She picked it up and pressed it to her ear. She heard the little girl’s soft voice saying,
“Mahmah, we won’t be able to come this time, maybe next time. Auntie’s visit has been postponed, and that’s when we were supposed to come with her. She’ll be coming around five, and your holiday will already be over. Please talk to your brother, he has been crying to me for a while now. He never behaves like this, but today he even refused to eat. He has really disturbed me.”
Weakly she said, “Give him the phone.”
In a low voice he said, “Mahma!”
Bilki gathered courage and replied, “My dear brother, why are you like this? When was it that you came during the last holiday? Please stop crying. Once another holiday comes, I’ll send for you. You’ll spend all your holiday here with Farha and the others.”
Softly he answered, “Okay.”
“That’s good. Stop crying, you’re a big boy now. Where is your sister?”
Briefly he said, “She’s there with her mother.”
Quickly Bilki said, “You mean she’s with Auntie, right?”
He didn’t answer that. Instead he said, “Send me the things you said you bought for me. How is Alti? How is Farha?”
“They’re all fine. I’ll call you later so you can talk to them.”
They ended the call.
He looked at her and said, “Farouku is troublesome.”
She forced a smile but couldn’t say anything. She walked away thinking about how she struggled with Hafcy the same way Hawwah struggled with Farouku, because Amra was gentle-natured like her.
While eating the tuwo he said, “I really enjoyed this tuwo. Make the same one for me tomorrow. Thank you.”
Before she could respond, Aysha stood up and left. Laura and Hafcy followed her.
Only the younger ones remained. She forced herself to smile at him, but what they did hurt her deeply. They had clearly planned it together. It wasn’t even her food they normally ate — they requested special meals — yet today they embarrassed her like that. She was sure Laura had heard when she told Alti that Baban Bilki loved eating tuwo.
Laura’s stay in the house began to irritate her. She realized Laura was teaching them some of their disrespect, since she was older and more exposed than them. She also sensed that Laura had started liking Baban Bilki — her boldness and lack of manners showed it. That was why she could see jealousy openly on her face.
Bilki sighed. If the girl didn’t leave the house, she felt she would never be at peace with Aysha and the others. It would be better if she returned to her mother’s house — just not here.
When they went to bed, he held her tightly, trembling slightly. Gently she said,
“Baban Bilkisu, I think Laura should return home. Her holiday is enough.”
Quickly he replied, “Please be patient. How can we tell her to leave when she hasn’t said she wants to go? She’s Rukayya’s younger sister. You know she has been in our care since she was ten.”
Quietly Bilki said, “But now Rukayya is no longer the woman of this house. I’m honestly tired of her staying here.”
He fell silent, reflecting on how she mentioned Rukayya despite knowing how kind she had been. He had overheard their phone conversations before, and he noticed Rukayya never treated Abida the way Bilki sometimes did.
After a while he said, “For now, let me greet my unborn child and sleep. We’ll discuss this later.”
That night she followed his lead reluctantly. Her heart felt extremely heavy. There was no warmth between them.
The next morning he left for the office without breakfast. She was asleep; he didn’t wake her. The sound of the gate opening woke her up. Seeing it wasn’t yet seven, she went back to sleep, knowing he wouldn’t return until around one and would likely eat with the children.
She didn’t wake until about 10:30. She bathed quickly. By the time she came out, Rahina — the new young house help — had already cleaned the room thoroughly.
Despite her heavy heart, she dressed beautifully, as if she were attending a grand event.
When she entered the sitting room, Alti had just arrived.
“I made you kunun gyada and fried yam, and I prepared grilled ram meat,” Alti said.
Respectfully she replied, “Thank you, Alti. Please serve it and let Rahina bring it to me. Have Farha and the others eaten?”
“They’re upstairs eating with Bilkisu.”
She nodded, silently admitting that people were right when they said names carry influence. Bilkisu truly behaved like her — calm, quiet, no trouble, and a friend to children.
She ate quietly, thinking about how he left without breakfast. Even if he were home, she knew he would likely eat with his children instead.
Later Basma called.
“Maman Abdul, what happened to your phone? I’ve been calling nonstop!”
She explained her SIM had been stolen and she struggled to retrieve it.
Basma teased her about being “the bride of Yaya Asad, making bullet sounds,” meaning she was living large.
Bilki laughed, but then sighed.
“All the problems I had in Sahal’s house are gone. But now I’ve fallen into a new, painful problem. Sometimes I feel like running away.”
Basma was shocked. She reminded her how important her marriage to Asad was to her family and urged patience.
Bilki said softly, “My biggest problem is the children. He doesn’t like anything that upsets them. They deliberately hurt me but he won’t act. I want us to eat together, but he goes to eat with them. At night sometimes I fall asleep before he comes to my room — he stays with them.”
