True love that once was lost…

‘And what is that supposed to mean?’ Maryam  asked in mock anger, before sitting down ‘we thought you’ll always be happy to see us, we are under the impression that whenever we drop in on you we’ll be welcomed. We thought we are more like sisters than friends….’ ‘Ok, ok Maryam enough of your complains’ […]

‘And what is that supposed to mean?’ Maryam  asked in mock anger, before sitting down ‘we thought you’ll always be happy to see us, we are under the impression that whenever we drop in on you we’ll be welcomed. We thought we are more like sisters than friends….’

‘Ok, ok Maryam enough of your complains’ Asabe interrupted. ‘but in these days of the mobile phone everyone expects to be alerted before being dropped on. What if I had gone out? Would it serve the purpose to call me only when you are already here?’ she asked rhetorically.

‘Ok, sorry we dropped in unannounced but it isn’t as bad as you think’ I chipped in ‘in fact I think it’s a bit good news that propelled us here.’ I added.

‘Really? Well we can certainly do with a bit of good news in this house. Since the death of Hafsa’s husband we haven’t heard anything to cheer us up.’ Asabe replied.

‘Then be of good cheer dearly beloved.’ Maryam said mimicking a clergyman’s accent, ‘we are here to announce that your former husband desperately wants you back.’

‘What? Asabe asked, almost rising from her chair, ‘I know you are a great teaser, but believe me Maryam I don’t find this funny.’

‘Unfortunately, she isn’t joking,’ I joined in again. ‘Mansur does want you back, and he was so remorseful and repentant our husbands had to summon us and say we must speak to you today. That’s partly the reason we couldn’t alert you before we set out, but knowing a bit about your daily schedules helped. We know that you are usually home by 5pm, so we took our chance.’ I explained.

‘But you know that’s impossible, our divorce is irrevocable, thrice-pronounced, how can he or you even think a reconciliation is possible?’ she demanded.

‘Well Mansur did not approach us until he did all the necessary homework. He went to some scholars well-versed in Islamic jurisprudence who said to him your divorce is actually the equivalent of one, because when divorce is pronounced thrice at once it is the equivalent of only a divorce. It has to happen three different times to make it irrevocable. When he went and told Tahir and Ibrahim they came to us with the news. We had to rush here immediately because at last we have seen a ray of hope.’ Maryam explained.

‘A ray of hope for what?’ Asabe asked finally rising to her feet. ‘After three years of pain and suffering? After I have finally stabilised enough to move on? Just when I’ve convinced myself that there is life after divorce and that my children are enough reason for me to live and strive? Why did it take him so long to go and seek an interpretation of our divorce status? Well I have a message for him, please tell him that I am not interested.’ Asabe concluded angrily.

‘Haba Asabe don’t let your anger get in the way. In the last three years we have been seeking a way to get you two back together. We even thought of matching you off with someone at some point so that if things didn’t work out and you get divorced we can quickly get you two back together again. We tried all these because it soon became obvious to us that Mansur was regretting what he did and in the interest of all concerned, particularly your children, it is better that he begs you for a reconciliation. But that three-divorce thing got in the way. Until now that we’ve found a solution to it.’ I urged.

‘You have found a solution to nothing my dear Bint.  You must remember that it was the same kind of scholars who said to him he had to divorce me in order to regain his good luck because I brought nothing but bad luck to his life. After 17 years of marriage, with no major crisis in our lives, he divorced me and said we had irreconcilable differences. I couldn’t understand what those differences were because we always got along. We were friends as well as spouses.  Yes, like all married couples we had the occasional friction borne out of living together but never something that would render us incompatible. Yet they convinced him I was his bad omen and he believed it. Was it not when your two husbands cornered him to know why he had to take such a drastic action that he finally confessed that he was instructed to do so by his spiritualists because I was diagnosed as the reason for his ill-luck? So now that the young woman he married and took into the house we planned and built together had walked out on him, he decided to remember that Asabe is still free and single? Well tell him, I am not available.’ She concluded, finally sitting down.

‘So you’ve heard about his failed marriage?’ Maryam asked in surprise.

‘Yes I have. You know ever since our divorce he had never stepped foot into this house. He usually sends his driver to pick the children when he wants to see them or if he had to come himself he will stay outside the gate and phone them. You won’t believe that he did all he could not to either see or talk to me in the last three years. Whenever he had to contact me he did so by texting me on the issue, and then I will reply him. Now the last time he came to take the small ones out they returned and told me his new wife wasn’t at home. I gave no thought to it thinking she might have gone somewhere. It was when his cousin came to visit that that she said the young lady had left and that marrying her was a mistake because he never found any joy or peace with her. Of course I couldn’t sympathise. I, who gave him joy and peace for 17 years ended up divorced and despised.’  Asabe declared.

‘What if we told you that he sent the girl packing and that she didn’t walk out on him?’ I asked.

‘It will change nothing Bint, because there is no way you can convince me that going back to Mansur will make either of us happy. A lot has happened, a lot of irreparable damage. Let him please go and find another young lady and give it another shot. I have found enough love and peace in my life being a single parent.’ She insisted.

‘But that’s the point we are trying to make Asabe, this man is handsome enough, comfortable enough and relatively young enough to go after other women, young or middle-aged but he decided to come back to you because in the last few years he has realised that you are the only one for him. That only you can make him happy.’ I said.

‘And who then can make me happy?’ Asabe asked.

‘He, of course.’

‘I can’t see Mansur making me happy, he lacks the capacity.’ She stated.

‘True love that once was lost, can be found again’ I sang, quoting a line the old love song from Billy Ocean It’s never too late to try.  Taking over from me, Maryam stood up and went to sit next to her

“Now it’s time to move ahead,

If you can leave the past behind

Soon you will discover

That love is a treasure to find, never too late”

‘I see, so singing for me is part of the brief you were sent to execute.’ Asabe observed, smiling in spite of herself.

‘No but we are just trying to remind you about something. Can you recall who first recorded this song for us? It was Mansur when he was courting you. We used to love listening to it in our room on campus. Today it’s come in handy to fight his cause. Will you give him another chance?’ I asked.

‘No, another marriage to Mansur is out of the picture. Even if legally three-divorce-at-once is equal to one, how about the intention? In Islam actions are judged in accordance with intention. When he pronounced our divorce thrice his intention was to end it all for good. This is how I seek to interpret the divorce not through any legal abracadabra. I wish him luck in all his future marriages and divorces, but I shall play no part in them as long as I live,‘ She vowed resolutely.