CHAPTER TWO

Grabbing my bag and books from the bed, I rushed out of the room with Safiya at my tail. She had a class by 8 this morning and me a test.

While I had overslept because I read all through the night and only finally went to bed immediately after fajr prayers - prayer before dawn, Safiya who didn't go back to sleep after praying had dedicated her life to not doing anything and waiting until 7:30 to wake me up.

"Mom please let me use your car, you can send the driver to come get it later." I pleaded, she gave me a warning look before handing me her car keys. I hurriedly got into the car with Safiya and sped off.

"Please slow down I rather not go to class than to die." Safiya said right after I swerved dangerously from an oncoming car. It was Abuja and everyone drove roughly, ok that had been a lie. Not everyone, but anyone who had learnt how to drive from Ibrahim will be a careless driver that's why I'm hardly allowed to drive except on rare occasions, like this.

After getting a parking space, I parked the car and got down hurrying off to class, the test was about to begin and I sneaked in without the lecturer noticing me.

"Well you are very early." My close friend Kareema said sarcastically.

Matching her tone, I replied, "I'm also shocked."

"Assalamu alaykum baby  I've been calling you since last night and it haven't been going through." Ahmad said picking up after the third ring, I had just gotten out of class heading towards an eatery, it had been an hour test but Alhamdulilah- praise be to Allah. It was Ok.

"Wa'alaykum salam dear, how are you?" I asked

"I'm fine and you?"

"Alhamdulilah." Feeling extremely giddy, I decided to kick a stone but ended up quietly yelping.

"How was your test?"

"It was good  I tried my best."

"I trust my nerd." He said teasingly, we spoke for few more minutes with him promising to come see me in the house later in the evening before I ended the call.

"When are we expecting a wedding?" Kareema asked and I groaned,

"You know the answer to that." If it had been up to me I'd get married to Ahmad immediately but my family weren't cooperating, mom doesn't want to hear of me living with my in-laws apparently, she had lived with hers right after she had gotten married and they had made life hell for her.

So firstly, I have to graduate the university which will be In Sha Allah- by the will of Allah in the next two months, I'd be a graduate of pharmacy at twenty two years then secondly, he had to have completed building the house we were going to live in. His family weren't that well off, he was a graduate of accounting and works in the same bank as where my dad was the bank manager. My dad had even been the one to help him secure the job.

"So how far has he gone with the house?" Kareema asked jolting me back to the present.

"Roof, so we'd probably be getting married right after my graduation or a month or two after." I said beaming.

"Lucky girl." She said lightly pushing me away, I stuck out my tongue at her as we entered the school eatery, got a table and ordered. I was starving for in my hurry, I had forgotten to eat breakfast.

"Assalamu alaykum, your mother said I should come to the school and get her car." The driver, baba Sani said immediately after I answered his call.

"Walaykumsalam, meet me in my department for the keys." After eating, I and Kareema went to where I parked the car and when the driver came, it took a lot of pleading before the old man grumpily agreed to drive us to Kareema's house.

"Thanks." We both said getting down from the car and then entered her house. I brought out my laptop and tried to complete my project, it was on drug abuse I was supposed to get the causes and effects, and also write on how the university was trying to eradicate the wrong intake of drugs amongst its students.

My supervisor was utterly strict, I had summited three chapters to him and he had only approved of one. Such was life for a final year student in a Nigerian university.

"I can't believe we'd be leaving this hellhole in the next two months."

Kareema exclaimed falling on her bed beside me, right from year one she has always addressed the university as a hellhole considering she had a strong hatred for the school's system. I silently agreed with her, even though I was thought of as the nerdy one which was totally not true, I only started doing well in my year two, after numerous failures in my year one courses.

"Time moves fast when you are enjoying yourself." I said sarcastically and she scoffed, soon she fell asleep and I continued with my project for the next three hours or more.

I woke Kareema up when I heard the adhan- call to prayer for zuhr- afternoon prayers. After praying she went downstairs to get us doughnuts and biscuits her sister made, munching on it we watched a Nigerian movie, I let sleep overtake me halfway through the movie and did not wake up till when it was time to pray asr- late afternoon prayers.