Basma clicked her tongue. “So because he loves you he should neglect his children? When did you become like this?”
Bilki whispered, “You won’t understand the pain.”
She added that his late wife’s picture was still displayed in his room, near the bed.
Basma replied, “If you had been calm, he would have removed it by now. You’re not blameless either. With Sahal you endured worse.”
Bilki remained silent. She knew Basma disliked Sahal deeply and wouldn’t fully understand her present struggle.
Eventually she agreed to try harder.
Months passed. She was seven months pregnant — and expecting twins. The doctors confirmed it. It increased her fear of God and deepened her reflection. Asad’s children growing inside her amazed her. She hadn’t told him it was twins yet, but he often said he had never seen a belly as big as hers.
Laura still hadn’t left. The girls continued troubling her. He only advised patience.
One day, while eating kulikuli from Ummiel Foods, Bilkisu brought her the phone. It was Asad calling.
“I salute you, Queen of Sheba,” he joked.
She answered briefly.
He teased her gently until she smiled.
Later, scrolling through the phone, she discovered a WhatsApp group called “We Are One.”
Members: Laura, Aysha, Khadija, Hafcy, and Bilkisu.
They were discussing her — accusing her of using charms on their father, mocking her background, insulting her mother, and questioning why he married a widow.
Hafcy wrote that since Bilki beat her, she knew she had fully captured him.
Laura made a shocking comment suggesting their father preferred women with “certain features,” implying shameful things.
Aysha and Hafcy reacted angrily to that suggestion.
Tears filled Bilki’s eyes. She recorded the chat and sent it to herself, then deleted it from the phone.
That evening she showed him the video.
He sighed. “Please be patient. They’re children.”
Her anger exploded. “Are Aysha and the others children? And Bilkisu is in that group too!”
She played the recording for him.
He said, “They’ve even insulted me before. I’ll talk to them.”
Furious, she said, “Tomorrow Laura must leave this house.”
Immediately he replied, “I will not drive her out of my house.”
She stood up. “I swear by Allah she must leave — or I will.”
He rose and said firmly, “You’re not going anywhere, Queen of Sheba. And I cannot send Rukayya’s sister away. She grew up in my care — just as I wouldn’t send Aysha away.”
She picked it up and pressed it to her ear. She heard the little girl’s soft voice saying,
“Mahmah, we won’t be able to come this time, maybe next time. Auntie’s visit has been postponed, and that’s when we were supposed to come with her. She’ll be coming around five, and your holiday will already be over. Please talk to your brother, he has been crying to me for a while now. He never behaves like this, but today he even refused to eat. He has really disturbed me.”
Weakly she said, “Give him the phone.”
In a low voice he said, “Mahma!”
Bilki gathered courage and replied, “My dear brother, why are you like this? When was it that you came during the last holiday? Please stop crying. Once another holiday comes, I’ll send for you. You’ll spend all your holiday here with Farha and the others.”
Softly he answered, “Okay.”
“That’s good. Stop crying, you’re a big boy now. Where is your sister?”
Briefly he said, “She’s there with her mother.”
Quickly Bilki said, “You mean she’s with Auntie, right?”
He didn’t answer that. Instead he said, “Send me the things you said you bought for me. How is Alti? How is Farha?”
“They’re all fine. I’ll call you later so you can talk to them.”
They ended the call.
He looked at her and said, “Farouku is troublesome.”
She forced a smile but couldn’t say anything. She walked away thinking about how she struggled with Hafcy the same way Hawwah struggled with Farouku, because Amra was gentle-natured like her.
While eating the tuwo he said, “I really enjoyed this tuwo. Make the same one for me tomorrow. Thank you.”
Before she could respond, Aysha stood up and left. Laura and Hafcy followed her.
Only the younger ones remained. She forced herself to smile at him, but what they did hurt her deeply. They had clearly planned it together. It wasn’t even her food they normally ate — they requested special meals — yet today they embarrassed her like that. She was sure Laura had heard when she told Alti that Baban Bilki loved eating tuwo.
Laura’s stay in the house began to irritate her. She realized Laura was teaching them some of their disrespect, since she was older and more exposed than them. She also sensed that Laura had started liking Baban Bilki — her boldness and lack of manners showed it. That was why she could see jealousy openly on her face.
Bilki sighed. If the girl didn’t leave the house, she felt she would never be at peace with Aysha and the others. It would be better if she returned to her mother’s house — just not here.
When they went to bed, he held her tightly, trembling slightly. Gently she said,
“Baban Bilkisu, I think Laura should return home. Her holiday is enough.”
