Typing vibe visited me today😂
Please vote and comment as you read.🙏

I dedicate this to phariedah_
For always being the first to read.
Thank you.

Unedited.

***

Sadiqu tossed on his bed from one end of the bed to the other. What happened yesterday was still on his mind. He couldn't stop thanking Allah for answering his prayer. After a good, long, one year he's heard from her again. And that too, through his sister. Was that enough evidence to make him convinced that they're actually meant to be?

He reached his hand forward and picked his phone. He removed the battery, inspect it and put it back but the phone refused to come back to life. Sadiqu hissed and tossed it back into a box.

Talking of letter, he mentioned it to Maleekah but the silence that erupted made him realised the letter hasn't reached her but his friend confirmed to him that he gave her. What happened then? Did he gave it to the wrong person? He hoped he didn't.

He was deeply thinking when Nazeer and his other roommates came in blabbering as if someone snatched away something from them. It's been days since he saw them.

He looked at Nazeer who has a wound on his face. "Nazeer what happened to you?" Nazeer shove Sadiqu's hand off his shoulder and entered the bathroom. Minutes later, Nazeer came out, got dressed and lay limp on his bed.

"We were at the station for three days. Can you imagine what Bobo did to us? He stole a phone and put it in my bag. And so he did to my other friends." Nazeer moaned as the muscle on his back constricted. He sat down with every part of his body paining him.

"That's bad news." Sadiqu shook his head and stayed quiet.

"Aren't you going to lecture me or scold me?" Nazeer limped to Sadiqu's bed and sat beside him. Sadiqu looked at him surprisingly.

"It's baseless." Sadiqu shrugged.

"I've started to see what you're telling me." Sadiqu looked at Nazeer for some minutes before he silently left for shower.

***

"Maama please." Mimi sought. The semester break was coming to an end and she hasn't visited London as she planned. Hajiya Maryam wasn't helping.

"You have to tell me what you're going to do in London. For the past years, I know you don't like your uncle. You to change your mind on that, there must be a good reason." Hajiya Maryam spoke with no smile on her face. It's time to mould Mimi into a good woman because no one nowadays will accept a spoilt brat as a wife.

"Fine! Thank God I have a father." Mimi stood to leave. It has always been like that. When she sought for her mother's consent on something and she disagreed, she moved to her father.

Hajiya Maryam stood on her feet too and sent a slap across Mimi's face. Right on cue, his Excellency entered the parlor. Hajiya Maryam noticed the way he looked as if someone has separated him with his heart. If he's not making any move to mould the girl then she, as the mother would do that.

"If you dare shout at me, Today will be the last day you will see me in this house!" Hajiya Maryam threatened Mimi's father. He might love his daughter so dearly but what she knew was she loved her more than he does.

'Leaving a child to do whatever they will doesn't mean love' she has always tell him but he doesn't understand. Love is correcting them when they're wrong, love is putting them on the right track, love is scolding them and moulding them when they are still dry.

She also used to tell him that; Mimi will grow up to hate him if she realised she wasn't put upon the right path. She will blame him for pampering her. Because by that time, she understand what life entails. For now, Mimi would love him because she thinks what he does to her was the right thing.

"We're sorry." He joined his hands together. Hajiya Maryam only glared at Mimi who was now weeping on the floor and wiggling like a worm. She never knew it reached to the point that Mimi would talk back at her like that.

"Wallahi if you don't shut up you will face my wrath." She slapped Mimi's back again and left for her room. Dr Bashir looked at his daughter who was now sniffling her cries. He wanted to hug her and tell her to exercise patience but he knew his wife better. Hajiya Maryam doesn't retreat on her speeches.

When he didn't say anything, Mimi stood up and went to her room. She locked the room thinking that one of her parent would come to pacify her. Night came and she didn't catch a glimpse of any of their shadow.

She broke down at the realisation that they were not coming for her.

*

"I am telling you this before it's late and you start blaming me for raising a bad child. You have to cooperate with me to make her good. I know, training and upbringing is the duty of the wife in Hausa land but you have to understand that you must help me do it. That's what Islam instructed." Hajiya Maryam was fuming when she said that. When a child turned out to be bad, people point fingers at the mother forgetting that it was the responsibility of both parent.

"But you know it will hurt her." His Excellency removed his cap and sighed.

"To hell with hurting her. See, you either choose me or her!" Hajiya Maryam stood to leave since the little advice and reminder didn't work, threat will work.

"Why the fuss? Calm down wifey now sit let's talk." And so, he gave in to her suggestion unwillingly.

