EPISODE THIRTY -THREE
DAY BREAK 6:23am
Abdulsalam and Abdulhakeem enter Abdulrahman’s gate, gisting and chatting. As they climb a few steps to reach the door, they notice someone curled up on his knees, sleeping outside.]
Abdulsalam: (taps him) Who is that?
Abdulhakeem: Wait, is that their new gateman? (Looks closer) This skin doesn’t look like someone who has fetched water before, talk less of touching a gate. Hey!
M.K: (raises his head sadly)
Abdulsalam & Abdulhakeem: (startled) You! What?
Abdulsalam: What are you doing here? Are you lost or something?
Abdulhakeem: Abi my eye dey pain me ni?
M.K: (gets up and dusts himself) I'm the one, bro.
Abdulsalam: I wonder! I was thinking about the kind of guest bro must have had when I saw that huge jeep parked outside. So it’s you...
M.K: Actually, I was waiting for you.
Abdulhakeem: (knocks at the door) Abu Fatimah, please come out! Bro Abdulrahman!
Abdulsalam: What exactly brought you here?
M.K: To ask for your forgiveness.
Abdulhakeem: We never said you offended us, and we are in no position to forgive because we are all sinners. So just go straight to the point.
Abdulrahman: (comes out) As-salamu alaikum, brothers. Now I'm glad you see him too. Can you believe he spent the night out here?
Abdulsalam & Abdulhakeem: (glance at each other) He what?
Abdulrahman: You heard me right. That’s why I called you over so early in the morning. I don’t know what else to do with him.
Abdulsalam: What exactly does he want?
Abdulrahman: He wants to have Hazeemah back.
(Abdulhakeem and Abdulsalam burst into laughter in unison.)
Abdulhakeem: He’s kidding, right? After that confidence of his the other day when we went to his house, I’m sure he was so done with her.
Abdulsalam: Absolutely.
M.K: No, that’s not true. I know I have wronged all of you, but I have learned my lesson. I left her all alone at home just to make it up to the three of you by asking for your blessings again. Please.
Abdulsalam: Wait, she already left? Without telling us?
Abdulhakeem: This couldn’t get any more interesting, could it?
Abdulrahman: (sighs) Look, M.K. Based on what I said last night, I never expected you to spend the night here, but you can’t use that to impress us. All I want is for you two to be happy and have a blessed marriage. Nothing brings me more joy than that. Just make sure you never make decisions hastily because you are upset at the moment. The next time I hear any complaints from either of you again... we might land ourselves at the soldiers' den.
M.K: (signs with relief) I promise you won’t regret this. Thank you so much.
Abdulrahman: You can come in and pack her things. (Returns inside)
M.K: (happily) Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!
Abdulhakeem: (takes a deep breath) Since our brother is pleased with you, then we are pleased with you too. My warning is: lead right! If you can’t lead right, you will surely lose your home. Ma as-salam. (Enters the house) As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah, Ummu Fatimah.
M.K: (full of joy) Jazakumullahu khairan, sir.
Abdulsalam: My brothers might have forgiven you, but I’m still mad at you. (Furiously opens the door and enters the house.)
M.K: (lowers his head sadly) Well... I can still try better next time.
*******************************
few hours later.]
(Hazeemah enters the compound and sees her husband offloading bags with the security guard.)
Hazeemah: There you are! You got me so worried... Didn’t you see my calls?
M.K: (drops the bags and embraces her) Good morning, my queen. (Kisses her forehead) How was your night? I was so worried about you and our child. (Rubs her stomach) But I had to do what was right first. I messed everything up, so I needed to try to fix it.
Hazeemah: This isn’t all your fault either... But there’s something I need to discuss with you. In fact, I want us to talk.
M.K: I’ll join you soon. Let me just unpack your boxes, okay?
Hazeemah: Let the man do his job. Please come in, you must be exhausted. (Holds his hand and leads him inside.) So tell me, why did you sleep outside? What happened?
M.K.: Hmm, nothing much. In fact, your brothers were so accommodating. Your mom also gave her blessings, and I promise they will never hear complaints from us again.
Hazeemah: Is that so?
M.K.: Yeah... So tell me, how do you feel today?
