Happy reading 😘❤

You never know how fast time goes until you're doing something. It was one week to the presidential wedding and Khadijah had over worked herself, the rest of dresses were ready and the only one left was the dinner gown. She'd made sure every little detail was seen to perfection.

Nasmir was supposed to meet her earlier that day for the final fittings, she didn't want any mistakes.

"Ma, the dressing room is ready" Khadijah nodded, with the bride's clothes and the many wedding guests that wanted their own clothes to be made by her, she was very busy.

Layla had told her the pros and cons of taking the orders, the pros being, it would be good for her, most of the guests are high class people and like she'd said before, they worked with names and brands so that was enough, and the cons, people might not take her seriously and would say she was unreliable and that would make her sales go down, thus, bad publicity.

With just the wedding, her sales had gone up about 75% and she couldn't let that go.

"Clear the reception, I need this place spotless in ten minutes" She barked, the reception was in chaos, wrapped bags ready for delivery scattered all around, like machines they started moving the bags to the delivery car that was waiting outside, with the help of the driver about fifty bags were loaded in the ten minutes time frame she gave.

Like she knew, Nasmir arrived five minutes later, that time with a burly man she later learned was security, as usual the three women were with her but with an additional woman, Hafsa her elder sister.

Azeerah attempted a wolf whistle when Nasmir wore the first dress, it was for the kamu event, a simple traditional blue Fulani attire. She twirled smiling widely, it came out better than she thought, the fitting was perfect, like it was sewn on her body.

She tried on the other ones, she loved the one for the cocktail especially, it was a hundred times better than the mental image she had, she couldn't wait to try on the dinner dress.

"This style is so much better" Maryam said as she sipped her cappuccino, it was a complimentary treat Khadijah had made mandatory.

"I can't wait to try on the last one" the bride to be squealed and went back to the small enclosed room.

She called her younger sister to help her into the dress, she was already in love with it even before she had it on.

"My Allah!" Khadijah let out a relived sigh when Nasmir squealed, she felt lighter, the invisible weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Is there any thing you want to adjust?" She asked when they just kept gaping speechless.

"It's perfect" Nasmir managed to utter.

"Alright, good, Victoria please get the veil" the secretary walked in with the folded veil in her hand, she was glad it was done, the engraving took a little more time than she'd thought.

"Will you try it on too or should we just package it?" The ladies chattering turned to her and nodded.

"Let's just see, I don't want it to get stained" she sounded worried.

"Okay you are designing my dress" Azeerah announced her hand trailing the words at the end of the veil.

Khadijah had 'Nasmid forever' stitched to the end of the veil, she had it made bold so that it would show in the pictures, since she wanted a long train, Khadijah made the veil almost double the train so it would be highlighted in pictures well, she gave her all to that dress and she knew it too, it was satisfying to see the end result even better than she'd imagined.

The outfits were packaged and they left, finally checking that out of her to-do list, Khadijah went back home for a much needed rest, she had over worked herself the past weeks.

"Heyyo" Khadijah hit the person that was interrupting her much needed sleep but they refused to go away, she got up abruptly and looked around the room, she could swear she locked the door before she slept, she saw her human alarm clock and eyed Layla with a questioning gaze, the question was at the tip of her tongue but before it could pass her lips Layla spoke first.

"Baba gave me a spare key, he knew the door would be closed" she nodded wordlessly went to the bathroom to wash her face.

"How was work? I wanted to surprise you with Oreo shakes and Chicken wings at work but you weren't there" Layla pouted, the sleep left Khadijah's eyes when she heard that.

"Where is my wings?" she asked looking around her room for any new item.

"And I thought you'd hug me and say how much you love me what Whatevs" she handed her the paper bag and sat back.

"Bless you angel, I love you more than anything you know that right" Layla rolled her eyes and they sat talking about the upcoming presidential wedding.

"It's getting sickening that it's the first thing that shows in my instagram feed, we get it she's getting married, leave me ALONE" Khadijah laughed at Layla's over dramatic self, it had started pretty annoying though, most people were reposting it.

"Maybe you should focus more on work, keep your phone" she advised fighting the urge to moan when she chewed another over coated wing, most people may not like how the sauce was too much and the fact that they had to be careful so as not to stain themselves but she didn't care, she loved it more because of that.

"Work is boring, besides you don't really complain and I know you hate it so much how all these things are overrated" Layla yelped when Khadijah smacked her arms, she wanted to snag her wings.

"I can't stress myself with those things, Victoria is the one running the account" Layla nodded in understanding, no wonder she wasn't complaining or angrily grumbling at her phone.

"So, when are we leaving for Abuja?" Layla asked after a moment of silence.

"Isn't the wedding next week, Thursday perhaps?" she suggested, she was thinking about accommodation, she didn't like to burden people and wasn't ready to spend unnecessary money for a hotel room.

