Chapter One

Farah's POV

Mami entered my room just as I finished folding my prayer mat.

“Mami, has Aunty left already?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“So soon?”

“Yes. She only came to tell me something important.”

“Oh… okay.”

She sat beside me, and I looked at her curiously.

“So, what brings you here? Do you need anything?”

“No. I just want to ask you something.”

“No problem, Mami. I’m listening.”

She looked at me carefully.

“Farah, when you finish school, what are your plans for the future?”

I frowned slightly.

Why was she asking me this all of a sudden?

“Mami, that’s a huge question,” I said. “Well, as you know, I want to work as an accountant in an oil company.”

We both laughed.

“Toh, you and this oil company, ehn,” she said.

Then her expression softened.

“That’s not exactly what I mean. Look at your sister now. She is happily married and works in a law firm. She planned her future before finishing school. I want you to think about yours too.”

“Mami, if it’s marriage you’re talking about, don’t worry. I’ll get married once I get the kind of job I want.”

“What if you are not destined to get that job immediately? Will you keep waiting?”

“Mami, why are you talking like this all of a sudden? Allahu A‘lam… my future was written before I was born. Whatever will happen, will happen. Don’t stress yourself.”

“Yes, Allah knows best,” she replied. “But you still have to take steps toward what you want. You cannot just sit and expect everything to come by destiny alone. You must act too.”

“Mami… what do you mean? I don’t understand.”

She took a breath.

“I have arranged your marriage with someone.”

I froze.

“And you will get engaged to him before you return to school. After your final year, you will get married.”

For a second, I thought I had heard wrong.

“What?”

My voice came out louder than I intended.

“Mami, you arranged my marriage with someone and didn’t even tell me?” I said. “I know you want the best for me, but I can’t marry someone I don’t know. Just because Ya Nadia got married early doesn’t mean I should too.”

“Why would I give you to a stranger?” she asked calmly. “It is someone you know very well. In fact, I’m sure you’ll be happy when I mention his name.”

My stomach tightened.

“Who is it, Mami?”

“Abdulrahim.”

I blinked.

Wait… which Abdulrahim?

No.

No, no, no.

“This can’t be.”

“Which Abdulrahim?” I asked, hoping there was another one somewhere.

Mami looked at me.

“How many Abdulrahims do you know?”

“Mami… please don’t tell me it is Abdulrahim Sanni.”

“Obviously, it is him. Why?” she asked. “Isn’t he your friend? Best friend, even?”

“He is not my best friend,” I said quickly.

I swallowed.

“He was.”

---

Flashback….

Author's POV

“Farah, come out quickly, or else we are going to leave you at home!” Farah's mom shouted angrily as she quickly put on her heels and wrapped her veil.

“Mom, I’m ready,” she said as she came out of her room and met her mom and younger brother, Zafeer, in the sitting room.

Nadia's convocation was happening today. Farah's elder sister was graduating from the University of Abuja, so they were on their way to meet her at school because she had left for the ceremony since the morning.

They entered Rukayah's car and started heading to Nadia's school.

“Farah, call your sister and tell her to come and meet us in the parking lot because there is a lot of crowd here. We can get lost,” Rukayah said as she looked for a spot to park because the place was crowded.

“Okay, Mom,” Farah replied.

“Yh, we are in the parking lot close to the school entrance,” Farah said to Nadia on the phone.

“I’m the one waving in a pink abaya,” she said as she saw Nadia looking around for her.

“Oh, okay. I see you,” Nadia said, walking towards Farah.

Nadia was dressed in a blue floral dress with her graduation gown on and her cap in her hand.

“Mom, guess what I graduated with!” Nadia squealed.

“Nadia, I know you surely graduated with a degree that will make me proud, so tell me, which did you graduate with?” her mom said with a huge grin on her face.

“First-class degree, Mom! First-class degree in law. Mom, I got a bachelor’s degree in law!” Nadia said as a drop of tear rolled down her cheek while her mom engulfed her in a hug.

“Why are you crying, my precious gem? You want me to start crying too?” Rukayah said as she released her daughter from the hug.

“No, Mom, please don’t cry,” Nadia said while wiping her mom’s tears away.

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” her mom said.

“Hey, hey, hey, both of you should stop this, or else I will also start crying. And Mom, is she your only precious gem?” Farah said as she drew her mom and siblings into a hug.

“No, my dear. You all are very precious to me, and I love you three so very much,” Rukayah said.

“Okay, enough of this. Ya Nadia, where is the canopy Mom told you to reserve for us?” Farah asked, wiping her mom’s tears away.

“Oh, yes. Can we go now?” Nadia said.

“Oh, wait, wait, wait. Zafeer, carry this small cooler. Farah, take this other one, and Nadia, pick up that last cooler. I’ll carry this bag,” Rukayah said after opening the boot of the car.

Rukayah and her children were all seated under the canopy when Rukayah's elder sister, Memunat, called. She was already outside the school compound and asked someone to come and pick her up, so Rukayah told Farah and Zafeer to go bring her to where they were sitting. They quickly went to get her.

“Assalamualaikum to the latest graduate in town. Congratulations!” Memunat said on getting to the canopy.

“Aunty Memunat, walaikum salam, and thank you very much. Wait, is that Ya Sodiq and Zara? Oh my gosh, is this baby Nadia?” Nadia said as she stood up and hugged her aunt, then saw her cousins.

Memunat was Rukayah's elder sister, blessed with four children and a successful husband. Her first child was Sodiq, who was 24. He worked in a huge oil company in Kano. Then there was Zara, who was the same age as Farah. She studied at Nile University and was entering 300 level. Then Abdulrafeeq was 15 and was in secondary school but a boarding school. Her last child, Nadia, was 5 years old. Everyone called her Baby Nadia because she and Farah's older sister shared the same name.

“Please have your seat. What will you all like to eat? There is Jollof rice, fried rice and chicken, Tuwo, and also small chops,” Rukayah asked the children.

Sodiq requested only water. Zara was a foodie just like Farah, so she requested Jollof and fried rice with chicken, while Baby Nadia requested only chicken. Everyone burst into laughter because she had already lost her two incisors and still wanted to tear up a chicken.

“So this small girl has graduated from uni now, abi?” Sodiq said with a sheepish smile, referring to Nadia.

“Ya Sodiq, I don’t know why you’re still calling me a small girl, ooo. Me, that I’ll soon start working,” Nadia defended.

“Dey play. You will always be a small girl to me,” Sodiq said, then stretched to rub her head.

Everyone burst into laughter.

“These two will not kill me,” Rukayah said.

Rukayah and her sister were catching up. Zara was telling Farah about a cute guy she had just met, Sodiq was just on his phone, while Baby Nadia was watching Cocomelon on her iPad, and Nadia was off with her friends taking pictures.

After a while, Rukayah was pressed, so she told Farah to take her to the toilet. Farah took her there and stood outside the toilet waiting for her mom.

“Farah?”

Someone said as Farah felt a tap on her shoulder.