fighting back her own
tears, Ayra reached up to wipe his tears away with both her hands. He
exhaled again. “Those weren’t her exact words but yeah, that was the
message. She’d already sent a text after Eid, telling me she wouldn’t forgive
me if I missed the graduation because it was going to hurt you but I did
and…Ayra, I’m so sorry.”
She shook her head, her heart getting even more battered where it was.
“No, Ibrahim, no…”
“She told me to leave you alone to go to sleep when you got home and that
I shouldn’t tell you I was going to make it up to you. That was exactly what
I was going to do but here she was telling me I shouldn’t do that and I
just…I couldn’t…Ayra, I’m sorry.”
“Ibty’s looking out for me. She’s always looking out for me and I would
have done the same for her.”
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. I know how you two are. I
know how inseparable you two are, so all I could think about was whether
or not you were going to leave me when your best friend was saying she
would have stopped you from marrying me if she knew this is how things
were going to go.”
His hands came up to hold hers which were on his cheeks. “All I could
picture was you asking me for a divorce as soon as I got home because if
your best friend could wish that, then I couldn’t bring myself to imagine
what was going through your mind. I was so scared, Ayra. I fucked up and I
was ready to do everything to acknowledge that fact and grovel even if I
had to do so on my knees. I can’t lose you, Ayra. I really can’t and I’m so
sorry all I’ve done is to slowly take your light away from you. I hate that I
did that and I’m promising you that I’m never going to do that again so just
please –”
She closed the space between them and kissed him, praying he shut up
before he spiralled in a way she’d never seen; something she was scared she
wouldn’t be able to take. It took Ibrahim a long moment to respond to the
kiss and pull her even closer. The kiss was innocently soft, tainted with their
tears, but perfect. It was perfect.
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When she pulled back, she watched him swallow before opening his eyes;
dark ones holding hers like they always have. This time though, there was a
vulnerability that clawed painfully at her heart.
“I’m not leaving you, Ibrahim.” She said softly, holding his face in her
hands. “I’m not going anywhere. Ibty’s worried for me because you being
continuously away has taken a toll on me due to the fact that I’ve missed
you so, so much and she said what she said because she’s looking out for
me but it doesn’t mean I’m leaving because I’m not.”
“Are you sure? Please don’t leave, Ayra. I swear, I’ll do everything you
want. Just please, don’t leave.”
She gave him the smallest smile she had. “I’m not leaving, I swear it. I love
you. I’ve always loved you. It’s just that this marriage hasn’t gone the way I
always thought it’d go and it hurt. I always imagined a bed of roses and
constant fluffy stuff and while I knew you were a workaholic, I didn’t think
it’d been so bad but it is and it’s just been a lot because I haven’t adjusted as
well as I should have and then you kept letting me down and leaving at
times when I just wanted to have you for a little longer.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. You’ve apologised more than a hundred times since you
left so I know you are. But, I want you to know that I was really hurt and I
was really sad because I had so much to do with you during Eid and
yesterday but you weren’t there and the promises you made weren’t fulfilled
which meant the trust I had in you was broken more than once.”
“I’m going to do everything to build it back, no matter how long it takes,
Ayra.”
Her smile widened a little as she wiped away a tear that slid down his left
cheek. “I know you will. You always do…However, I’m glad you just said
all of that because as at last night I didn’t want to hear you say you wanted
to make it up to me.”
“You made it clear last night. I’m sorry.”
She wiped away yet another tear of his. “It’s fine…Ibrahim, we can’t keep
going like this. We have to make a few changes so we can both be happy
because I can’t keep up with you being away for long periods of time and
then not being able to trust you when you say you’ll be back on so and so
date. It’s draining and it makes me really sad and that’s not how I imagined
our marriage would be.”
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“We’ll make those changes, I promise. I already spoke with the others and –
” His face scrunched up as though he was in pain and then he reached up
to massage his temple. “I already spoke with the others and we…Ouch.”
Fear clawed at her chest as she watched him lower his head, bringing up his
other hand to massage his other temple. “Ibrahim?”
“I need to sleep.” He massaged his temples for a moment longer before he
raised his head. “As I was saying. I already spoke with the others and – Oh
shit, my head.”
She stood and with all her might, she pulled him up. “You need to sleep.”
She walked in the direction of his room, taking him with her. “We can talk
later.”
“But I’m not done apologising yet, Ayra.”
She didn’t want to hear it. “And you can’t do that while on the verge of a
collapse.” She walked into his room and led him straight to be bed, helping
him in and under the duvet. She then sat beside him. “We can talk later,
Ibrahim. You need to sleep first.”
“I’m sorry, Ayra.” He slowly relaxed, his lids drooping. His hand found
hers and he squeezed softly, his words slurring. “Please let’s go to Santorini.
I’ll make it up to you for the rest of my life, I promise.”
She watched as he slowly slipped into sleep, his hold on her hand staying
strong. With her emotions being a ball in her chest, she reached up to push
his curls away from his forehead. As she leaned in to kiss his forehead, he
spoke quietly. “I love you, Sevgilim.”
Her heart jumped to her throat. She had no idea what the endearment
meant and she put it at the back of her mind to look it up once she got her
phone. She smiled with her lips on his forehead, whispering back “I love
you too.”
Five minutes later, she stood by his window, texting her parents with her
phone on one hand and papers she’d seen on the top of his coffee table in
the other hand; papers that confirmed their flight to Greece and back,
alongside the reservation of their suite in the Katikies Hotel – all the papers
having “Engineer and Mrs Ibrahim Fahad”.
As she clicked on send, telling her parents she was bringing Ibrahim for the
dinner they were holding for her and Ibty, she found peace in the fact that
the trip – or mini honeymoon as he’d called it – was exactly what they
needed. After all, they had to talk and make important changes and there
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was nowhere better than the privacy of a luxurious hotel suite thousands of
miles away from home.
They were going to be okay, she knew it. They just had to work out things
first. She couldn’t wait to do them all so she could put the phase behind
them and move onto whatever fate had in store for them next.
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24
Ibtihaj stopped pacing in front of Kingstone’s entrance when the blue
Chevrolet Corvette pulled in the parking lot, occupying the spot between
the Adeolas’ Sienna and the Abdulazizs’ Rav4. A brow of hers went up
when both doors of the Corvette went open, Ibrahim and Ayra stepping
out a moment later. A deep breath was the only thing that stopped Ibtihaj
from swearing in Yoruba at the tall man her friend ended up being married
to.
At the car, Ayra shut the door and caught up with Ibrahim, her hand
naturally seeking his. She returned the small smile he gave her and then they
headed towards her best friend who had her arms folded, her brow still sky-
high. Ayra’s smile widened. “Ibty!”
Ibtihaj couldn’t help but smile back. “Ayra…You look happy.”
“Well, I’m working on it. There’s still a lot to talk about but I’m a little
better.”
Hoping and praying that her best friend had not succumbed to the charms
of her beloved husband, Ibtihaj turned to Ibrahim and her smile dropped.
“Ibrahim Fahad.”
Ibrahim had the decency to look ashamed. “I’m sorry.”
She held up a hand. “I really don’t want to hear it right now.” She let her
hand go back to the other, folded across her chest. “I should have you
know that I meant what I said. I’m not forgiving you and please let your
friends know that they’re blocked until further notice. The only reason I
haven’t blocked you too is because Ayra’s still married to you and I need to
be able to get through to you should you decide to be a werey again.”
Ayra’s heart dropped. “Ibty.”
Ibtihaj ignored her, refusing to turn away from Ibrahim who stared back at
her as calmly as he always did. “And I also meant it when I said you should
send Ayra back to us if you’re not going to man up. I’m not going to allow
my best friend spend the rest of her life crying simply because you couldn’t
decide if she was more important or if your career is.”
“We’re not separating, Ibty.” Ibrahim told her. “I know I’m… No, I know
I’ve been wrong and I’m going to do everything I can to make it right.”
She eyed him. “I’d like to see you try.” She then unfolded her hands.
“Anyways, I’ve got my eyes on you and the squad, Ibrahim Fahad. For
now, you should go in and assure everyone that you didn’t do anything
wrong because there are a lot of questions regarding why you didn’t show
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up and why your family didn’t too.” She then smiled at Ayra. “I’ll just talk
to Ayra for a bit.”
Ayra didn’t smile back and Ibtihaj did not care. She watched as husband
and wife promised to see each other inside and when Ibrahim was gone,
Ibtihaj spoke before Ayra could.
“Yes, I sent him that message and I don’t care if he got hurt because of it.
I’m not apologising for it either. And yes, I believe he should divorce you if
he’s not going to stop being the same person who’s hurting you after
promising to love you and make you happy. And yes, I blocked the others
because they want to kill me with sorrys and mio feh gbo rara (I don’t want to
hear it). Oya, go ahead and tell me that I shouldn’t have done that and I will
say it again that I do not regret it and I will not apologise for it because your
happiness means the most to be and all of them are mad, especially that
Tobi with his head like –”
Ayra hugged her. “You talk too much.”
Ibtihaj easily melted into the hug. “Iffa slap you.”
Ayra laughed, pulling back. “I love you either way…Ibrahim told me about
the message you sent and yes, you did hurt him and seeing him hurt made
me hurt too.”
“Ehn?!” Ibtihaj wagged a finger at Ayra’s face. “Walai if you tell me you
forgave him because of small cry that he cried, I will –”
“I didn’t forgive him so easily. He’s going to make up for it. I just…” Ayra
sighed. “It just made me understand my parents each time they fought and
my mum came down to get my dad from the sofa he was sleeping on. I
hated the fact that Ibrahim was hurting and he explained everything to me.
Look, he didn’t do things the right way and he’s acknowledged that. I’ve
also told him clearly that we can’t continue this way with him being more at
work than at home.”
Ibtihaj smiled proudly. “You’re finally having sense.”
“You’re mad!” Ayra’s cheeks were hot. “He said he’s already put some
things in place and we should have spoken about it but he collapsed out of
exhaustion as soon as we reached his bed and he’s been getting his energy
back since.”
“You should have sha left him alone to continue sleeping instead of
bringing him along.”
“Ibty!”
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244
“I’m telling you the truth.”
Ayra rolled her eyes. “Anyways, the important thing is that we’ve
communicated and I’ve assured him that I’m not leaving. It hasn’t gotten to
that level yet.”
“I hope it never gets there, for your sake and not his.”
