The door opens as I pull off the old threadbare navy blue hijab I used to pray Isha¹ and wear my scarf. My aunt comes in holding my favorite large mug with my face on it, I giggle as I climb the bed, leaving space for my aunt to climb in.
She hands me the mug and the scent of Lipton tea, Milo and three crowns milk and a little sugar tickles my senses. I lift the cover and stir it with the spoon in it to take a dainty sip. I smile at my aunt thankfully, safely keep the mug on my bedside table and lean on the wooden headboard.
"Labibi? How are you?" I shut my eyes and exhale. "Nothing Ma. I'm fine." I call her Ma and she calls me Labibi because when my parents just died, many things reminded me off them, I tried not to let myself forget their memories, so I made new ones with my maternal aunt and her husband.
"Nasan bakya kano saboda jin dadi², if you were here for comfort, you'd have stayed over at Abdul-Mumin's parents house which is where you should be anyways, but I know, like a mother knows her daughter that something is wrong, so pray tell me." I laugh at her English connotation and cover my face with my hands.
"Well, I'm here for comfort since I don't get to work myself to the bone at Abdul's parents house all because I want to be the perfect daughter in law." She nods, waiting. "I just wanted to come here and be pampered by you both."
She nods again but pats my crossed legs before speaking. "I've heard the rumours. Your uncle thought you knew and you were too hurt to call, so we left you. Now we know what had happened.
Abdul is getting married in a few weeks. Today, they took the lefe to the bride's house. Her family lives about four streets away from us." I shrug. As I had said to myself, I do not care.
"I don't care Ma, whatever he does is his business. You know? As long as he doesn't bring her to my house. Even if he does, I'll just have to bear it. I cannot be unmarried, people just see it as a type of grave sin. It just confirms all they have said and will say about my job as an actress." She inhales deeply and shakes her head, I see tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Oh Ma, don't cry please." I beg as I uncross my legs to put my arms around her. "I really don't feel pain. Okay?" She nods in my arms and pats her eyes dry, making me calm. I go back to my original position.
"If he brings her to your house, don't throw a fit please. I beg you. They'll just single-handedly drag your good name in the mud, which is what we must avoid at all costs." I nod. She swallows and continues.
"If he brings her, allow him, welcome them, ask for a roaster and quietly get yourself an apartment. For you to have some peace and quiet. Because the only reason this is happening is because your joy and peace is about to be tested." I nod. I don't even have a better idea, so I'll just do as she says.
"I'm just disappointed in how cowardly he is behaving, one would think that he would have come to your Kawu by now. This is reprehensible behavior whichever you look at it." I smile sadly at her unconcealed vehement irritation with Abdul.
"How's the new Amarya³?" I laugh and pick my phone from where it's been charging before saying. "Rabiah is enjoying honeymoon in KSA⁴ and Oman before coming home. After they toured Europe. I'm so happy for her." She laughs with so much mirth and joy that it lights up her entire face.
"I only know that because of your warm and pure heart, you'll be able to do same. In Sha Allah⁵." I nod, completely unbelieving of the very idea, unless some windfall came from heaven.
My aunt leaves the room, after forcing me to finish my beverage in one go so she can go with the cup, I followed her to the door to shut it firmly and while shutting, I remember how in this room I rejoiced over winning roles, over getting nominated for a minor award, over marrying Abdul-Mumin.
I slid down the wall to sit on the bedside table I deep thought when my phone rings. I look at it and see that it's from Rabiah, who has been touring the world since her wedding in Abuja four months ago. Her husband promised to show her the world and he was making good on his promise.
"Bibi na." I call immediately i pick the phone. She screams my nickname, at me too before we fall into an awkward silence.
"Did Abdul really do that?" I squint in surprise. "Where did you hear that?" She hisses in what sounds like surprise.
"Their pre-wedding pictures are all over I*******m, even Northern Blog is there praising him and if you see the comment section ehn, I just want to flog people." I laugh, bellying the pain I feel. Abdul the coward.
"Bibi, you know he didn't tell me, it was 'Worse than devil' downstairs who told me. He slept next to me to he came to Kano last week oo." My voice breaks at the thought of how i sent him hundred thousand to fund a trip to Kano or how he must have used my money to buy Lefe⁶ things go his new wife. I take off my cap and run my hand through the braids on my head.
"I wish you'd just leave him. You deserve better than him. Wallah. I just know your thoughts on being divorce, so I'll let it be." I make a sound of agreement. "Do you sis, just do you sis. That's all I ask. Okay?"
