LIVING A LIFE OF DEEP SECRECY – Episode 13

Mallama Fatimah: “Justina have you met Alhaji somewhere before?”

Justina: “Erm, yes, I mean no ma”.

Mallama Fatimah: “Yes, no. What do you mean by that?”

Alhaji: “Of course she knows me. Probably she has seen my face on the television before. You know that politicians like us are always in the news; all those journalists won’t allow us rest. Isn’t that so? Justy what did Mallama call you?”

Justina: “Yes, sir. I use to see your face on NTA network news back then in the Village”. She stammered.

They went into hajiya Hauwa’s chamber where the baby was lying down tucked in a thick blanket in his cot. Mallama made attempt to carry him but Hajiya prevented her saying the baby needed to rest after taking his bath.

Hajiya Hauwa: “The baby needs to rest; he has been behaving funny since we came back to Nigeria. If you carry him now, he may not go back to sleep again“.

Mallama Fatimah: “Eyah, he must be tired from the long flight. He will be fine. What is this on the table? SMA Gold? You are not doing exclusive breastfeeding?”

Hajiya Hauwa: “Yes o, the hospital where I had him in abroad advised me to give him this when they noticed that I don’t have enough best milk for the baby”. She lied.

Mallama Fatimah: “Okay. But exclusive breast milk for the first six months after birth is the best for your baby”.

Hajiya Hauwa: “I will go back to that as soon as I have enough breast milk. In fact, that is one of the reasons I came back so that I can be taking kununzaki, I heard it is very good for lactating mothers”.

Mallama Fatimah: “That is correct”.

She stayed with them for a while before she excused herself and left.

Hajiya Hauwa told Justina her duties and showed her the room where she will stay and attend to her needs and those of the baby. She brought her back into the chamber and closed the door behind them.

Hajiya Hauwa: “Listen to me; we are going to see Alhaji in the sitting room. You must not give him any impression that we have met before. Remember to keep your part of the deal because I have started keeping mine already. And, I don’t ever want to see you breastfeed my child. I forbid you from doing so”.

Justina: “He is also my child and you promised that I can breastfeed him when I come here”.

HajiyaHauwa: “Shut up and obey me. Change of plans. Nobody questions Hajiya’s orders in her chamber”.

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Justina had been working for almost a month and all the while hajiya had been monitoring her around the child so much that it was choking her. Alhaji also seemed to be interested in her and twice she had caught him staring at her boobs and stroking the bulge that always formed in-between his trousers afterwards.

Hajiya afraid that the child may get too attached to her restricted her, coming close to him to only in the night when she was asleep. Justina who wasn’t comfortable with this decision swallowed everything with the determination that her blood flowing in the child’s vein will naturally draw him close to her. Seven days after his birth, the child was given the name Yusuf, after his paternal grandfather.

As she bent to make hajiya’s bed, a hand grabbed her from behind causing her to startle with fright. She turned around.

“You scared me, alhaji”. She hissed on seeing alhaji standing behind her dressed in a flowing white jalabiya.

Alhaji: “And why would you be scared? I mean this house is well secured, except if you have anything to hide”.

Justina: “What are you doing here, alhaji? Hajiya just left the house and she will soon be back”.

Alhaji: “Don’t worry about that. Hajiya has gone to the hospital with my son and they are not due to return until later in the afternoon. So, we have the house all to ourselves”.

Justina: “The house? This house that is filled with your wives and children? What do we need the house to ourselves for?”

Alhaji: “Oh, don’t pretend to me. I know you so well. I still want a piece of the action you gave me in the hotel some months ago”.

Justina: “Alhaji, respect yourself o, do not allow me to open up your can of worms to your family. Which piece of action are you talking about? The same one you enjoyed that you threw me out without paying me?

Alhaji: “I was wrong not to have paid you. I promise to make it up to you now. Any amount you want, you just name it. Just allow me do it one more time again”.

Justina: “Allow you do what? Eh na lhaji? I am no longer the naïve girl you slept with without paying some months ago. Get out of this room before I scream and frame you up here”.

Justina: “Frame me up in my own house? You must be dreaming. Even if you tell my wives about my escapades with you, that will only earn you their hatred. Those women are loyal to me as they are to their creator. I have already bought their loyalty with their money. I feed them and their parents including their extended family members. They will prefer to stay here and enjoy the comfort of life even if I spend all day and all night flirting. By the way, you were pregnant few months ago, where is the baby?”

Justina is frightened and taken aback. “I don’t know what you are talking about, alhaji”. She brushed past him and walked out of the room leaving him staring at her enormous buttocks.

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TEN YEARS ON

The child Yusuf was growing into a cute and intelligent boy. He was the apple of her eyes and his parents spoilt him with whatever money can buy. As the only son of the family, he was pampered by everyone including his sisters and no one dared rebuked him even when he did anything wrong. Alhaji had continued to persuade Justina to be his mistress and after resisting him for few months, she had fallen for his money. Each time hajiya went out of the house, she would sneak into his room and make love to him exactly the way he wanted it. Alhaji in turn showered her with money because she wouldn’t accept any gift so as not to raise any suspicion. Without hajiya’s knowledge, she had opened up a bank account where she was saving up her salary and all she got from alhaji until the time when she will run away with her son. She saw the notification light on her phone blinking and when she read the message, it was alhaji summoning her to his room. Quickly, she applied her Mac Pro powder, used her body spray and tip toed to his room.

Alhaji: “Ah, welcome my dear. Hajiya just left with my son to visit my elder brother in Lagos, they won’t return today. Let’s get down to business”, he said removing the white vest he had on.

Justina: “I have something to tell you”.

Alhaji: “I also have something to ask of you but tell me about yours first”.

Justina: “No, you tell me first”.

Alhaji: “I want you to convert to Islam and be my wife. I want to have full access to your body anytime I want and not this hide and seek affair that we are doing. I have enough money to take care of you and I promise you won’t regret this”.

Justina: “Alhaji! You don’t even know anything about me. Will you still want to go ahead and marry me after I tell you what I know about your only son?”

Alhaji: “My son Yusuf?” he asked with surprise. “Go ahead, tell me what you know. The marriage discussion can wait”.

Justina: “Alhaji, I am the…”

Question: Will Justina disclose to alhaji that she is the mother of Yusuf? Will she agree to marry him? How will HajiyaHauwa react?