“Ameen. Now, as I was saying, we’ve communicated and we’re going to
keep communicating. He made us reservations in this lovely hotel in
Santorini so I want us to get there and –”
“Santo kini?” Ibtihaj’s brows were furrowed. “Come, is that not an island in
Greece?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Ayra, this man wants to throw lavish gifts at you again to change your
mind that –”
“I thought so too but he didn’t book it yesterday or the day before. He
booked it since after Eid and he wanted to give it to me as a graduation gift
but he couldn’t make it.”
“And you believed him?! Just like that?! Shey you know men dey lie sha?”
“I saw the papers in his room and everything is according to what he said.
He booked it right after Eid and the flights are for tomorrow In Shaa
Allah.”
Ibtihaj’s expression relaxed and she nodded slowly. “Well, I’m glad there
was evidence and I’m glad they did not go and put on your mumu button.”
“Ibty!”
“Na you know, my dear. I know how much you love him and I don’t want
him or anyone to take advantage of it so I’m glad you’re putting your foot
down on the fact that things have to change. Don’t stop putting your foot
down until things actually change o. You’ve been accommodating enough
abeg.” She hissed. “It’s still vexing me but I’ll be level headed now because
of what you’ve said. I’m still going to keep my eyes on him and the squad.
If anything seems fishy, I’m going to spark and no one would be able to
stop me from doing whatever it takes to protect you even if it means taking
you away from them.”
Ayra smiled brightly. “Sure, do that. Thank you, Ibty, for always looking out
for me.”
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Ibtihaj smiled back easily. “You’re welcome…Ah, this one that I’m making
plenty money. It’s like I’ll just happily be the rich aunt to your kids when
they eventually come.”
Ayra’s smile dimmed. “We still haven’t spoken about that.”
Ibtihaj rolled her eyes, annoyed. “God abeg! You know what? It’s good you
people are going to Santorini sef. If you like, go and be having sex like
rabbits instead of talking. That’s how people ended up with pregnancies.”
“I’m on the shot!”
“It’s not a hundred percent effective, right?”
“It’s been effective so far.”
“That’s not the point, Ayra…Talk more instead of being intimate. I’m not
saying you should be celibate, especially with how long he’s been away, but
get those conversations out of the way first and then you can both be the
rabbits in heat.”
Ayra’s face got even redder. “I hate you.”
Ibtihaj laughed and took her best friend’s hand. “You and I know that’s a
lie. I love you. Let’s go inside abeg.”
“Sure.”
“Have the others been disturbing you with messages and sorrys?”
“Yep. I had to tell them it’s fine so they could stop but I’m putting a foot
down with them too.”
“Thank God o. Ayra’s getting sense. I’ll keep them blocked until further
notice sha.”
“I’m done with you, Ibty.”
“I love you too.”
At the table both of them were approaching, Salama smiled at Ibrahim
while her hand stayed in Muhsin’s. She – Salama – was glad Ayra was going
to be okay now that Ibrahim was promising to set things right. She only
prayed that things got better and for her daughter to smile widely and laugh
heartily like she always did. That was all she wanted.
When both ladies got to the table and easily slid into their seats, Ibtihaj
turned to Ibrahim while Ayra spoke to her parents and Ibtihaj’s with a
sincerely wide smile on her face. As she watched Ibrahim stare at his wife
with a warm smile, Ibtihaj further cemented the fact that she was going to
watch him and the squad like a hawk and no matter what they did to make
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things right or how much they apologised, she wasn’t going to let her guard
down.
One wrong move, she promised herself, and she was getting Ayra out no
matter what it took or how much she had to sacrifice.
♣
Oia, a coastal town on the north-western tip of the Greek Aegean island;
Santorini, had to be the most picturesque place Ayra had been to with
whitewashed houses carved into rugged cliff-tops and the vast water filled
caldera from the volcanic eruption that occurred during the Minoan
civilization.
The Katikies Hotel was one of the luxury accommodation providers built
into the caldera and it was easy for Ayra to fall in love with it from the very
first step they took with the hotel guide. The atmosphere screamed warmth
and romance, further solidifying the fact that the getaway was exactly what
she and Ibrahim needed. They were yet to finish off the deep conversations
but she wasn’t in a hurry. She was just grateful that in that moment, they
were as fine as they could be.
They checked in at the reception and were led to their suite. Ayra was left
stunned.
The honeymoon suite with the plunge pool, as it was called, had a living
room which was separated from the bedroom; expansive windows with soft
cotton curtains that swayed with the winds; a bathroom with a jetted
bathtub; an open air dining area; sundecks; a veranda which offered breath-
taking views of the caldera; and a private plunge pool. It was, in summary,
perfect and Ayra didn’t want anything else.
She looked around again, leaving Ibrahim to speak with the hotelier who
was ensuring everything was perfect for them. When the hotelier left, Ayra
faced her husband. “Ibrahim, this is so beautiful.”
He sat on the armrest of the loveseat in the living room, a small smile on
his face. “I’m glad you like it.” A moment passed before he spoke again.
“I’m really sorry, Ayra.”
Her smile shrunk. With a sigh, she walked over and he let her get between
his legs, her arms on his shoulders. Her smile warmed then. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not.”
“Well it will be okay. We’re going to be good, Ibrahim. I have no doubt
about that, so please stop apologising for now. Let’s just freshen up, pray,
and –”
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“And talk. I don’t think I’m going to be settled until we talk.”
She stared at him for a near minute before she nodded her head. “Okay,
Ibrahim. We’ll freshen up, pray, and then we’ll talk.”
He pulled her closer then, wrapping his arms around her middle and resting
his head against her stomach. “Thank you, Ayra.”
Her hands went to his hair and she recalled the term of endearment he’d
sleepily uttered the previous morning. Sevgilim: a Turkish term of
endearment which was often translated to “my darling”. She’d wanted to
mention it to him but the moments hadn’t felt right so she decided to wait
until it did. She loved it, especially the way he pronounced it and she looked
forward to hearing it more often from him.
According to the plan they’d made, they freshened up (her before him) and
then they prayed. Although they were both tired when they finished
supplicating, they faced each other – still on their prayer mats – so they
could talk and get things out of the way in order to make the most of the
week they had to spend on the island.
A quiet minute passed before Ibrahim began, speaking softly. “We’re
expanding the management team for the company both within and outside
Atlantica. It’s the first step we’re taking so we, especially me, can make it up
to you.”
Ayra pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her drawn up
legs. “What does that entail?”
“Since the company was established, the squad and I have been very wary
with who manages the affairs of the company with us. The bigger the
company grew and the more we branched out, there was need for a bigger
management board but the company’s always been dear to our hearts so we
got only a fourth of the needed number to keep up with the growth.
Because of that, most of the work always came back to us, especially Bella
and me, and that’s why we’ve spent long hours all this time and that’s why
we’re always travelling. Instead of delegating these tasks to competent
hands, we took it all on our shoulders and if we want to create a balance
that’s healthy for you and me, we’re going to have to expand the
management team so we have more hands to deck to seamlessly run things
even when the others and I aren’t there.”
Ayra’s smile was small but adorable especially with the dimples on both
cheeks. “And that’ll decrease the workload you all have and give you more
hours to be home, with me.”
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He nodded, giving her a similar smile. “Yes. It’s long overdue and I’m sorry
we both had to have a strain in our relationship for me to see that.”
“It’s alright, Ibrahim…The expansion isn’t going to happen immediately
though, right? Or do you already have the people you want to fill in the
spot?”
He shook his head. “As much as I want it to happen immediately so I can
spend every hour making it up to you, it’s going to be a scheme that rolls
out in the coming months. We’ll have to decide what new positions we’re
creating and then draw up the descriptions and the requirements before we
open up the application portal. Then we’ll conduct interviews and set up
trainings so the people coming in can understand how the company works
and the level of quality we’re looking for.”
Her chest squeezed a little. “You’ll still be busy for a little while.”
“But it’s for greater good, love.” He moved forward, towards her. “I
promise. Once we get to the interview stage and we’ve picked who we
want, we’ll leave it for the recruitment team to handle and I’ll be there at
home for more hours each day and for weekends for months. When
everyone’s fully into their roles, I won’t have to go to work every day and I
won’t have to travel as much and it’ll be you and me, doing everything and
anything you want.”
Like a plant breaking through the surface of the earth, warmth sprouted in
her heart and it slowly began to spread. “I’d really like that, Ibrahim. All I
ever wanted, even before we got married, was to have you at home and do
everything possible with you.”
“And we’ll do them. I know the trust we have is on very shaky foundation
right now but I’m going to make it right.”
Then and there, she knew deep inside that she didn’t doubt it. She wasn’t
overlooking all that had happened and completely tossing it aside but in
that moment, he was sincere and she couldn’t doubt anything. She sighed
softly. “What else?”
“During this unfortunately busy period that’s left, the squad and I have
agreed that we’ll work from about 8AM to 4 or 5PM each day.” He smiled a
little wider when her face lit up. “I have to come back home to you.
Serkan’s coming back to Aomi so Bella has to go back to him while
Nathaniel’s also cutting down on his workload so he can be with Anneth.
Jalal and Tobi will definitely find something to do with the free time they
have and I really don’t care what it is. All I care about is the fact that I’ll be
coming home to you and we can have dinner together early or go on date
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nights because it’s been a while. We can go for drives too or just lounge in
the area. We can do anything, Ayra. As long as I’ll be with you.”
The mental images she had were beautiful; the ones she’d always had before
his proposal came but this time, they were so much clearer and they were
very feasible.
“And on some days,” Ibrahim continued. “We won’t go into the office if
it’s not an emergency. We’re still working on the applications but there’s no
rule that says we can’t also work well from home. Besides, Bella’s living in
the same place as both of us so we can work together while Jalal, Tobi, and
Anneth can easily meet up and tackle what’s left. We’re trying to be more
flexible, Ayra, and it’s all for you. You deserve it and so much more and I’m
going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I’m going to keep
promising that to you.”
She had to laugh, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. “You guys are doing a
lot for me.”
“You deserve everything, Ayra. I promised to treat you like a queen and
I’ve failed at that quite a lot this year so I need to get back on track and
ensure I don’t fail you anymore. I need to get back on track with Ibty too
because I don’t want anything to further ruin the balance we all had.”
Her expression – and her smile – softened. “If she sees you proving
yourself, she’s going to come around. It was a really tough period, Ibrahim,
and she’s not going to forget that easily but you clearly making it up to me
is going to be enough for her and she’ll come around.”
“And I’ll work hard. I promise I’ll work hard.”
“I know you would.” She didn’t doubt that too. “And I’m glad you’re
making these changes because I don’t think anything would be better than
having you home with me. I also don’t think anything would be better for
the others than having more time to spend with their partners too. Also,
having more time would give us all the opportunities to hang out as much
as we should because it’s been really long since we had lunch or even dinner
together. You all being so busy has been a lot and I honestly can’t wait for
the changes to roll out.”