I sigh before replying. "I will do my best. Okay?" She makes a sound of assent before sighing deeply in ecstasy, so I wipe my tears and let excitement show in my next words.
"I hope you're buying you and I matching abayas in KSA, that's why you're there apart from prayers oo. You know." She laughs and tells me she bought us two sparkly ones she knows I'll love completely.
"May Allah bless you. Where's Hakeem?" She answers that he went out with a business partner of his and she declined to talk to me.
"I love you too Rabiatu." She scoffs at my use of her name, she hates it with passion. I laugh, all the events of the day forgotten.
******
When I wake up the next morning, its past ten, so all I just do is get a bucket of water to bathe as apparently the power supply company has refused to do their most important job, forcing my aunt and Uncle to shell out money to fuel their generator every night.
"Good Morning aunty Zeerah." I greet my aunt's maid who is cutting vegetables for what looks like for a stir-fry noodles. "Baby Beebah." I laugh at the way she says it. Patting her arm as I take a sachet of water to brush my teeth with, since the water cannot be trusted.
"I'll see you later. I'll be late if I don't bathe now." I rush my bath and a few minutes later, I'm towelling off in my room, setting out a floor length chiffon gown I left here when I came last. It's dark blue with light blue flowers designed on it with a large scarf to wear with.
Soon, its on, and I'm swiping Kohl over my eyes, mascara dash over my lashes and a swipe of lip gloss over lips. I pick the bag I had the sense to pack last night before sleeping and ambulate quickly out of the house.
I stop the first cab I see on Daurawa road and tell the driver I'm going to the ancient part of town, in Hausa. We haggle the price and when he recognizes me, he refuses to back down and asks me to get in.
Those who say Nigeria has nothing to offer have not yet seen Kano or this beautiful place I'm in, I look around imagining myself as princess in this sort of place. Then someone stops me from moving further.
"Labeebah Sheriff? Oh my Allah." The lady's hijab is flapping in the breeze that is blowing through what feels like a royal conservatory. "Hello," I greet shyly.
"Can I take a photo? Please. My friends won't believe I met you if I can't show a photo." I nod graciously, keeping my smile simple, knowing my dimple pops when I smile. She clicks on her phone and I take her to a particular part of the place, facing the sun and we take a beautiful picture.
"Tag me when you post it, so I'll repost. Okay?" She nods as though she cannot believe her eyes. I just giggle and walk out of the room, abandoning the rest of the tour to go home, my aim achieved, I'm happy.
Glossary;
Isha- Night prayer for Muslims. Mostly between 8 to 8:30pm.
Nasan bakya kano saboda jin dadi -
Amarya - New bride
KSA- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
In Sha Allah- God willing.
Happy Reading guys!
6:50 pm,The Lamido house, Life Camp, Abuja.I responded to greetings as I shut the door of the Uber I ordered and watched it drive out of the gates that Baba Sarah opened. I waited to greet the gateman who i knew was itching to talk to me.He quickly shut the gate and ran to me. "Oga soldier." He greeted, mimicking the attention stance my battalion soldiers gave when they saw me. I just nodded and waited for him to stop trembling enough to speak."My daughter had the baby yesterday. She is still at the hospital because there is no money to use for discharge." He said in Hausa, tear clouded his eyes and I sighed. His daughter had been raped by some boys in their area who thought she was playing hard to get, I personally reported to the assistant inspector general who sent the police there to get all three boys arrested.I tapped Baba Sarah's back as I
"I have some free time between ten and twelve later, so please get ready to go to the bank." As I spoke, a ping came on both our phones, I know because I saw him walk to his and open his message. I took a leisurely stroll to where my phone was and tapped on it, heart literally falling into my stomach when I saw it was from the bank. "Abdul? Another five hundred thousand? Why?" He just hisses and walks to the room we once shared, my whole self is trembling as i follow him at a more sedate pace. "Why would you withdraw another five hundred thousand naira? Zuwaiya isn't getting married ba? It's you? You're using my money to fund your marriage. How cruel can you be? That you'll take an orphan's money to fund a frivolous thing. I didn't say don't get married, I didn't ask you a single question. Why then are you punishing me?" I furiously wipe tears that gathered on my lower lids. "What your money? Last time I checked, i
