Chapter Seven

It remains only two days to the wedding fatiha, the Abubakar household was looking as good as new, with the new painted walls and fittings around the house. It was the first time the family are throwing a grant event like a marriage ceremony. So they were not left behind in doing anything necessary.

In all that Yasmin's mood has became very sore lately, ever since the advent of her lefe seventeen days ago. It was then she realized everything was getting real, it was no joke. She is really getting married! That to, to the man who clearly show his unlikeness toward her. It was crazy she had put a blind eye on the man's demand.

Now she have her cousins and siblings who wouldn't stop admiring and talking about the lefe. Salma even declared getting married the next year. She had said since the Nigerian universities are refusing to let her into any of their schools, she is better off married with a closet full of new clothes and jewelries. And a house with brand new furniture and everything all under name and care. That was before she received a smack on her back from one of their mother calling her loud mouth.

Not to forget the beautician who have been on Yasmin's body torturing it for the past five days now, all in the name of dilke and other skin grooming care. The elegant woman in her early thirties is making it an aim to get rid of all the dead skin cell on Yasmin's skin. Anyways, that's what she have been paid for, to make her look flawless like the bride she is. Though all that wasn't in vein she had been glowing since the first day.

Yasmin knew she was just enduring that pain for nothing, because she is sure her marriage wasn't the skin showing type, hopefully. Deep down she knew that was what pushed her to agreed to the marriage even after her fiance had indirectly rejected her. She just hoped the man is still not interested, so they could just go their separate ways after the marriage.

They have just finished the smoke session on her body for the day and the henna designer is all ready for her turn. For all the hours they had spent in her mother's living room, doing what not. Yasmin felt all that wasn't necessary, they could have just married her off quietly with few people present. She silently grunt to herself as one of her palm make contact with the cold henna paste.

Yasmin just wants to hide somewhere alone, maybe with some lollipops. Everyone has been on top of her, some pampering her and some teasing her. All those far away relatives that came for the wedding won't stop talking about how grown off she had became. Her inner self wanted to shout at their faces that they didn't get any younger as well. But she refrained herself from doing so, even though it was eating her from the inside. She desperately need to vent on someone, if not she will cry in the middle of all these people. That's why she needed some space at the moment.

Neither Ikram nor any of her sisters was there, she felt so uncomfortable in the midst of the crowd. Some she haven't seen in ages and some she is seeing for the first. Whatever the case is, she don't like being in the crowd, they're so many people and they were making her dizzy. For her mind, she thought they were not going to be so much people, she can't even remember when last she had attended an event. Yet there are here crowding her own wedding. Like all her cousins and aunties were there.

"Hajiya Aisha has raised a beautiful daughter, the girl has always been so quiet." One of the aunties behind her said, they were two or three. She don't know. Yasmin was sat in the middle of living room as the young lady in front of her design her hands. They don't even care that she barely talk to them. But they were there all happy.

"Ah'ah Mariya, you still can't differentiate between the two, this one used to be the mischievous one. She is the one that used to pack people's clothes when they hanged it on bathroom door at gidan soro. She and one of her cousin from her mother's side are the reason why Yaya malam had to roof the bathroom and toilet immediately after Na'ima's wedding. And look at her now, she looked so matured as if she wasn't the one." They burst into a fit of laughter, even though Yasmin was annoyed at them, they had been talking about her childhood since they sat their eating boiled groundnut. She absentmindedly smile at the memory.

?

12 years ago, in the month of February at gidan soro...

It was during her aunt's wedding, Yasmin was barely twelve years then and Ikram was eleven, they had took some clothes that were hanging on the roofless bathroom door. And few minutes later they heard the person in bathroom yelling for her wrappers and hijab. All the women in the house then gathered in the courtyard wondering, how the clothes had disappeared.

"Will someone check and see if my wrappers had fallen from the outside?" Her step grandmother, Inna magajiya had shouted from the bathroom.

"Inna, there is nothing out here." One of the women had said.

"What do you mean by that, uhmm? Are saying i entered the bathroom without my wrapper." The old woman yelled from the bathroom and she sounds so offended, even though she is one of the nicest people in the house. Yasmin and Ikram knew they were in trouble, so they hid well in the big kitchen. From there they can see everything that's happening.

