Chapter 95 60: Truth Truimphed

"I got married to her when she was only 16 years old," Alhaji began, his eyes fixed on Fareeda's that were filled with so much hurt. He realized that today was the day she deserved to know the truth and everything would come to an end. "I came to Cameroon at the time for a business I wanted to start and her father used to be among my workers. I fell in love with her because she brought him food to the working place everyday and I spoke to him about it, he was such a good man. Despite knowing she didn't love me, I though she would fall in love with me as time went by, but I think that is the biggest mistake I've ever done in my life. Because Samira has never loved me in her life. He got me married to her, I took her back to Taraba with me after the business was done and shortly after our marriage, her father died. I realized she just stayed married to me because of him, and after she was done grieving over him, she began to bring out her true colors. "She made sure that everyday I got a new bad habit of hers with the hope that I'll divorce her when I got fed up with her, but I didn't. It was always a struggle between us, she made sure she was rude to everyone around me, including my mother so that will rile me up and I'll realize she's not staying with, but I didn't pay heed to any of her bad habits until she gave birth to Fareeda five years after our marriage, which was a mistake to her and my biggest blessing in life. I had to pay her a huge amount of money before she agreed to give birth to the baby because I know once she proclaimed that she would abort it, she is capable of doing that. "Fast forward to after she gave birth to Fareeda, she told me that I had to divorce her because she didn't love me and never will. I paid her that time too to breast-feed Fareeda with the promise that I'll divorce her when she weaned my child, but I didn't. Because I want Fareeda to grow up together with her mother but I guess this woman is full of evil in her that I wish I had divorced her since then. I received her threats everyday but I didn't faze, all I wanted was for Fareeda to have a good life, because I've never loved someone like I loved Fareeda. I don't think like other wealthy men do, wanting to have a boy child because I believe with the right education, my daughter will be as great as I want her to be. That's why after her birth, while my empire was growing, I changed its name from Sardauna company. nig. ltd. to Faksa, Fareeda Kamal Sardauna. "She threatened me everyday, and since when she realized that my weakness is Fareeda, she began to threaten me with her. She stopped me from coming closer to them because in her words, she wants the child I loved so much to hate me with every fibre in her being. She made Fareeda believed that I hate her that's why I don't love her as well, I'm not coming to see them and all those horrible things. When she got fed up, Fareeda was three years when she poured bleach into her eyes, and that's the reason why Fareeda could still not see without her glasses. I cried that night, because I've never thought she would hurt her child that way. "I wanted to divorce her at the time and have her separated with my precious child, but seeing that Fareeda needed a mother at the time, I tried to pay her to stay with her but she made it known to me that she will only stay for a year until Fareeda adjusted to living with her glasses. She kept trying to harm Fareeda but I was always ahead of her and I know her plans so I have them revoked. Until when Fareeda clicked 11 years old, the night before her birthday she came and told me that it's either I divorced her or she won't be responsible for whatever happens to my precious child. After she left my room, I wanted to go over to her room to finally divorce her because she was getting dangerous with each passing day and also despite the years we've spent together, she hasn't loved me back, I figured out I should let go of her. "But then I heard Fareeda excitedly telling her that they should celebrate her birthday this year, together just the two of them since I hated her so much, she couldn't remember the last time she saw me. Right there, I realized I have lost my baby, but I'd give her the happiness she wants, I'd let her celebrate her birthday with her mother as she pleased. I wanted to surprise Fareeda and celebrate the birthday with her, but I had an emergency in the company so I stayed up late in the night. After I came back home, I rushed to them, only to see some men trying to rape my daughter in front of her mother while she sat there and feign her tears. Fareeda was a child to differentiate between real and fake tears, but I knew her mother better. "I managed to save her before they got what they wanted and have them nabbed. I was furious after I had cajoled Fareeda that I didn't know when I strangled Samira out of anger, calling her all sorts of names because of all the harms I could imagine she will do to her daughter, I've never imagined she will hire some men to rape her. How could a mother be this heartless and cruel toward her own child? Fareeda wanted to tell me how innocent her mother was, but I pushed her away because I was so angry and she got her head banged on the bed head and lost consciousness. "That's when I came back to my senses and released Samira. I took them both to the hospital and divorced Samira after she woke up, told her that she should make sure she has never shown her face to my daughter ever again. Fareeda woke up after three days and my mother told her that her mother is dead, because I don't know what to say to her. Tell her all the horrible things her mother did