I left her house immediately after praying, boarding a public transport, I went home.

"Assalamu alaykum." I greeted tiredly as I entered the house, exhausted from the hassle of public transport.

"Walaykum salam." Zuwee answered from the sitting room. I went there and met her sitting with Zubaida, they both had their eyes glued on the music countdown on tv, while Harun was doing some school work, I guessed.

"Where is mom?" I asked.

"Her room." Harun answered not looking up from his work. Deciding to look for trouble I ruffled Zubaida's hair which always took her hours to get it to stop looking like a bird's nest, I heard her groan as I walked upstairs to my mom's room.

"Assalamu alaykum mama." I said entering, she was lying on the bed, on a call. I patiently waited till she ended the call.

"Walaykum salam, when did you come?" She asked.

Falling on her very comfortable couch, I replied, "Just now."

"How was the test?"

"Alhamdulilah, I just wanted to tell you that Ahmad is coming for dinner." At the mention of his name, a smile found its way to her lips.

"Prepare his favorite."

"That was what we ate yesterday." I reminded her, Ahmad was a sucker for jollof rice.

"True toh make semovita- wheat flour, my son likes it too." To her he was like a son, and she always addressed him as that.

"Ok, first woman to have a son." I teased.

She laughed, "is the meat in the egusi still much?"

"Not really." I said typing a message on Facebook.

"Tell Safiya to come and collect money to go to the market."

"Is she back?" I asked with a smile knowing Safiya wouldn't be too happy about this.

"Yes, she came back few minutes ago."

"Toh." with that I left the room and went to mine, Safiya was on the phone so I just told her mom's message which she groaned at and then went back to talking on the phone. I brought out my laptop and started watching my favorite movie 'what happened to Monday' my seventh time watching it.

*******************

After preparing the food, Safiya and the twins set the table while I went to take a quick shower and changed, when I came downstairs, Ahmad was already around and as usual, was in a corner talking to mom.

He flashed me a smile as soon as he saw me, a dimple popped out, that was my most loved features about him, he wasn't very handsome. He was the kind people would see and say

Na fairness help am- he's only fine because he's fair.

He was tall and simply good looking.

"Assalamu alaykum." I said suddenly becoming shy, my normal reaction to whenever he was around, even after two years I still hadn't gotten over the shyness I had in his presence.

"Walaykum salam, how are you doing?" He asked.

"Alhamdulilah, how is work going?" Mom excused us to the dining room.

He groaned, "stressful."

I chuckled.

"How's mom?" I asked of his mom and before he could answer, I heard dad's voice.

"Aaah, is that the voice of my son in law?" He asked as he came to the sitting room .

"Assalamu alaykum sir." Ahmad said standing up, dad replied and they shook hands.

"Time for dinner." Mom said from the dining room and we all headed there. After eating, the men went to the masjid for Ishaa prayers and the women prayed at home when Ahmad came, he announced that he was leaving and I walked him out.

I leaned on his car and averted my gaze, he gently tugged at my veil allowing it cover my head fully.

"I have good news sweetheart." He said poking my cheeks.

"What is it?" I asked turning to face him.

"In Sha Allah, we'd be getting married a month after your graduation."

"Are you serious?"I asked not able to hide my smile, the joy I felt was incomprehensible.

"Yes dear, by then I'd be through with the house, do you want to go there this Saturday?"

"Yes." I answered happily, it'd be my first time seeing the house, he only wanted me to see it after it was done.

"Besides, what happened to I want you to see it only when it's done?" I asked mockingly.

"I can't wait for you to see it, I'm sure you'll like it."

"I hear you." I said with a sneer.

His eyes widened, "see this girl, are you doubting me?"

"How dare I?" We both laughed.

"Be ready by 10."

"Let's make it 11."

"Ladies! Anyways goodnight." He got into his car and left and all through the night, I couldn't sleep I was so filled with happiness.