She then sighed. “I’ll be patient while you all do what needs to be done. I’m
content with the fact that you now all have clearly defined work hours.
That’s more than enough for me. And we’re going to do everything; dinners
together, late night drives, movies, lounging, date nights. We’re going to do
all of it.”
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He nodded, sitting right in front of her with his feet touching hers and his
knees drawn up to his own chest the way hers were. His smile was boyishly
beautiful. “We’ll do all of it.”
Ayra felt it all melt away; all she’d felt when he was away and when he let
her down. She understood what people meant when they said it was easy to
forgive those you love. She was definitely forgiving him in that moment.
She was falling quite deeper in love with him too.
“And,” She said. “We’ll talk about what we’re going to do from here on
because I’m done with school now and I know I’m going to be living the
baby girl lifestyle –” She smiled widely when he laughed. “But we need to
talk about everything else; what we want to do together, our goals, kids, all
of it.”
He nodded again. “Sure.”
“And I’ll let you know at this point that Ibty’s working now. She’s working
for The Gateways.”
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets with how wide they became.
“Are you serious?!”
She nodded, pride for Ibtihaj running through her veins. “I am. There’s a
lot we have to discuss, Ibrahim, and I’m so glad we’re here on this lovely
island together with lots of time to catch up on everything.”
His smile disappeared and his expression momentarily clouded before it
cleared. With a sigh, he reached out and took her hands in his. He stared at
them for a near minute before he brought his eyes to hers and the
vulnerability she saw in them tugged a little painfully at her heart.
He gave her a shaky smile. “We’re good, Ayra, right?”
Her smile was softly small and she nodded, allowing him squeeze her hands
lovingly; like he always did. “We are.” She told him sincerely. “In Shaa Allah
it’ll only get better from here.”
“In Shaa Allah.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed the back of
each one. “Thank you, for being the best person I could be married to.”
It was way too easy for Ayra to blush as he kissed the back of her hands
again. “Thank you too, for also being the best person I could be married
to.”
“Nah, I’m the one to do more of the thanking. And I’m sorry, for
everything.”
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She stared at him for a moment before the words slipped past her lips with
so much ease. “I love you, Ibrahim.”
When he smiled with a little cockiness, she knew what was coming and her
blush deepened while those butterflies with his name written on their wings
erupted in her stomach, fluttering with all their might. After all, it’d been a
while since she’d heard the words.
“Come on, sweetheart. What else is there to feel?”
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25
Ayra and Ibrahim did not do anything else until they’d caught up on
everything that’d happened in each other’s life. It took them the first two
days in Santorini to get that done as there was a lot to catch up on and a lot
to talk about as to the future of their marriage.
They celebrated the little wins they had in their time apart and when Ayra
said Ibtihaj recommended content creation for her to go into now that she
didn’t have to go to school anymore, Ibrahim was all for it and his support
was everything Ayra never knew she actually needed.
He chuckled when she blushed, her dimples deep. Leaning forward, he
placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Let me know everything you need when
you’re ready to get started and you can be rest assured I’ll personally scout
every store in Aomi to be sure we get nothing but the very best.”
She giggled like a giddy child. “Okay!”
They spoke about kids; both of them agreeing they still weren’t ready to
have little versions of themselves although their marriage was slowly
inching towards a year. They agreed to come back to the discussion by their
first year anniversary to know what the other person felt and until then,
they were still going to take contraceptives very seriously.
They set out goals for themselves; communication goals as a couple,
periodical games that came with rewards such as date nights or trips to the
most beautiful cities in the world, days to just be with each other…All of it.
They made an agreement to sign up for couple therapy if things ever got to
the point where they were – once again – growing apart because one person
wasn’t satisfied and was hurting because of the actions of the other person.
As they made that agreement, Ibrahim apologised over and over and when
Ayra got tired, she kissed him until he shut his mouth and kept the
remaining apologies to himself.
Once all of that was put behind them and they were both freer and happier,
they went on to enjoy all Santorini had to offer. They went on the Santorini
Classic Catamaran cruise which offered the island’s sights from the water,
went on a private tailor made half-day tour, went on a luxurious cruise ride
on the caldera where they were served full Greek meals and drinks, caught
sunrises and sunsets, visited wineries for tastings…They did it all. When
they weren’t outside, they did a lot indoors and they ended up going at each
other once clothes were off the same way Ibtihaj always described: like
rabbits in heat season, but Ayra loved every single moment. She loved the
pillow talks they had once they were done too.
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Like everything else, the trip came to an end and she didn’t look forward to
heading back to Aomi one bit; something that made Ibrahim laugh heartily.
On their last night, she sat by the edge of the pool while he lazily swam.
Inside the suite, their boxes were packed and the outfits they were to wear
for their morning flight were already laid out. Their passports and plane
tickets were in their carry-on bags.
Ayra sighed, her small pout returning as Ibrahim swam her way. “I really
don’t want to go home.”
He easily got out of the water, sitting beside her with very little space
between them. “We can always come back. Once my schedule’s clear and
you’re good with it, we can always come back. Just not to this hotel.”
She looked at him. “Why?”
His smile was warm. “We should try out other ones. What if there’s one
that’s better? We won’t know if we decide to remain here.” He turned back
to the pool. “Also, there are other islands we can explore. I’m not against us
coming back here to Oia but let’s get the full Greek experience before we
start returning to places we’ve visited before.”
She smiled then, toying with her legs in the water. “I’m going to look
forward to that. Hurry up and free up your schedule.”
He laughed. “I will.”
They sat in companionable silence for a little while before he sighed,
speaking a little quietly. “I’m so grateful you chose to come here with me,
Ayra. I don’t know how things would have gone had you said you didn’t
want to come here or even anywhere else with me.”
Her smile shrunk until it was a mere ghost. “Let’s not think about that.”
She faced him the same time he faced her. “We’re good now and we’re
going to be good from now on In Shaa Allah.” She then smiled cheekily.
“You just have to be on your best behaviour. You need to earn a lot of
brownie points.”
He chuckled, nodding a moment later. “I do need to earn a lot of those
points and I need to be on my best behaviour. After all, I have a Yoruba
woman who’s ready to let hell loose on my head and on the others should
we stray from the right path…Also, I can’t lose you so I need to ensure I
never give you a reason to feel like you can’t stay with me anymore. It’ll kill
me.”
Her chest squeezed slightly. “Ibrahim…”
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“You’re a very important part of my life, Ayra. You’re extremely important
to me and I don’t want to ruin what we have for anything. So I will be on
my best behaviour and I’ll do everything to earn those brownie points from
you and Ibty too. I promise. I’ve been making a lot of promises since last
week and I’m going to fulfil them. I’m going to do everything I promise
you.”
Ayra realised yet again – since they’d landed on the island – that there was
no way she didn’t already fully trust him almost like she did before. All she
hoped for was for things to remain as blissful as they had been throughout
the week when they returned to Aomi. That was all she wanted.
He smiled at her and she smiled right back, content with every single thing
and flowing with all the love she had for him; all the love she’d had for him
for so, so long. When he wrapped a cool arm around her shoulders, she
easily leaned into him and they sat there, staring at the caldera in the
distance, the top of the water dazzling underneath the beautiful moon.
A few minutes later, Ibrahim turned his head and kissed her forehead.
“Love you, Ayra.”
He kissed her forehead again and she closed her eyes, savouring the feel of
his lips against her skin. She smiled nicely. “I love you too.”
♣
August 11th was a Wednesday and every newly graduated student of the
University of Atlantica, both undergraduate and postgraduate, was asked to
come in as from 11AM to pick up their transcripts, certificates, and result
statements.
At 10AM on that very day, Ibrahim got a message that his attention was
needed at the office. He turned apologetically to his wife as he was
supposed to be the one to drive her and Ibtihaj down to the university
campus and then bring them back since he had a free day.
Ayra, who’d read the message too, smiled brightly at him. “It’s alright,
Ibrahim. It’s probably very important so they need you there. I’ll drive, pick
Ibty up, and then head to campus.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, her smile unwavering. “I’m very sure. You go ahead. I’ve got
this.”
He stole a quick kiss. “You’re the best, Ayra.”
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She could only laugh. He was gone in minutes and she sent a quiet prayer
up to the heavens, thanking Allah for pulling Ibrahim out of the house as
she had some plans she wanted to execute without him being around to
catch her.
Since they’d returned from Santorini, he’d been the sweetest person and so
had the other members of the squad who were still apologising to Ibtihaj
who still had them blocked while she – Ibtihaj – watched Ibrahim like a
hawk despite Ayra saying that was well.
Like he promised, he no longer worked extremely long hours and she barely
did anything around the house when he was in because he “didn’t want her
to be stressed” when he was more than capable of doing things for both of
them himself. In the two weeks they’d been back in Aomi, he’d prepared
the best of meals, left little gifts, and listened to every plan she had for the
content creation trials she wanted to have. He made adjustments whenever
he could do.
Now, she wanted to reward him with a surprise late lunch – or dinner
depending on the time they returned and she got things done – as a way of
saying thank you. She had it all planned out. She just needed him gone and
now that her prayers had been answered, she only prayed the meeting
stretched on for a little longer so that by the time he returned, she was at
least halfway gone with preparations.
Rushing to the room that now had the cute door tag that read “Ayra’s
Corner”, she pulled out the carton she’d hidden behind the shelf. Opening
it, she pulled out a newly purchased camcorder which was small enough to
easily blend with the wall; exactly why she’d chosen it. Ensuring it was fully
charged, she went back down and pulled a chair from the kitchen all the
way to the foyer. Praying she didn’t fall, she hung the camera up a little
above the mirror, smiling proudly as it fit in quite nicely. She was very sure
he wasn’t going to notice it and she put it at the back of her mind to turn it
on once she returned from the university.
She returned the chair to the kitchen once she finished setting up the
camera and she then arranged every needed food item alongside cutlery on
the island for easier access once she returned and was ready to get started.
Satisfied with everything, she got changed and grabbed the keys to
Ibrahim’s new Cadillac CT5, excited at the mere thought of driving it out.
He’d asked if she wanted a car but she’d told him no. She wasn’t ready to
have hers yet; not when she could cruise all of his. When she was ready, she
was going to tell him; she promised him that.
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She got to Haven Estate at exactly 11AM. Before picking Ibtihaj, she made
a stop at her parents’ house. Only Salama was in. Muhsin had a get together
with some old friends and according to Salama, he’d been very, very excited
to go.