"There's this sort of bachelorette's party on Wednesday and the kamu is on Thursday, we need to be there by Tuesday at most, Mamie would have my head because they're really close friends with her mother" she nodded and Layla informed her about their accommodation, since the rest of the family were also attending she agreed to stay in their Abuja residence, she had wanted both of them to go to a different location because the house would be too empty with just the both of them, and the very last option was to go to her uncle's place, The Barkindo's residence but she knew Khadijah wouldn't appreciate that.

Nasmir had invited Khadijah personally, she knew they were friends with Layla but she felt obligated to invite her herself out of courtesy, after she told her she already had an invite, Nasmir went the extra mile and had her seat moved to be with the Aliero's and included her in the other wedding functions.

She knew a lot of people would be surprised to see her, seeing how Khadijah kept to herself, she hardly posts on social media and even if she did, it had nothing to do with her, she'd later announced that she didn't run the account, she felt honored to have her as a guest, heaven knew the woman was magnificent and her style was unmatched.

After Layla left Khadijah decided to inform her parents about the wedding, they'd talked about it and and told her Father she was expected to attend, he didn't have a problem with it, if anything he was glad she was going out more and not just locking herself up.

Hajiya Ladidi eyed they dark woman and turned her head, showing her displeasure.

"What's the use of you going if you're not going to bring a husband?" she had sneered after baba left the house, Khadijah sighed with Nothing to say to her mother.

"If you like be following that girl anyhow, she wants to be a spinster forever and you're following in her footsteps" she continued in Hausa, Khadijah took every insult and snide remark Her mother made about her marital status but she couldn't take the ones directed at one of the few people that cared about her even more than she does herself.

"Umma marrying late wouldn't kill a person, it's better to marry late than marry wrong, I learnt that the hard way, I hope no one should go though what I had gone through, but why would you care? You care more about the society and your twisted beliefs than people's state of mind" she left the sitting room with unshed tears, it was ironic how her father was more a mother to her than the woman who had birthed Her.

Times without number she had wondered if Umma really had any motherly love to give for she and never received it and would most likely never.

****∆****

“Let him in.” a deep voice reverberated in the small dark room followed by footsteps then the sound of a door being opened and a few moments later closed, the sound of metal against metal so prominent it hurts the ears, if it bothered the people sitting, none voiced complaints, you'd think the room was empty from the deafening silence.

“Right this way.” the voice was muffled by the closed the door, soon enough the rattling started and the door was shut with a loud bang.

“He's here sir,” another voice announced, raspy from smoking too much.

“Well well, this isn't how we treat guests is it?” no one answered not that they were supposed to, “Get him something to eat, drink perhaps?” he fixed his gaze on the man that was standing glowering down at him, “He must be tired from the journey.” He added with a smirk.

“You know I'm not here for that.” the man who was still standing snapped, his features looked even but his tone was an entirely different thing.

“Now don't get too angr-” he stopped the waved the men in the room, they all careened out without a word. “Do sit.”

“I'm not here to sit you know that,” the man breathed “What do you want?”

“I'm here to see you after all these years, won't you even give me a hug,” he paused for dramatic effect, “little brother?” the tension the room was thick it could choke someone though the man standing would appreciate it a lot if his companion got choked.

“Don't call me that, you lost the right when you left.” he retorted finally taking the seat opposite the man, he couldn't make out his features in the dim lighting but he knew he had a smug look on his face.

“It doesn't change the fact that we share the same blood, the same parents and possibly the same character.”

“I'm not like you, I'll never be like you.” his calm demeanor was almost nonexistent with his rising voice.

“Don't get so worked up brother, we have a lot to discuss.” the playful tone he'd been using turned serious, the younger brother visibly stiffened, it won't be good.
He was right, more than right, his brother is always up to no good, his mere presence is full of dread and doom, but why did he even bother coming? He asked himself, it seemed there was no answer to that, at least he wanted to convince himself there wasn't.

“What are you planning?” he blurted before he could stop himself and that got his brother's attention because he locked his steely gaze on him, he knew his brother wasn't just there for pleasantries, though he would hope but that was far from it.

“What do you mean?” He didn't hesitate to shoot back.

A thoughtful look clouded his face, things that were happening with seemingly no explanation.

“It's all you isn't it?” it was a statement and if the small smile on his companions face had anything to do with it, he knew he was right.

“You catch on quick brother.” He waited a beat before adding “That's why I need your help.”

“I'm not helping you with anything and whatever it is you're up to, I want nothing to do with it, it was my mistake for even coming.” he muttered the last part to himself before storming out, he banged the door rather childishly to make a point because his brother hated the act.

Not bothered by his brother's outburst or the sound of the door that reverberated, he lit a cigarette and took a long drag then let out a puff of smoke.

“We'll see how that works out for you.” he muttered to the empty room.

••••••

Here's your double update as promised, this is shorter than the previous chapter but bear with me.

I was just too eager to have it up here because y'all have been so amazing.

Who is excited about the presidential wedding?

Do you think anything will happen?

Disturb me with your votes and comments, I love you all so much.

Thanks once again

Amyrah