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***

It had been two weeks since Mimi joined the Islamic school. Two weeks of humiliation and disgrace. Mimi wondered if Maama actually asked the teacher to be asking her tough questions deliberately. She could blindly read from the man's expression that he loves treating her that way.

Sitting at the parlor with wetty palms she waited for Hajiya Maryam to come out of her room so that she would apologize. The reason was to persuade her mother so that she won't attend the Islamic school again. It was the worst in the punishment list.

"Good morning Maama," she greeted from where she was sitting on a sitter few inches away from her mother. Mimi noticed the little gleam on Hajiya Maryam's face. That gave her a little hope. When she sat for more than two minutes without a response from Maama, she repeated her greetings again.

Hajiya Maryam didn't answer her. Her sight focus was on the television watching an Indian movie. Mimi's mouth twitch, debating on whether to repeat her greetings for the third time or to just say her request forwardly. When Hajiya Maryam stood to pick a video cassette from a drawer, Mimi thought she would talk to her.

"Sabirah," Hajiya Maryam called out and soon Sabirah was standing before her waiting to hear her order. Hajiya Maryam looked at Mimi and then Sabirah before she read out her request.

"Turn on my heater please. I want to go out." Sabirah nodded and left.

"Maama." Mimi slightly whispered.

"What?" Hajiya Maryam raised an eyebrow pretending that she just saw Mimi. Mimi gulped and concluded that, that was the worst decision of the century.

Now that she's sitting before her mother, she couldn't say a word. All thanks to the piercing look Hajiya Maryam was shooting towards her direction. If looks could actually kill, she would have been a rotten debris by now or perhaps a devoured remnant. Whether the former or the latter, she knew whichever one was it, it would never be a good experience. And, that's the best example that best describes her mother's look and how's she's feeling at the moment.

"Well, you saved my time. Get ready your father is coming in later with the deputy governor's son and daughter. You're going for an outing." Mimi's eye widened. What's happening to her life these days? From get ready you're going to Islamic school to get ready you're going out with your father and his friends. No further explanation? Oh no! That's too much to bear. That's too much of a life invading. At least Hajiya Maryam should ask her if the time was convenient with her but no, she wasn't even asking for her opinion. It was just an instruction.

"A very special outing. Now, out of my sight." Hajiya Maryam emphasized on every word. She hoped the outing is going to have a little influence.

When Mimi was out of sight with slacked shoulder, Hajiya Maryam buried her face in her palm. She knew it must be really difficult for Mimi to cope, being that she always get anything in a flick of an eye. She had everything within her reach, everything done according to her wish but that was a mistake they made. Because, someday they might die and leave her all alone in this world and who knows what will happen.

And, no matter what, her father will loose his position someday and life will never be the same. So, if at least she has a little idea what life out of opulence seems like, everything will be easier.

***

His Excellency, Dr Bashir entered the parlor with two of his friends and their children. One lady of Mimi's age and the other younger than her then a man of about twenty seven years.

"Bring some refreshment for them," he told one of the maids that came to pass by. Dr Bashir waited for ten minutes and Mimi hasn't showed up yet so he decided to go and check on her.

"She's taking a long time to get ready. Let me go and check what she's doing." He told them and hastily walked to Mimi's room. Just when he reached the door, he stopped to think. Would he be able to talk to her? Would she even listen to him? Because since after the slapping incidence, he hasn't had a proper talk with her.

He was internally debating when he heard Hajiya Maryam's footsteps behind him. He sighed in relief.

"Go and enter the car with others I will send her." He nodded and left to the parlour were he met the girls chatting in the newest chat platform Facebook. Dr Bashir cleared his voice to divert their attention from their phone but none of them heard him until when their fathers called their name.

"Imteehal, keep that phone aside."

"Asmaa, you too. And also Ameen slip that gadget in your pocket." They did as the father instructed without objecting. Dr Bashir felt attacked and ashamed because if it was Mimi she would have been whining and at last she won't put the phone a side. Mid way having that thought, Mimi's heels smacking the tiles drew their attention. Each pair of eyes set on her face which was as harsh as a pregnant cloud.

"She's out. Let's go then," they all rose to their feet and waited for her to reach were they were. When she reached there, she looked at them one by one and her eyes fell on her father's eye which was silently telling her to greet.

"Good afternoon to you all." She slightly bowed and that made Dr Bashir felt better. A little bit. Hajiya Maryam nodded from where she was standing and went back in.

When they were out of the house, Mimi saw a convoy of three cars with securities holding their guns. There were also three to five hilux having their boots filled with foodstuffs. Three securities stood beside her father as they opened a luxurious car for him to enter. Where were they going? She has no idea.