“Well,” Ayra told her mother. “I’m glad he’s having fun. You should go out
and have some fun too so it doesn’t seem like you’re getting cheated.”
Salama laughed. “Oh please. I’m very content here with my tea and my
novels. There’s an upcoming bridal shower too that I have to plan so that’s
keeping me excited.” She then smiled lovingly. “And I love the fact that
you’re happily glowing, Leilani. I was so worried last month but I’m glad
Ibrahim’s keeping to his promise to ensure the future’s better than the
past.”
Ayra swooned as she thought back to all he’d been doing. She smiled
idiotically. “He is keeping to his promise, Ummi.”
Salama rolled her eyes. “Always Ibrahim Fahad’s greatest lover girl, Leilani.”
Ayra grinned proudly. “Exactly!”
“Have you been able to reach Fareeda and Salim though? We tried calling
to say hi some days back but it wasn’t going through.”
Ayra’s grin slipped off her face and she shook her head. “I haven’t spoken
to them since before Ibrahim and I left for Santorini. I don’t think they’re
back from Cape Town because they said we’d have lunch once they
returned.”
Salama nodded, frowning slightly. “There’s no problem then.” Her
expression brightened as her smile returned. “You should hurry up and get
Ibty before she walks over to tell me how you’ve become tardy. She’ll
blame it on Ibrahim.”
Ayra laughed, stepping forward to hug her mother. “I’m done with Ibty.”
She savoured the older woman’s warmth. “I love you, Ummi.”
“I love you too, Leilani. Please take care of yourself.”
“I will, I promise. Take care of yourself too.”
“I will, Leilani. I promise.”
By the time Ayra got to the Adeola home, Ibtihaj was standing outside the
gate, tapping her foot impatiently. Ayra wound the tinted window glass
down and smiled innocently. “Hello, my love.”
“Waka!” Ibtihaj rolled her eyes while Ayra laughed. She walked around the
car and got into the passenger seat. “Shey this is 10:45 in your village?”
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“I got side-tracked at home. I want to surprise Ibrahim with a thank you
lunch or dinner depending on the time we get home and I get things done.”
Ibtihaj put on her seatbelt. “Thank you for what again? What has he done
that he hasn’t been doing before?”
“He’s been really sweet, Ibty, and I want to do this for him.”
“So, I’ve not been really sweet, is that it?”
Ayra risked a glance as she drove them out of the estate and towards the
Business and Institutional Area. “What’s gotten into you today, Ibty? It’s
not even noon yet.”
Ibtihaj groaned dramatically. “Guy…I had a lovely morning as the meeting
with my team went really well and they loved the idea I pitched for the
promotion of the mnw packages we have for African countries. They really
loved it.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you! Anyways, after the meeting finished, I went online. Guess
who’s using his third abi fourth IG account to text me? Tobi!”
Ayra’s eyes widened. “No!”
“Yes! He’s been irritating me since morning. He was apologising at first and
then he started calling me his love. Olorun ma je. God forbid!” She
shuddered. “Tueh!”
Ayra laughed and Ibtihaj rolled her eyes. When she calmed down, Ayra
spoke. “Don’t you think it’s time to unblock them, Ibty? I mean, they’ve
been apologising and it’s nearly been a month now. They’re really sorry and
I know you’ll watch them like a hawk the way you’ve been watching
Ibrahim.”
Ibtihaj folded her arms. “Free me abeg. I shall continue watching Ibrahim
and I will decide when I’ll unblock them. In the meantime, lemme humour
that ódé. That’s how the stupid man posted on his story about this new babe
he’s checking out.”
“I don’t think Tobi’s ever going to change.”
“You’re even having small hope for him. God forbid.” Ibtihaj then looked
around the car. “Omo, when you said Ibrahim got a new car, I didn’t think
it would be this fine.” She glared at her best friend. “Instead of you to ask
him to spend money on you and get you one sexy car, you said you’re not
ready.”
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Ayra smiled at the security men at the front gate and then drove them into
the university. “But I’m not ready yet. His cars are beautiful, Ibty, and even
you can’t deny it.”
Ibtihaj’s frown was enough to tell everyone she didn’t like the fact that Ayra
was right. She squeezed her face. “That’s what annoys me. Ibrahim has nice
taste and I don’t like it. See as car fine!”
Ayra laughed. “I’m done with you.”
“Anyways, any word from your in-laws?”
“Nah, not yet.” Ayra found a place to park and she killed the engine once
the car was in place. “Like I told Ummi, they’re probably still in Cape
Town. We’ll have a meal with them once they return.”
“Omo. It is well.”
“It is, Ibty. Come on, let’s get our documents. I have a surprise to plan for
my husband.”
“Iffa slap you!”
Ayra laughed with all her heart. It was easy for them to get their documents
from the exam and records office and they made a few stops to say hi to
some of their past lecturers and professors. It was then revealed to Ayra
that following she and Ibtihaj’s graduation, Ibrahim made a donation to the
institution in both their names.
“He said we should keep it a secret.” The Dean said, smiling mischievously.
“But I have a big mouth and I had to spill it to you two…You have a lovely
man, Ayra. I hope you two always stay together.”
Ayra’s heart soared and she thanked the dean while Ibtihaj took the new
piece of information in, clearly surprised. The drive back to Plum
Boulevard was spent singing along to the classic songs that played on the
radio and once the car stopped in front of the Adeola home, Ibtihaj got out
and leaned forward to talk to her friend through the rolled down window.
“Have fun, Ayra.” She said. “And better don’t tell him I said thank you
because I most certainly did not. I did not send him message but it was a
nice offer sha.”
Ayra rolled her eyes, fighting against her smile. “Yes, Ibty. I won’t tell him
you said thank you at all.”
“Better! Don’t burn yourself o because you want to try new dish. I will not
follow you to hospital. I did not send you message.”
Ayra laughed. “Ibty, go in.”
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Ibtihaj grinned. “I will.” She straightened. “Call me if anything comes up.”
“I will, I promise.”
“I love you, Ayra.”
“I love you too.”
Half an hour later, Ayra was walking into hers and Ibrahim’s home, glad
that he was not yet back. She put her documents in the new file she’d
gotten and then got changed from the dress she’d worn out to a pair of
comfortable jean shorts and one of his tops which she’d “borrowed” with
no intentions to return.
She ensured the house was neat before she proceeded to the kitchen,
leaving the door open. She’d originally decided to have music play as she
worked but she changed her mind and out the phone to charge instead,
forgetting to turn off her DND setting. With a warm heart and excitement
bubbling inside her, she got to work while imagining the thousand ways
Ibrahim would react once he returned. She only prayed he stayed back at
work for a little longer.
She was about to get started on the sauce when she heard the tell-tale tune
of the passcode being inputted. Momentarily panicking, she wondered what
she’d do as she was no way close to being ready to welcome him. Wiping
her hands clean with a towel, she went with the first plan that came to
mind; hiding by the entrance from the foyer into the living room and
surprising him by jumping on his back.
Smiling devilishly with flutters in her stomach at the thought of him
laughing when she jumped on his back, she slipped out of the kitchen just
as the passcode beeped, telling her and him that he’d entered the wrong
thing; something that had only happened once when they’d returned from
Santorini – simply because he’d been too busy kissing her.
As the passcode got inputted again, Ayra leaned flat against the wall and
waited, her heart racing. This time, he got the passcode right and the door
went open. A soft thud reached her ears a moment later and wondering
what had happened or what he’d dropped, Ayra peeped like the criminal
she felt like.
And that was the biggest mistake she’d ever make in all her life.
Her smile dropped. Her heart dropped too. In that moment, her entire
world felt like a glass house at which someone had thrown a large stone,
leading to cracks that spread at an alarming rate; cracks that were aimed at
destroying the perfect structure.
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260
In the foyer, yet to know that they were being watched, Ibrahim had his
hands roaming down the body of another woman, his lips locked on hers.
Her hands were in his hair, pulling at his curls the same way Ayra always did
yet differently.
Ayra watched, frozen, as Ibrahim pulled back to stare at the other woman
briefly, unfazed by the way she glared at him, before he kissed her again.
When his lips moved from her lips to her neck, she let out a small moan
and called the one name Ayra knew; a name she knew belonged to a man
with a different face.
“Serkan.”
With Ibrahim’s face no longer obstructing the other woman’s, Ayra
recognised the deep black curls. She recognised the straight nose that didn’t
need contouring when the face had full make up on, the body shape that
drove men and women wild, the voice, the hands; everything. And that was
the final nail to the coffin.
Because right there in the foyer Ayra had loved from the moment she first
stepped in, her husband – Ibrahim Fahad – kissed Isabella Valentino in way
Ayra couldn’t remember ever being kissed by him.
As though a timer had gone off, Ayra’s world blew into too many
fragments that didn’t seem as though they would ever be pieced back
together and the hypothetical glass house came crashing down.
In the corner where it’d been set up, the camcorder captured everything
with two and a half battery bars left as Ayra had mistakenly put it on while
setting it up.
And she’d never turned it off.
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“I’m just…” He took a moment. “I don’t know how to do this, Ayra, and I
have to admit it now. All my life, for as long as I can remember, I’ve built
everything around work and the few times I go out with the squad, it still
feels like relaxed work dinners because we talk about contracts and
whatnot. Then you came along and I didn’t create the balance like I
assumed I did. Each time I let you down should have been a wake-up call
but I kept jumping back into the routines I was used to instead of making
my way around them for you. And I’m so sorry.”
She sniffled, blinking back fresh tears and he continued.
“The day of Eid, when we couldn’t catch another flight no matter what, I
realised the gravity of everything and it hurt. I couldn’t reach you and I
don’t blame you for not wanting to talk to me and then Ibty sent so many
texts to all of us and it broke me in more ways than one, Ayra. I hated that
I’d hurt you and I hated that I’d hurt Ibty too and I’m going to make it up
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to her but I have to make it up to you first. And then later at night, Mum
called and asked about you because she didn’t see you at the party and I
told them you probably went over to your family’s place to celebrate. I
asked why she didn’t call you herself and she said she would. Please tell me
she did.”
Ayra’s chest squeezed again. “She didn’t. No one called to ask and it hurt so
much, Ibrahim.”
“Oh God.” He held her even tighter. “I am so sorry, Ayra…I made up my
mind that day to put things in order so we could finish up, meet your
graduation and then while the squad implement the new changes, you and I
could be in Santorini so I could do everything to start making up for lost
time. I made the reservations after the day of Eid and I should have told
you that I was doing everything possible to make the changes that should
have been in place a long time ago but I just thought that if I promised to
catch up with the graduation, it’ll be enough. I assumed it’ll be enough and
that I could explain everything I’d been up to. But it wasn’t, Ayra, and I’m
so sorry I didn’t realise that sooner.”
