"The heart is the only broken instrument that works".
Anonymous.
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That evening Asad left the station feeling restless and weak.
He felt like ending his life because there was no point in living.
Million of thoughts swirled through his head as he walked through the dark city of Kaduna.
He made his way to the hospital only to find his Aunt peacefully sleeping on the hospital bed and besides her was a baby sleeping in the cradle.
He walked further and examined the baby. He couldn't tell whether it was a girl or a boy because he has never seen a baby before.
It was his first time. It felt weird looking at one.
He then gazed at Aunt Nafisa.
He knows how hard and long she had cried and prayed for a baby. Growing up, he watched her being taunted and mocked for being barren and Najib was there to support her all the way through.
Najib.
He felt a bang in his chest, how will he break the news to her now? He doesn't deserve to be here, he will only cause more pain and harm to her and her newly born baby. He was starting to believe that he was a curse.
How can he tell her that her husband died the day she gave birth.
Noo! He can't.
With a heavy heart , Asad left the hospital and allowed his legs walked for as long as they could take him.
He got tired and decided to rest by a bar that was close by.
Will liquor take away the pain he felt?... He thought.
He had physics exams tomorrow but that was the least of his problems.
He had little pocket money left in his pocket and so he used it to go into the bar and wash away his memories.
When he got in , Colourful lights were on display, strip dancers where knocking themselves out and some wasted men were unconscious on the floor. He got to the counter and order what his money could afford.
It was a bottle of vodka.
"One bottle won't hurt right?" ...He asked as he began to sip it. He felt a burning taste in his throat that was similar to that in his heart but nevertheless he drank till he emptied the bottle.
A stranger who was watching him walked up to him and sat besides him. "You need more?" The stranger asked and Asad found himself nodding.
"Bring another bottle of vodka for this fine young man"... the stranger requested and the waitress brought it in no time for Asad.
He gulped the second bottle down and requested for more and the stranger kept on ordering more for Asad.
Soon Asad drank till his vision became blurry.
The atmosphere got thick and his eyes started seeing things. Images of his uncle , Najib played in his head. His father being slaughtered like an animal and his mother being molested and raped like a prostitute displayed in this head too.
What hurt him was knowing that the murder of all this three people was caused by someone he lived his teenage life with, the person was right under his nose.
Aunt Karima.
Feeling frustrated and angry , he left the bar in his drunk state. He walked for as far as his legs could take him and then suddenly blacked out.
Asad was awoken by a heavy bang on his head. His eyes forcefully opened revealing how red it is accompanied by a throbbing headache.
He examined his surroundings and found himself in a big dumpster, covered in trash... Just like him...he thought.
How did he even get here to begin with?
"Would you get your lazy ass out of my dumpster"....A grumpy old man said and that's when Asad realized he was the one that hit him .
Feeling as weak as ever , Asad slowly came out and walked away. His headache reminded him that it was still there and his stomach grumbled.
He walked to the main street where cars were driving and stepped on it not caring whether he would get hit or not.
"I am nothing but a failure, I deserve death in the most painful way possible"...he began to shed tears and before he knew it , he got hit and blacked out once again.
"Oh my God, what have I done"... the lady who hit him rushed out and began to panic.
"I better take you to the hospital"... She said as she dragged Asad away.
***
"Doctor...look , he is moving"... Asad heard a faint voice say then he felt a hand touch his forehead, just then Asad's eyes flutter open.
"Asad!"...He heard a familiar voice.
It was his Aunt Nafisa.
'What will he tell her now?'... He thought
"Thank God he is alright"...a voice said, his gaze followed the voice and went towards the person who was talking.
It was his savior....he supposed.
"What's wrong with you Asad , attempting suicide huh?"... Aunt Nafisa frowned.
"I did not attempt suicide , I planned it. I deserve it Aunt"... Asad voice was low, so low that it was almost inaudible.
"What do you mean Asad , what has gotten into your head now?"...Aunt Nafisa asked.
"How long have I been here?"...Asad ignored Aunt Nafisa's question.
"A week"... the doctor and his savior said at the same time.
"A week?"... Asad repeated, clearly shocked.
"Yes , had it been I didn't come for my check up, I wouldn't have found you. Do you know how Najib and your disappearance made me worried?"....Aunt Nafisa stated.
"How did you know I was here?"... Asad asked.
"We are childhood friends actually, we met here and talked and that's how she found out that you are here".. his savior answered , making Asad frown.
"Are you stupid? Why did you save me. Why are you punishing me by doing this"... Asad said to his savior as he tried standing up and that's when he noticed the drip on his hand.
Out of frustration he harshly pulled it off making everyone gasp.
"You have not fully recovered, so why are you removing it from your hand?"...The doctor asked.
"That's none of your business"... Asad said , ignoring everyone else , he stomped out angrily.
Aunt Nafisa cautiously followed him behind.
He went to the car lot and sat on a bench that was near by.
