Aishah

I COULDN'T SLEEP the previous night my heart beating erratically and I was more than nervous,my feelings were unsettled going back to Zaria again and meeting my family,I was excited and scared all thesame and I can't lie I missed Fareedah a lot and I know through her I will be able to contact Qadirah again

I sat on my bed from my laying form relishing all the moment I had with them before four years ago I decided to run away,do I regret my decision? Of course not I'm more than grateful I decided to leave without leaving I would never have found Haqam or experience this kind of love I felt now,I wouldn't have had a growing up fashion and designing company and I'm grateful for the changes in my life

The changes weren't just physical but mentally and psychological which made my ways of thinking different from the way it use to be,I matured over the four years and I'm proud to call myself a woman,I stood up from my bed and watched myself in the standing mirror in my room looking at my face,my face have changed from girlie to much more matured look and I know being twenty six heading to twenty seven have that kind of effect

I went to my bathroom having my bath and my mind drifted to the chat I had with Mrs Bolanle yesterday,I felt the need to see her before heading down to Zaria,she gave me words of advice that I swore to keep with me always,I'm also grateful for having her in my life and truth be said Lagos have been good to me so far

I rounded up fast and wore a wash blue jeans trouser and a white round neck shirt,I tied my veil and devoid my face of any time of make up before taking my travelling bag leaving the room,I dropped the bag in the sitting room and head to the kitchen were I smell an aroma of food

I met Haqam busy preparing egg sauce,he turned around and smiled at me while I walk further into the kitchen giving him a morning kiss

"How was your night?"he asked

"Was fine I guess"I replied shrugging while he poured the egg sauce into a plate

"We should eat our breakfast before catching the plane"he said smiling cheekily at me and I smiled rolling my eyes

I helped him take the kettle filled with hot water to the dining room,I took two mugs and he joined placing the egg sauce in the dining table,I bought out the beverages before we sat down taking our breakfast

We ate silently and I knew a lot was in Haqam's mind but he chooses to be silent maybe knowing I will definitely loose my appetite,I grew more courage after my breakfast,Haqam stood up going back to his room he came back wearing a dark blue jeans and black round neck top,he look so good on it and went to wrap my hands around his waist tiptoeing to give him a simple kiss

"I should dress like this more"he said chuckling and I smacked him,he came with his bag too and before we knew it Tayiba was already here,she promised to drive us to the airport and return the car so she's incharge of the house before we come back

The drive to the airport was relatively short and I was surprised there wasn't much traffic today,I was so use to Lagos traffic and it had become my daily life,we hugged Tayiba good bye and boarded the plane

I fell asleep throughout the ride and before I knew it the plane was already landing,my heart skipped and I look at Haqam hesitantly who gave me an assuring smile,he came down from the plane and a was designated car waited for us,we entered the car driving us to the hotel we lodged,I look through the window throughout the ride,Zaria was almost thesame with little changes there and here,I felt nostalgic reviving old memories, I chuckled remembering I was born and brought up here

"Welcome to my home land babe!"I told Haqam who chuckled

"I'm more than willing to accompany you here anytime any day"he said and I smiled

"Really?"I teased

"You better don't start!"he said and I laughed out

The car stopped at the hotel we were heading to,the driver gave us the key to the car leaving,dad arranged everything down for us,we checked in the hotel

"I got some information on where Fareedah lives now,so calm down sweetheart you will be meeting her tomorrow"he said and my heart swelled with anticipation and I knew I missed her so much,I nodded

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Haqam and I went to bed and this was the first time we were sleeping in thesame room,he didn't mind we were in thesame bed and gave me the space I needed,he was a real gentleman I pretended I was asleep so that he can go to bed I know he was tired but I didn't feel sleepy at all,my mind was all on Fareedah's reaction when she sees me and I pray she listen to me maybe I'm over thinking but I can't help it

The day came sooner than expected and I fell asleep around five in the morning,I woke up to meet Haqam drying up his hair,he was wearing a black chinos trouser with a button up shirt revealing the first three buttons he usually does and folding the sleeves too

"Good morning!"he greeted and I yawned standing up from the bed

"What's the time?"I asked

"It's ten in the morning"he said and my eyes widened,I wanted to get to Fareedah's house as soon as possible,I rushed inside the bathroom having my bath,I came out from the bathroom to meet Haqam nowhere to be found,I wore that same black gown Haqam proposed to me on,the dress fitted me so much and I always look exceptional on it

Haqam came back to the room with breakfast and we ate silently,after that he applied a simple make up on my face,I look at the mirror and I admired myself I have really changed in the pace of four years

