Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Abba could feel his heart lounging out of it's socket, forming a lump in his throat. He sharply looked at Umma; whom just grimaced, hissed and yawed her gaze to Hayfah's sight.

She scoffed, before smacking Tahir's lap___he knew what it meant; and so he abide. He shifted for her, so that she could sit comfortably. She looked at Hayfah, without a scintilla of empathy in her eyes "Do you really want to know, Hayfah?" She asked, ignoring the looks Abba was sending her way. Tahir and Amna were bamboozled, what does Umma's statement means? Is there something they haven't know? Hayfah's heart was as hard as a rock, she desperately want to know.

"Yes, Umma, please tell me," she whimpered, and wiped away her tears. She knew they weren't going to stop, but the sturdy part of her wanted to act up.

"Shafa'atu, where's the promise you made? Don't tell her please. You're her mother, and that's final," Abba wanted to roar, but his voice couldn't even sound man-like.

Umma hissed, and presumptuously looked at him "Talhah, why wouldn't I tell her? This girl deserves to know. She asked it herself. So___you're not interrupting me today, let's see___if the history would repeat itself completely," She spoke in an egoistic tone, snickering at how beseeching he looked.

She looked at Hayfah once again, "Do you really want to know?" Umma asked, surprisingly in a soft tone. It might be due to the moments that started reminiscing in her brain.

Hayfah nodded vehemently "Yes, Umma, I really want to know."

Umma took in a deep breath, she knew what she was going to tell her wasn't what they planned with Abba___but this also might persuade her into getting married. She's so tired of seeing her face in this house. She's jealous of how educated she is, whilst Amna wasn't. How attractive she always looked, whilst Amna's beauty was slowly fading away. The voice___it was always the voice that she is happy for.

"I'll tell you every single detail___from the incipient. But mind you___if you shed a single tear, that would be the end of the story, and you have no one to tell you the rest," she dictated, looked at Abba with a mischievous and triumphant smile plastered on her enigmatic lips.

~~THE INCIPIENT~~

In a village were there was nothing but few huts parched on the ground, far away from each other. The village would be called a dangerous bush, if not to the people living in it, making it a lively place.

The bush held many big trees, shrubs and different species of plants. There were different species of animal; of which the people were used to. A car doesn't have a way to ride inside the bus, instead; anyone willing to visit the people inside the village___would take a commercial car. Those cars were kind of used to it. Even though; the commercial cars also doesn't have ways during rainy seasons. It's eaither you walk by foot, or ride with a bicycle.

At the edge of the stream, sitted there were two girls; apparently in their 14 and 13 years of life. They looked almost alike, just a little difference here and there. They were clad in fulani attire, their hair was fully covered, though some strands were so stubborn to remain in the scarf.

"Rukayya, I'm so afraid of living you and Inna here all alone. Can't you all come with me? I'm not used to the city's life," the other spoke, she was probably the older one.

The one called Rukayya lifted her teary eyes up, she gave her sister a fleeting smile before holding her sister's hand. "You don't need to worry, since Baba left us; you know Inna would never step her foot out of that house. We will all be safe, Neema," she spoke to her sister tenderly, she knew the name she called her would calm her down. She had always wished to live in the city, always pray for that.

And now that the opportunity came, why would she hold herself down because of them? She wondered why. The son of the headward of a nearby village; whom studied in the city asked for her hand out in marriage. And tomorrow being the wedding day, Rukkaya guessed it was now that all downed in her soul.

"I know that, too, but Ruru am, how would I stay there and eat all those delicious thing; whilst I know you guys might not have eaten anything? How would I sleep on a comfortable and soft mattress, while you guys slept on a woven mat? I don't think I can do this, Ruru am," as she let the words___her fears, slide out of her lips; tears began streaming down her cheeks.

Rukayya stood up from the stone she was sitting on and moved to where her sister was; sobbing silently. She hugged her tight, fighting back her tears with aplomb. It's either she becomes the strong one, or they'll cry their eyes out here.

"It's okay, Neema. We will be fine. You'll go there, he'll get you admitted into a school, and you'll be educated. When you are done, I, too, might be married by then, and we can help Inna to have a better life," just the thought of her being married brought a sheepish grin to her lips. She had loved kids since she was a kid herself.

Neema looked at her sister, before someone intruded in their conversation. She stood there unbelievably looking at them, with her hands at akimbo. She had always being the harsh type.

"So you're here, having a sisters moment, while Ali's friends were there waiting for us to go to the dandali," she wrathfully looked at them. They looked at their forever infuriated cousin, she was their Uncle's daughter___albiet the Uncle is of no help to them, but they still befriend his one and only daughter.

Without an argument, they both stood up and ensued her___chatting lackadaisically. Upon reaching their two huts house, rounded by muds of clay___Neema grisped her sister's hand, annoyed at the old women yodelling. They got dressed in some minutes and took off to the dandali (An empty circled ground, where traditional activities takes place in a village).

Two chairs were placed amidst the crowd. Glum Neema; whom was wearing a fake smile all the while; whilst Malam Ali was smiling widely, as he guided her to the chair, not touching even her hand. He loves her so muct to wait.