She pulled back to look at him and she nearly wished she didn’t because her
heart broke; not for her, but for him. In the years she’d known him and in
the time they’d been together, she’d never seen him look so hurt, broken,
and apologetic at the same time. He’d never been like this and it hurt her,
maybe been a little more than he’d hurt her by not showing up when he
said he would.
“We finished up our meetings and I was so happy when we got to Paris on
time because it was easy to get another flight to Atlantica and as at then it
seemed like I’ll at least be in the country before you have to leave for the
ceremony and we’ll catch up but then the weather got so bad and flights
were grounded and…” His voice broke. “Ayra, I’m so sorry.”
Her chest squeezed again and all that went through her mind was that she
wanted him to stop crying. She wasn’t sure she even still had it in her to be
mad with him or disappointed. She just wanted him to stop crying.
“We got here too late and I still wanted to believe we could make it, no
matter how late it was. Showing up at the campus late to me was better than
not showing up at all but it seemed like every circumstance was against us
and we didn’t. And then just before you arrived, Ibty texted me as I was
getting changed and I swear, Ayra, I was so scared. I was scared and then I
was so disappointed in myself because you’ve been the best wife I could
ever ask for but all I’ve done is let you down to the extent that your best
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friend was wishing she could turn back time to stop you from marrying me.
I’ve never hated myself as much as I did yesterday, Ayra. I’m so sorry.”
Whatever was left of her battered heart dropped. “Ibty said that?”
He shook his head, blowing out a breath, and while fighting back her own
tears, Ayra reached up to wipe his tears away with both her hands. He
exhaled again. “Those weren’t her exact words but yeah, that was the
message. She’d already sent a text after Eid, telling me she wouldn’t forgive
me if I missed the graduation because it was going to hurt you but I did
and…Ayra, I’m so sorry.”
She shook her head, her heart getting even more battered where it was.
“No, Ibrahim, no…”
“She told me to leave you alone to go to sleep when you got home and that
I shouldn’t tell you I was going to make it up to you. That was exactly what
I was going to do but here she was telling me I shouldn’t do that and I
just…I couldn’t…Ayra, I’m sorry.”
“Ibty’s looking out for me. She’s always looking out for me and I would
have done the same for her.”
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. I know how you two are. I
know how inseparable you two are, so all I could think about was whether
or not you were going to leave me when your best friend was saying she
would have stopped you from marrying me if she knew this is how things
were going to go.”
His hands came up to hold hers which were on his cheeks. “All I could
picture was you asking me for a divorce as soon as I got home because if
your best friend could wish that, then I couldn’t bring myself to imagine
what was going through your mind. I was so scared, Ayra. I fucked up and I
was ready to do everything to acknowledge that fact and grovel even if I
had to do so on my knees. I can’t lose you, Ayra. I really can’t and I’m so
sorry all I’ve done is to slowly take your light away from you. I hate that I
did that and I’m promising you that I’m never going to do that again so just
please –”
She closed the space between them and kissed him, praying he shut up
before he spiralled in a way she’d never seen; something she was scared she
wouldn’t be able to take. It took Ibrahim a long moment to respond to the
kiss and pull her even closer. The kiss was innocently soft, tainted with their
tears, but perfect. It was perfect.
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When she pulled back, she watched him swallow before opening his eyes;
dark ones holding hers like they always have. This time though, there was a
vulnerability that clawed painfully at her heart.
“I’m not leaving you, Ibrahim.” She said softly, holding his face in her
hands. “I’m not going anywhere. Ibty’s worried for me because you being
continuously away has taken a toll on me due to the fact that I’ve missed
you so, so much and she said what she said because she’s looking out for
me but it doesn’t mean I’m leaving because I’m not.”
“Are you sure? Please don’t leave, Ayra. I swear, I’ll do everything you
want. Just please, don’t leave.”
She gave him the smallest smile she had. “I’m not leaving, I swear it. I love
you. I’ve always loved you. It’s just that this marriage hasn’t gone the way I
always thought it’d go and it hurt. I always imagined a bed of roses and
constant fluffy stuff and while I knew you were a workaholic, I didn’t think
it’d been so bad but it is and it’s just been a lot because I haven’t adjusted as
well as I should have and then you kept letting me down and leaving at
times when I just wanted to have you for a little longer.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. You’ve apologised more than a hundred times since you
left so I know you are. But, I want you to know that I was really hurt and I
was really sad because I had so much to do with you during Eid and
yesterday but you weren’t there and the promises you made weren’t fulfilled
which meant the trust I had in you was broken more than once.”
“I’m going to do everything to build it back, no matter how long it takes,
Ayra.”
Her smile widened a little as she wiped away a tear that slid down his left
cheek. “I know you will. You always do…However, I’m glad you just said
all of that because as at last night I didn’t want to hear you say you wanted
to make it up to me.”
“You made it clear last night. I’m sorry.”
She wiped away yet another tear of his. “It’s fine…Ibrahim, we can’t keep
going like this. We have to make a few changes so we can both be happy
because I can’t keep up with you being away for long periods of time and
then not being able to trust you when you say you’ll be back on so and so
date. It’s draining and it makes me really sad and that’s not how I imagined
our marriage would be.”
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“We’ll make those changes, I promise. I already spoke with the others and –
” His face scrunched up as though he was in pain and then he reached up
to massage his temple. “I already spoke with the others and we…Ouch.”
Fear clawed at her chest as she watched him lower his head, bringing up his
other hand to massage his other temple. “Ibrahim?”
“I need to sleep.” He massaged his temples for a moment longer before he
raised his head. “As I was saying. I already spoke with the others and – Oh
shit, my head.”
She stood and with all her might, she pulled him up. “You need to sleep.”
She walked in the direction of his room, taking him with her. “We can talk
later.”
“But I’m not done apologising yet, Ayra.”
She didn’t want to hear it. “And you can’t do that while on the verge of a
collapse.” She walked into his room and led him straight to be bed, helping
him in and under the duvet. She then sat beside him. “We can talk later,
Ibrahim. You need to sleep first.”
“I’m sorry, Ayra.” He slowly relaxed, his lids drooping. His hand found
hers and he squeezed softly, his words slurring. “Please let’s go to Santorini.
I’ll make it up to you for the rest of my life, I promise.”
She watched as he slowly slipped into sleep, his hold on her hand staying
strong. With her emotions being a ball in her chest, she reached up to push
his curls away from his forehead. As she leaned in to kiss his forehead, he
spoke quietly. “I love you, Sevgilim.”
Her heart jumped to her throat. She had no idea what the endearment
meant and she put it at the back of her mind to look it up once she got her
phone. She smiled with her lips on his forehead, whispering back “I love
you too.”
Five minutes later, she stood by his window, texting her parents with her
phone on one hand and papers she’d seen on the top of his coffee table in
the other hand; papers that confirmed their flight to Greece and back,
alongside the reservation of their suite in the Katikies Hotel – all the papers
having “Engineer and Mrs Ibrahim Fahad”.
As she clicked on send, telling her parents she was bringing Ibrahim for the
dinner they were holding for her and Ibty, she found peace in the fact that
the trip – or mini honeymoon as he’d called it – was exactly what they
needed. After all, they had to talk and make important changes and there
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was nowhere better than the privacy of a luxurious hotel suite thousands of
miles away from home.
They were going to be okay, she knew it. They just had to work out things
first. She couldn’t wait to do them all so she could put the phase behind
them and move onto whatever fate had in store for them next.
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24
Ibtihaj stopped pacing in front of Kingstone’s entrance when the blue
Chevrolet Corvette pulled in the parking lot, occupying the spot between
the Adeolas’ Sienna and the Abdulazizs’ Rav4. A brow of hers went up
when both doors of the Corvette went open, Ibrahim and Ayra stepping
out a moment later. A deep breath was the only thing that stopped Ibtihaj
from swearing in Yoruba at the tall man her friend ended up being married
to.
At the car, Ayra shut the door and caught up with Ibrahim, her hand
naturally seeking his. She returned the small smile he gave her and then they
headed towards her best friend who had her arms folded, her brow still sky-
high. Ayra’s smile widened. “Ibty!”
Ibtihaj couldn’t help but smile back. “Ayra…You look happy.”
“Well, I’m working on it. There’s still a lot to talk about but I’m a little
better.”
Hoping and praying that her best friend had not succumbed to the charms
of her beloved husband, Ibtihaj turned to Ibrahim and her smile dropped.
“Ibrahim Fahad.”
Ibrahim had the decency to look ashamed. “I’m sorry.”
She held up a hand. “I really don’t want to hear it right now.” She let her
hand go back to the other, folded across her chest. “I should have you
know that I meant what I said. I’m not forgiving you and please let your
friends know that they’re blocked until further notice. The only reason I
haven’t blocked you too is because Ayra’s still married to you and I need to
be able to get through to you should you decide to be a werey again.”
Ayra’s heart dropped. “Ibty.”
Ibtihaj ignored her, refusing to turn away from Ibrahim who stared back at
her as calmly as he always did. “And I also meant it when I said you should
send Ayra back to us if you’re not going to man up. I’m not going to allow
my best friend spend the rest of her life crying simply because you couldn’t
decide if she was more important or if your career is.”
“We’re not separating, Ibty.” Ibrahim told her. “I know I’m… No, I know
I’ve been wrong and I’m going to do everything I can to make it right.”
She eyed him. “I’d like to see you try.” She then unfolded her hands.
“Anyways, I’ve got my eyes on you and the squad, Ibrahim Fahad. For
now, you should go in and assure everyone that you didn’t do anything
wrong because there are a lot of questions regarding why you didn’t show
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up and why your family didn’t too.” She then smiled at Ayra. “I’ll just talk
to Ayra for a bit.”
Ayra didn’t smile back and Ibtihaj did not care. She watched as husband
and wife promised to see each other inside and when Ibrahim was gone,
Ibtihaj spoke before Ayra could.
“Yes, I sent him that message and I don’t care if he got hurt because of it.
I’m not apologising for it either. And yes, I believe he should divorce you if
he’s not going to stop being the same person who’s hurting you after
promising to love you and make you happy. And yes, I blocked the others
because they want to kill me with sorrys and mio feh gbo rara (I don’t want to
hear it). Oya, go ahead and tell me that I shouldn’t have done that and I will
say it again that I do not regret it and I will not apologise for it because your
happiness means the most to be and all of them are mad, especially that
Tobi with his head like –”
Ayra hugged her. “You talk too much.”
