16

"Thank you Meeno, wish you a safe journey my dear"said Ummi while hugging her.

The wedding is over, so all the guest left yesterday while some will leave today, but the intimates ones like Mama's sisters will be leaving tomorrow. So the house is less boisterous.

"Thank you so much Hajia, i really appreciate, wish you a safe journey" Mama uttered smiling at Mommy, when she enters the back seat of their car and zoom off.

Meeno and her family live in Katsina, so they left early.

***

"Innalillahi wa'inna ilaihir raji'un! Ummy what are you doing with a scissors and Manal's hair? Don't tell me you'll probably cut it had it been i didn't nab you?" Mama bellowed grievancely.

"Umm-mmm Ma-aamaa" Ummy stammered, rubbing her nape nervously.

"Noo Mama, we're just playing" said Manal, holding Mama's hand.

"No let's go, you must explain what you intended to do with Murja's daughter's hair" Mama sterned and grips Ummy's hand. "Luba thought you were here packing you clothes, but you were here trying to cut Manal's hair" Mama bowled.

Their babbling wake Ummi up from her short nap, she squinted her eyes "what happen Mama" she asked haltingly. By now Anty Murja(Manal's mom, Anty Luba(Ummy's mom) are in her room,they were the only ones left tho.

"Luba this your barmy bairn wants to cut Manal's hair, because she's jealous"Mama chuckled "see this sharp scissor for god sake" she added, showing them the scissors.

"Omooo! i must retaliate woo, Luba hold her let me cut her's"Anty Murja jests.

They both laugh, but Ummy can't because she's in the nadir of her visit to Kaduna.

They live in Kano, and will be leaving today when Ummy's father; Uncle Bashir landed. He went to lagos for a business meeting.

"Oya ladies and women let's go clean this grubby house" Mama sighed, looking at the jumbled house.

***

??When i need motivation....

My one solution is my queen cox she she stay strong (yeah yeah)...

She's always in my corner, right there when i want her... all this other girls are tempting but i'm empty when you're gone......

They say....

Do you need me?do you think i'm pretty? Do i make you feel like cheating i'm like No!!

Not really..cox Ohhh i think that i found my self a cheerleader

She's always right there when i need her.

Ohhh i think that i found my self a cheerleader.

She's always right there when i need.

She walks like a model,

She grants my wishes like a genie in a bottle (yeah yeah),

Cox i'm the wizard of love..And i got the magic wand,

All these other girls are tempting but i'm empty when you're gone... They say...

Do you need me? Do you think i'm pretty? Do i make you feel like cheating i'm like No!..not really cox...

Ohhh i think that i found myself a cheerleader..she's always right there when i need her...

Ohhh i think that i found myself a cheerleader she's always right there when i need her..

(Beats)

She gives me love and affection..

Baby,did i mention you're the only girl for me?

no i don't need to mention..

Mama loves you too...she think i made the right selection..

Now all thats left to do is just for me to pop the question...

Ohh i think that i found myself a cheerleader..she's always right there when i need her...

Ohhh i think that i found myself a cheerleader.... she is always right there when i need her...????

(Cheerleader by Omi).

"Ya ilahi! what am i seeing?" Mama bellowed, it can be seen from her eyes she's narked.

Ummi quickly stopped the music and scuttle to where the broom is and started sweeping; languorously.

They were assigned to clear Baba's chamber but they did nothing just singing and dancing until Mama nabbed them.

"Your father landed, come and park your clothes" Mama ordered sternly and gave ummi the you-will-pay-for-it glare and left.

***

"Bye Ummi, i'll visit you soon insha Allah" she hushed, hugging her tightly; her eyes glisten with tears.

They watched as they leave the house, Mama, Anty Murja and Ummi prowled back to the mansion.

"Ohh Allah had it been we worked while Ummy was here, the work wouldn't be this much wallahi" Ummi gruffed, taking the mop beside her.

***

She languorously prowled to her grubby room, shagged and knackered.

"Oughh i swear if i will know those who jumbled my room and toilet, I would've skinned them to death wallahi"she grumbled, and sprawled on her bed.

Few minutes later she pull her self up and sauntered to her bathroom washed it, bathe and exited the toilet. She does the same to her room.

She sauntered to the garden,the weather is balmy, that make her blush before she sit on one of the chairs and close her eyes; ruminatively.

***

They were watching 'Red riding hood' when Mami joined them and sits on the first sofa.

"Someone seems to start hiding something from me"She chuckled "may be because he have a new lady in his life"she feign hurt;Telling no body in particular.

"Hahah Mami what is it?"Ya Ibrahim asked, laughing.

It is a sunday evening amd everybody is at home.

"Ahh your brother now, hee loved a girl and even informed your Abba, they have even negotiate about their marriage later in future insha Allah; but he never tell me"she answered looking at Al-amin sombrely. "May be i'm not worth his secret abi?"

"Innalillahi Mami it's not like that wallahi, you gave birth to me, why wouldn't i tell you anything Mami? I don't know where to start, that's why i told Abba to tell you"said Al-amin, who knealt in front of her holding her hands.

"It's okay son, then can you tell your siblings the name of this lucky girl who stole your heart? "said Mami, smiling at him.

He turned around and saw his siblings, stupefiedly looking at him.

"Her name is Aisha Abakar Mashi but they call her Ummi"he uttered, rubbing his neck with his palm nervously.

"Ohhh Ummi? Yusuf talks about her alot"Ya Ibrahim smiled "Congratulations bro, you're still young woo, don't try anything naughty" he hand shaked him and sniggered.

"Ok bro" he chuckled, brushing his nascent beard. "Won't you congratulate your bro? you idiot" he saidn grisping her ear.