"I didn't mean that, Inna. Let me get you a another one." Same woman said disappearing from the crowd of women and children.

After the old lady had came out, the little crowd started leaving before a little boy shouted, "Inna, i know who took your wrapper and hijab away." Yasmin couldn't seems to remember who the boy was.

"Who was it?" Aunty Ramatu, one of Yasmin's first aunt had asked. Ikram and Yasmin lowered their heads from the kitchen window, so that the boy wouldn't see them.

"It's the girl with the cat eyes." He declared and everyone's eyes followed the direction of his little hand. Even though they exactly knew who the girl with the cat eyes was. He pointed at the girl in the midst of the crowd, though she wasn't surprised. Yasmin and Ikram's eyes (from the kitchen) almost fell from its sockets.

"I have gotten her into another trouble again." Yasmin mumbles, she groaned inwardly.

"Yes, it was always your idea and she have just waken up from sleep." Ikram whispered back.

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raju'un, So Yasmin all what i had told you had gone to waste. Why are you doing this to me, are you trying to kill me? Didn't you promised to behave yourself?" Her mother's scolding had continue for almost ten minutes before she grabbed the next pair of slipper she saw on the sandy floor. The girl in front of her closed her eyes waiting to felt the contact of the slipper on her body. But Inna magajiya's voice came instead.

"Uhm'uhm Aisha, i won't advice you to do that. Leave the girl alone, she is only a child. You know your husband very well and beating his girls is out of question, beside that's between me and her. I didn't stop her when she took Danladi's clothes yesterday and he was yelling like maniac from there, that's what i got for having a hand in theirs mischievousness." The old lady laughed. And Yasmin's voice came from behind her grandmother.

"Maaaaaaami!" She said waving at her mother with that guilty smile and her mother realized she had just scolded the wrong person. "It was me, not her."

"You see, you could have beaten the wrong person too." Inna had said and dismissed the crowd, And Aisha grabbed Yasmin by the ears and smacked her with her hand multiple of times. While Yasmin mouthed sorry to the girl in front of her, and she gave her her biggest smile. After all she was her accomplice.

"And you keep covering for her, she will end up putting you in a trouble, silly girls." Aisha told the girl who was still smiling.

?

Present day...

Yasmin couldn't stop her tears after recalling that and there was no way she could have wiped it with henna on her both hands. That was the last beautiful memory of her she can remember. Just like her mother had said, she had landed her in a big trouble that caused her life.

"Ya Yasi, why are you crying? Is the henna itching or something?" Salma asked concerned, she look so worried. The henna designer raised her head from Yasmin's left palm which she is designing, waiting for her reply. Yasmin didn't know when her sister came there, but she was glad she was there.

"No, nothing, something fell into my eyes." The henna designer nodded and continue her activity. And Salma uses her thumbs to wiped her sister's tears, even though she didn't buy what her sister said about her eyes.

"Are the two women still here?"

"Who?" Salma asked, she was the only one that heard what her sister had said only because she was use to her tiny mellifluous voice. Yasmin slightly looked behind her and her sister understood what she meant.

"Oh, Aunty Ramatu? Didn't she said any to you?" Salma's eyes widened and she looked back to her aunt snoring figure on the three seater sofa, then back to Yasmin.

"No, they were two of them and they wouldn't stop talking, isn't there any work for them to do?"

Salma hysterically start laughing, she is familiar with the two women her sister is talking about, and she is sure the second one was Aunty Mariya her father's first cousin who came from Jalingo, even though she's out of sight.

"Are you talking about Aunty Mariya and Aunty Ramatu?" She asked when sobered and Yasmin nodded.

"Well, those two have the entire bio data of anyone that has any relationship with gidan soro, so they can tell you the first person who saw daddy on his first day in this world. About work, Maami has got them covered, she has hired many helpers to work for the wedding. So they will be doing most of the eating and talking, that's what they does at weddings or naming ceremonys. But they're not bad, Ya Yasi. They're actually a lot of fun."

Yasmin though didn't find talking about her childhood funny, there are certain events she want to forget about it. She wanted to inquires about Ikram's whereabouts when she showed up with a plate full of snacks and a sweating glass jug of Zobo drink.

"At your service our dearest bride, here i have your favorites." Ikram sat at the other side of Yasmin, she looked so tired. She had organized the wedding menu and she is on top of everything, making sure it is going accordingly.