Ibtihaj easily melted into the hug. “Iffa slap you.”
Ayra laughed, pulling back. “I love you either way…Ibrahim told me about
the message you sent and yes, you did hurt him and seeing him hurt made
me hurt too.”
“Ehn?!” Ibtihaj wagged a finger at Ayra’s face. “Walai if you tell me you
forgave him because of small cry that he cried, I will –”
“I didn’t forgive him so easily. He’s going to make up for it. I just…” Ayra
sighed. “It just made me understand my parents each time they fought and
my mum came down to get my dad from the sofa he was sleeping on. I
hated the fact that Ibrahim was hurting and he explained everything to me.
Look, he didn’t do things the right way and he’s acknowledged that. I’ve
also told him clearly that we can’t continue this way with him being more at
work than at home.”
Ibtihaj smiled proudly. “You’re finally having sense.”
“You’re mad!” Ayra’s cheeks were hot. “He said he’s already put some
things in place and we should have spoken about it but he collapsed out of
exhaustion as soon as we reached his bed and he’s been getting his energy
back since.”
“You should have sha left him alone to continue sleeping instead of
bringing him along.”
“Ibty!”
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“I’m telling you the truth.”
Ayra rolled her eyes. “Anyways, the important thing is that we’ve
communicated and I’ve assured him that I’m not leaving. It hasn’t gotten to
that level yet.”
“I hope it never gets there, for your sake and not his.”
“Ameen. Now, as I was saying, we’ve communicated and we’re going to
keep communicating. He made us reservations in this lovely hotel in
Santorini so I want us to get there and –”
“Santo kini?” Ibtihaj’s brows were furrowed. “Come, is that not an island in
Greece?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Ayra, this man wants to throw lavish gifts at you again to change your
mind that –”
“I thought so too but he didn’t book it yesterday or the day before. He
booked it since after Eid and he wanted to give it to me as a graduation gift
but he couldn’t make it.”
“And you believed him?! Just like that?! Shey you know men dey lie sha?”
“I saw the papers in his room and everything is according to what he said.
He booked it right after Eid and the flights are for tomorrow In Shaa
Allah.”
Ibtihaj’s expression relaxed and she nodded slowly. “Well, I’m glad there
was evidence and I’m glad they did not go and put on your mumu button.”
“Ibty!”
“Na you know, my dear. I know how much you love him and I don’t want
him or anyone to take advantage of it so I’m glad you’re putting your foot
down on the fact that things have to change. Don’t stop putting your foot
down until things actually change o. You’ve been accommodating enough
abeg.” She hissed. “It’s still vexing me but I’ll be level headed now because
of what you’ve said. I’m still going to keep my eyes on him and the squad.
If anything seems fishy, I’m going to spark and no one would be able to
stop me from doing whatever it takes to protect you even if it means taking
you away from them.”
Ayra smiled brightly. “Sure, do that. Thank you, Ibty, for always looking out
for me.”
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Ibtihaj smiled back easily. “You’re welcome…Ah, this one that I’m making
plenty money. It’s like I’ll just happily be the rich aunt to your kids when
they eventually come.”
Ayra’s smile dimmed. “We still haven’t spoken about that.”
Ibtihaj rolled her eyes, annoyed. “God abeg! You know what? It’s good you
people are going to Santorini sef. If you like, go and be having sex like
rabbits instead of talking. That’s how people ended up with pregnancies.”
“I’m on the shot!”
“It’s not a hundred percent effective, right?”
“It’s been effective so far.”
“That’s not the point, Ayra…Talk more instead of being intimate. I’m not
saying you should be celibate, especially with how long he’s been away, but
get those conversations out of the way first and then you can both be the
rabbits in heat.”
Ayra’s face got even redder. “I hate you.”
Ibtihaj laughed and took her best friend’s hand. “You and I know that’s a
lie. I love you. Let’s go inside abeg.”
“Sure.”
“Have the others been disturbing you with messages and sorrys?”
“Yep. I had to tell them it’s fine so they could stop but I’m putting a foot
down with them too.”
“Thank God o. Ayra’s getting sense. I’ll keep them blocked until further
notice sha.”
“I’m done with you, Ibty.”
“I love you too.”
At the table both of them were approaching, Salama smiled at Ibrahim
while her hand stayed in Muhsin’s. She – Salama – was glad Ayra was going
to be okay now that Ibrahim was promising to set things right. She only
prayed that things got better and for her daughter to smile widely and laugh
heartily like she always did. That was all she wanted.
When both ladies got to the table and easily slid into their seats, Ibtihaj
turned to Ibrahim while Ayra spoke to her parents and Ibtihaj’s with a
sincerely wide smile on her face. As she watched Ibrahim stare at his wife
with a warm smile, Ibtihaj further cemented the fact that she was going to
watch him and the squad like a hawk and no matter what they did to make
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things right or how much they apologised, she wasn’t going to let her guard
down.
One wrong move, she promised herself, and she was getting Ayra out no
matter what it took or how much she had to sacrifice.
♣
Oia, a coastal town on the north-western tip of the Greek Aegean island;
Santorini, had to be the most picturesque place Ayra had been to with
whitewashed houses carved into rugged cliff-tops and the vast water filled
caldera from the volcanic eruption that occurred during the Minoan
civilization.
The Katikies Hotel was one of the luxury accommodation providers built
into the caldera and it was easy for Ayra to fall in love with it from the very
first step they took with the hotel guide. The atmosphere screamed warmth
and romance, further solidifying the fact that the getaway was exactly what
she and Ibrahim needed. They were yet to finish off the deep conversations
but she wasn’t in a hurry. She was just grateful that in that moment, they
were as fine as they could be.
They checked in at the reception and were led to their suite. Ayra was left
stunned.
The honeymoon suite with the plunge pool, as it was called, had a living
room which was separated from the bedroom; expansive windows with soft
cotton curtains that swayed with the winds; a bathroom with a jetted
bathtub; an open air dining area; sundecks; a veranda which offered breath-
taking views of the caldera; and a private plunge pool. It was, in summary,
perfect and Ayra didn’t want anything else.
She looked around again, leaving Ibrahim to speak with the hotelier who
was ensuring everything was perfect for them. When the hotelier left, Ayra
faced her husband. “Ibrahim, this is so beautiful.”
He sat on the armrest of the loveseat in the living room, a small smile on
his face. “I’m glad you like it.” A moment passed before he spoke again.
“I’m really sorry, Ayra.”
Her smile shrunk. With a sigh, she walked over and he let her get between
his legs, her arms on his shoulders. Her smile warmed then. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not.”
“Well it will be okay. We’re going to be good, Ibrahim. I have no doubt
about that, so please stop apologising for now. Let’s just freshen up, pray,
and –”
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“And talk. I don’t think I’m going to be settled until we talk.”
She stared at him for a near minute before she nodded her head. “Okay,
Ibrahim. We’ll freshen up, pray, and then we’ll talk.”
He pulled her closer then, wrapping his arms around her middle and resting
his head against her stomach. “Thank you, Ayra.”
Her hands went to his hair and she recalled the term of endearment he’d
sleepily uttered the previous morning. Sevgilim: a Turkish term of
endearment which was often translated to “my darling”. She’d wanted to
mention it to him but the moments hadn’t felt right so she decided to wait
until it did. She loved it, especially the way he pronounced it and she looked
forward to hearing it more often from him.
According to the plan they’d made, they freshened up (her before him) and
then they prayed. Although they were both tired when they finished
supplicating, they faced each other – still on their prayer mats – so they
could talk and get things out of the way in order to make the most of the
week they had to spend on the island.
A quiet minute passed before Ibrahim began, speaking softly. “We’re
expanding the management team for the company both within and outside
Atlantica. It’s the first step we’re taking so we, especially me, can make it up
to you.”
Ayra pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her drawn up
legs. “What does that entail?”
“Since the company was established, the squad and I have been very wary
with who manages the affairs of the company with us. The bigger the
company grew and the more we branched out, there was need for a bigger
management board but the company’s always been dear to our hearts so we
got only a fourth of the needed number to keep up with the growth.
Because of that, most of the work always came back to us, especially Bella
and me, and that’s why we’ve spent long hours all this time and that’s why
we’re always travelling. Instead of delegating these tasks to competent
hands, we took it all on our shoulders and if we want to create a balance
that’s healthy for you and me, we’re going to have to expand the
management team so we have more hands to deck to seamlessly run things
even when the others and I aren’t there.”
Ayra’s smile was small but adorable especially with the dimples on both
cheeks. “And that’ll decrease the workload you all have and give you more
hours to be home, with me.”
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He nodded, giving her a similar smile. “Yes. It’s long overdue and I’m sorry
we both had to have a strain in our relationship for me to see that.”
“It’s alright, Ibrahim…The expansion isn’t going to happen immediately
though, right? Or do you already have the people you want to fill in the
spot?”
He shook his head. “As much as I want it to happen immediately so I can
spend every hour making it up to you, it’s going to be a scheme that rolls
out in the coming months. We’ll have to decide what new positions we’re
creating and then draw up the descriptions and the requirements before we
open up the application portal. Then we’ll conduct interviews and set up
trainings so the people coming in can understand how the company works
and the level of quality we’re looking for.”
Her chest squeezed a little. “You’ll still be busy for a little while.”
“But it’s for greater good, love.” He moved forward, towards her. “I
promise. Once we get to the interview stage and we’ve picked who we
want, we’ll leave it for the recruitment team to handle and I’ll be there at
home for more hours each day and for weekends for months. When
everyone’s fully into their roles, I won’t have to go to work every day and I
won’t have to travel as much and it’ll be you and me, doing everything and
anything you want.”
Like a plant breaking through the surface of the earth, warmth sprouted in
her heart and it slowly began to spread. “I’d really like that, Ibrahim. All I
ever wanted, even before we got married, was to have you at home and do
everything possible with you.”
“And we’ll do them. I know the trust we have is on very shaky foundation
right now but I’m going to make it right.”
Then and there, she knew deep inside that she didn’t doubt it. She wasn’t
overlooking all that had happened and completely tossing it aside but in
that moment, he was sincere and she couldn’t doubt anything. She sighed
softly. “What else?”
“During this unfortunately busy period that’s left, the squad and I have
agreed that we’ll work from about 8AM to 4 or 5PM each day.” He smiled a
little wider when her face lit up. “I have to come back home to you.
Serkan’s coming back to Aomi so Bella has to go back to him while
Nathaniel’s also cutting down on his workload so he can be with Anneth.