"Mimi, Ameen will drive you and the other girls to where we're going. See you there." He whispered to her briefly due to the press on him. Journalists were standing with their recorders and others with their cameras. When he entered the car he's supposed to enter, another car loaded with security men drove ahead of them. Then his car, and another backup car from behind them.

"Hop in now or I will leave you here." Ameen bellowed in a husky voice. For the first time, Mimi looked at him and hissed.

"I don't sit at the back." She made it clear. Imteehal and Asma were quiet on the other hand. For the sake of peace and to save time so that their father will not scold them for arriving late, they took the backseat. Mimi entered and the drive began in silence.

After ten minutes drive, they car came to a halt and Mimi thought it was a breakdown or something.

"The place is not far, we should have trekked," Asma chirped.

Mimi caught up. "Trek what? This is a long distance to cover." She rolled her eyes imagining walking under the scorching sun. She had already seen herself having sunburn on her skin and callous on her feet.

"Long distance for a lazy person. Yeah?" Ameen indulged, looking at her face as her lashes flutter against the subtle skin of her cheek. 'She's beautiful' he mused to himself.

Once they were out of the car, standing beneath a tree, Mimi's eyes scavenged the area looking for maybe an eatery or perhaps a park or something but there was nothing. In fact, the buildings were not pleasing to the eye compared to the ones she's used to seeing down their lane.

After minutes of waiting, her father came out of the car with securities behind him. Mimi looked ahead of her and saw a sign board. The orphanage home. Was that what her mother called a special outing? What's so special about that? Well, she would wait and see for her eyes.

'Try to behave. All cameras are on us and it's going to the media. The press are looking for the slightest mistake please be on your best behaviour. I know you won't love it when I loose this election. This is part of my campaign and hopefully I will be reelected for the second tenure.' Mimi read the message her father sent to her. So, that's what kept in the car. She heaved a sigh and hope nothing will make her loose her patience.

The building was big, and spacious. Mimi couldn't point out which colour the outside paint was because it had been scraped off. When her father entered first, securities enter then her. The press came trooped in to catch every moment.

They met different nannies by the surrounding whom knelt and greet them on recognition of the governor and deputy governor. The head; in charge of taking care of all the children in the house showed them around.

After exchange of greetings, she began the introduction. "This house is divided into sections. We have where the infants are, where children and adults are. We have a school and a hospital." She took steps forward.

"This section is the infant section. This is were infant babies are." She showed them a room and led them in. There were a lot of baby beds and nets. Some of the babies were sleeping, some were playing with a toy and two to three were crying. A nanny came and backed one of the crying babies.

"Where do you get this babies? Like who bring them here?" Asmaa asked with keen interest. The nanny smiled at her. A journalist changed the angle of his camera to Asmaa's face and the nanny's face.

"Some of them were picked from the streets. Some were brought to us by district heads. You see that one?" The nanny pointed at a beautiful baby peacefully sleeping. The governor shifted closer.

"She was found in a gutter covered in a shawl, some boys heard her crying. They called the attention of people and she was taken to the hospital. Doctors tried their best so she miraculously survived." That brought tears to Asmaa and Imteehal's face. The governor held his face too trying to be strong.

She showed them around and briefly gisted them about the reason of coming of some of the orphans.

They moved to the children's section, from age four to twelve. Mimi's attention was totally somewhere when they moved out of the baby's section. She didn't catch any information.

"Too arrogant to have some pity. Hmm." Ameen said behind her. Mimi twisted her lips at him and walked to where her father and co were.

"Here, some of them have parent; single parent. For example, when the mother dies or when the mother turned out to be spoiled and cannot give enough training to the child, the father brings the kid here and so many bizarre reasons." That point landed on Mimi's ears. What did that woman meant? Was she referring to her? Was she also trying to humiliate her? When she saw that no eye was on her, she drew reference that the woman was not referring to her.

They kept going about the room hearing different tales of the orphans while the journalists and the camera men kept doing their job. They were about to step out of the room when a boy of five years old crawled to Mimi's leg. Mimi flinched on the touch.

"That's Sadiq, he lost his legs to poliomyelitis polio." Those words bleeped, and echoed in Mimi's ears. It touched somewhere in her heart and the image of Sadiqu's leg came out clear in her mind.

"Aunty," he waved his hands at her. On reflex, she leveled down to the height of the boy and caressed his face. Tears pricked out of her eyes immediately.

The governor and others were stunned at the sight. The journalists have already started thinking of how to put the headlines on the screen or how to forecast it in the radio.

'The only daughter of the governor shed tears on seeing the orphans.'

No, a better one.

'After seeing the first orphan, the governor's daughter couldn't stop weeping.'

Or perhaps,

'The governor and his daughter on their prompt visit to the orphanage, cried non stop.'

****

Ayam surprised oo.
I was waiting for her to push him away and shout but then Mimi took me by surprise.

***

Can't wait for Sadiqu to come back🔥💃

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