because she hated me or what? I was sure she wouldn't believe me even if I did. Because Samira told me that the years she had spent with me has finally paid up, because she was sure she planted my hatred in Fareeda's heart and now I did everything by strangling her in her presence. She was sure Fareeda will hate me for the rest of our lives. "I was hurt by her words, but later on I realized all she said was true. Because after her death, Fareeda refused to see me and she stopped talking for over six months. She had to stay with my mother before she finally regained herself back but she hated me so much that I knew the only way to keep her by my side was to show her that I hate her too. Because if I showed her any signed of affection, she will think I'm nothing but a lying monster, I've killed her mother and now want her to trust me? Fareeda used to be a very silent girl, but because she wants to hurt me, she lived a wayward life. "I was hurt, realizing that if I had divorced her mother peacefully my daughter's life wouldn't have been destroyed the way it was. The day Fareeda had an illegitimate child miscarried was the day I know I have failed as her father but she hated me so much to even see the remorse in my eyes. I noticed something between her and Mujaheed and realized at the time he was the only one that will help her to change her ways, and that's why I got the two of them married despite knowing so well that she will hate me even more because of that, but I was ready to risk that to get her life set on track." Fareeda was crying bitterly beside him, she had even refused to look at anyone, she was just bitterly crying, out of regret, pain of betrayal and her loss, she didn't know what she would do if these emotions chose to suffocate her. "Fareeda," he called her name softly with tears in his eyes and she looked up at him with her eyes raining. "I've never hated you, my darling. I had to do what I did because I wanted nothing bu to set your ways right. I wanted you to be a good daughter, I know I'm a bad father to you at some point, but I was clueless because you hated me so much and I didn't know what else to do but that. I'm sorry, I know I've hurt you so much, forgive me, okay?" She was crying profusely while she shook her head at him and hugged him so hard. "You don't have to apologize to me, Baba. I've forgiven you, I should be the one to apologize to you." Alhaji smiled and despite him not wanting to cry, his tears had to slip down on his cheeks but he cleared them off. "You've always been forgiven, my baby. Do you have something to take? We have to take the next flight back to Nigeria today." She broke their hug and shook her head with tears on her cheeks and a pout adorning her eyes. "I don't need to take anything here, I'll hate to have anything that will remind me of the life I've lived here." She wasn't even looking at the way her mother sat down while she heavily cleared. She didn't want to see her face didn't want to have a new memory of her, she was hurt hearing this story but she would love to keep her memory as the innocent and lovely mother she knew. "Wait..." Mama began, shaking her head as she looked up to Yapendo Maimuna. "So the chamber I set on fire yesterday night was Fareeda's? And the little girl that died there is her daughter, basically my grand daughter, right your highness?" She was at the point of loosing her sanity, she couldn't believe what all this meant, she hated to remember what her past consisted of, she didn't even want to remember the last she had cheated on but now her past today caught up with her and she did the most unforgivable sin in her life. Yapendo Maimuna's eyes bulged out and she was about to speak when Mama cut her off, "No, I'll reveal all my sins today, I feel so horrible. I can't forgive myself, Ya Allah." She palmed her face and cried bitterly. "I was the one that looked up to Asma'u in Taraba and she gave me the full details about the life Fareeda used to live in Taraba, I didn't know she was the daughter of Kamal Sardauna, I would've known she's the daughter I left behind. Asma'u helped us forged a fake DNA result with a letter and Mairamou keep it where she knew Mujaheed will see. Then later, Asma'u called me that she wants me to kill Fareeda along with her daughter since we hate her here, they don't want here there as well. I tried to kill them based on Her highness Maimuna and his Highness Sadam with their daughter. I set her chamber on fire, I would've killed my daughter....but still, I killed my innocent grand daughter that I've never seen in my life." She palmed her face, "I even had a town crier announcing that Mairamou is pregnant this morning so we could hurt her even more. I've never thought it could be my daughter." Fareeda sharply turned to look at Alhaji and he had his eyes bulged out, "I heard her wrong, right?" She was shaking her head not wanting to believe what she had heard, and when everything was registered in her brain she screamed at the pitch of her voice and dangerously threw herself on her mother, strangling her throat as she cried bitterly. "You evil woman!!! You killed my Muhaseen!!! You damaged my eyes, got me nearly raped, made me hate my father for this long! I hate you and I'll never forgive you!!!" She was strangling her so hard and all she wanted to feel was the sound of her cracking neck. "If Baba wasn't successful in killing you, I'll kill you with my two hands! You can't live in this world when you've killed my Muhaseen!!" Alhaji pulled her away from her and she hugged him, crying so hard. "Baba...if not because of her, Muhaseen would've been alive today! I don't care about the paternity drama, I