Quickly he replied, “Please be patient. How can we tell her to leave when she hasn’t said she wants to go? She’s Rukayya’s younger sister. You know she has been in our care since she was ten.”
Quietly Bilki said, “But now Rukayya is no longer the woman of this house. I’m honestly tired of her staying here.”
He fell silent, reflecting on how she mentioned Rukayya despite knowing how kind she had been. He had overheard their phone conversations before, and he noticed Rukayya never treated Abida the way Bilki sometimes did.
After a while he said, “For now, let me greet my unborn child and sleep. We’ll discuss this later.”
That night she followed his lead reluctantly. Her heart felt extremely heavy. There was no warmth between them.
The next morning he left for the office without breakfast. She was asleep; he didn’t wake her. The sound of the gate opening woke her up. Seeing it wasn’t yet seven, she went back to sleep, knowing he wouldn’t return until around one and would likely eat with the children.
She didn’t wake until about 10:30. She bathed quickly. By the time she came out, Rahina — the new young house help — had already cleaned the room thoroughly.
Despite her heavy heart, she dressed beautifully, as if she were attending a grand event.
When she entered the sitting room, Alti had just arrived.
“I made you kunun gyada and fried yam, and I prepared grilled ram meat,” Alti said.
Respectfully she replied, “Thank you, Alti. Please serve it and let Rahina bring it to me. Have Farha and the others eaten?”
“They’re upstairs eating with Bilkisu.”
She nodded, silently admitting that people were right when they said names carry influence. Bilkisu truly behaved like her — calm, quiet, no trouble, and a friend to children.
She ate quietly, thinking about how he left without breakfast. Even if he were home, she knew he would likely eat with his children instead.
Later Basma called.
“Maman Abdul, what happened to your phone? I’ve been calling nonstop!”
She explained her SIM had been stolen and she struggled to retrieve it.
Basma teased her about being “the bride of Yaya Asad, making bullet sounds,” meaning she was living large.
Bilki laughed, but then sighed.
“All the problems I had in Sahal’s house are gone. But now I’ve fallen into a new, painful problem. Sometimes I feel like running away.”
Basma was shocked. She reminded her how important her marriage to Asad was to her family and urged patience.
Bilki said softly, “My biggest problem is the children. He doesn’t like anything that upsets them. They deliberately hurt me but he won’t act. I want us to eat together, but he goes to eat with them. At night sometimes I fall asleep before he comes to my room — he stays with them.”
Basma clicked her tongue. “So because he loves you he should neglect his children? When did you become like this?”
Bilki whispered, “You won’t understand the pain.”
She added that his late wife’s picture was still displayed in his room, near the bed.
Basma replied, “If you had been calm, he would have removed it by now. You’re not blameless either. With Sahal you endured worse.”
Bilki remained silent. She knew Basma disliked Sahal deeply and wouldn’t fully understand her present struggle.
Eventually she agreed to try harder.
Months passed. She was seven months pregnant — and expecting twins. The doctors confirmed it. It increased her fear of God and deepened her reflection. Asad’s children growing inside her amazed her. She hadn’t told him it was twins yet, but he often said he had never seen a belly as big as hers.
Laura still hadn’t left. The girls continued troubling her. He only advised patience.
One day, while eating kulikuli from Ummiel Foods, Bilkisu brought her the phone. It was Asad calling.
“I salute you, Queen of Sheba,” he joked.
She answered briefly.
He teased her gently until she smiled.
Later, scrolling through the phone, she discovered a WhatsApp group called “We Are One.”
Members: Laura, Aysha, Khadija, Hafcy, and Bilkisu.
They were discussing her — accusing her of using charms on their father, mocking her background, insulting her mother, and questioning why he married a widow.
Hafcy wrote that since Bilki beat her, she knew she had fully captured him.
Laura made a shocking comment suggesting their father preferred women with “certain features,” implying shameful things.
Aysha and Hafcy reacted angrily to that suggestion.
Tears filled Bilki’s eyes. She recorded the chat and sent it to herself, then deleted it from the phone.
That evening she showed him the video.
He sighed. “Please be patient. They’re children.”
Her anger exploded. “Are Aysha and the others children? And Bilkisu is in that group too!”
She played the recording for him.
He said, “They’ve even insulted me before. I’ll talk to them.”
Furious, she said, “Tomorrow Laura must leave this house.”
Immediately he replied, “I will not drive her out of my house.”
She stood up. “I swear by Allah she must leave — or I will.”
He rose and said firmly, “You’re not going anywhere, Queen of Sheba. And I cannot send Rukayya’s sister away. She grew up in my care — just as I wouldn’t send Aysha away.”