We left the hotel and Haqam drive out of the hotel following the Google map to get the location of where we are heading to,my nervous got much more the more we neared where we were heading to but Haqam kept smiling at me saying soothes to my ears,the car slowed down and Haqam honked the car in front of a gate,the gate opened revealing a short dark man,he made inquiries who we are and we told him we are the madam's friends,he let us in and I felt my heart beat erratically in anticipation

Different emotions swirling through me,I felt happy,sad, exciting, anticipating and nervous all thesame

We came out of the car and Haqam hold my hand immediately,the door suddenly open and a little boy ran out of through the door,he stopped abruptly looking at us when I suddenly heard a familiar voice that I had grown to miss

"Ali better run back here your dad can't be back home by this time!"I heard Fareedah yelled coming out of the house

The first thing I had a glimpse of was her enlarge tummy plus her weight, Fareedah grew so fat than I can ever imagined,she place her hand on her waist looking tired before her eyes landed on us,she was quiet for awhile so do I,it felt like the world stopped working and it looks like she's seeing something she can never believe

"Aishah!"she tested the name in her mouth like she wanted to be sure of what she was seeing and I broke into tears running to embrace her,she didn't waste time and wrapped her hands around me as she cried,we cried on eachother's arms before we released the hug

"I missed you!"I voiced out

"I missed you more Aishah,I thought something bad had happened to you and you left me worried,Aishah you were so cruel and you didn't let me know your plan you really broke my heart"she said at once wiping her tears away as she chuckled,her eyes landed on Haqam and she gave me a questioning look "who's he?"she asked and I can see Fareedah didn't change she's still thesame except that she had grown so fat between four years

"He's my fiance"I replied and Fareedah's eyes widened

"Come inside first,you have a lot to talk about"she said and I nodded smiling,the little boy I came to know his name is Ali hold his mom's hand as they walk back inside the house

We sat on the sofa,Fareedah left and came back with juice and snacked,she joined us sitting down and I was so happy things turned out like this,I felt she was going to ask me to leave her house but reverse was the case

"You grew fat"I said cautiously while she erupted in laughter

"I know you will be really surprised to see me with so much fats,all thanks to Ali"she said roughing her son's hair who glared at his mother and I laughed

"It's been long"I muttered and she nodded in agreement

"You look different too Aishah,though you gain weight than before but there's this uniqueness added to you,you don't look like a Zaria babe anymore your dressing is different too"she pointed out and I smiled

"Haqam meet my best friend Fareedah,she had always treated me like a family and I can never be grateful enough, Fareedah meet my fiance Haqam without him Lagos would have been hell,he was the one that helped me throughout those years"I introduced them to eachother

"It's so nice meeting you finally after all those years,Aishah talks about you a lot"Haqam said and I smiled

"Same here, thanks for being there for her"Fareedah said too and I felt the everywhere got light

We gist and chatted,I told Fareedah about my growing company,my life at Lagos and she was so pleased I made an advancement

She went ahead to tell me how devastated she was when I left and no one had a clue of where I was "I thought you were going to contact your sister but you didn't, I initially regretted telling her because she sound so worried in the phone and also regretted leaving you alone here"Fareedah said and I felt sad again "two months after I discovered I was pregnant,I mistakenly dialled your number I wanted to tell you about it before I remembered you were no where to be found,when I gave birth to Ali you weren't there too and I was sad because I knew how memorable it would have been if you were around,I ate a lot when I was pregnant of Ali and that's how I started getting fat,I continue eating not able to control myself after giving birth to Ali and I gain more fat, initially I wasn't okay with it but now I'm fine and I will be a mother soon again"she said laughing and I chuckled

"I could never picture Fareedah and fat body,you look different walahi"I said and we all laughed,Ali kept on looking at me like where was I from,his mother picked him and placed him on her lap

"Hey Ali meet your godmother I always tell you about"Fareedah said and he shouted

"Aishah!" And started laughing

"Respect young man!"Fareedah scolded and I laughed,I could see the tyranny in the little boy

"Let him be,Ali come over"I gestured and he came to sit on my laps

We spent the whole day there talking and gisting on everything we lost, Fareedah decided to do Skype with my sister who was surprised to see me and cried,I told her how sorry I was for everything that happened but she waved it off promising to return to Nigeria during my wedding which I was grateful for

"What about Ibrahim,I know you guys are not divorced yet and now you have a fiancee"Fareedah told me when we were about to leave though Haqam wasn't there he gave us privacy

"That's one of the reasons I'm here to end things with him"I replied