Free What We Learned Along the Way by Nadirah Angail Page B

say.”
    “Unless mama can find me someone who is
already as successful as daddy, or maybe a rich doctor like Adam, I
don’t think she should be saying too much of anything,” Malikah
said before heading to the shower.
    Just then, Kalimah’s phone rang. She could
tell from the ringer that it was Adam. She didn’t answer. It rang
again, and again she didn’t answer. On the third time, she answered
it, but not before closing the bedroom door.
    “Yes,” she said coldly.
    “Baby, when are you coming home? I miss you,”
Adam said.
    “I don’t know, but it won’t be tonight. And
don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone. I told them you had a week-long
research conference to go to.”
    “You’re not going to be gone all week,
Kalimah. I want you home tomorrow!” This time he sounded angry.
“You are my wife, and you will do as I say!” he yelled.
    “Why do you have to act like this, Adam?” she
yelled back. The tears made it hard for her to talk.
    “You’re right, baby. I’m sorry.” His voice
was calm again. “You just make me so angry sometimes. Come home,
honey. I’ll make it up to you. I promise. Just come, baby. Come
home.”
    “I don’t know, Adam. I want to come home. I
want to be with you, but I can’t…” Adam cut her off before she
could finish her sentence.
    “But nothing, baby. You said you want to be
with me, so be with me. Come home. I’m miserable without you.”
Kalimah couldn’t resist her husband, especially when he apologized
like that. Adam was a smoother talker, the type that could rob you
at gun point and then offer such a convincing apology that you’d
start to feel bad for not wanting him to rob you. He was that
charming. Kalimah went home the next morning.
    Malikah spent nearly every second of the next
month with Isaiah. She felt like she was cramming years of missed
dates into a few weeks. They went to the movies. They went to
restaurants. They went to parties. They went on picnics. Isaiah was
the best thing that had ever happened to her.
    “Thank you so much,” she told Mariam one day
at lunch. “I think Isaiah is the one. I feel like we were made for
each other,” she said with a smile.
    I know the feeling. I feel the same way about
Langston,” Aliya added. “I wasn’t sure at first when he told me
about Harlem, but she’s a sweet child and I can’t hold her against
him.”
    “Oh, that’s right. How is that working out?”
Malikah asked.
    “It’s great, actually. Harlem loves me. You
should have seen her yesterday. I took her shopping and gave her a
little photo shoot. She’s so adorable,” she said as she pulled up
the pictures and passed her digital camera around.
    Malikah never thought she’d see the day when
Aliya was playing mother to someone else’s daughter. Last time she
checked, Aliya didn’t even want kids. Ever since Aliya started
dating Langston, Malikah noticed a change in her. She didn’t seem
as wild as she was before, and she didn’t dress as provocatively
anymore either. It seemed that Langston had tamed her, but she
still had the same fiery spirit.
    I guess a good man can change a
woman
. She had only been talking to Isaiah a short period of
time and she could already see changes in herself. The most visible
change was in her posture. Now that she had the man of her dreams,
she had more pep in her step and held her head up as she walked.
She felt better about her body, too. No amount of exercising and
dieting could make her feel as good as Isaiah did. He didn’t do
much, just some nice compliments here and there, but it worked
wonders for her confidence.
    As Mariam and Aliya talked, Malikah looked at
her watch. It was nearly 3 o’clock.
    “Hate to cut out on you guys, but I have to
meet Isaiah. We’re having a midday workout,” Malikah said as she
gathered her things.
    “Don’t let us keep you from your man,” Aliya
said. “I need to get back to work anyway. My boss has been cutting
his eyes over here for the past 15