The Perfect Accident: Chapter Six

For the next few weeks, things in the house became strangely normal. Amir was busy with work and everything that had to do with Mariam's pregnancy, although he hardly mentioned her around me. Sometimes he would step outside to take calls, and whenever I walked into the room, he would lower his voice or end the call. I stopped asking questions because there was no point anymore.The property issue was settled a few days later. Amir signed the necessary documents, and his mother made sure everything was properly recorded. Half of what belonged to him was now legally mine. When I signed the papers, Amir looked at me and asked, “You're really going to stay?”“For now,” I replied.He nodded. “I know this isn't easy for you.”I almost laughed. “You think?”He didn't say anything. His mother, who had been sitting across from us, only sighed and said, “Allah ya sa alheri.”“Amin,” I replied.After that, everyone seemed to believe the worst was over. Amir's mother started calling me more often, asking how I was doing and telling me to be patient with her son.“Ki yi hakuri, Nimmat. Things will settle down.”I would simply tell her, “Insha Allah,” even though I knew things weren't going to settle down between Amir and me.I had stopped wearing my wedding ring around the house. I kept it in the drawer beside my clothes, and whenever Amir noticed my bare finger, he never said anything. Maybe he understood what it meant, or maybe he just didn't care anymore.One evening, he came home and found me packing some of my clothes into a small suitcase.“What are you doing?” he asked from the bedroom door.“I'm going to Mama's for a few days.”“Why?”“I just need some space.”He looked at me for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”He didn't ask me to stay, and strangely, that made leaving the house the next morning much easier.I went to my mother's house and stayed there for three days. I didn't tell her that I had already made up my mind about leaving Amir permanently. I only told her that I needed time to think.She looked at me carefully. “Nimmat, are you sure you know what you're doing?”“Yes, Mama.”“Amir is still your husband.”“I know.”“And Mariam?”I looked away. “Mama, I can't keep living like this.”She sighed and held my hand. “Then don't. But whatever you decide, make sure you won't regret it later.”“Na ji.”I stayed with her for three days before returning home.When I got back, Amir was in the living room. He looked up when I walked in.“You're back.”“Yes.”“I thought you were staying longer.”“I changed my mind.”He nodded and went back to what he was doing.That evening, we had dinner together for the first time in a while. It felt strange sitting across from him and talking about ordinary things after everything that had happened between us. He asked about my mother, and I asked about work. Neither of us mentioned Mariam.After dinner, Amir went upstairs while I stayed in the kitchen washing the plates. When I finished, I went upstairs and found him packing a few things into his travel bag.“Are you going somewhere?”“Lagos.”“Tomorrow?”“Yes. I have some work to sort out.”“How long?”“Three or four days. I should be back by Friday.”I nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.He continued packing without saying anything. After a while, he looked at me.“You're very quiet.”“I'm tired.”He gave a small nod and went back to packing.I watched him for a while. There was a time when the thought of Amir travelling without me would have bothered me. I would have asked when he was leaving, when he would be back, whether he had eaten, whether he had everything he needed.That night, I didn't ask any of those questions.When he finally finished packing, he placed his bag beside the door and went to bed.I stayed awake for a long time.I kept thinking about everything that had happened since I married him, and for the first time, I wasn't thinking about how to save the marriage. I was thinking about what my life would look like after it.By morning, Amir was ready to leave.He stood at the door with his bag while I watched from the living room.“Take care of yourself,” he said.“You too.”He hesitated for a moment, then opened the door and walked out.I watched his car leave until I could no longer see it from the window.Then I went upstairs, opened the drawer beside my clothes and took out my wedding ring. I held it in my palm for a few seconds before placing it back inside.I closed the drawer and stood there for a while.My phone was on the bed.I picked it up and looked at the number I had saved a few days earlier.I stared at it for a moment before calling.“Hello.”I didn't speak immediately.The person on the other end waited.“He's left,” I finally said.There was a pause.“Yes. He's going to Lagos.”Another pause.I looked towards the window.“I'll let you know.”I ended the call and put my phone down.

The Perfect Accident

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