***

"Chef where's my food?" Mimi finally came out of her room when it was twelve in the evening and no one came to bring her breakfast. They normally prepare her food before she wakes up.

"I was told you're not around that's why I.." She stopped him by raising her hand in the air.

"Shut up! I know your motive, you are planning on killing me with hunger right?" Chef Sim put his head down. He has became used to Mimi's shouting that sometimes he even laughed at it. He was a man about forty years.

"Keh!" Hajiya Maryam bellowed with hand on her hip.

"Chef, meet me at the parlor. Come with every other worker in this house." Chef Sim's heart palpitated. What have they done? He silently prayed that they didn't do anything wrong. Because, he can loose his job by hurting the baby of the house. He's sure of that.

Chef summoned everyone and they all sat while Hajiya Maryam read the new rules for them. "I hope I am clear. No one in this house should cook for Mimi. No one should carry her laundry to the washing machine. No one should sweep for her. In essence, I mean none of you should do anything for her. Including you, the chauffeur! You can only take her to school when they resume and nothing else. Whosoever step over this rule, that's the end of their work in this house. You may leave." The workers bowed and left murmuring under their breaths. They were all surprised with Hajiya Maryam's outsburst.

"But I'm hungry." Mimi whined thinking it was a joke perhaps. Hajiya Maryam ignored her.

When she stayed for another minute without getting a reply she stood and left for the kitchen. She would just fry egg and eat with bread. What's there if the workers were banned from cooking for her? It's not like she doesn't have brain or hands. She said in her mind.

Placing the frying pan on the cooker, she broke the egg and poured it in the pan. Measured three spoons of oil and add it. She added a cube of seasoning, sliced and onion and added milk. She put the nonstick fork and began to stir the egg. When she thought that it was done, she transfered it to her plate and grabbed a cup.

"Go back and wash what you used." Her mother instructed. She dared not to argue with her. She went back and washed the used utensils then went to back to the room with her food.

When she took the first spoon, she couldn't swallow it due to too much seasoning and unpleasant eggy smell. She pushed the plate away and began to cry. Mimi thought she could cook without an aid but that was wrong. Her stomach growled, and growled again. Clueless of what to do, she called Leek. Leek promised to come the next day.

Mimi drank water until her stomach was full was slept on an empty stomach. If her mother did that to make her apologize, then she's wrong. She wouldn't do that!

***

"Ammi, The woman said she wants to meet you if you don't mind." Maleekah sunk onto the cushion beside her mother and leaned her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I will beat you fa, now sit up alright by yourself," Leek giggled and raised her head from her mother's shoulder.

"I think we can go and see her today. Because your father will come back tomorrow and you know he doesn't like unknown people in his house." Maleekah's father, although generous, he doesn't like seeing unknown faces in his house. He's always cautious of who entered and left his house.

"Let me get dressed then."

"Bring down my Jilbaab I'm feeling too lazy to clump up the stairs." Ammi yawned.

"Lazy old woman," Maleekah teased.

"Ja'ira!" Her mother threw a pillow at her which she escaped while laughing.

****

Maleekah was stunned to see the house renovated. She swift her eyeballs from corner to corner. "She renovated the house. It's been long since I came." She told her mother and they went in.

They met Inna sweeping the compound. Maleekah scanned the surrounding and saw a stove at the spot of coal. It has been replaced.

"Good evening." She greeted and collected the mat, which Inna was about to spread for them. She brought Dan wake(bean dumplings). And of turned out to be Ammi's best food.

Several minutes passed, whilst they jump from one conversation to the other. Maleekah was inside chatting with Maimuna.

"You're a super woman." Inna ducked her head low in shyness. It was something she was really fond of, whenever someone praised her, she becomes shy and hid her face way.

"As Leek suggested, I advice you to start packaging your spices." Bareerah nodded.

" I'm planning on that but, I want my son to come back first." Ammi reasoned with her and they continued to chat randomly until it was five o'clock when the sun has fallen.

Bareerah's youngest son came back from Islamic school. He entered the house running to show his mother what he scored in the assignment she helped him did it last night.

"Inna I scored it all," he squealed. Bareerah felt ashamed because he didn't greet her esteemed guest.

"Didn't you see we have a guest?" She scolded.

"Good evening." Something about the boy's look and his voice made Ammi looked at him again.

"Young boy, how are you?" She rubbed his head. When he saw Maleekah, he sprinted off without answering Ammi.

Ammi looked at the path he followed and her sight lingered there for a while.

****

So, we're making a move into the book💃