Rainbow
The chairs were arranged in a half-moon in the cosy living room. Four women sat in them, each silent and engrossed in thought. The rhythmic patter of raindrops against the windows and the semi-dark room, courtesy of the overcast sky, created a soothing ambience. The women each cradled a cup of tea to chase away the chill.
They had not bothered to switch on the lights and the silence was only disturbed by the occasional crack of thunder or splash of water as motorists moved through puddles in the street below.
Despite the cosy atmosphere, there was an underlying tension in the room; like a string stretched taut, ready to snap.
*******
The woman in the middle, Maryam, was the first to break the silence. With a deep sigh, she leaned forward and stabbed a ball of puff-puff from the plate on the centre table.
“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” she said. “Abdullah just won’t listen. I tell him something important and it’s like he’s on another planet!” Her frustration was obvious. “You guys know how I solved the robbery case on my own, abi? He didn’t even remember when I tried to remind him. I’m like: Ogbeni at least make an effort! What if it had been something more serious than our neighbour’s thieving twelve-year-old? I am contemplating not informing him about this afternoon o, because I doubt he’ll care, you know?” Maryam looked at the others for support while popping another puff-puff ball into her mouth. She also grabbed several pieces of chin-chin and began throwing them in her mouth one by one, all this while keeping the forlorn expression on her face. The others often marvelled at Maryam’s habit of ‘distress eating’. It didn’t matter if she was angry/sick/worried, Maryam always had an appetite for food. And given she had just received unpleasant news from her gynaecologist, it was a wonder she could still eat.
“Hmm, I feel your pain sis,” Nadiah agreed, nodding. She was seated to Maryam’s left. “Hakeem doesn’t even talk to me nor look my way anymore. Every day it’s the same. He goes to work, comes home and it’s straight to his computer.” She smiled ruefully when the other ladies exclaimed. “I didn’t reach the desired weight goal last month and he accused me of ‘cheating’. Can you imagine?”
Nadia sipped her green tea while gazing longingly at the small chops spread on the table. Being on a specialised diet forced upon her by her nutritionist husband restricted Nadiah’s food choices. This meant she couldn’t get a taste of the (to quote her husband) ‘overly sugary and bad cholesterol-filled monstrosities’ currently on display. Nadiah wasn’t fat per se, however, she had gained weight in the past year, courtesy of her pregnancy and nursing their baby. Her husband had raised concerns during pregnancy, and his complaints worsened until childbirth and after, culminating in the rigorous diet he forced her to follow. Once, he’d ‘caught’ her eating ‘junk’ at a wedding ceremony and proceeded to humiliate her in front of everyone by calling her an ‘a mindless, overstuffed buffalo’, then dragged her home. It didn’t matter to him that she probably needed the extra because she’d carried a baby and was currently breastfeeding. All he cared about was how strictly she stuck to his precious diet regimen.
The woman at Maryam’s right, Fatima, stirred her tea absent-mindedly, a faraway look in her eyes. She cut a picture of calm and poise, yet her next words caused a collective gasp from the group. “Well at least you two get to see your husbands,” she began tonelessly. “Salman is always travelling for work. Half the time, I don’t even know what state he’s in or country for that matter. I’ve begged and pleaded but he flares up and asks how I expect the family to survive if he doesn’t work. We’re drifting apart and I don’t know how to stop it.” Fatima choked on the last word and then promptly burst into tears. Everyone crowded around her to offer what comfort they could.
“It’s okay doll,” Maryam cooed.
Nadiah gently stroked Fatima’s back. “Let it all out sweetie. You’ll feel better; trust me I know.”
The last woman in the group, Iqra, was crouched in front of her sister. She took Fatima’s hands in hers, wishing she could make the problems go away. Iqra was only one woman though, and there was only so much she could do.
******
“What about you Iqra?” Maryam asked suddenly, eyeing Iqra suspiciously. “You haven’t said anything at all.”
At Maryam’s question, Nadiah perked up. Even Fatima raised tear-filled eyes at her.
A frisson of apprehension travelled down Iqra’s spine. She almost shrank back from the weight of their expectant stares. It seemed as if they wanted her to say something. To share her sad marriage story and prove that she was one of them. Misery loves company, it is said. In a way, Iqra understood her friends & sister. She truly did. Sure Iqra’s marriage had minor issues, once in a while, but she and Hamzah had always managed to patch things up eventually.
Did that mean she had a good marriage?
No matter. Iqra had nothing to add to the pile of misery, short of inventing something to satisfy them so she decided to toe the middle ground. Bracing herself, she scoffed and said:
“Of course. These men ehn they are the worst. So clueless.”
Iqra peered discreetly at her friends and sister and it seemed like the tension in the room had lessened. She caught a subtle sigh of relief, saw narrowed eyes returning to normal, and one rigid posture relaxed. Maybe she’d imagined it.
Perhaps she hadn’t.
What mattered was she hadn’t crossed a line. She rose and walked over to the window, tracking the path of raindrops sliding down the glass pane. The rain had abated, with only slight drizzles falling. Beyond, Iqra spied an arch of colours in the sky. Red, yellow, violet and the rest. A rainbow after the storm. The sun itself was peeking out from behind the clouds too.
“Girls, come and see this. When last did you see a rainbow?”
The ladies joined Iqra at the window, oohing and aahing at the beauty on the horizon. The mood in the room had certainly lifted, and the conversation had taken a livelier turn. She placed her head on Fatima’s shoulder, content to listen to their animated chatter. Nadiah was currently regaling them with an amusing childhood account of the first time she saw a rainbow.
In that moment Iqra knew, by Allah’s will that they would all be fine. The issues were nothing proper communication or wise familial intervention could not solve. They had hope, and their faith in Allah. He would surely guide them to the right path.
© 2024
Hafsah bint Nurein