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Behind A Smile 127
"End stage renal disease is a severe, irreversible condition where the kidneys have completely stopped functioning." Zynah couldn't believe her ears. A tear slipped out of her eyes without her even knowing. "What...what do you mean by end...end stage?" she stammered. "It's the last stage of kidney failure," the doctor explained further. "If this condition had been detected earlier, medications may have slowed down the progression. Unfortunately, we've reached the final stage." Zynah's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Are you saying he is not going to get better now? Is there no hope?" "Of course not," The doctor shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying. His life can be prolonged if he is put on dialysis or preferably, undergoes a kidney transplant. I have had this discussion with him before, and the transplant needs to be done as soon as possible." "Kidney transplant?" She asked, swallowing a lump that suddenly formed in her throat. She couldn't help but remember
Behind A Smile 128
Bilal pulled over in front of the house and alighted from the car. He opened the backdoor and carefully carried a sleeping Adnan out of the car and into the house. Zynah couldn't bring herself to get out of the car. Her mind kept drifting back to what the doctor had told her. How was it possible to find a donor so urgently? Had she not donated her kidney to her son before, she would have offered hers without hesitation. She would have done it in a heartbeat. After all, he was still the father of her only child. After some minutes of being alone with her thoughts, she alighted from the car and walked into the house. She met Bilal lying on the couch with one of his arms wrapped around his stomach. She rushed towards him and crouched in front of the couch. "Are you feeling pains in your stomach? Let's go back to the hospital," she urged, her voice laced with concern. He tried to mask his suffering with a weak smile. "It's nothing to worry about...I...I will be fine." Zynah
Behind A Smile 129
"Bilal...Bilal has end stage renal disease and it's pretty bad," Zynah said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "His father also disowned him, because he refused to divorce me. He has no one, but Adnan now," her voice broke and her tears finally spilled over. "I don't want to take the only person he has left away from him. At least not while the time we agreed upon hasn't elapsed yet. I need to be here to support him through his treatment. I'm not doing this for any other reason, but for my son. I don't want him to lose his father. Please understand me, Dad," she sniffled a sob. "If you still want me to leave after everything I have said, then it's okay, I'll go with you," She turned around and began to walk away. "Zynah," Mr. Aliyu called, his voice softening. "Wait." She halted in her tracks, but didn't turn around. "Fine," he heaved a sigh. "You can stay, but as soon as the three month elapses, I don't want to hear any more excuses, okay? It's not your responsibility
Behind A Smile 130
A week passed by in what seemed like a blink of an eye. Dr. Muslim had invited his parents over and the date of the wedding had been fixed to take place in the next four months. Without a doubt, Ramlah was excited for her upcoming wedding, but she couldn't help, but feel sad for her sister. In two months, all ties with Bilal would be severed. She would finally regain her freedom. But she couldn't imagine what would become of Zynah then. She would be all alone again. Would she consider getting married to someone else? Would she give love a another chance? Ramlah knew the answer was a big no. They had talked about it before and Zynah bluntly told her that she would never remarry. Ramlah was still lost in her thoughts, when her phone began to ring. She snapped out of her trance, and picked it up. A small smile curled up her lips when she saw the caller ID. "Speak of the devil!" she mumbled before receiving the call. "As salam alaikum, sis!" "Wa 'alaykum salam, Ramlah," Zynah r
Behind A Smile 131
Immediately the doorbell rang, Zynah was already there to get the door. With a warm smile, she welcomed Ramlah. "Thank you so much for coming. Please come in," she ushered Ramlah into the living room. Zynah disappeared into the kitchen to get Ramlah a glass of water. She returned shortly after and served it to her. "I'm sorry for making you cancel your plans," she apologized, her voice filled with genuine regret. "I hope he's not angry." Ramlah shook her head. "It's fine. Really," she assured Zynah. "He understood when I explained to him. By the way, where is my baby Adnan?" "His father took him out," Zynah replied. A flicker of concern passed over Ramlah's face. "Oh! Just the two of them?" "Yes," Zynah confirmed, gazing sagaciously at her. "Is there a problem with that?" Ramlah but her lower lip, her gaze darting away. "I'm just worried he might...you know? Try to take him away." "Be rest assured he will do no such thing," Zynah's reply was almost immediate.
Behind A Smile 132
"What have I done! What have I done!" Zaahida panicked, her breaths emerging in ragged pants, and her whole body trembled visibly. Her heart thumped harder against her chest at the sight of blood splattered all over her windshield.• For some inexplicable reason, Zynah suddenly felt uneasy. The pandemonium outside only made the feeling worse. She dashed out of the house, and her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her. "Adnan!" She screamed. "Adnaaaaaaan!" She screamed even louder. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She shook her head in denial. It couldn't be what she was thinking. "Zynah!" Bilal rushed to her aid just before her legs could give out. "Ad...Adnan.. Bilal, our son," She stuttered, tears brimming up in her eyes, as she pointed to the scene in front of her. "Zynah," Bilal called, tapping her cheek lightly with the sole aim of bringing her back to reality. "Put yourself together! Look over there, Adnan is safe. Our son is alright." With glossy e
Behind A Smile 133
"You said you wanted to be alone, didn't you?" Zynah rolled her eyes. "Let go of me, please. I don't want to do this with you in front of Adnan." "Zynah..." His voice trailed. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you. I...I didn't mean what I said. I always want you to be wherever I am. You know this. I need you always. I'm just..." he heaved a deep sigh. "I'm so worried for Nazmeera. I don't want her to die, Zynah." Zynah turned around and her lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. "I understand... I just didn't expect you to snap at me like that. I wouldn't have even be here with you if I didn't care. I also want her to be alright." Bilal nodded in agreement. "Thank you so much, Zynah." His gaze then darted to Adnan. He crouched down in front of him and cupped his face, his fingers caressing his cheeks affectionately. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" He nodded, showing him his bandaged elbow and bruised knee. Bilal cringed. "Does it hurt a lot? show me." "Yes,"
Behind A Smile 134
"So he's coming back?" Bilal asked, ignoring her question deliberately. "Yes," Zynah replied, unperturbed. "He just called to inform me." "I didn't know that you still keep in touch with him," he said, leaning against the counter. "You must be very happy that he's returning." Zynah gazed incredulously at him. His words were accusatory. "I do talk to him. Sometimes," She added the last part to make the issue seem less complicated. "You must be happy he is returning," He repeated, meeting her gaze. "He is the reason you want to be divorced, right?" Zynah heaved a deep sigh. "To be honest with you, I don't know how to reply this." It was obvious Bilal wanted to argue again but she was not in the mood for a fight. "There's nothing between the both of us. I..." She trailed off, heaving another sigh. "Can we please not talk about this now?" "Fine then," He shrugged. "Where's Adnan?" "I guess he is in his room." She responded. Then, she remembered Nazmeera. "How...how is
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