Hazeemah: I feel happier than ever, Alhamdulillah. (Gets seated and pulls him to sit beside her.) You don’t look so good, babe... Look at your beard, all dry and rough.
M.K.: (goes straight to the point) There’s something I need to assure you, Hazeemah.
Hazeemah: There’s something I want to say too.
M.K.: Let me take the lead, please. I’ve been practicing this ever since you left my life...
Hazeemah: You know I brought up this discussion, in fact, I dragged you here so we could talk.
M.K.: (sighs) Alright... Ladies first. But I’m just eager to spit it out... It’s okay, I’m listening.
Hazeemah: (giggles) Thanks, babe...
I want to start by saying Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin for being among the living and for every trial and hardship in life. Surely, after every hardship comes ease. Whatever happened between us in the past few months was definitely the work of Shaytan, and too bad we almost let him succeed. But by the mercy of Allah, here we are now—feeling sorry for our stupid and selfish acts without considering each other’s feelings. (Holds his hand tightly.)
Baby, I was wrong. I didn’t know what I was thinking. I should have considered your feelings. I thought I was being submissive, but it wasn’t enough. I let my dreams almost take half of my Deen away. I was scared when I signed that paper—I thought that was the end.
I want to assure you that from now on, I will do as you say, and I will always respect your perspective. I will never go against your decisions because you are the head, and you are my crown. I have no right to say otherwise.
Which is why I’m here to say: I, Hazeemah, will let you decide my career and dreams from now on because I know you will never let me go astray. I am all yours—yours until Jannah. I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you, and I promise to give you as many children as your heart desires so you can finally build the family of your dreams.
I love you, Abdulmalik. (Emotional)
M.K.: Wow! (Flabbergasted) Masha Allah...
Hazeemah: (chuckles) Now my heart feels relieved and at ease...
M.K.: Uhmm... I’m speechless and blown away. I love you more than words can describe. Too bad we could only realize that after our short separation.
I was so devastated. I was filled with so much depression and anxiety. I couldn’t even imagine how I could continue to survive without you. Your absence almost killed me—more than my childhood trauma. I guess my biggest fear is losing you, Hazeemah.
I am so excited and filled with joy hearing you say all of that, but I can’t be selfish, Hazeemah. Just like I have achieved my dreams, you have every right to chase yours. And I promise that from today, I will support whatever decisions you make about your career because I know you will never make irrational choices like I did.
I want to be there to support you. You know what they say: behind every successful man, there is a woman—either his mother or his wife. But I say, behind every successful woman, there is a man—either her father or her husband. And I want that credit too.
You are a strong and fearless woman. I never told you this, but your commitment to your career—while never letting it take away from your religion—is what attracted me to you from the first day.
So, I don’t want to be selfish. I don’t want you to give up your dreams just because you married me. We will chase them together.
I want my kids to see that we made it together. I want to serve as a role model for them. Whatever I lacked from my father, I never want my children to lack it.
I know you’re not comfortable with your current job, so I’ve been searching for the right one that pays well and offers you comfort in this country. I promise I will get it for you. I know you will still take care of everything at home, so to make your work easier, I have hired five cleaners to help out. That way, we can focus on raising our kids and eating healthy meals.
I won’t just change—I have already changed for the better. So please, Hazeemah, nothing matters to me right now more than your happiness.
Hazeemah: (unable to hold back her emotions, suddenly breaks down in tears)
M.K.: You don’t have to cry. I already told you—I’m a changed person. Please, you know the state you are in. (Wipes her tears)
Hazeemah: (takes his hands and begins bombarding them with kisses) Thank you... Only Allah can repay you for this. May Allah continue to bless you.
Abdulmalik, you will succeed in this Dunya and Akhirah. You will eat the fruits of your labor. For making me happy, Allah will make you even happier. Jannah will be your final abode...
M.K.: Amin!!!!! (Smiles and sighs heavily) Now I feel much better too. So what should we do next?
Hazeemah: I already made breakfast—your favorite.
M.K.: Thank you...
Hazeemah: Uhm, I would like to take you somewhere next week, insha’Allah.
M.K.: Where’s that?
Hazeemah: You’ll find out when we get there—it’s a surprise. But for now, let’s enjoy the moment.
M.K.: I better go take a shower—I stink. (Gets up and climbs the stairs.)
