Fifteen days to the wedding 

"Mother, why didn't you tell me that the man I'm marrying, the man I'm going to be his wife in fifteen days isn't married?" She looks up from her MacBook and looks at me.

I hold a part of the gold sofa. She blinks over and over again. She puts her MacBook on the sofa gently. I glare at her bowed head. How could she do this to me, I thought he was married to someone else. Someone alive, that he wouldn't have time for me, that he wouldn't have to stress me.

Men can be really stupid, he can just wake up one morning and ask me to stop or sell my business.

"Would what that change, you are going to be his wife in ah-" She checks the date on her MacBook again. " Fifteen days. I don't see why you are so worked up unnecessarily, he isn't married, he's single, he's good looking. Masha Allah, he's rich and can help you grow. What else do you want?" I sigh and tears smart my eyes. I can't believe it, I'll be someone's full time wife, I wouldn't be the quiet second wife who doesn't demand for her husband's attention.

Oh Ya Allah.

I walk out of the house in a huff, in my rush to open the door to my car, I mistakenly hit a woman in red. She was at the door when I opened it.

I hold out a hand to her and she takes it. " I'm so sorry ma. I hope you don't feel pain anywhere?" I'm so ashamed of my anger. She nods frantically and waves me off. I watch her walk into the house. I'm sure she's one of mother's staff. Mother owns a shop where she sells frozen poultry.

I open my car door slowly and drive out of my father's house. They are bringing my lefe in four hours. None of my aunts have arrived and I'm using that opportunity to run away before they come. I also have a makeup appointment.

A few minutes later, I drive into Panama close in maitama and park at the twenty-sixth house. One of my students whose biggest plus is taking amazing pictures is my accompanying apprentice for the day. She steps out of a taxi five minutes after I park.

"Good morning ma" I smile at her, she has the typical southern Nigerian face, full lips, high forehead. Her lips widen into a smile that compliments her already beautiful features.

"Good morning Faith, I hope you didn't find it hard to get here?" She shakes her head and we both walk to gate. We are allowed in after a few minutes of interrogation, probably because it's a massive house and they all come with massive security.

The door is opened by a young man in butler uniform. Faith and I exchange looks. Butler? In this day and age? In Nigeria? 

"Madam is upstairs. If you'll please come with me." The butler walks us up a flight of humongous stairs in the massive house. We reach a door and he knocks quietly.

The door is opened by another woman in blue uniform. Faith and I exchange more looks. We walk into a spacious room decorated in silver and white. I wonder how they clean here. We take off our shoes, mine a pair of sandals and faith, a pair of sneakers.

"Madam is through here." We walk again towards a corner, there's a slim woman looking outside in a robe, sipping tea. I know because the scent of earl grey tea is in the air.

The woman in blue speaks again. "Ma'am, they are here."

I look up and my heart skips a beat. She's  Adeel's ex wife. At that precise moment, I know what it means for your blood to pound in your ears. My blood seems to freeze after a few seconds. My mind goes into overdrive at what she could do to us. We are in her house.

She could have us butchered up and acid poured on us like they say Jamal Khashoggi was murdered. Ya Allah, when can I say the shahaddah, should I begin now?

She walks closer and I finally give a good look at her face. She has an aquiline nose, rosebud lips and the loveliest brown eyes I've ever seen on anyone. Her complexion, a caramel shade, is glowing. I'll probably be killed by a beautiful woman.

She drops the tea cup she's holding onto a saucer of the same blue color. I then noticed that faith and I had been gawking.

"Let's begin if you are ready." Faith unpacks the multi tasking box that holds makeup and photography stuff.

I set out the chair and makeup box while Faith turns on the ring light and equipment. I'm shaking inside but I shelve my thoughts to the back of my mind while I get ready to make her up.

A few minutes later, I begin to apply primer on her face. She's silent except for when her husband called and she smiled so wide. So, she's married.

I let Faith take a picture of her face before I use any makeup products on it, to save for later. Then I begin working on her face. In a ten minutes I'm done with her brows, then I apply eye shadow. Faith takes another photo of her face with the ring light trained on her very smooth face.

Thirty minutes later, I'm smoothing out powder on her face. I'm done. She gets off the chair and walks off to the bathroom to get dressed. When she comes out our jaws drop. She looks like a dream in a red off shouldered dress that looks like its hanging off her. She hands me a turban and sits on the chair again.

It takes a few minutes to wrap the turban I to an intricate style I was hoping to perfect over the next few days. After wrapping the turban, she turns her head this way and that before cracking a large smile.

I turn away to start packing to leave space for faith to take pictures but she holds my elbow and pulls me closer to her, her grip is firm. "I need to see you. Please wait a moment." I look at her, trying to mask how hard my heart is beating or how fast my pulse is racing like a traditional fast beat.