"Ouch"she yelled "Yaya, it hurts fa"she added, pouting her lips.

"Sorry my Ihsanuwa"he sniggered.

Ihsan is sulaiman's age mate and they're friends. Well..kind of best.

"Yaya stop calling me Ihsanuwa"she yelped "Mami talk to him"she added, feiging hurt.

"Call him Yaya Aminu whenever he call you Ihsanuwa"said Mami, sniggering at Al-amin. She know he hate it when someone call him Aminu.

"Okay Yaya Aminu, we can continue like this abi"she laughed outwardly and sprinted to Abba's room, because she knows what's next.

"Hahah i'll get you girl"he yelled and followed suit. Laughing hysterically.

Ya ibrahim and mami were laughing at their badinage when they hear adzan for maghrib prayer.

"I'll be at the mosque mami"said ya ibrahim heading to the door "chase that your barmy son to the mosque mami" he chuckled.

"Ok" she laughed.

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"Ya ummi you should come inside it's maghrib already" said sulaiman patting her leg waking her up from her narcolepsy.

"OMG! i didn't know when i slept off wallahi"she uttered rubbing her eyes with her palms. "Thank you sulaiman"

"Awwn for the first time in your life to call me sulaiman"he smirked. "even Allah knows i love my name i swear"he added.

She just smiled and advanced to her room,perform ablution,prayed and says her azkhar.

"Ohh i didn't write in my diary for what seems like forever"she hushed and went to her closet,scavenge for her big grey diary and sit on the vanity stool."i'll update you now mon amor"she uttered smiling at her balderdash.

She hear the creak ajar when sulaiman enters the room "ya ummi baba is calling you"he uttered and leave the room.

She scribble her last word on her diary and leave to baba's room.

"Baba you sent for me" she said when she enters his living room and find a place to sit on the floor.

"Yes ummi,we'll leave for lagos tomorrow together since your jamb score doesn't meet up with MBBS cut of mark"he said sternly.

Yes i forgot to tell you baba has another wife they call her anty she lives with him in lagos where he works.

She's the last person they remember because his family always have a point to sneer at mama,that's why baba didn't allow them to come over to their house during their wedding with anty.

Her name is Adama Halilou,a camerounian,she's fulani you know from the mention of cameroun.

She's jovial and bubbly,a good person to stay with but her thoughts can be easily changed. That's her problem.

When someone advise her on something she can't be shrewd but just pay heed to what that person says and do it. Even if it's murder;she's an humble manque.

She have only 1 child named rabab. Rabab schools in lagos too.

Anty didn't come over for ya husna's wedding because she's not feeling well. They hope she's not expecting because they're family of five and happy as well.

"Ok baba"was all she mustered to utter,because she don't want to follow him because she once did that during their third term holiday SS1 and she smelled paper because anty was nothing more than horrible to her.

They never get along with anty,ya husna is her fav and sulele.

Those days in lagos were tormented and nadir.

She wish baba will just leave her here in kaduna,she wish. Only if wishes are horses.

"You should park today we're leaving tomorrow by 10am" he informed. "Be punctilicious" he warned.

"Ok baba" she hushed and leave the room.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

"Mama,baba said that we're leaving together"she informed her eyes glisten with tears. "Mama please talk to him i don't want to please, you know that woman is a maniac. Please mama" she sniffs.

"Can you please stop this your namby-pamby talk, you already know your father i tried talking to him since but he's adamant so just take heart my dear" mama said sympathetically trying to placate her.

"So lets go and park your clothes before it's late, i don't want you to suffer from manic depression;stop crying please"mama added.

They sauntered to her room and started parking.

"Let me go and pray,you should do so too" said mama after they've finish parking the clothes.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Ring... Ring....Ring.....

Her phone rings and she picked without looking at the caller ID

She burst into tears when she picked the call thinking it is husna that calls.

A: innalillahi Aysha what happened? (he asked bamboozled)

U: Oh my god i'm sorry i thought it was ya husna.but i'm okay (She answered tentatively and sniffed)

A:No you're not!can't you share your problems with me?

U:It's not like that Al-amin,i'm just...(she trailed off bursting into tears again).

A: you're confusing me, tell me please but if it's family issue i'll understand.

U:I'll tell you but don't think i'm snivelling please.

A:I won't my dear.

U:ok..baba said that i'll follow him to lagos but i don't want to because that woman is a maniac wallahi.

A:Aysha you have to obey him dear, it's for the best insha Allah. So stop crying,will you?

U:Yes i'll but that woman always...

A:Aysha raking up the past will only make things worse.

U:okay

A:Will you laugh to your huusssssbbbyyyyyy

U:hahahaha Al'amin you're incorrigle wallahi.

A:yay!you see i can make you laugh within some seconds.

They nattered away for hours.

"You should go and sleep you'll be leaving by 10 uno"he said,making her look at the wall clock.

"OMG! It's 11:45 already, i don't want baba to scolds me for being late wallahi" she said grisly.

"I'm so sorry my dear, go to bed now"he chuckled outwardly.

"Okay goodnight honeybunch, i love you"she hushed.

"I love you more meri jaan" he uttered and smirked.

She said her supplications and tucked up snugly in her bed. Then to a deep slumber.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

10:15am

They're boarding when baba notice the tears she was holding since at home but decided to let her be.

"Bismillah tawakkaltu alaina wala haula wala kuwata illa billah"she hushed when they zoom off (yeah??? i've searched everywhere in my head but the words were no where to be, so;they zoom off?? you understand abi?)

She was ruminating how her life in lagos this time around be will be; when they landed in Murtala Muhammad Airport.

LASGIDI HERE WE GO??