Chapter 26: Chapter 26

“you are here shouting at me as if I committed a crime. I’m just trying to help our daughter. I hope you know that no sensible man would want to marry a spoiled rich brat? Especially in this era. So it’s better if I just started teaching her the to behave like the woman she’s growing into. And moreover…” Hajjo said as she sipped her hot tea.

“I don’t spoil her. I’m just making her enjoy life.” Audu Kalshingi said not even paying attention to her.

“Because of the way you’re spoiling her do you see what she’s been doing? She’s gradually turning into all this spoilt girls that get sent out of their husband’s house a little time after their marriage. I don’t want my daughter to end up like that. She’s all I have for crying out loud!” Hajjo was already raising her voice at her husband but she couldn’t help it.

She had been telling her husband to stop spoiling their daughter with money and too much freedom. She partied all she wanted, ate and drank when she wanted , how she wanted and where she wanted.

She went out whenever she wanted, however she wanted and went to wherever she wanted. No restrictions were imposed on her to stop her from doing anything.

All in all, she was totally spoiled. She was spoiled to the extent that her best friend Fatima was also gradually becoming a spoiled rich brat like her.

Hajjo didn’t want her daughter to end up like Hadiyya’s. Hadiyya is one of her colleagues whom she met at a conference for fashion designers in Edinburgh.

Hadiyya’s daughters were extremely beautiful because of their dad who happened to be half shuwa Arab and half Indian. Can you imagine the beauty?

They got married and the first one was sent home two weeks after marriage because she almost burned down the house just because she was making indomie and egg.

The second one however was sent home a week after they came back from their honeymoon in Dubai because she didn’t know how to clean up the house. She let it stay dirty and unkempt.

All blame was on Hadiyya as she didn’t teach her children to take care of their matrimonial homes and husbands.

“And moreover, she’ll get married in a few years. If she gets married do you want her to be sent back here because she can’t cook, or clean the house. The girl doesn’t even know how to take care of herself then how will she take care of her husband and in laws? I know you enjoyed being married to me because my parents trained me well, don’t you want her husband to enjoy too?” Hajjo said dropping her finished cup of tea and completely facing her husband.

“ wai kina ta magana kaman {you’re busy talking as if} she’s getting married tomorrow. Ah ahn! What is it? Look min kam misomi gaskiya {I’m famished sincerely} so good night.” Her husband said getting out of the room.

She knew where he was going and she’d go and meet him there once he’s cooled off. She wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily.

She had to make him understand that she was right and that she was just doing what she thought was best for her daughter. Even if she haf to resort to other measures.

Halima’s POV

I almost choked on my saliva when he said what he said. The whole Ya Sa’eed just proposed to me and is already talking about marriage!

Any other girl in my place would be happy but not me. I was panicking. Was he playing? He must be.

I laughed a nervous laugh and threw my head back and looked at him. He was confused. “Ya Sa’eed wannan wani irin wasa ne? {what sort of joke is this?} Please let me go inside and enjoy my snacks. Mummy is being very stern nowadays so let me go dan Allah.” I said trying to open the door of the car.

“Halima I’m serious.” He said looking so intently into my eyes as if there was a treasure chest in my eyes.

I closed my eyes and breathed in, “Ya Sa’eed. I. I. I can’t love you more than I already do.” He let go of my hand that I didn’t notice he was holding.

“Halima just talk already please. And please don’t think about my feelings. It’s about you. I can suppress my feelings for you. As long as you’re happy then I’m happy.” Ya Sa’eed said looking at me but his eyes were distant.

“Halima! Halima! Only Allah knows where this girl is. Sai shegen yawo kaman kaza {she roams about like a chicken}. Halima wallahi don’t let me find you, in bah haka bah wallahi bazaki ji dadi bah {if not I swear by Allah you won’t like what I’ll do to you}.” Mummy shouted.

Her voice was a little far but I knew it wouldn’t be long till she found me and thrash me. She had promised to beat the hell out of me if I went out without her permission.

“Ya Sa’eed mummy na nema na {mummy is looking for me}. Tomorrow in school dan Allah. Wallahi if she finds me here na shiga uku {I’m in trouble}.” I said as I rushed out of the car. I quickly entered our neighbors house and stood by the gate.

“maybe tana bandaki {she’s in the bathroom}. Let me go and check.” I heard mummy’s voice again but this time she was closer.

I quickly heard the door of the kitchen close. I rushed inside the house and entered the boys quarters. I used the staircase that connected it to the actual house and rushed to the guest room that was hardly used.

I hid my abaya and viel with the nylon Ya Sa’eed gave me in the empty wardrobe then laid on the bed and entered whatsapp.

I connected to the wifi and started chatting as if I wasn’t the one just outside in a car.

“Lauratu wai where is Halima tun daxu {since} I didn’t see her.” I heard mummy’s voice.

“naga ta shiga dakin can daxu {I saw her entering that room the other time}.” Lauratu’s voice came.

I tried to make the bed look like I had been in the room for long. “Halima what are you doing here? You have a room as far as I’m concerned so what are you doing here? Kuma uban wa zai gyara miki dakin da kika bata? Kinci abinci kuma. {who’ll tidy the room you dirtied. And you ate food then} you left the plates like that. Wai what is wrong with you. Tidy this room up and come downstairs once you’re done.” Mummy said leaving the room.

I sighed and dressed the bed then took my things to my room. I plugged my phone and went downstairs as mummy said.

“Lauratu, Halima, listen attentively. Now starting with you Lauratu, I need you to pack your things, you’re going back home tomorrow In Shaa Allah.” Mummy said looking at Lauratu.

Lauratu’s eyes were as wide as saucers, “Hajiya dan Allah kiyi hakuri. Wallahi I won’t do it again. I don’t even know what I did. Please what did I do? Wallahi I’ll correct it.” She was already crying.

I felt pity for her. God knew what she did. She looked like she could go in her knees to beg mummy.

“Lauratu calm down. Don’t you want to go back to school? You didn’t do anything wrong. I just want you to be privileged and continue schooling back in Borno. You may go.”,mummy continued.

“ke kuma Halima you’ll be taking care of the chores now. Amma not all. You’ll cook dinner and wash the dishes before you sleep, and lastly you’ll clean your room and wash your toilet, clothes, everything else concerning you. You start tomorrow In Shaa Allah. Good night.” And she stood up and left me in the parlor stunned.

Infact stunned is an understatement, I was beyond stunned, I was astonished, surprised, bewildered, shocked, flabbergasted. All these words still couldn’t describe how I felt.

I wanted to scream out in frustration. But I knew better than to do anything wrong or my situation would just be worsened.