While I pack up the brushes I used, my mind goes back to the article I stayed up to read. It says Adeel and her were married for two years, then they abruptly divorced. Some blogs even say they were seen cozy at an event one weekend then the other weekend, they announced their divorce. No one has a clue what or how they ended their marriage.

"Ma'am, I'm done. Your pictures will be sent to you before evening." Faith informs her and she nods vigorously before opening her purse to hand her a few notes. Faith looks at me and I nod perceptively. Faith takes the money and thanks her profusely,  a beautiful smile on her face.

"A few weeks ago, when I heard Adeel would be marrying you. I knew I just had to talk to you. He's never been this serious about anyone." My neck strains from looking at her, so she seats on her bed and pats her side as a cue for me to sit.

"I know, I'm sneaky. I'm not supposed to do this because I had to divorce him a few years back. I let him go for a reason. I could have fought for him but it was lost already. It was a lost battle." She sighs and looks out of the window.

"All I ask you Nabeela, is to please take care of him. I made him loose hope, I made him become the man that he is_ the lost man_ I made him into that man. Please take good care of Adeel. He'll annoy you but he needs lots of loving." She looks down at her fingers and plays with the ring on her index finger.

"I've heard you, is that all you want?" I try to mask the fear I feel. She nods and pats my hand in a pleading gesture. My heart falls into my stomach, figuratively.

As I walk out of her room, my phone chimes with a message. It's Ajìkè whom for one reason or many others I'm mad at. I ignore it and place my phone back into my purse.

******

"Why didn't you tell me Adeel was married?" I'm sitting opposite her, having no particular idea why I'm mad at her.

She sighs and beckons me. I walk to her side and seat on the other side of the couch she's on.

"I didn't think that you had no idea, besides it never came up. I wanted to say something about it but it's not my story to tell."  I groan out loud. I hate it very much when people tell me something is not their story to tell, then why whet my appetite at all. I want to know! That is why I'm asking!

"But, how can I compete with a shuwa woman? , I'm not even beautiful. My hair is short and my nose is somehow flat. How can I compare with that one that should be Miss World?" She laughs out loud before making faces at me.

"Affy, you are beautiful. A dark skinned beauty that men would fall over themselves for. You are  beautiful just the way you are. Carry that beauty with halaal confidence. That's all." I sigh. My arguments are getting watery.

"I was hoping he was married. I'm not mad that I wasn't told. I'm more unhappy that I won't be able to do as I please. I really hoped to be a quiet second wife."  She glares at me hard before hissing.

"You are not alright. So, who's taking pictures of your lefe for you. I want to see." I look down at my phone with no messages. A normal bride by now would have been sent pictures and videos if her Kayan lefe, I'm not your usual bride so I don't expect any pictures from people who can't send them to me and are only there for the gossip they can take home.

" I have a favor to ask you" She turns to me in totally rapt attention. This woman is amazing.

" I have a sister that my mom thought she killed, that my dad abandoned. So I want her to sit with me in the car that day, but there's no way they'll let her in if she doesn't come with someone important. That's why I want you to let her come with you. I know it's a big favor to ask but please help me. Safiyya missed my first wedding. This might be my last and I want my sister by my side."  She nods

"Does your mom recognize her?" I shake my head. The last time my mom saw her mother, Safiyya was a baby.

"It's fine, but you have to tell me the entire story later. What is she like?" I smile at the memory of Safiyya. Fair skinned, petite and long haired. Safiyya is a complete opposite of me. She looks nothing like me, yet she's my sister.

After praying asr together with Khayrat and Ajìkè, I finally drive home. I'm exhausted after a long day of running after Khayrat. She's a bundle of energy.

When I park in my spot, I see other cars lined up in the front of the main entrance, some well parked and others parked haphazardly, no doubt to easily get a good seat. It's Nabeela's lefe, the whole world has to come see it.

I take the back door that goes through the kitchen into the house but there is no way I'll be able to get into my room without being seen so I walk to the small living room where I'm sure my mother is.

She's sitting there with her friends and members of my father's family, people who travelled all tend way from Kano just to see what my lefe looks like. My mother's snotty noses family that believes that anyone who isn't as light skinned as they are is inferior.

I throng through the crowd to my mom's side. I hug her and she smiles brightly at me.

"I've asked them to put your lefe in your room. You can check it there in silence." I nod and walk back to the staircase greeting so many women along the way.

After sending pictures of the boxes contents to the group chat, I lay on my bed and count the days till I'm Adeel's wife.

******

Hello people,

It's me again. Won't you people hail me for all this everyday update? No update for real till weekend. The votes and reads are low from updating everyday, so I'll just leave it till Saturday morning. 😆😆

This chapter is for ZainaHijabi. Go to her page for her amazing story. Being Accepted.

Bye 🚶

P.S This chapter is long enough oo. See y'all when I see you.