Chapter 1 — Manal

It was exactly 25 minutes past 6pm and I knew this how? Well, because I had been glancing at my wristwatch every damn minute I had spent by the roadside waiting for my cousin to come pick me up. This wasn't my first time visiting Kano but every time I visited the prominent city, I'd have to call my mother's younger sister, Hajiya Siyyamah to send someone to pick me up and that someone was in the person of Ya Salim, the non-nonsense cousin.

I hissed as I unhesitatingly pulled out my phone from my hand bag. I was with a backpack and a Rockland draggable box. "Hello Hajiya Siyyamah, wallahi Ya Salim refused to come and pick me up har yanzu!" I kvetched  through the phone as soon as I called her.

"Subhanallah, but he left here since!" She uttered through the phone sounding so puzzled. "Let me call him and see, okey?"

"Toh, Hajiya" I blurted out ending the call.

(Hisses), I had been standing there by the roadside for almost an hour. If I was told I would be kept for such a long time, I wouldn't believe it because it had never happened to me before. Salim was a guy from a different page and we hardly get along but he was always the one picking me from the garage whenever I arrived... and he had never been this late.

Could it be that he was tired of his generosity already? I wondered returning my phone back into my bag. Just then, a black Corolla S was parked in front of me. It was Ya Salim's car, he had been using it for quite some time now. You know, he was very good at using things. Even his gadgets lasted much longer than ours.

"Sannun ka!" I greeted him rudely with anger written allover my face as I began loading my luggage into his car. "What took you so long?"

"It was traffic" He said.

"Traffic?" I hopped into the car.

"Yeah!" He uttered like a robot as he drove into the fast lane. He really loved driving in a bike's pace but he would always be on the fast lane.

"Hmm" I muttered letting the matter slid. He might just be saying the truth since this was his first time being so late. Yes, his first time.

It was a silent drive to the Emir Estate, with a stopover at NNPC filling station. I was warmly welcomed by Hajiya Siyyamah and Ya Salim's heavily pregnant wife, Hauwa Qulu Ibrahim.

"Let me go and get the dinner ready!" Hajiya Siyyamah said heading towards the direction of the kitchen in a snail's pace. She was fat.

"Okey, Hajiya" I uttered turning to Ya Hauwa. "You know what? I miss Hajiya's food so badly"

"Really? And she miss your surutu!" Hauwa said teasingly. She was good at teasing people.

"Eh din!" I pouted as we gently began walking towards one of the guest rooms, the one very close to Salim's late sister's room who died of cancer. Her name was Abidah, she was loved by many people. Allah took her at the age of 12 and she died with a broad smile on her face despite the pains she had been complaining about. Since then, Salim had not been himself. He neither talk much nor smile with people. But after marrying Hauwa, things started returning back to normal but not everything.

"I thought you said you are not coming back to Kano again?" Hauwa said as soon as we entered the guest room. It was dark, so she walked towards the window and slid it open.

"I said that because I had a very bad NYSC experience here" I said recalling all the bad days I had during my service in Kano. Actually, it wasn't easy for me plus the fact that the place I did my youth service was a very busy place.

"Ohh, so now that you're jobless you came back to seek for a job here koh? Mun gano ki" She teased me as she threw me a hand fan, there was no light so I had to manage it.

"I am only here to spend the summer but if Allah bring a job, I will humbly accept it" I said as I hopped onto the bed while wearing a smile on my face. "Hmm, can't believe this unique blanket still house this pleasant scent!"

"Be sure to wash it when going" She said.

"I sure will, Maman en biyu!" I teased her.

Actually, she disliked it when someone called her Maman en biyu which either means a woman whose bump is believed to be carrying twins or a woman who has/had a set of twins.

"Hmm, I hate twins and what I have in my tommy ain't twins!" She uttered and pouted.

"We shall see!" I smirked at her.

"You're no fun!" She said and left the room.

"Hmm" I heaved a sigh as I rose to a sitting position. I really ought to contact my parents and tell them I had arrived safely at Hajiya Siyyamah's house else they might be worried.

"AsSalama Alaykum Mama, na sauka ko" I said immediately I dialed my mother's number.

"Wa'alaykumu salam, my dear daughter. Toh, Ma Shaa Allah. Hope you met them safe and sound?" My mother said through the phone.

"Yes, mama" I blurted out.

"Ma Shaa Allah. Greet them for me please and make sure you rest, kin ji?" My mother said.

"Okey mama, bye!" I bade her goodbye.

"Bye, daughter!" She ended the call.

It had been a very hectic day, the journey had took its toll on me hence all I needed now was a very hot dinner, warm bath and uninterruptible sleep. No prayers because I wasn't, you know, pure. I was on my period.

"Bismillah..." I uttered as I dropped my phone on the bed and stood to my feet. Just as I was about going out for dinner, I felt a piercing headache which made me lose balance and fall wearily on the floor. It was strange and before I knew it, darkness had already enveloped me.