Hazeemah: You still haven’t tell me where you slept last night.
M.K.: I better not, babe... I better not.
************************************
Few days after
At Mrs. Shola's Mansion
Barrister Charles: I'm grateful for this gathering today, finally bringing us together to discuss the inheritance of Chief Aregbeshola Olowolayemo. He was a great man, ambitious and determined, ensuring that he achieved all his dreams before his passing. Having children who are not desperate over their father's wealth is rare. In fact, I had to be the one persuading you to claim what is rightfully yours.
I have worked for your father for the past thirty-one years, and I never once regretted it. Before I proceed with reading the will, Mr. M.K. Aregbeshola?
M.K.: Yes, sir?
(Mrs. Shola shoots M.K. a furious glance.)
M.K. (noticing her reaction, thinks to himself): Why won't she stop being mad at me? If only she knew that my wife and I are back together, maybe she'd put aside all this frowning.
Barrister Charles: Your father wanted me to play a video for you, revealing certain mysteries behind your troubled childhood. He hoped you would find it in your heart to forgive him and move on. (Signals to his assistant, who plays the video on an iPad and hands it to M.K. and Shola.)
(M.K. and Shola watch in shock as their late father's image appears on the screen.)
Late Chief Aregbeshola's Speech:
"Hello, my son and daughter. If you're watching this, it means I have finally joined my ancestors. I want you both to know how much I missed you, and how deeply sorry I am, especially for the lack of a father-son bond between M.K. and me. It has weighed on my heart.
I know I wasn’t the best father. I can only hope you will strive to ensure your own children never experience such neglect.
Your mother, my beloved wife—the only woman I ever truly loved, the one I would have done anything to protect—was taken from me too soon. The pain of losing her was unbearable, and I have forever remembered her with sorrow. Seeing you, M.K., always reminded me of that pain.
When your mother and I got married forty-eight years ago, we struggled to conceive. For seven long years, we waited, and then finally, we had you, Adeshola—my first child. You brought us immense joy, but as time passed and we struggled to conceive again, we accepted our fate and adopted a son, Mubarak Aregbeshola, five years after you were born.
Then, miraculously, two years later, your mother became pregnant again without realizing it. When we discovered it five months in, it was the greatest news of my life. After all the years of closed doors, another had opened. And then, M.K., you arrived.
We celebrated your birth for weeks, beyond grateful for this unexpected blessing. I thought I loved you more than anything—until I realized your mother loved you even more. She overpampered you, so much so that your siblings began feeling neglected. I warned her, but she dismissed my concerns, insisting that you were her only son, her miracle.
M.K., when I say she spoiled you, it was beyond reason. You attended the most expensive school in Lagos. Your mother personally dropped you off and picked you up every day, ensuring that you never shed a tear. But then, the worst day of my life arrived.
One afternoon, your mother came to pick you up from school and found you in tears for the first time. She panicked, demanding answers. She discovered that you had pushed a classmate down the stairs, breaking his arm. When the teachers scolded you, you ran off crying. Rather than accepting that you were wrong, your mother defended you. You kept running—out of the school, onto the expressway. She chased after you, calling your name, but you wouldn’t stop.
Then, in the blink of an eye, she threw herself in front of an oncoming bus to save you.
(M.K. and Shola gasp in horror.)
That day was the worst of my life. She pushed you to safety and took the impact herself. As she lay in a pool of blood, you continued crying—not for her, but for the minor bruise you sustained.
Before she could be rushed to the hospital, she had lost too much blood. She didn’t make it.
From that moment, I saw you as the reason I lost my wife. I was consumed by rage. I locked you in a room for months, making sure you ate but never allowing you out. I punished you mercilessly, thinking I could force the demon of recklessness out of you. But every time I looked at you, I saw her death. The hatred grew.
So, when you turned seven, I made the only decision that gave me peace—I sent you abroad, far away from me. I couldn’t stand to look at you anymore.
But it wasn’t your fault, M.K. It was your mother’s. She loved you too much, shielded you too much, and in the end, she gave her life for you. I should have seen that it wasn’t you to blame. I should have been a father to you, but I let my grief turn me into a monster. I am so sorry, M.K.
And Adeshola, I am sorry for failing you, too. I hope you both can forgive me."
(The video ends.)