"Thank you, you look so tired, Ikra. Please hide us somewhere, where no one can find us, please." Yasmin pleaded making her best puppy face.

"No way cat eyes, that's not happening, we are not going to play that tiring old tradition. Where the bride hide and the people start looking for her like some rat. Hmm, i saw that at a village in Zamfara, believe me it came to a point where it was not even funny because that bride hid so well." Ikram go on telling them about the old tradition of hide and seek the bride do a day before their wedding fatiha, even though she knew exactly what her cousin meant.

All Yasmin wanted was some space to breathe, without anyone's remark of how beautiful she is, how quiet she had became or making her think of her past and reminding her of that certain someone. Not that she don't want to remember that person, but the memories that came along with it are so painful.

"Now open your mouth, sweetheart. Haaa." Ikram lovingly fed her the snack and make her drink the Zobo drink with a straw. She had a Smile on her, it only screams appreciation for all that Ikram have done for her. She is everything she needed and more. That particular person that will always entertain your craziness, your silliness, cry with you and fight your battle as if it was theirs. Ikram was that person for Yasmin and she knew she can't repay her with anything but her prayers and best wishes.

Yusuf and Saif have been waiting for the food they had ordered from Miebie's kitchen, the only place they trusted with their stomachs outside of their homes. Yusuf's mood have been on top of the roof since Saif can remember, the poor guy just zoned out. And he is being too grumpy for Saif's liking.

"The families of Alhaji Usman Balarabe Maitaya and that of Alhaji Abubakar Datti, cordially invites you to the wedding fatiha of their beloved children. Yusuf Usman Balarabe and Yasmin Abubakar Datti, which..."

"Shut off, Saif!" Yusuf chided at his friend who have been reading his wedding invitation eversince they started their lunch break, not that Yusuf have seen any patient since he came. Saif only smirk at his lately grumpy friend. He always prepared anything than a grumpy Yusuf. When he is in a bad mood he is the worst to the deal with.

"What!" Saif wanted to laugh, but he content himself, Yusuf looked like he have received his death sentence. His beard has grown longer that usual, he looked so disturbed, for a good reason. "I am just doing you a favor, i doubt you know where your own wedding fatiha is taking place. In another sense, i am inviting you to your own wedding, ango, ango!" He exclaimed the last part still smirking.

They were sitted at the inner room of Saif's office, the small room was carpeted with red and white carpet and some cushions thrown there, they normally stays there when they don't want to go out. Before Yusuf make a come back someone knocked on the front door of the office and Saif go to check it. He later came back with what seems to be their ordered lunch arranged in a leather bag.

Saif brought out the food in the plastic take away containers and assembled it at their front. He had both ordered pounded yam and egusi soup for them.

"Where is my buns?" Yusuf asked with furrowed brows.

"The baker is not back from whatever break they had went to." He said and Yusuf hissed. It had been two weeks now and he is desperately craving for those particular chicken stuffed buns. The restaurant manager even suggested some places where Yusuf can get his buns, but the taste couldn't matched it.

"You know what, Yusuf? You're being annoying. Get grip of yourself man, you're not the only person that marries the girl they didn't love or planned to marry. If you can't do anything about it, just braced it." Saif told him, he had enough of his friend now, he snapped at everything. He knew what Yusuf is going through isn't easy. His life has always been like a roller coaster, but what can he do if he can't change anything.

When Yusuf didn't say anything, Saif start digging in his food and then in the middle of no where he heard a very very faint sob, which by the look of it. Yusuf didn't intend for Saif to hear that. The look on Saif's was priceless. He looked baffled. It's the same Yusuf who has tons of things to say about the boys who cries over girls.

"What the what? Yusuf Usman Balarabe, don't tell me you just shed a tear for a girl." He was looking so horrifying as if he had just caught his friend sinning. "Are you for real?"

"Shut the fuck off, Saif." Yusuf replied irked, he was so tired of everyone telling him what to do. He was hurt several time, to be honest he doesn't know if he was crying for a girl or not. All he knew was that if his marriage is not stopped, it's going to be the biggest mistake of the century. At least that is what he thought, he felt that Saif wasn't doing anything to help his situation.