Jalal and Tobi will definitely find something to do with the free time they
have and I really don’t care what it is. All I care about is the fact that I’ll be
coming home to you and we can have dinner together early or go on date
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nights because it’s been a while. We can go for drives too or just lounge in
the area. We can do anything, Ayra. As long as I’ll be with you.”
The mental images she had were beautiful; the ones she’d always had before
his proposal came but this time, they were so much clearer and they were
very feasible.
“And on some days,” Ibrahim continued. “We won’t go into the office if
it’s not an emergency. We’re still working on the applications but there’s no
rule that says we can’t also work well from home. Besides, Bella’s living in
the same place as both of us so we can work together while Jalal, Tobi, and
Anneth can easily meet up and tackle what’s left. We’re trying to be more
flexible, Ayra, and it’s all for you. You deserve it and so much more and I’m
going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I’m going to keep
promising that to you.”
She had to laugh, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. “You guys are doing a
lot for me.”
“You deserve everything, Ayra. I promised to treat you like a queen and
I’ve failed at that quite a lot this year so I need to get back on track and
ensure I don’t fail you anymore. I need to get back on track with Ibty too
because I don’t want anything to further ruin the balance we all had.”
Her expression – and her smile – softened. “If she sees you proving
yourself, she’s going to come around. It was a really tough period, Ibrahim,
and she’s not going to forget that easily but you clearly making it up to me
is going to be enough for her and she’ll come around.”
“And I’ll work hard. I promise I’ll work hard.”
“I know you would.” She didn’t doubt that too. “And I’m glad you’re
making these changes because I don’t think anything would be better than
having you home with me. I also don’t think anything would be better for
the others than having more time to spend with their partners too. Also,
having more time would give us all the opportunities to hang out as much
as we should because it’s been really long since we had lunch or even dinner
together. You all being so busy has been a lot and I honestly can’t wait for
the changes to roll out.”
She then sighed. “I’ll be patient while you all do what needs to be done. I’m
content with the fact that you now all have clearly defined work hours.
That’s more than enough for me. And we’re going to do everything; dinners
together, late night drives, movies, lounging, date nights. We’re going to do
all of it.”
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He nodded, sitting right in front of her with his feet touching hers and his
knees drawn up to his own chest the way hers were. His smile was boyishly
beautiful. “We’ll do all of it.”
Ayra felt it all melt away; all she’d felt when he was away and when he let
her down. She understood what people meant when they said it was easy to
forgive those you love. She was definitely forgiving him in that moment.
She was falling quite deeper in love with him too.
“And,” She said. “We’ll talk about what we’re going to do from here on
because I’m done with school now and I know I’m going to be living the
baby girl lifestyle –” She smiled widely when he laughed. “But we need to
talk about everything else; what we want to do together, our goals, kids, all
of it.”
He nodded again. “Sure.”
“And I’ll let you know at this point that Ibty’s working now. She’s working
for The Gateways.”
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets with how wide they became.
“Are you serious?!”
She nodded, pride for Ibtihaj running through her veins. “I am. There’s a
lot we have to discuss, Ibrahim, and I’m so glad we’re here on this lovely
island together with lots of time to catch up on everything.”
His smile disappeared and his expression momentarily clouded before it
cleared. With a sigh, he reached out and took her hands in his. He stared at
them for a near minute before he brought his eyes to hers and the
vulnerability she saw in them tugged a little painfully at her heart.
He gave her a shaky smile. “We’re good, Ayra, right?”
Her smile was softly small and she nodded, allowing him squeeze her hands
lovingly; like he always did. “We are.” She told him sincerely. “In Shaa Allah
it’ll only get better from here.”
“In Shaa Allah.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed the back of
each one. “Thank you, for being the best person I could be married to.”
It was way too easy for Ayra to blush as he kissed the back of her hands
again. “Thank you too, for also being the best person I could be married
to.”
“Nah, I’m the one to do more of the thanking. And I’m sorry, for
everything.”
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She stared at him for a moment before the words slipped past her lips with
so much ease. “I love you, Ibrahim.”
When he smiled with a little cockiness, she knew what was coming and her
blush deepened while those butterflies with his name written on their wings
erupted in her stomach, fluttering with all their might. After all, it’d been a
while since she’d heard the words.
“Come on, sweetheart. What else is there to feel?”
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25
Ayra and Ibrahim did not do anything else until they’d caught up on
everything that’d happened in each other’s life. It took them the first two
days in Santorini to get that done as there was a lot to catch up on and a lot
to talk about as to the future of their marriage.
They celebrated the little wins they had in their time apart and when Ayra
said Ibtihaj recommended content creation for her to go into now that she
didn’t have to go to school anymore, Ibrahim was all for it and his support
was everything Ayra never knew she actually needed.
He chuckled when she blushed, her dimples deep. Leaning forward, he
placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Let me know everything you need when
you’re ready to get started and you can be rest assured I’ll personally scout
every store in Aomi to be sure we get nothing but the very best.”
She giggled like a giddy child. “Okay!”
They spoke about kids; both of them agreeing they still weren’t ready to
have little versions of themselves although their marriage was slowly
inching towards a year. They agreed to come back to the discussion by their
first year anniversary to know what the other person felt and until then,
they were still going to take contraceptives very seriously.
They set out goals for themselves; communication goals as a couple,
periodical games that came with rewards such as date nights or trips to the
most beautiful cities in the world, days to just be with each other…All of it.
They made an agreement to sign up for couple therapy if things ever got to
the point where they were – once again – growing apart because one person
wasn’t satisfied and was hurting because of the actions of the other person.
As they made that agreement, Ibrahim apologised over and over and when
Ayra got tired, she kissed him until he shut his mouth and kept the
remaining apologies to himself.
Once all of that was put behind them and they were both freer and happier,
they went on to enjoy all Santorini had to offer. They went on the Santorini
Classic Catamaran cruise which offered the island’s sights from the water,
went on a private tailor made half-day tour, went on a luxurious cruise ride
on the caldera where they were served full Greek meals and drinks, caught
sunrises and sunsets, visited wineries for tastings…They did it all. When
they weren’t outside, they did a lot indoors and they ended up going at each
other once clothes were off the same way Ibtihaj always described: like
rabbits in heat season, but Ayra loved every single moment. She loved the
pillow talks they had once they were done too.
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Like everything else, the trip came to an end and she didn’t look forward to
heading back to Aomi one bit; something that made Ibrahim laugh heartily.
On their last night, she sat by the edge of the pool while he lazily swam.
Inside the suite, their boxes were packed and the outfits they were to wear
for their morning flight were already laid out. Their passports and plane
tickets were in their carry-on bags.
Ayra sighed, her small pout returning as Ibrahim swam her way. “I really
don’t want to go home.”
He easily got out of the water, sitting beside her with very little space
between them. “We can always come back. Once my schedule’s clear and
you’re good with it, we can always come back. Just not to this hotel.”
She looked at him. “Why?”
His smile was warm. “We should try out other ones. What if there’s one
that’s better? We won’t know if we decide to remain here.” He turned back
to the pool. “Also, there are other islands we can explore. I’m not against us
coming back here to Oia but let’s get the full Greek experience before we
start returning to places we’ve visited before.”
She smiled then, toying with her legs in the water. “I’m going to look
forward to that. Hurry up and free up your schedule.”
He laughed. “I will.”
They sat in companionable silence for a little while before he sighed,
speaking a little quietly. “I’m so grateful you chose to come here with me,
Ayra. I don’t know how things would have gone had you said you didn’t
want to come here or even anywhere else with me.”
Her smile shrunk until it was a mere ghost. “Let’s not think about that.”
She faced him the same time he faced her. “We’re good now and we’re
going to be good from now on In Shaa Allah.” She then smiled cheekily.
“You just have to be on your best behaviour. You need to earn a lot of
brownie points.”
He chuckled, nodding a moment later. “I do need to earn a lot of those
points and I need to be on my best behaviour. After all, I have a Yoruba
woman who’s ready to let hell loose on my head and on the others should
we stray from the right path…Also, I can’t lose you so I need to ensure I
never give you a reason to feel like you can’t stay with me anymore. It’ll kill
me.”
Her chest squeezed slightly. “Ibrahim…”
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“You’re a very important part of my life, Ayra. You’re extremely important
to me and I don’t want to ruin what we have for anything. So I will be on
my best behaviour and I’ll do everything to earn those brownie points from
you and Ibty too. I promise. I’ve been making a lot of promises since last
week and I’m going to fulfil them. I’m going to do everything I promise
you.”
Ayra realised yet again – since they’d landed on the island – that there was
no way she didn’t already fully trust him almost like she did before. All she
hoped for was for things to remain as blissful as they had been throughout
the week when they returned to Aomi. That was all she wanted.
He smiled at her and she smiled right back, content with every single thing
and flowing with all the love she had for him; all the love she’d had for him
for so, so long. When he wrapped a cool arm around her shoulders, she
easily leaned into him and they sat there, staring at the caldera in the
distance, the top of the water dazzling underneath the beautiful moon.
A few minutes later, Ibrahim turned his head and kissed her forehead.
“Love you, Ayra.”
He kissed her forehead again and she closed her eyes, savouring the feel of
his lips against her skin. She smiled nicely. “I love you too.”
♣
August 11th was a Wednesday and every newly graduated student of the
University of Atlantica, both undergraduate and postgraduate, was asked to
come in as from 11AM to pick up their transcripts, certificates, and result
statements.
At 10AM on that very day, Ibrahim got a message that his attention was
needed at the office. He turned apologetically to his wife as he was
supposed to be the one to drive her and Ibtihaj down to the university
campus and then bring them back since he had a free day.
Ayra, who’d read the message too, smiled brightly at him. “It’s alright,
Ibrahim. It’s probably very important so they need you there. I’ll drive, pick
Ibty up, and then head to campus.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, her smile unwavering. “I’m very sure. You go ahead. I’ve got
this.”
He stole a quick kiss. “You’re the best, Ayra.”
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She could only laugh. He was gone in minutes and she sent a quiet prayer
up to the heavens, thanking Allah for pulling Ibrahim out of the house as
she had some plans she wanted to execute without him being around to
catch her.
Since they’d returned from Santorini, he’d been the sweetest person and so
had the other members of the squad who were still apologising to Ibtihaj
who still had them blocked while she – Ibtihaj – watched Ibrahim like a
hawk despite Ayra saying that was well.
Like he promised, he no longer worked extremely long hours and she barely
did anything around the house when he was in because he “didn’t want her
to be stressed” when he was more than capable of doing things for both of
them himself. In the two weeks they’d been back in Aomi, he’d prepared
the best of meals, left little gifts, and listened to every plan she had for the
content creation trials she wanted to have. He made adjustments whenever
he could do.
