The hidden angle

‘She is awake but very weak. Please don’t stay too long. We want her to have a lot of rest. It’s the only way to save her unborn child. In fact the only reason I’m letting you in is because she specifically said that she was expecting you. Otherwise doctor’s orders are no visitors, plenty […]

‘She is awake but very weak. Please don’t stay too long. We want her to have a lot of rest. It’s the only way to save her unborn child. In fact the only reason I’m letting you in is because she specifically said that she was expecting you. Otherwise doctor’s orders are no visitors, plenty rest.’ She explained.

‘Ok, thank you Sister, I will inshAllah be as brief as possible.’ Then I walked towards Maimuna’s bed, where she lay facing the wall and gently said ‘Assalamu alaikum.’

‘Wa alaikumussalam’ she replied turning over to face me. ‘Welcome Hajia’ she added in a weak voice ‘I’m sorry I sent for you so early. But you know you are like the big sister I never had. With my parents living so far away, I see you as my only family here. When I was brought in last night, I asked them to call you but they said your line wasn’t going through. I looked at the time and noticed it was past 11pm. Then I recalled how you always say, at the office, that you go to bed around 10. So I gave up and sent you a text this morning.’ Maimuna explained.

‘I see, but what happened to you’ I asked touching close to the bandaged bruise on her forehead.

‘I fell in the bathroom?’ she replied simply.

‘You fell in the bathroom and yet you have bruises all over? Look at your arm, your shoulder, behind your neck. How did you fall that you managed to get these many injuries?’ I demanded.

‘I just fell, I can’t remember how because everything happened so fast.’ She answered.

‘Look’, the nurse whom I thought had left the room suddenly reappeared near us. ‘You better tell your sister the truth. We all bought your ‘fell in the bathroom’ story because it does not concern us how you got your injuries. But we could all see that these are not injuries from a fall. If you really want to be helped, tell her the truth.’ She advised, before finally walking out of the room. I turned back to look at Maimuna but the tears were flowing down her cheeks, while she silently sobbed. I pulled the visitor’s chair and sat on it before I put a hand on her palm.

‘Please Maimuna stop crying and tell me what happened.’ I urged.

‘I feel too ashamed to say this Hajiya. But I was beaten up by my husband yesterday. It happened quite suddenly when I walked in on him doing his usual thing.’ She explained mysteriously.

‘What is his usual thing?’ I asked.

‘He was taking drugs. I had no idea he was into drugs when we got married, but several times he will lock himself up and when I asked why he will tell me he needed to take a nap and had to lock up because he was a very light sleeper. I believed him. Then one day he was in such a hurry to leave the house he forgot to pack away his drugs. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked into the room and saw what he left behind. I cried my heart before I called his best friend and told him what I had seen. I demanded to know why he didn’t tell me all that when I asked him the first time.’ She recalled.

‘You mean you had cause to suspect him earlier and you even spoke to his friend about it?’ I asked.

‘Yes and no. Yes I had spoken to his friend before our marriage but no it was not on suspicion of drugs. You see the day after the formal introductions on our marriage were held at my parent’s home. He came and picked me from the office and said we needed to go out to celebrate. I was reluctant at first but when he assured me that with the formalities begun by our two families, I should please learn to relax more with him since we were actually on the way to matrimony. I went to lunch with him. While there he made the order for us. I had no idea he had ordered liquor until it was brought. He ordered fruit juice for me and went on as if nothing was amiss. But I pointedly asked him whether he planned to take that drink and he said yes. I made it clear to him that I won’t tolerate his liquor-drinking and that if I knew he was into it I would never have allowed our relationship to get that far. He assured me that he will quit drinking and just to convince me ordered that the alcohol should be taken away. I left the restaurant quite disturbed that I may be marrying a man hooked to alcohol. It was in that state of mind that I called his best friend the next day and asked him how bad was Baffa’s drinking problem. He assured me it was a casual case not a serious one and that Baffa will surely quit the habit since he had promised me.’ Maimuna concluded.

‘How can you expect his best friend to tell you the truth, especially if both of them are in the same boat?’ I asked.

‘His friend does not drink, he is married to my cousin, and if there was such a problem I would have heard about it from her.’ She replied.

‘Really, well you know your cousin better than I. But I know that some women just don’t care. However what did Mr. Best Friend say after you caught your husband with drugs?’ I asked.

‘Abdul swore that he never knew Baffa had continued the habit. That they had a long talk over it when he first expressed interest in me and he advised him that there was no way he will introduce him to anyone knowing that he was on both alcohol and drugs. Baffa then promised him he will stop even before we got married, explaining that he was on them partly because he was lonely and had an unhappy childhood. So according to Abdul he took him on his word and never thought he had anything more to worry about. Until I came with my story. After that he promised to call and counsel him. The counselling appeared to have worked; until last night when I went into his room and saw him in only his pant underwear. He was high on drugs and seemed totally oblivious to his surroundings. I took one look at him and lost my temper. I stood there and started scolding him for going back on his promise to both Abdul and me. I gave him a real piece of my mind. The way he looked, sprawled over his bed almost naked, I didn’t think he cared what I was saying at all. But apparently he did. The next thing I knew he had risen to his feet and grabbed a belt he left lying on the floor. He began to beat me with it mercilessly, caring not a hoot about my pregnancy. I started to scream and ran away from the room but he followed me. Luckily our front door was opened, I ran through it into our neighbour’s house. They were the ones who brought me here.’ She concluded, sobbing more seriously this time.

‘I am very sorry Maimuna. This must have been a really traumatic experience for you. Please stop crying and concentrate on getting better for your own sake and for the baby. Drug addiction has become so common now, and it’s destroying families at all levels.’ I declared.

‘I have told my parents. My mother and younger sister will be here later today. Please I want them to put up at your house because I don’t want them anywhere near mine. As soon as I am fit to leave the hospital we will all travel home together. This marriage is over Hajia Bint. it was a huge mistake, but that was what God decreed. I would hate to subject my child to a broken home, but after what I have seen, I think any home is better for it than a home with Baffa.’ Maimuna resolved.