His end of the road

‘Honestly I have no idea where your landlady is’ I joked. ‘But be assured that wherever she is, she’s on her way home because it’s already after 5pm. I hope there is no emergency at home.’ I asked. ‘May be emergency is not the word but my son’s father died this morning, I just got […]

‘Honestly I have no idea where your landlady is’ I joked. ‘But be assured that wherever she is, she’s on her way home because it’s already after 5pm. I hope there is no emergency at home.’ I asked.

‘May be emergency is not the word but my son’s father died this morning, I just got the news from Uncle Abubakar. And in spite of everything that happened, it’s still a shock to me. I needed to talk to someone but Anti Asabe couldn’t be reached.’

‘Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un, you mean your husband is dead? How did he die?’ I asked, totally shocked.

‘Apparently in a car accident. And honestly I choose not to think of him as my husband. He is Farouk’s father and that is all.’ She protested.

‘Still he is or was your husband, as long as the divorce had not been effected. Let me come over and be with you before Asabe can be found. I’m truly sorry to hear this.’ I said.

‘Thank you very much Anti, I’m grateful for your concern.’ She replied before hanging up. I immediately sent a text to Tahir saying that I will be going to Asabe’s for a brief meeting and may be back only after his return work. Then I drove down to the house and met Hafsa in the sitting room, with bloodshot eyes. The moment she answered my salam, she rose to hug me, leading me to the settee at the centre.

‘I am very sorry Hafsa, this must have been very shocking to you.’ I said putting my hand on her shoulder.

‘Yes it was. I couldn’t help crying because that was the last thing I expected to hear about him. The last time I spoke to Uncle Abubakar, he said to me Tanko has vowed never to divorce me, that I could go to any court, but if it takes going to the Supreme Court he will go there to appeal the divorce. I found myself laughing over that and saying to my uncle “whoever took a divorce to the Supreme Court?” and Uncle Abu replied “he’s just trying to tell you how rich he is”.’ She explained, tearfully.

‘It sounds like your uncle is on your side’ I observed.

‘Yes he is’, she said ‘I was surprised too because I met Tanko through him and they were supposed to be friends and all that. But from the first time I told him what happened he was very disappointed in his friend and he vowed to get me a divorce from this marriage. After the way my parents behaved it was amazing to hear my father’s younger brother sounding so differently. In fact he came right over to this house to tell me how the encounter with Tanko went. He described how Tanko thundered and accused me of trying to smear his good name and so on. Uncle Abu asked him whether anything I said was untrue, but he didn’t deny anything. He just kept saying how good and kind he had been to me, and how over a small matter I wanted to destroy our marriage.’ She narrated.

‘You mean he called what happened a small matter?’ I asked incredulously.

‘Yes apparently he thinks it is, that was why he was so remorseless and unrepentant. He thought so little about a sin a bad as adultery. And this is why I have been totally unable to stop crying since I heard about his death. Tanko was not a man who thought about death. He believed he had the world in his pocket and that he could buy anything he wanted; love, happiness hedonistic pleasures, everything. And now he is dead… it is so unfortunate.’ And she broke down again, in deep, heartrending sobs. Just then Asabe stepped into the room. Walking straight to where we were seated, she asked:

‘What is happening here, why is she crying?’

‘Her husband is dead’ I answered.

‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. When, how? Oh my God, this is shocking.’ She said groping for a seat.

‘He died this morning in a motor accident but Hafsa just got to hear it now from your Uncle Abubakar.’ I explained.

‘To think that only yesterday we were talking about how we needed to accelerate prayers to get him to write that divorce. Kai, God’s ways are amazing.’ She added, shaking her head.

‘Yes indeed they are. That’s what we were discussing with her now before she broke down. ‘ i said.

‘Aha that’s what I find amazing now. Why are you crying your heart out over that man? Or have you always loved him and were too angry to admit it before?’ She demanded.

‘No Anti Asabe, I have never loved him. Of that, I am very sure. I was devastated to find out the kind of man he was, and wanted nothing better than a divorce from him, but I didn’t expect him to die so suddenly. These are not tears of grief, dear cousin they are of shock and pity. Pity because he never spared a thought to death, his thoughts were always of this world. Just a few days ago he thought he held the key to my happiness, and now in the words of Shakespeare “there he lies, no worthier than dust”. This is the reason I shed tears.’ Hafsa explained.

‘Well I’m certainly relieved to hear this. And talking about dust, has he been buried?’ Asabe asked.

‘No he hasn’t. I heard that his elderly relatives have insisted that they want to bury him in their village. You know his parents are dead. Those uncles who represented him at our marriage are his closest relatives. According to Uncle Abu, he will be buried tomorrow in the village. Kai it’s so hard to believe we are talking about the same man who couldn’t spend a night in the village going there as  his final resting place. May Allah have mercy on us.’ She added.

‘Ameen, and may Allah forgive his sins too, but I refuse to see nothing but gloom in this development. Look on the bright side, you are now free. And rich, because you are going to inherit so much of that wealth he loved to flaunt around without fear of God.’ Asabe announced.

‘Come on Asabe, there is no need to sound so hard-hearted.’ I cautioned.

‘This is not being hard-hearted Bint, this is being realistic. The man is dead, he has no parents or siblings, he was very wealthy and had wanted to tie her to an unhappy marriage, so now that God had sent the perfect solution, shouldn’t we mention it? My dear cousin, wipe away your tears and look up to a bright future for you and your son.’ Asabe advised.

‘It’s still too soon to celebrate, because though she is an estranged wife she still has to observe the mourning period of four months and ten days. Her marriage only hit the rocks a few weeks ago. Legally they are still married in fact I think the first thing is for her to start preparing for a trip to the village to condole his people and accept condolences also. Then she must return to her house and accept condolences, you and some of your relatives must accompany her and remain with her for at least a week. Then the rest of you could return and let some remain with her during her mourning period. May Allah forgive him. But this is actually a lesson for all of us.’ I observed.

‘Yes it is but don’t get me wrong. I am merely stating the obvious, a young lady facing a long legal battle for freedom from an unwanted marriage suddenly finds herself free. And in addition to that wealthy, shouldn’t she be encouraged to look on the bright side? May be I feel so little sympathy because after my own divorce I find it so hard to be on the side of any man. But really I think Hafsa should wipe away her tears and move on.’ She insisted.

‘One point of correction Anti Asabe, I am not his sole heir. Tanko had two other children from his previous marriages. And if I ever end up rich like you wish to believe, I promise to set up and freely run an Islamiyya school with the hope that the reward will get to him posthumously. I will also dig up boreholes and set up tree plantations wherever needed and pray that the reward will get to him. That’s the only way I can be comfortable with his inheritance when I know that it is somehow being used to earn him some sadaqatul jariya (continuing charity) till eternity. I will certainly pray to God to forgive him and will implore others to do so too. One of the courses we will teach vigorously at the Islamiyya will be morality, so that our young children will grow up knowing about and shunning societal vices like adultery, while upholding the virtues of chastity, truth and hardwork.’ Hafsa resolved, wiping away her tears.