I keep swallowing the expensive Ben's and Jerry's ice cream we were given as souvenir at the Kamu I attended yesterday. I don't even look Abdul's way, I instead stick my short spoon for another scoop of ice cream."Can't you hear me?" I finally raise my eyes to look at him. "What did you say?" I ask stupidly. I pat myself on the back, the acting was superb."Don't sit there acting stupid Labeebah. You transferred all that money, even cancelled the account. Why kind of human does that? Ehn? Tell me. How am I supposed to pay for the wedding when you take all the money." I don't say a word, I just keep scooping the chocolatey goodness into the spoon and into my mouth next."Aren't you going to answer me?" I lean against the sofa, smiling like I didn't hear a word. He throws his hands up and leaves the room, my face changes immediately he leaves. If he were full of fake apologies, I might have listened, but slapping me over
"Was that all he said?"I hummed to my aunt as I prepared my own mixed cocktail using a fizzy non alcoholic drink. I pick the two cups and a beautiful wooden tray I use for my advertisement pictures and do the difficult to my room with my phone balanced on my ear."What do you suggest Ma?" My aunt sighs. "I'm short of words. If your uncle heard this, he'd ask you to move back home, I can condone anything but fetish things. That one is too much." I set down the tray on my filming table and sit in the brown leather chair."I do not know what to do Ma. Tired is an understatement for how I feel. He keeps showing me sides to him everyday, I'm scared for my own life." I sigh. Putting down the cocktail cup cover I was holding."Just be careful. Since you said you use camera in your room, keep using it till you find another apartment." I shut my eyes in tiredness. "But Ma, I paid for this house, with my mone
If I remembered today was the wedding, I might not have stepped a foot outside the house then. But then, I could not have taken delivery of the sinasir and soup I sent for. "So, how are you faring?" I sigh and lean against the fire escape railing, electricity went out earlier so the elevator isn't working.I could have avoided questions like this from my one-floor-up neighbor. "I'm fine. I need to pay the delivery person, so please excuse me." I turn and climb the stairs to the last floor, taking the back into the door room lobby. "Hello." I greet the delivery person. "Ma, good afternoon, oh my goodness. It's you." I smile at the young lady who doesn't look older than my twenty four years. "Yes, it's me." I smile wid
"Why didn't you refill the gas cylinder? What kind of human being are you?" I shift the chinese food package in my left hand to my right, while I went out to get food, Abdul and his new wife came home."I didn't even know it finished." He looks at me murdereously, making me smirk, I didn't even know that anything of that sort was happening."Well, you can call the all night service, they'll bring gas as long as you have money." The amarya comes out of her room, scratch that; mine and Abdul's former room. I click a glance in her direction, just saying the salam. She gives me a look that immediately makes me wish I had kept quiet and walked away at the same time."Ab darling, is this her? The Uwargida?" She wrinkles her little nose and walks to Abdul's side, putting an arm around him and I watch Abdul do the same."Yes my dear, that's her. She's Labeebah Sheriff." Amarya sniffs and wrinkles her lips. "
"The pictures are fake?" I sigh. "The action happened but it's all wrong, they have it all wrong." The lady I'm speaking to holds my phone captive, copying photos from my phone into her computer. "He cornered me. And tried to get me to talk to him, I ducked out of those photos a second later. It's so unfair that they only put these ones up." She nods understandingly, the pictures have finished sending. "What we will do is send out a strong statement. This Mr Ali must have had every knowledge that this picture was being taken. See his pose?" She shows me my phone, but I'm forced to see the picture in a different light. "He knew. First we'll take him down by a peg, forcing him to apologise for maliciously trying to make you be his mistress when you didn't care for it. Then we'll encourage members of the public to look at your reaction well and we'll hope they're sensible enough to gather the right conculsions." I nod slowly. "First we'll start by making proper use of your advantage
O'Oh my Allah, now I know! My fave was lied against'I rolled my eyes at the dramatics of that comment and scrolled down the many prayers for Allah to give me peace. I checked the insights of the post and found out a hundred thousand people had posted it to their story. I chuckle, people sure like drama.I leave the post and check how many people secretly visited my page, over two hundred and fifty thousand. I nod, this would be good for me also, it's like killing two birds with one stone, scold Ali and gain more followers.My phone pings with a video call from my aunt and I swipe up quickly, I want to hear what she has to say. "Ma, Ina Kwana." My mom smiled, holding the ends of her scarf, she really doesn't understand when I tell her no one else can see our calls. "Labibi. How are you doing?" I shift, putting one of my fluffy pillows behind me as I recline further into my bed."Ma, I'm fine. Very fine." She tries to look at my face well, which in my aunt-speak is; putting her face to