Yes, love conquers all

Asabe could barely hide her irritation when she moved aside to let Mariya out of my house. Her brief ‘Assalamu alaikum,’ and handshake to my outgoing guest say a lot about what she feels about her.

‘Go straight in, I will soon be with you.’ I said to Asabe as I continued to walk Mariya to her car. I soon bade her farewell and walked back into the house.

‘What was that antagonism for?’ I asked her the moment I joined on the settee. ‘I mean you were so cold towards Mariya, your feelings were palpable.’

‘I’m sorry I allowed it to show. It’s just that I can’t be a hypocrite.’ Asabe replied. ‘And how can you be a hypocrite just because you were nice to others?’ I demanded. ‘Look we had a heated argument about her marital status the last time we met. I see no reason to pretend it didn’t happen.’ Asabe replied smugly.

‘She is a poor widow for goodness sake. Why would her marital status cause a friction between you?’ I enquired.

‘Poor widow indeed! Let me tell you something, that lady is wealthier than you and I and more than ten other friends of ours combined.’ Asabe shot back. ‘I know that she inherited quite some wealth from her late husband but that still doesn’t make her any less a widow. To me it is her bereaved situation rather than her financial status that is important.’ I explained.

‘Yes and that’s precisely the reason we had our quarrel.’ Asabe answered, mysteriously.

‘I am not following you?’ I said, confused.

‘You know we live almost directly opposite each other. When since she finished observing her mourning period I began to see beautiful cars going in and out of her house with guests. Knowing that she inherited a lot of money and a company, I wondered whether she was planning to continue her husband’s business from home. I was curious but never set out to ask her until the day she dropped by to greet me. I mentioned what I observed and said I was glad she had decided to run her husband’s business empire from home. To my surprise she said the big shots being driven in and out of her house were not business partners, they were suitors. Suitors? I asked in shock. ‘Then why don’t you just pick one of them and send the rest packing?’

‘Honestly I am not interested in any of them. In fact half the time I think they are all there because of my inheritance. I would rather settle for someone who will love me for me, not for what I own.’ She explained.

‘I’m not surprised you are not interested right now, it’s too soon after your husband’s death. Give yourself a little more time, send everyone packing and avoid all suitors till after the first anniversary of his death. By then you would have got used to life without him and you may be able to see your suitors in better light.’

I advised. She agreed with me and reported to me that she had told everyone she needed more time so they have stopped coming. And indeed I noticed that they had. Months later I went in for a chat and she said to me she had met someone she really thought she could settle for. He was a widower with two children and she reeled out a list of his virtues, humble, honest religious etc but there was just one problem. ‘What is the problem?’ I asked. ‘Well, he is a poor civil servant.’ Mariya replied.

‘And you think he is after your money too?’ I asked.

‘No, well that’s a factor but it isn’t the main one. The main problem is our social status, he is way down below and I just won’t be able to explain why I choose him. I mean we are so different.’ She observed. ‘Explain to who?’ I queried. ‘To parents, friend and relations. Everyone will be wondering why him; and I don’t know how to convince them he seems genuine and sincere. He didn’t know who I was when we met and had no idea I was a rich widow.

So now I just don’t know what to do.’ And I advised her to set aside a month and seriously pray to Almighty Allah for guidance on the issue; to observe the man well, in case he will display any trait that he is trying to hide and then to have the courage to announce that she has chosen him once she feels in her heart that she was the right one.

Mariya welcomed the idea and thanked me for it. A month later, I went to her house to ask how things were. She said to me she had started the prayers but abandoned them after a few days because she just couldn’t face the world and say she had decided to settle for such an ordinary man, even though she likes him. So I asked whether she be falling back on the wealthy guys, whose status is close enough to hers? No, she replied ‘You know those ones aren’t trustworthy. They are very likely after my inheritance.’

At this point I lost my cool and called her a moral coward. I told her she was deceiving herself if she thought with her wealth and beauty she will find a man who loved her solely for herself. The important thing, I advised, was for her to find a person she liked and could tolerate, like her poor civil servant, and then wish for the best.

Apparently she wasn’t happy with my outburst, so she said she wasn’t a moral coward and that if I was considerate enough to put myself in her place I will realize that she was in a tough situation. I repeated my stand that her problem was moral cowardice since she was unable to decide what was best for her and her only son because she was obsessed with what the world would say. After that I left her house and never visited again in the last three months. She also never visited nor call me. We met for the first time today, in your house, since that incident.’ Asabe concluded.

‘I see, well what you said was true even though you were a bit hard on her by calling her a moral coward. I hope she will think things over and decide what was best for her. If she really loves that poor civil servant, she will soon choose him because love conquers, all they say.’ I opined.

‘Personally I don’t think Mariya is capable of loving anyone. I believe right now she is only in love with her inheritance.’ Asabe asserted. And just then my phone began to ring. I picked it up and saw it was Mariya. Did she forget something here, I wondered.

‘Hello,’ she said as soon as I picked the phone. ‘I forgot to tell you the reason I was at your house. I came to inform you that I will be getting married in two weeks in sha Allah. It’s not someone you know, he’s a civil servant I met less than six months ago.’ She declared.

‘Ma sha Allah, congratulations Mariya. May Almighty Allah bless your union and enable us to witness the day, amin.’ After I put down the phone, I looked at Asabe and said simply ‘Well, love did conquer all.

She is marrying your candidate.’