When Nafisa had caught up to him, she stopped to breath after walking down so many stairs at a stretch , she then began to speak.... "Asad what has gotten into your head? Attempting suicide then insulting Aisha, she saved your life for crying out loud".
"I never asked for her help"... Asad said in a low yet angry tone.
A frown settled on Nafisa's lips..."I don't know what has gotten into your head Asad but you need to stop all of this. Do you know how disappointed I was when I woke up on the hospital bed to find only my baby there. Both you and Najib weren't there and you didn't bother to show up or pick up my calls."... She paused as her eyes became glossy.
Asad stared at her with utmost pity.
He could only imagine the pain she must have gone to through within the week.
No husband to witness the naming ceremony of his child and she had to do everything by herself.
"I kept on waiting like the idiot that I am, I kept on waiting for you, waiting for Najib... But you guys never came. If Najib was not ready to become a father , he would have said so. Running away is not an option" ....Her tears began to flow down with ease.
Asad felt tad sad for her, she thought he ran away from his family and responsibilities not knowing he was late.
"He missed his daughter's naming ceremony. He didn't call or text me or inform me about his disappearance. He just ..left and so did you . So had it been I didn't come to the hospital, that's how we will part ways , huh?"....Nafisa asked.
"Aunt it's not what it seems like, Uncle did not leave you, he didn't leave any of us. He left the world for us"... Asad said in a low tune.
"What do you mean he left the world for us, where is he?".... Nafisa strated becoming tensed.
"He is in his grave"...Asad replied and instantly received a slap.
His eyes widened in realization that his Aunt just slapped him.
"Stop all this rubbish and tell me where my husband is"... Nafisa refuse to believe what Asad was saying, she couldn't believe it. He wouldn't leave her , would he?
"I told you already, your husband is dead . He died the day you went into labor or do you want me to spell it out for you?"... Asad's voice was slightly high.
"No, it is not true. Asad it is not true. Please tell me it is not true".... A new set of tears cascaded down her cheeks.
Her heart began to clench with pain as she went into denial.
"Why will he die. It is not true"... she kept on denying it.
"It was Karima's doing, she was behind the murder scene of my parents and she hired someone to kill Najib, so her client killed him at the police station"....Asad explained in a calm tune but that wasn't helping at the moment, she just kept on denying it as tears freely flooded down her cheeks.
He hate seeing her cry and he hated himself for knowing he cannot comfort her.
He wish he could comfort her but he does not know how to.
"Nas.. your baby has been crying"...Asad then glanced at the he person who was talking, it was his Savior... Aisha .. he suppose.
When Aisha walked closer she was left dumbstruck .
"What's going on?"...She asked Asad and received a glare in return.
"Aisha, tell Asad to tell me the truth. What he is saying is not true"...Nafisa's voice was coarse from crying and she was still in tears.
"What truth?"....Aisha was confounded.
"My husband is not dead, he can't be. Not after waiting for 21 years, he never got a chance to see his child"...Nafisa fell to her feet and cried harder.
It did not make sense to her.
How will she cope as a single parent.
"Your husband is dead?" ...Aisha stated and asked at the same time.
It was also a shocking news to her.
"Stop saying this, he is not. My husband is not dead, he has to come and see his child first"....Nafisa's tears began to increase once again.
"I will drop your baby in the car and come back. I need to take you home. People have started on staring at us"....Aisha said before dismissing herself.
Asad gazed at his Aunt and her pain struck his heart like thunder.
He help her up and wiped her tears with his thumb.
"Everything will be alright".... He sadly stated.
Funny thing is that this is something she did to him when he lost his parents. She wiped his tears with her thumb and told him that everything is going to be alright ....he didn't know he will do the same to her 6 years later.
"It's all my fault, I don't deserve to live Aunt".... His self regret was now speaking for him.
His Aunt caught him off guard by embracing him tightly. He was shocked and didn't know how to react to this.
He hurt her, he disappeared without telling her and he broke the news about her husband's death to her in a harsh manner yet she still hugged him.
She hugged him and he felt safe.
He felt safe for once , like he was a little kid again, happily in his mother's arms.
His mother.
The pain of her death renewed itself in his heart and he began to cry.
The duo then cried on each other's shoulder.
All this while Anas, big boss informant and also Asad's spy , hid behind a bush watching everything with joy. He has been following Asad ever since he left the police station.
He was the one that came into the bar and bought for Asad countless drinks based on Big boss orders.
Big boss wanted to make sure he ruins Asad's life since his mother didn't love him and Anas had no problem hurting Asad as long as he will get paid and there will be no mutual connection between them.
"Cry with your Aunt while you still can boy because her days are also numbered" Anas played with a little knife in his hand.
He was planning on killing Nafisa soon.
***
Time is compassionate, it's something that will definitely heal us.
No matter what kind of pain you are going through, everything will definitely get better with time.
