Edited.

"Hajju, have you seen my phone?"

"Falmata, where is my earring"

"Aidah, please help me with my head gear"

"Where are my shoes?" Asked another person.

Everyone was bustling around, searching for their belongings and preparing for the dinner at the Fushan event in Maiduguri.

"You girls need to hurry up and come out; time is running short," Aunty Baana called out.

We all made our way downstairs to the elegantly furnished living room at Baba Ibrahim's.

The bridesmaids wore elegant silver lace outfits paired with blue headgear, while the stunning bride was adorned in a beautifully tailored blue dress designed by the talented 'Hudayya'. She completed her look with silver headgear, matching jewelry, and coordinated shoes and clutch.

I reached into my handbag for my phone, but it wasn't there. Sighing, I hurried upstairs to retrieve it and spotted Aunty Zara on the way.

"Aidah, au nemlaa jasmemaa?" she asked in Kanuri, inquiring if I had forgotten anything upstairs.

"Aa, Aunty Zara," I replied in Kanuri, my native language.

"Jin made samma kullengena," Aunty Zara said, handing me the key to the guest rooms. "But here's the key; be sure to return it to me."

I entered the room and spotted my phone on the bedside table. I unlocked it and noticed a missed call from Fahad, my boyfriend of three years.

I grabbed my phone, locked the room, and headed back downstairs, where George Okoro and his crew were taking pictures. "Oya, change your style!" he joked, eliciting laughter from everyone around.

"Amnini, you look absolutely breathtaking," I said as I approached her. "Mashallah!"

Amna, the bride, blushed and shyly replied with a thank you.

Amna is my first cousin; her father, Baba Ibrahim Umaru Mubi, is Ammi's older brother. As the firstborn in her family, Amna has always been a shy yet incredibly fun person to be around. Since we were young, we've been dreaming and planning our weddings together, but time has flown by. Now, she's getting married to the love of her life, Tahir, and mashallah, they are the couple everyone admires. Their love is truly on another level.

"Oya yallah, girls, let's move out!" Aunty Baana said, clapping her hands dramatically.

We arrived at the venue, which was beautifully decorated, reminiscent of Disneyland. The hall featured blue and silver decor, matching the 'Asoebi' and the bride's dress.

We formed two lines and danced into the hall to "Yeba" by Kiss Daniel, the song of the year that seems to play at every wedding. It's quite annoying, really—people just can't help but obsess over it!

****

We settled at our assigned tables for the bridesmaids, while some guests danced and others chatted, enjoying the festivities. I was in the middle of a conversation with one of my cousins when I received a call from Fahad.

"Hey, baby," his melodious voice greeted me.

"Hey! Are you here yet?" I asked, excited to see him.

"Yeah, I'm outside," he replied.

"Okay, I'm coming," I said, ending the call.

Ya Rabbi, I clearly forgot my manners. My name is Halima Muhammad Deribe, but everyone calls me Aidah. I'm in my early twenties and graduated from Lynn University in Florida this year. I'm Kanuri, hailing from Borno State, and I have three brothers and a sister from my mother, Hajiya Maimuna—whom we all affectionately call Ammi. She is actually a Fulani woman from Mubi, Adamawa State and the second wife to our dad.

As I mentioned, my Ammi gave birth to five of us: Ahmad, Muhammad, Hauwa Niimah, me, along with our youngest, Khalifa. Currently, only Ya Ahmad is married, but Ya Niimah will soon be joining the married gang.

My dad has four wives. My stepmother, Hajiya Fatima—whom we call Yaya—is Baba's first wife and hails from Bama, a local government area in Borno. Yaya has eight children: six girls and two boys.

My other stepmother is Hajiya Kubra, whom we call Mummy. She is the third wife, she is Chadian and has three daughters.

The fourth and youngest wife is Hajiya Eman, whom we call Mama. She is Egyptian and has four children: two boys and two girls.

In total, we are twenty in number, including my six younger siblings. Mashallah, my Baba is truly blessed with beautiful daughters and handsome sons.

People often say I come across as rude, but it's really just that I don't talk much—especially not to those I'm not familiar with. Don't get me wrong; I can be rude if someone gets on my nerves. Plus, it doesn't help that I have a resting B face!

I walked outside to where the cars were parked and spotted the familiar black Audi A8. I made my way over, and Fahad stepped out, wearing a blue caftan and a matching cap, looking dashing as ever.

"Hey, babe," he said, pulling me into a warm hug.

"Hey, I missed you so much," I replied, wrapping my arms around him.

"I missed you more," he said with a smile.

Fahad and I walked back into the event hall side by side, snapping plenty of pictures together with him and the couple. Fahad is friends with the groom, Tahir, which earned him an invitation to the wedding. He's also from Borno and is friends with my male cousins, which is how we first met.

The event was in full swing well past midnight. We had an amazing time during the after-party, especially after the elders left, allowing the youngsters to enjoy themselves.

Fahad drove me home after the dinner. I was staying at Baba Ibrahim's until after the wedding, since all my cousins who are my age were also staying there.

We arrived at Baba Ibrahim's house, and as I reached for the door to get out, Fahad caught my hand in his. "No goodnight kiss, babe?" he asked playfully-or not.

Fahad has a playful side and often teases me about it. He's invited me to his apartment several times, but coming from a well-known and respected family, I can't risk bringing shame to my family or tarnishing our name.

"Babe, it's not proper; we're not married, so we can't do all that," I said, gently releasing my hand from his grip.

"Please, baby, just a kiss," he said, leaning in closer.

"I said no. Just leave, okay?" I replied, feeling my annoyance start to rise.

"Goodnight then," he said as he started his car. I angrily got out of the car and headed for the house.

I walked past the living room downstairs and headed straight upstairs to one of the guest rooms where we were staying. Thank goodness no one was home yet, giving me a chance to shower and rest before they all returned.

I stripped off my fitted Aseobi gown, grabbed my fluffy purple towel, and headed to the bathroom. I turned on the tap to let hot water flow and started my shower with a Body Shop vegan shower gel. After brushing my teeth, I emerged from the bathroom, opened my luggage, and pulled out a pair of pink and gray pajamas. I gathered my hair into a messy bun, picked up my long hijab, and prayed Isha, then recited a few verses from the Quran.

After reciting a few pages, I closed the Quran and placed it back on the shelf. I gently folded my hijab and set it on the ottoman, then stood up, switched off the bedside lamp, and drifted into a deep slumber.

Hey guys! How was the first chapter? Hope it was good? Be sure to disturb me with your comment guys. love you! 🥰

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