-Ameena-

The echo of mama's voice fades into the background as I hurried out through the back door and into the backyard. This is my most favorite place in the house.

The Alhaji Mahmud Jungudo's residence is a fairly large family estate comprising of a five bedroom bungalow which is the original house my grandparents built when they settled in Kano. Gradually, the house underwent expansion as their four children came of age. Hence, three bedroom flat houses were erected around the house. This is in accordance with the tradition that parents provide the first living place for their children after marriage.

Each flat has its own personal backyard which original intent was to be a garden but over the years it morphed into backyard due to neglect.

The only garden with turf grasses and flowers was the the one belonging to the main house which now belonged to baba Alhaji who has added some modern touches by including a gazebo and a water fountain at the center.

Baba Alhaji is the eldest of my uncles followed by baba Hamma, my dad and baffa Bello who is the youngest of them.

After the demise of my grandparents, baba Alhaji being the eldest naturally assumed leadership of the house. With hard work and good planning, he expanded the family business (textiles) into a multi million Naira empire. He has four children with his wife Hajiya Adda, Yaya Salim and Salman, adda Mona and fatima.

Baba Hamma has six children, Yaya kabir from his first wife who is late and five girls with his second wife Hajiya Amma.

Baffa Bello has two children, Maryam and Jamal with his wife whom we call Antin Maryam.

"Ameena! You two timing meenu!! You promised to send the wedding pictures but you didn't. How could you? I have checked all your profiles to see if you have uploaded any but all I saw are your annoying cupcakes." Nadiya fumed.

Nadiya is my cousin and the fourth daughter of baba Hamma. She is a few months younger than I, three months to be precise. She and I get along pretty well even though I was always involved in a skirmish with her older sister fadila.

"baki san yanda akewa manya magana ba ko?  And if you call me that again, I will make sure you never taste anything I make again." I joked.

"Truce, but you would have to show me the pictures. Pleeeaasse... "she begged making a funny face with her hazel eyes popping until she saw me smile.

"Alright but don't get your hopes up. There really is nothing to see...except for the couples of course."

At that she jumped at me and gave me a hug. Making me gasp as her seventy pounds body crushed me. She has always been the chubby one amongst us but she is still beautiful with her dimples and captivating smile.

She, Maryam and I are of the same age but she is the closest I have to a friend in my family.

"I miss you soo much." she squealed

"OK, you would miss me more if you squeeze the life out of me. " I said as I tried breathing while she held me.

"har zan manta! You remember that guy I was telling you about? The one Maryam had a crush on? "

"oho... Your course mate right? "

"yes him. Ashe dan iska ne? He and his friend tried to convince her to sneak out and attend a party he is throwing at a... "

"what! Don't tell me she went? "

"God forbid that I will let that happen. what part of 'tried to convince' did you not understand? "she ask quizzically.

"oh..." I breathed a sigh of relief.

I realized that I am yet to go and greet her royal highness. If I stayed here with Nadiya it would probably be until nightfall before she is done with dishing out all the latest gossips.

"kinga there is something I have to do at the moment. We will talk later."

OK, later then." she said and walks towards the gate.

In other to reach the main house, one has to pass by baba Hamma's flat but as is expected, one must greet the eldest before the rest. This I have learned from mama.

Immediately I went into the living room, the familiar scent of lavender hits me.

Seated on the three seater was Her Majesty herself watching a Hausa movie on the TV. She was seated cross-legged with her back in an erect position. She took the job of being an elder seriously hence I nicknamed her 'her royal highness'. She was wearing an electric blue Moroccan caftan. As  always  she is meticulous in the way she dresses. It's hard to look at her and believe she has a ten year old granddaughter.

"Salamu alaikum"

"Wa alaikumussalam."

"Good  afternoon Hajiya" I said while squatting in the traditional way.

"You are back. Har kun gama bikin yarbawan?" She asked not bothering to return the greeting.

Hajiya Adda has never approved of mine and Demi's friendship.

"Angama." I replied meekly.

I know Hajiya doesn't like me and the feeling is mutual.

I remained squatting a few more minutes while she went back to her movie pretending I don't exist.

Barin je in gaisheda hajiyan Nabila (Hajiya Amma)." I said while standing up.

"Do tell Safiyya (my mom) she should see me after magrib."

"I would." I answered.

I swear the way she bosses my mom and calls her by her name. How mama tolerates her, defeats me. Its always suffocating when in her presence, so I avoid her like a plaque whenever I can. I seldom come here except when I can't help it.

The second I entered baba Hamma's flat i nearly bumped into fadila merely missing her by a few inches.

