The Perfect Accident: Chapter Three

For the next few weeks, things between Amir and me were better. Not completely, but enough for me to stop thinking about Mariam every time his phone rang. Amir was also making an effort. He came home earlier, sometimes brought food on his way back from work, and on weekends we would go out together. It wasn't anything serious. Sometimes we would just drive around Abuja looking for somewhere to eat.One Saturday morning, I was in the kitchen making breakfast when Amir walked in.“Me zai yi?” he asked.“Breakfast.”He opened the pot and looked inside. “Egg again?”I turned to him. “So what do you want me to cook?”“Anything.”“Then cook it yourself.”“Ah, toh, na gode.”“Don't worry.”He came behind me and tried to take the spoon from my hand. I moved away.“Amir, leave me.”“Let me help.”“You don't know what you're doing.”“I'm your husband. I know how to cook.”I looked at him and laughed. “You? Cook?”“Wallahi, one day I'll surprise you.”“You'll surprise me by burning the house.”He laughed and left the kitchen.I smiled to myself. For a moment, I forgot everything that had happened between us.After breakfast, we sat in the sitting room until he started getting ready to leave. I asked where he was going, and he told me he was meeting a friend.“Which friend?” I asked.He looked at me and smiled. “Why are you interrogating me?”“I'm not interrogating you. I asked a question.”“Don't worry. I'll be back.”I nodded. “Allah ya tsare.”“Amin.”He kissed my forehead before leaving, and I watched him drive out through the window. I don't know why I stood there for so long. Maybe a part of me was still afraid that the peace between us wouldn't last.That evening, he came home with food.“I knew you would be hungry,” he said, handing me the bag.I collected it from him. “You're finally learning.”“Learning what?”“How to be a good husband.”He laughed. “Ah, so I've been a bad husband?”I didn't answer, and he laughed again before telling me to come and eat.Things like that made it easy to forget.A few days later, I went to see my mother. She complained, as usual, that I didn't visit enough.“Nimmat, kin manta da ni.”“Mama, I was here last week.”“Last week? So because you came last week, you won't come again?”I laughed. “I'm sorry.”She shook her head and asked about Amir.“Amir yana lafiya?”“Lafiya.”“Yana kula da ke?”I smiled. “Eh.”“Good. Just make sure you people eat properly. You are looking thinner.”“Mama, I'm fine.”“Lafiya lau?”“Lafiya lau.”She nodded and continued talking about everything and nothing. I stayed until evening before going home.When I got back, Amir was already there. He took my bag from me and told me to go and rest because I looked tired. That night, while we were lying in bed, I remembered something my mother had said.“Amir?”“Hmm?”“Mama was asking about children today.”He was quiet for a moment. “What did you tell her?”“That we're fine.”He laughed softly. “You know mothers.”I smiled. “So when are we going to have one?”He turned towards me. “Why are you suddenly asking?”“I'm not suddenly asking. We've been married for a while.”“We have time.”I nodded. “Okay.”He kissed my forehead. “Don't worry about it.”So I didn't.Or at least, I tried not to.A few days later, Amir came home with a small container and handed it to me.“You've been complaining that you're always tired,” he said. “Start taking these.”I opened it and looked at the tablets inside. “What are they?”“Supplements.”“You bought them?”“Yes.”“How many am I supposed to take?”“One a day.”I looked at him. “Are you sure?”“Of course. Just take one every day.”I nodded and put the container beside my things. I didn't think much about it. If anything, I was happy that he had noticed I wasn't feeling completely okay and had bothered to get something for me.I started taking them every morning.A few weeks passed, and the routine became normal. I would wake up, pray, eat something, take the tablet and continue with my day. I never looked closely at the container. There was no reason for me to.Then one afternoon, while Amir was at work, I decided to clean the bedroom properly. I started with my side of the wardrobe before moving to his. His clothes were scattered everywhere, and I kept complaining to myself as I folded them.While moving one of his jackets, I noticed a small container tucked behind the clothes.I pulled it out.I almost put it back immediately because it looked like the container Amir had given me.Same size. Almost the same colour. Even the tablets inside looked exactly like the ones I had been taking every morning.I turned it around, expecting to see the name of the supplement.But the label on the container said something completely different.Birth Control Pills.I stared at it.I read it again.Birth control pills.I looked down at the tablets inside. They looked just like the ones I had been taking.For a few seconds, I couldn't move.Then I looked towards the door.Amir wasn't home.I turned the container over again, hoping maybe I had read it wrongly.I hadn't.I stood there holding it, completely confused.“Me yasa wannan yake nan?” I whispered.I looked at the tablets again.If these were birth control pills, then what exactly had Amir been giving me every morning?

The Perfect Accident

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