Rukayya sat on one of the stone encircling the dandali, her hands on her chin___not participating in the dancing competitions and all. Guys and girls were pairing, traditional music was blasting, everything there was obstreperous.

"Assalamu Alaiki. How are you doing, Boddi (Pretty)?" Came a husky voice, as the guy sat on the stone beside her.

Rukayya looked up at him, as a smile crept out of her glum voice. She suddenly felt unscathed with him around. She was first afraid of the guys she saw as Ali's friend, some were the bad guys known in the entire village___being the ward head's son, she doesn't blame him; some might haven't been invited.

"Won't you say something? Anyways___my name is Talhah, you might have known my father; Malam Muhammadu mai kayan miya (Malam Muhammadu that sells vegetables) in the city," she could feel the proud tone in his voice. He was always happy to say that he was the son of the only person that works in the city, apart from Ali that has even secured a job there.

An unexpected smile tucked up Rukayya's lips, she looked at him"I'm Rukayya, the late Malam Muntari's daughter," the depressed smile on her face was palpable enough.

"I'm sorry for your loss, he was really a good man," Talhah apologized. She just smiled amd yawed her gaze to her sister, whom was given a sweet-like thing by her friends. She smiled at the sight___it would be her someday.

Shafa'atu from where she stood, felt a pang of jealousy; she had always had a crush on Talhah since when she saw him on the first event. He's the man of her dreams. He's the handsome guy with sideburns, a well structured figure. He's perfect in his imperfections.

Upon seeing Rukayya smiling at something Talhah had said; the infuriated Shafa'atu couldn't take it anymore. This piece of trash has to know her level, Talhah is hers; he isn't her type.

"Rukayya, we need to talk about something," Shafa'atu stood infront of them, intruding what Rukayya was about to tell Talhah.

Standing up from the stone, Rukayya dusted off her clothes and looked at Talhah "I'll be back, or it might be a good bye from here," she smiled genuinely at him, before they took some steps off.

Talhah stood up too, before he half-yelled at them "I'll be at your home in the night, or we shall meet tomorrow," with that, he moved into the midst of the crowd.

When they were out of earshot, Shafa'atu stood infront of Rukayya; her hands at akimbo. "What were you doing with Talhah?" She asked, seriously demanding for an answer.

Rukayya got confused. What's wrong with her talking to Talhah? He was the one that first talked to her, not the other way round. "I don't get you, Shafa, what's wrong with me talking to him?" She retorted back, slightly annoyed. Not that she could act upon what Shafa'atu would do next, had it been Neema was here; she would've help her out.

Shafa'atu glared at her, her heart pounding in it's ribcage. "You have to get me, Ruru. I like that man you're talking with, and don't you dare interfere with something I like, you know it wouldn't be good," she nudged her shoulder with her hand, enragedly.

"What's my problem if you like him? Love him or marry him if you like, that's the least I could care for," Rukayya replied in her always serene and thin voice, before she stomped out of the crowd. Neema noticed the movement, and got tensed___Rukayya hardly gets angry, but if she does; it wasn't something small.

After the little party was over, Neema and Rukayya were sitted in their usual hut; their room. Neema had been pestering her to tell her what the problem was, between her and Shafa'atu, she was worried about what would happen to her sister, now that she wouldn't be around to protect her.

"It's nothing, just one of her bland blandishments, so I was tired too___that's why I walked back home," that was all sombre Rukayya could utter, she too was afraid of what would happen when Neema isn't around. How would she cope living with the forever annoying Shafa? As they used to call her.

Neema was tired of probing, she kept quite and let her thoughts to sink in her brain___making a mental note of probing Rukayya tomorrow when she's leaving, she knew she might tell her then.

Inna entered the room with her salam, she had been so weak due to the illness they couldn't fathom the reason behind it, since there Baba died, Inna wasn't herself anymore. "Ruru am, you have a guest," with that, she looked at her daughters and left the room. She knew if she stayed, she would end up crying, which she doesn't want to.

Rukayya went out of their house, only to meet Talhah leaning on their mud wall. She reluctantly took some steps towards him, before halting in front of him, more than appropriate inches between them.

"Rukayya, you can see I'm back again, I couldn't live for some hours, without seeing you," he spoke endearingly, hoping his words would dive into the girl's head__even though she wasn't considered as a girl; for she has all the structure an 18 year old lady would have.

She shyly looked up, when her eyes met his; she slowly looked away. "I actually wasn't expecting you, I even intended to chat with my Neema for the last time," the affection, how she would miss her sister, was palpable in her voice and facial expression.

Talhah smiled at himself, it seems it wouldn't be hard to get her. Like seriously, he had been stalking her for almost a year now, but never got the chance to talk to her till today. He really loves her. "You know...," he was cut off by a loud yell from an egoistic voice.

"Ruru! What have I told you about him? Want to try my guts?" Shafa'atu roared, enigmatically moving towards them, not having a scintilla of shyness in her; as most of her mates would've have.