Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Yusuf

When he called Fauziya and told her about the grand wedding, inviting her, she was happy. She has heard of the wedding of a life time that is happening at the Mamman's house whole and who is she to reject an invitation?

"Would you like to be my date to the wedding and everything pertaining the wedding" he had ask her over the phone and he could feel her chuckled.

"Yes. Who am I to say no? I am so happy right now" Fauziya had replied him showing how happy she was, someone likes her and she would do anything to keep him by her side.

Is what he feeling for her love or sympathy? Because he can't just explain it. The feeling is strong, or is it truly love? Either way, he has to find out and concur his feeling before something he would regret will happen.

There are things he avoided after breaking up with Aisha which one of them is falling in love but Fauziya seems different, she makes everything looks better and good to him.

She calls every three hours to check on him, send him sweet notes, homemade pizza and so on. That he knew was normal between friends, but the sweet note, he can't say about that. That seems different.

Even if he is to admit his hidden feelings, does she feel the same or would she feel the same? That is the problem, his fear rejection. He doesn't want to be rejected anymore. His heart he believes is fragile from the first heart break and if he goes through the second one, he would lose it.

He decided to call khaled and ask for his advise, but khaled is an idiot,he will make a joke out of it. He would rub it on his face every chance he gets.

Khaled picked the phone after a ring. "Assalamualaikum" he said into the speaker.

Khaled replied from the other side,with his voice hoarse. "Guy, it is ten in the evening already. We have families, why on earth are you calling me this night" Khaled said annoyed.

"Sorry man, I actually want your advice on something. Are you up for lunch tomorrow?"

" I am not in town. I came down to Kaduna to meet my family. I would call you when I am back. Bye" he hung up the call before yusuf could say anything.

Yusuf had totally forgot about khaled's married life. It happened all of a sudden when he was asked to marry his late brother's wife. And  say, they loved each other before. It was not a big deal getting them to agree to the marriage.

Khaled bragged for the whole week, talking about how it feels to finally get what you want, who you want, who your heart once craved for.

And his daughter ummi, she wouldn't allow him to breathe for a minute when she learnt he was going to continue staying with them. She totally lost it, even at school, the teachers thought was going mentally crazy. We had to clarify things before everything was normal.

Throughout the night he could not sleep, he kept thinking about what tomorrow has in-store for him. It might be good or bad but he has to reach tomorrow alive to know so.

Minutes and hours passes, all he did was movie and series to keep up. And when it was four in the morning, he performed ablution and prayed to his Lord to guide and protect him. To make him see if this is a bad thing or good thing to life and he felt relieved after offering the prayers.

He stayed on the praying mat reciting the holy book while waiting for the aadzan for subh prayers. After offering the subh prayers, he retreated to the bed. He needed some sleep before he and his father would for the wedding fatiha at Gwarimpa.

The fierce knocking and his phone ringing woke him up. He checked his watch to see he was late or rather almost late. He is already ten and the wedding of a life time is taking place by eleven in the morning. His father's angry voice brought him out of his reveries.

"Wallah if you let me use my power to break down this door, you won't like the outcome of it, not a bit of it" He shouted.  Yusuf slowly opened the door, so to make his father calm down.

"I am sorry daddy, I was very tired yesterday and missed the alarm. In Sha Allah, I will be ready in thirty minutes or so" he muttered as soon as he came face to face with his father.

" You better be. Everyone is waiting for me, my friends and even Hajiya Iya has been asking of me. I need to see my aunty before the wedding takes place" Yusuf nodded and closed back the door.

He sighed moving to the bathroom. He is damn tired and if it was up to him, he would sleep without going to any wedding fatiha. But he doesn't want to disobey his parents, he sees the world in their eyes.

After taking a bath, he dressed himself in a black kaftan and added hair cream to his beard to make it jet black. He dolled himself up that you would think he is a lady or he is one of the groom.

He ambled down the stairs with his fragrance following him, he met his parents inpatiently  waiting for him to come.

"Masha Allah daddy. See my son, he looks like a groom." His mother commented taking a picture of him.

"The only way for him to be the groom is when he mans up and ask for a lady's hand marriage, then he would look like a man and a groom" his father whispered but Yusuf heard it. He smiled ignoring his father's comment.

Deep down he knew he didn't mean it or that's what he is telling himself to believe. Every parents wants to see their kids married and his father is impatient. He believes he might die any moments and he needs to see his grand child or grand children, who knows?

Yusuf texted Fauziya to remind her of the time he is coming to pick her and she better not be late or she will make him angry. She replied with I am ready, just waiting for you to come.

'A minute before the wedding fatiha I will call you and after the wedding fatiha, that is when I am on my way to pick you, I will call you again' he texted back.