(Silence fills the room. M.K. and Shola sit frozen, absorbing the shocking revelation. M.K. blinks rapidly, his hands trembling. Mrs. Shola wipes silent tears, her lips pressed together.)
Mrs. Shola: (softly) I never knew… I thought he was just cold and harsh. But now, I understand.
M.K.: (breathing heavily, voice breaking) I… I don’t know what to feel. I hated him all my life, but now… now I just feel empty.
(Barrister Charles watches them solemnly, allowing them to process the moment.)
Barrister Charles: Your father left this message, hoping that you would find it in your hearts to let go of the past and move forward. He carried this burden until his last breath. It is now up to you both.
(A long silence follows.)
M.K: (soaked with tears, unable to close his mouth, his body shaking)
Mrs. Shola: (jaw drops) What did we just watch?
Barrister Charles: I guess that’s the end of the video. Now, back to the reading of the will.
M.K: (gets up in shock, walking out of the house as tears stream down his face)
Mrs. Shola: (furiously seated, wiping her own tears) Please carry on. I will deliver the message.
Barrister Charles: (opens an envelope and begins reading)
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF CHIEF AREGBESHOLA
I, Chief Aregbeshola, being of sound mind and disposing memory, do hereby declare this to be my Last Will and Testament.
I appoint my trusted friend, Barrister Charles, as the Executor of my estate.
I give, devise, and bequeath my property as follows:
Article I: Abdul Malik Aregbeshola (50%)
Two estates in Lekki and Ikeja, Lagos
Three companies: Moras International, Moras Car Dealers, and M&S Company
Fifty hectares of land in Surulere, Lagos
Article II: Adeshola Aregbeshola (40%)
Two houses in Alaba International, Lagos
One company: M&R Company
Fifty hectares of land in Ikorodu, Lagos
Article III: Mubarak Aregbeshola (10%)
Twenty hectares of land in Gwagwalada, Abuja
Mureks Company in Abuja
Ten cars
I declare that this Will revokes all prior Wills and Codicils and that it is my final and only Will.
Signature of Chief Aregbeshola
*********************************************
It took a few weeks for M.K. to recover from his past traumas, filled with regret over his actions. He wished he could go back in time and set things right with both parents. Mrs. Shola finally visited him to console him, convincing him to move on. She was also happy about the reunion between M.K. and Hazeemah.
**********************"**"*******************
A MONTH LATER
(Hazeemah holds her husband’s hand as they step out of the car. He is blindfolded.)
Hazeemah: Take it easy, baby. Don’t fall o! You know I don’t have the strength to lift you.
M.K.: It’s alright. I won’t fall.
(Hazeemah signals the security guards to open the gate as they enter.)
Hazeemah: You can take it off now.
M.K.: (gently removes the blindfold and is stunned) Where are we?
Hazeemah: I present to you... H&M Properties.
M.K.: I still don’t get it.
Hazeemah: Babe, come on…
(Abdullahi appears from nowhere.)
Abdullahi: Good afternoon, sir.
M.K.: Afternoon. What are you doing here?
Abdullahi: Actually, sir, this company you’re looking at right now belongs to your wife. She is the latest CEO of H&M Company. Yes, it’s a small building for now, but we start from somewhere. So, congratulations, sir!
M.K.: (stares at Hazeemah in disbelief) Are you serious? Is this for real?
Hazeemah: (nods happily) Yes, baby. Yes! This is what I’ve been busy with for almost a year, with Mallam Abdullahi helping me through the entire process. I hope you like it.
M.K.: Hazeemah, you take my breath away every single day. How… How did you do this? You’re more capable than I ever imagined. I am so proud of you! (Gives her a warm hug) You should have told me. I would have made it so much easier for you.
Hazeemah: It’s a surprise, remember? I just had to test my capabilities. Alhamdulillah, and thanks to you as well. You are a good man, baby, and I love you so much.
M.K.: (grabs her waist and kisses her forehead) You are precious. Now, my wife is a CEO! No more saying ‘Yes, sir’ under anybody. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Now, you will create employment opportunities and have freedom of time for yourself. Aww, you are an intelligent woman indeed. Come here! (Begins to kiss her.)
Abdullahi: Oga, take it easy oo! (Excuses himself and returns to the building.)
THE END
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