"hey watch where you are going... mtsww...people behave as if they are blind."

"oh am sorry. For a second there, I thought you have eyes so I decided to play blind...my bad. " I replied

She glared at me and adjusted her head tie that looked like a propeller and swept pass me.

I said Salam and sat for a while because no one was there. The house smelled of burning incense. Some minutes passed before I heard someone come in.

"Good afternoon Adda Ai"

"afternoon to you too. Antin Deejah told me you travelled, when did you come back?"

"This morning. Is Hajiya inside? "

"No she went to goron dutse."

" Let me go to Antin Maryam's side." I said.

"Alright. "

Adda Ai got married same time as Deejah and Nabila. But she spends more time at home than at her matrimonial home. There is always this problem and that. It wouldn't be surprising if her mom had gone to see her in-laws to patch things with them. Her marital problems have become so frequent they no longer held any importance in our family matters. No month passes by without her doing yaji.

Lastly, I went to Antin Maryam's. I found her in the kitchen preparing the afternoon meal with Maryam by the sink doing the dishes while sulking.

I wonder where their maid is. Maybe she's sick. The way Maryam was sulking made me laugh inwardly. My inner mugu wished I could snap a picture for keep sake.

After I greeted her mom, I said hi to her and she totally ignored me.

"Maryam, your cousin is speaking to you. Won't you even ask her how was her trip? "

"She travelled? "

"of course she did. Why else will I say that? "

"Welcome back then." and she went back to doing her chores.

Something I didn't  say about her. Least I forget.

Maryam is one of those people that think life is all about them and anyone else don't matter. She has totally refute the theory that the earth revolve around the sun into the earth revolve around her.

I asked Anty if there is anything I could help with and she declined telling me I should  go and rest.

I didn't bother to go the first flat near the gate where baba Alhaji first stayed because it now belonged to the Yaya Salman and Yaya Kabir.

Yaya kabir has gone to Karachi for a course and I don't fancy seeing Yaya Salman at all. He and Yaya salim are identical twins but despite the striking resemblance they couldn't be more opposite.

While Yaya Salman is arrogant and a womaniser right from their teenage years, his twin represents everything good and humble.

I recall how I made a lucrative business at our islamiyya by collecting money and goodies such as hanjin ligidi, Kantun gana and their likes from older girls just to put in a good word for them or deliver their letters ( which he made me read by the way). But I left out a teeny weeny detail of not telling him about the money.

I know you would wonder why just Yaya salim? Why not his twin? But the thing is, half the girls at the islamiyya are  already Yaya Salman's girlfriends. So the ones who are not or don't want to look cheap go after the single one.

Despite the age gap, we got along real good. Whenever I am in trouble he gets me out of it. After lecturing me and making me promise not to repeat which I break of course.

When his mom ordered the tree in our backyard to be cut down because I was making fatima, her youngest daughter to climb. And this according to her, takes away a girls virginity. How it does that is only known to her.

When the tree was cut, I cried and cried. I was inconsolable until the next day he brought me a mango seedling and told me to plant it.

"look at the bright side, that tree wasn't yours to begin with. But this...  he said nudging the polythene bag... is all yours and also, mango is always better than neem don't you think? "

I nodded with a smile and from that day onwards I took care of the tree as if it was my baby and exactly eleven years later,It is a full blossomed tree any mother should be proud of.

I went back to our part and went straight to my room to avoid any confrontation with mama. I know she wouldn't let the hair thing slide.

I started thinking of what to do. I don't want my mind to go wandering into no go territory. But the problem is, my room has been cleaned... What to do? I thought.

A knock sounded and broke my train of thought. Mama came in and sat down on the bed.

"so... Wanna talk about who happened in Lagos? "

"who?...pft...what could possibly happen in five days? ... I mean nothing happened." I stammered.

"A lot."

"maa... Why would you say that? "

"OK... For one, you made lunch, you cried...and no that was not just tears of joy...you have that far away look and I could  recognize that anywhere much less from my own baby... So out with it."

"I cooked because I wanted to.  I protested. besides I do that everyday  Saturday. "

"today is not Saturday. " she reminded me.

"OK, it's because I felt like it. "

"alright then, when you feel like talking, you know where to find me. "

And with that she walked out. Seriously how do mothers do that? They seem to know just about anything. I swear sometimes it's creepy.

*******************************
Maman sultan here's the update.
And I apologize to all you lovelies for not updating soon (no valid excuse, just being lazy).
Forgive the mistakes and typos as its late and I feel like a zombie.
Hope u enjoy it.
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