Now, she wanted to reward him with a surprise late lunch – or dinner
depending on the time they returned and she got things done – as a way of
saying thank you. She had it all planned out. She just needed him gone and
now that her prayers had been answered, she only prayed the meeting
stretched on for a little longer so that by the time he returned, she was at
least halfway gone with preparations.
Rushing to the room that now had the cute door tag that read “Ayra’s
Corner”, she pulled out the carton she’d hidden behind the shelf. Opening
it, she pulled out a newly purchased camcorder which was small enough to
easily blend with the wall; exactly why she’d chosen it. Ensuring it was fully
charged, she went back down and pulled a chair from the kitchen all the
way to the foyer. Praying she didn’t fall, she hung the camera up a little
above the mirror, smiling proudly as it fit in quite nicely. She was very sure
he wasn’t going to notice it and she put it at the back of her mind to turn it
on once she returned from the university.
She returned the chair to the kitchen once she finished setting up the
camera and she then arranged every needed food item alongside cutlery on
the island for easier access once she returned and was ready to get started.
Satisfied with everything, she got changed and grabbed the keys to
Ibrahim’s new Cadillac CT5, excited at the mere thought of driving it out.
He’d asked if she wanted a car but she’d told him no. She wasn’t ready to
have hers yet; not when she could cruise all of his. When she was ready, she
was going to tell him; she promised him that.
LATIFAH EFUA A.
256
She got to Haven Estate at exactly 11AM. Before picking Ibtihaj, she made
a stop at her parents’ house. Only Salama was in. Muhsin had a get together
with some old friends and according to Salama, he’d been very, very excited
to go.
“Well,” Ayra told her mother. “I’m glad he’s having fun. You should go out
and have some fun too so it doesn’t seem like you’re getting cheated.”
Salama laughed. “Oh please. I’m very content here with my tea and my
novels. There’s an upcoming bridal shower too that I have to plan so that’s
keeping me excited.” She then smiled lovingly. “And I love the fact that
you’re happily glowing, Leilani. I was so worried last month but I’m glad
Ibrahim’s keeping to his promise to ensure the future’s better than the
past.”
Ayra swooned as she thought back to all he’d been doing. She smiled
idiotically. “He is keeping to his promise, Ummi.”
Salama rolled her eyes. “Always Ibrahim Fahad’s greatest lover girl, Leilani.”
Ayra grinned proudly. “Exactly!”
“Have you been able to reach Fareeda and Salim though? We tried calling
to say hi some days back but it wasn’t going through.”
Ayra’s grin slipped off her face and she shook her head. “I haven’t spoken
to them since before Ibrahim and I left for Santorini. I don’t think they’re
back from Cape Town because they said we’d have lunch once they
returned.”
Salama nodded, frowning slightly. “There’s no problem then.” Her
expression brightened as her smile returned. “You should hurry up and get
Ibty before she walks over to tell me how you’ve become tardy. She’ll
blame it on Ibrahim.”
Ayra laughed, stepping forward to hug her mother. “I’m done with Ibty.”
She savoured the older woman’s warmth. “I love you, Ummi.”
“I love you too, Leilani. Please take care of yourself.”
“I will, I promise. Take care of yourself too.”
“I will, Leilani. I promise.”
By the time Ayra got to the Adeola home, Ibtihaj was standing outside the
gate, tapping her foot impatiently. Ayra wound the tinted window glass
down and smiled innocently. “Hello, my love.”
“Waka!” Ibtihaj rolled her eyes while Ayra laughed. She walked around the
car and got into the passenger seat. “Shey this is 10:45 in your village?”
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“I got side-tracked at home. I want to surprise Ibrahim with a thank you
lunch or dinner depending on the time we get home and I get things done.”
Ibtihaj put on her seatbelt. “Thank you for what again? What has he done
that he hasn’t been doing before?”
“He’s been really sweet, Ibty, and I want to do this for him.”
“So, I’ve not been really sweet, is that it?”
Ayra risked a glance as she drove them out of the estate and towards the
Business and Institutional Area. “What’s gotten into you today, Ibty? It’s
not even noon yet.”
Ibtihaj groaned dramatically. “Guy…I had a lovely morning as the meeting
with my team went really well and they loved the idea I pitched for the
promotion of the mnw packages we have for African countries. They really
loved it.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you! Anyways, after the meeting finished, I went online. Guess
who’s using his third abi fourth IG account to text me? Tobi!”
Ayra’s eyes widened. “No!”
“Yes! He’s been irritating me since morning. He was apologising at first and
then he started calling me his love. Olorun ma je. God forbid!” She
shuddered. “Tueh!”
Ayra laughed and Ibtihaj rolled her eyes. When she calmed down, Ayra
spoke. “Don’t you think it’s time to unblock them, Ibty? I mean, they’ve
been apologising and it’s nearly been a month now. They’re really sorry and
I know you’ll watch them like a hawk the way you’ve been watching
Ibrahim.”
Ibtihaj folded her arms. “Free me abeg. I shall continue watching Ibrahim
and I will decide when I’ll unblock them. In the meantime, lemme humour
that ódé. That’s how the stupid man posted on his story about this new babe
he’s checking out.”
“I don’t think Tobi’s ever going to change.”
“You’re even having small hope for him. God forbid.” Ibtihaj then looked
around the car. “Omo, when you said Ibrahim got a new car, I didn’t think
it would be this fine.” She glared at her best friend. “Instead of you to ask
him to spend money on you and get you one sexy car, you said you’re not
ready.”
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258
Ayra smiled at the security men at the front gate and then drove them into
the university. “But I’m not ready yet. His cars are beautiful, Ibty, and even
you can’t deny it.”
Ibtihaj’s frown was enough to tell everyone she didn’t like the fact that Ayra
was right. She squeezed her face. “That’s what annoys me. Ibrahim has nice
taste and I don’t like it. See as car fine!”
Ayra laughed. “I’m done with you.”
“Anyways, any word from your in-laws?”
“Nah, not yet.” Ayra found a place to park and she killed the engine once
the car was in place. “Like I told Ummi, they’re probably still in Cape
Town. We’ll have a meal with them once they return.”
“Omo. It is well.”
“It is, Ibty. Come on, let’s get our documents. I have a surprise to plan for
my husband.”
“Iffa slap you!”
Ayra laughed with all her heart. It was easy for them to get their documents
from the exam and records office and they made a few stops to say hi to
some of their past lecturers and professors. It was then revealed to Ayra
that following she and Ibtihaj’s graduation, Ibrahim made a donation to the
institution in both their names.
“He said we should keep it a secret.” The Dean said, smiling mischievously.
“But I have a big mouth and I had to spill it to you two…You have a lovely
man, Ayra. I hope you two always stay together.”
Ayra’s heart soared and she thanked the dean while Ibtihaj took the new
piece of information in, clearly surprised. The drive back to Plum
Boulevard was spent singing along to the classic songs that played on the
radio and once the car stopped in front of the Adeola home, Ibtihaj got out
and leaned forward to talk to her friend through the rolled down window.
“Have fun, Ayra.” She said. “And better don’t tell him I said thank you
because I most certainly did not. I did not send him message but it was a
nice offer sha.”
Ayra rolled her eyes, fighting against her smile. “Yes, Ibty. I won’t tell him
you said thank you at all.”
“Better! Don’t burn yourself o because you want to try new dish. I will not
follow you to hospital. I did not send you message.”
Ayra laughed. “Ibty, go in.”
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Ibtihaj grinned. “I will.” She straightened. “Call me if anything comes up.”
“I will, I promise.”
“I love you, Ayra.”
“I love you too.”
Half an hour later, Ayra was walking into hers and Ibrahim’s home, glad
that he was not yet back. She put her documents in the new file she’d
gotten and then got changed from the dress she’d worn out to a pair of
comfortable jean shorts and one of his tops which she’d “borrowed” with
no intentions to return.
She ensured the house was neat before she proceeded to the kitchen,
leaving the door open. She’d originally decided to have music play as she
worked but she changed her mind and out the phone to charge instead,
forgetting to turn off her DND setting. With a warm heart and excitement
bubbling inside her, she got to work while imagining the thousand ways
Ibrahim would react once he returned. She only prayed he stayed back at
work for a little longer.
She was about to get started on the sauce when she heard the tell-tale tune
of the passcode being inputted. Momentarily panicking, she wondered what
she’d do as she was no way close to being ready to welcome him. Wiping
her hands clean with a towel, she went with the first plan that came to
mind; hiding by the entrance from the foyer into the living room and
surprising him by jumping on his back.
Smiling devilishly with flutters in her stomach at the thought of him
laughing when she jumped on his back, she slipped out of the kitchen just
as the passcode beeped, telling her and him that he’d entered the wrong
thing; something that had only happened once when they’d returned from
Santorini – simply because he’d been too busy kissing her.
As the passcode got inputted again, Ayra leaned flat against the wall and
waited, her heart racing. This time, he got the passcode right and the door
went open. A soft thud reached her ears a moment later and wondering
what had happened or what he’d dropped, Ayra peeped like the criminal
she felt like.
And that was the biggest mistake she’d ever make in all her life.
Her smile dropped. Her heart dropped too. In that moment, her entire
world felt like a glass house at which someone had thrown a large stone,
leading to cracks that spread at an alarming rate; cracks that were aimed at
destroying the perfect structure.
LATIFAH EFUA A.
260
In the foyer, yet to know that they were being watched, Ibrahim had his
hands roaming down the body of another woman, his lips locked on hers.
Her hands were in his hair, pulling at his curls the same way Ayra always did
yet differently.
Ayra watched, frozen, as Ibrahim pulled back to stare at the other woman
briefly, unfazed by the way she glared at him, before he kissed her again.
When his lips moved from her lips to her neck, she let out a small moan
and called the one name Ayra knew; a name she knew belonged to a man
with a different face.
“Serkan.”
With Ibrahim’s face no longer obstructing the other woman’s, Ayra
recognised the deep black curls. She recognised the straight nose that didn’t
need contouring when the face had full make up on, the body shape that
drove men and women wild, the voice, the hands; everything. And that was
the final nail to the coffin.
Because right there in the foyer Ayra had loved from the moment she first
stepped in, her husband – Ibrahim Fahad – kissed Isabella Valentino in way
Ayra couldn’t remember ever being kissed by him.
As though a timer had gone off, Ayra’s world blew into too many
fragments that didn’t seem as though they would ever be pieced back
together and the hypothetical glass house came crashing down.
In the corner where it’d been set up, the camcorder captured everything
with two and a half battery bars left as Ayra had mistakenly put it on while
setting it up.
And she’d never turned it off.
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