It was hard for Nafisa to accept her husband's death, it took months but once she finally did , the pain struck her like a bomb. She left like living was useless without him.
He was the shoulder where she would always cry on, the ladder that never fails to pick her when she is down. He was everything to her. Her support, her happiness, her pain ,her human diary and her world.
Nafisa had no family. She lost her parents and siblings due to a car accident and she was the only one that survived, therefore she had no one.
Najib was her best friend way back and they both fell in love with each other and he promised to take care of her and give her his world.
So losing him hurts because he was the last piece of family that she had.
He never got to see what he had waited 21 years for. Their little gift sent from God. Sometimes she would burst into tears when looking at her daughter.
God took Najib aways and gave her a smaller version of him. A feminine version. She was a carbon copy of him. From her complexion to her facial features and even her hair.
She decided to name her after her nature ...Hiba meaning gift because she was indeed a gift.
She was left with Hiba to raise as a single parent and she was not going to let her sadness ruin her dream of being a mother.
She would groom her to be a very strong and healthy princess.
Aisha , Asad's savior was there to support Nafisa all the way through.
She has always been a sweetheart and has always been there for Nafisa when they were much little.
Aisha moved away when she was 17 after her mother passed away. It was hard for her but soon she learnt to live in the present and start a new life.
She got married at her age of nineteen (19). It was an arranged marriage that never worked out so both her husband and her part ways at the end tail.
Aisha decided to chase her dream at her age of 22 and ever since then , she has been a very happy and prosperous woman. She was well known in the society for her good doings .
Aisha being the kind of person she was decided to stay with Nafisa till she got over her husband's death but Nafisa wasn't the problem or rather she wasn't the one who needed to be consoled , Asad was.
After he made his uncle's death known to his Aunt, his self regret and self hatred increased rapidly.
His heart hardened while his mind remained in the past and he had Karima to thank.
Over the years she had fed him with hatred and pain. He never hated her for neglecting him or maltreating him neither did he hate him for beating him or starving him. He hated her for making go through the torture of watching his parents being slaughtered like animals.
He hated her for being the person who will not only murder his parents but also murder his uncle and still remained calm.
She will paid for it. He swore to make her regret living.
Asad soon started loosing sleep.
He had eye bags and dark circles due to his lack of sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see is his mother , being tortured in different ways possible and all he could do is cry and watch like a weakling.
In some of the dreams , Aunt Karima would appear and stab his mother till he could see her intestines.
Sometimes Aisha and Nafisa will rush into the room only to find him shouting in his sleep or soaked in his own tears and sweat but no matter how many times they had tried to calm him down , nothing worked.
At times he would leave the house very late at night and meet his stranger who would buy him countless bottles of alcohol and leave him wasted.
Asad tend to wonder who this stranger was but he couldn't care to ask.
Most mornings, Aisha and Nafisa would find Asad sleeping on the porch with a bottle of vodka in his hand. It tends to shattered Nafisa knowing that she could not heal him. They even hired a psychiatric but Asad nearly strangled the poor man to death.
Whenever Aisha or Nafisa talk to Asad about his bad behavior , he would just yell at them all. It was very hard to control him at certain point.
A time came when Asad nearly slapped Nafisa in his drunk state. Being a single parent was hard for her as Asad was not helping matters.
They said it's easier to mold a child than to bend an adult and Karima had already moulded him into what he was.
Nafisa wasn't happy when Asad WAEC(West African Examination Council) and NECO results came out. He failed almost everything. So she forced him to take lessons which he rarely took. Sometimes he would lock himself in the room from dawn till dusk.
Asad wanted to have it his way but Aunt Nafisa won't let him this time. Since he rarely went for his classes she got him lesson teachers.
Most left because they could not handle his attitude. He was so nonchalant towards education and he was giving all his teachers a hard time which made them leave, one after the other.
"Your boy is a maniac , take him to mental hospital".... They would often say before quitting their jobs.
Nafisa felt like giving up to a certain point. She lost track of how many teachers had quit their jobs. Nobody wanted to tutor Asad , rumors had spread that he was a devil in sheep's clothing.
"Aisha I don't know what to do about this matter again"... Nafisa said as she picked up baby Hiba who was crying.
"Shhh my darling"...Nafisa placed a kissed on her cheek and began to mumble funny noises in Hiba's ear , making her giggle.
Aisha smiled in adoration, Nafisa loved her daughter so dearly.
"I have little teaching experience but I can handle him " Aisha suggested.
Nafisa gazed at Aisha like she has seen a ghost "You can't".
"I am very vast in the field of teaching, trust me"....Aisha assured but Nafisa was uncertain.
"Let's get his subject combination from him and see what we can do" Aisha stated and Nafisa hummed in response.
Nafisa whispered something in Hiba's ear and Hiba gave her a cheeky smile in return.
'That smile... there really is no different between hers and that of Najib'.... Nafisa thought