want my daughter back! I want to live alone with my child!" She was crying, screaming and she didn't know what she would have to do after all these chaos was over and she realized Muhaseen was indeed gone from her life. Mama couldn't say anything, she was just crying, wishing that Alhaji hadn't taken Fareeda off her because she deserved to die in her daughter's hand. The daughter she had cheated and took away all her happiness from. As though being electrocuted, Fareeda pulled down and forcefully took off the anklet before she threw it on her, "There! I foolishly though I could keep that anklet for the rest of my life, hell, I even bought one for myself and Muhaseen. Since you're her murderer, you can have it, I don't want anything that will remind me of you. And have this in mind, I've never hated anyone in this life like I hate you! And I'll never forgive you for killing my daughter." Baffah smiled, finally the truth has revealed itself and there wouldn't be a better time for everything to unfold like today. "Fareeda calmed down, okay? I've told you yesterday that no matter what, the truth will reveal itself at the end. Muhaseen is gone forever, but the truth will stay forever as well." She only cried on Alhaji's laps, she wanted nothing apart from her to leave this country that suffocated her. Baffah turned to Mujaheed that couldn't even move a limb, since when Alhaji started telling his story he sat there rooted and frozen and when he heard the truth about Muhaseen, he wanted to bring his heart out and have it cool off, maybe the pain will lessen, the hurt the lacerating pain will subside. "Your Majesty, I have a surprise for you, I know I've always hid the truth from you but today everything will be out. I had to hide things away from you, but today will be the final day." Baffah smiled, flashed Kawu Sadam a knowing look before he called out to the guards, "Please ask him to come in, no time will be better than now." They all had their eyes fixed on the door and when they saw the rigid figure of the late king of Yaounde, they all stood up and Baffah helped him sat on the chair, bowed to send his greetings before he sat back. Mujaheed was seeing everything as a movie, because he knew certainly there's no way this will happen in reality. All this is a reality, none of this is true. He was having a nightmare and it was hight time he woke up. Baffah cleared his voice when he saw the terrified look on Kawu Sadam's face. "I know you all are shocked, but his highness will tell us everything himself." Daada turned to Mujaheed and smiled at him, "I know you're shocked, but this is the truth, Mujaheed, I'm alive. The reason why I did this was because one day Sadam came to visit me and he thought I was asleep, I overheard him speaking with the doctor that comes weekly to check up on me that it's high time they kill me and he wants me to have a very silent death. I heard him saying that he should use the poison your mother ate, because it's the fastest. And even though he tried to kill you that time but you escaped, he will find another way after I die. "So I spoke to Baffah about it and arranged for my death before his death. We got a doctor that injected me so that my whole system will stop for some hours and that's the reason why Baffah told you I wanted to be buried somewhere else, he took me out and sent me abroad for my medication and Alhamdulillah I'm back. Baffah told me the reason you left home was because you overheard Mairamou's conversation with her mother saying that either ways, you'd be killed. If you accept to get married to Mairamou, she'll have to poison you. And if you don't, they will still kill you no matter what. Because without you, if I also die, everyone in the palace will forget about the will of our father and Sadam will be given the truth. "I had to fake my death because I don't want you to be a coward ever again, Mujaheed. I want you to be facing your problems. If you had told me that time, we would've solved the problem. You shouldn't have run away to save your life, because the moment you choose to run away from your problems, you'd always come back to them and by then, the chance of having them figured out will be so slim. Baffah has to accept your marriage with Mairamou because over there, my brother threatened him to have me killed if he didn't. I hope you're man enough today to sentence each and every one of them with the appropriate punishment they deserve?" Mujaheed felt tears rolling down his cheeks, all this was too much for his heart. The revelation, the truth about everything unfolding, Fareeda wanting to leave, he couldn't take everything but he knew for this moment, he had to act strong. "I'll sentence them, Daada. Thank you for teaching me about strength the hardest way I'll ever learn it." They all watched as he called the guards and sentenced his uncle to be killed because he had killed his mother and that was the punishment even in Islam. For Yapendo Maimuna and Fareeda's mother to be kept in prison forever because they were the brains behind everything and they killed his Muhaseen. Mairamou should stay in the prison for five years and after that, she will have to leave Yaounde and never come back again. He palmed his face and cried bitterly after they had all been taken out. He wanted to go and hug Daada, but he knew his legs wouldn't carry him. He wanted to have the liver to ask for Fareeda's forgiveness and ask her not to leave, but deep down, Mujaheed knew for a fact that after her mother, she hated no one like she hated him. And no matter how much he loved her and wanted her to stay together with him, he knew he had to let her go, at least for now.