"Damn i! damn it bruh! Don't tell me when to shut off or not, okay. I think i have told you to cancel the fucking wedding, but what did you do? You sat at home all day sulking and having mood swing like some pregnant woman. With that stupid look on your face that say, i am insensitive of your feelings. I even told you to meet the Yasmin girl again, but what did you said. That you rather die than meet that arrogant disabled girl again. But guess what, Yusuf?"

Yusuf looked up to see that annoyed smug look on Saif's face as he furiously close back his half eaten food with its plastic cover. He has lost his appetite.

"Whether you go and meet her or not, she will be brought to your house in two days. Believe me, she going to be your wife and she deserves more than these. And for you, bro. You're better than this." He added pointing at Yusuf to make a point. Upon all what Saif have told him the only thing Yusuf got was Yasmin is going to be his wife whether he is cool with it or not.

Who was he kidding? He got that message loud and clear. His makeover house was a living example, he haven't went to his house since his aunt had collected his house keys which the bride's family will use to install the furniture and fittings before the wedding.

He had cleared his house as instructed by his father to make room for the trousseau his wife to be will bring from home as far the hausa/fulani tradition. Though he had left his bedroom out of the renovation and something he needed. Five days back when he went to the house for some clothing, he couldn't recognized it.

The house has a masculine and feminine touch to it in every corner, and Yusuf couldn't deny the fact that his house has never looked that magnificent. It was then he felt that giving away his newly house furniture wasn't a bad idea after all. His once empty kitchen was filled up with anything a woman will need in a kitchen, he doesn't have a word to describe it make up, it looks perfect. He only hope the girl is useful around the kitchen, not that he is interested or anything. If not all the effort her parents had made will be in vein.

He had fallen in the love with all the new fittings around the house, there isn't anything there he didn't like, forgetting the shouting evidence that a lady will soon come to join him anytime from then. He had gave himself a self tour that night with an unconscious smile on his face.

"And don't act all innocent, i know why you're marrying the girl." Saif snapped him from whatever thought he was having. He can't believe his friend still read him like an open book.

He didn't tell Saif about the reason he had agreed to go on with the marriage, Yusuf didn't admit that even to himself, yet he knew it was the fact. And more reason because he knew Saif will gainstood the whole idea.

When Yusuf looked at him dubiously, Saif rolled his eyes at him and says, "Oh come on, Yusuf! I knew you for almost all my life, so it's not that hard for me to guessed you're getting married mainly to get into your father's good book."

For the first time in the whole week Yusuf smiled, a genuine smile. He knew without Saif, he couldn't have make it these far in life. He was there for all his ups and downs, pulling him up when he fell down.

"And i doubt he has any?" He said, the smile still on. It was no use vexing on Saif, he was just trying to be there for him and be his accomplice, he knew that.

"What?"

"My father's good book, i doubt he have any space to enter my name. What i am about to do is like a suicide, you know."

"Well, in that case let me get you ready for that suicide then. Now get up since you have ruined my meal, we are going to the barbing salon to make you look like a groom. That your sheikh beard needs to be trimmed, we don't want to be sent out of the reception, you're looking like some vagrant."

"What reception?" Yusuf interrogated confused as they made their way out of the ENT ward.

"Haba Yusuf, what's there to be confused about? Your father is one the most influential people in this city. So of course, there have to be a big reception for his other influential people and the many other people that will come for the rice, you're his first son after all. When i was trying to read the invitation card for you, you wanted to cut my tongue out. Maybe that's your first step into that good book."

"Do i also have to come?" Yusuf pointed his forefinger at himself, trying to confirm the information.

"No, you should just send me there on your behalf while you sleep at home, how about that?" Saif flashed him a pointed smile and a glare.

"It sound perfect to me." He shrugged, no matter what Yusuf does, he still come back to square one when it comes to his father. Never, even in his wildest dream did he ever thought his father will throw any event in his honor.

It was always Ahyan's birthday, Ahyan's graduation, this and that. All those event that Yusuf thought were so unnecessary. Now for the first time there was something for him, even though that's not what he really wanted.

He can't help but wonder, where Luba is in all these. He knew the woman hated even the slightest attention given to him, now a big event in his name and she isn't objecting to it. Maybe it's just their way of showing him how happy they are, when he isn't. That might also be the case or the juju or witchcraft done upon his father as gwaggo Saude like to say it, is off for sometime.