CHAPTER THREE

"Fatima, you are going with me to a wedding on Saturday In Sha Allah."

My dad said to me on Friday evening as I served him dinner, mom was having toothache and her cheeks swollen in a funny way, she was asleep in her room.

"Dad, I'm going out with Ahmad." I said cautiously.

"You both should reschedule, I was specially invited to this wedding by the director of the bank, be ready by 10."

He ordered waving his hand at me dismissively, I fought the urge to groan, roll my eyes, even stamp my foot instead, I just sighed and sat down next to Harun.

"Nasi coke ivami." My dad said to Zuwee and she just stared back dumbly, I guessed he had just spoken 'Ebira' his native language and automatically ours, his children.

Dad was an Ebira man from Kogi state, while mom was a Hausa woman from Kano. They had both met at a friend's wedding and had taken a liking to each other, after few years they got married and had yaya Ibrahim, the first born.

Neither I or my siblings had ever gotten to understand dad's language, only mom's. Since our paternal grandparents were dead and none of dad's family wanted any kind of relationship with dad again since he had been too stubborn and had gone ahead to marry a Hausa woman, we had no way to learn Ebira so that was why even yaya Ibrahim couldn't translate what dad had just said.

"Even you Ibrahim, get me a bottle of coke Zuwairah." Dad shook his head at us and then proceeded to eat his dinner, Safiya mouthed 'shame' to yaya Ibrahim and I snorted back a laugh.

After a while in the parlour, I got up and headed upstairs, I hated after making plans my dad feel its Ok to just change them for me but anyways that's just typical Nigerian parent, I brought out my phone to text Ahmad.

••••• ••••• ••••• •••• ••••

The AbdulWahab family were not that rich but, they were contented. Ahmad had four sisters one older than him, a graduate of psychology and married with two kids, Rahma, then the other three Asiya his immediate younger sister, a graduate of political science.

Khadeejah the last born, just done with her secondary school. His favorite sister, Ummul Khair a year two student of civil engineering, it had always been her dream course and it took a lot of pleading from many members of the family before she was allowed to study the course.

According to their father Alhaji Abdulwahab Sani, the course wasn't for girls but at the end they had won him over by winning their mother over.  Even though he was a stern and a no nonsense man, he was the exact opposite with his wife whom he loved a lot which was why she was his only wife, a rare thing to find in a Hausa home.

"Ya Ahmad, what are you thinking about?" Ummul khair asked and nudged him as soon as she entered his room, he just finished reading a text from Fatima where she canceled their outing. He sighed and threw the phone to the other side of the bed.

"Skinny, who gave you permission to enter my room?" Skinny was the nickname he gave her, she was really tall and very skinny but dark and beautiful.

"Fatty, since when do I need permission to enter your room?" She asked sticking out her tongue at him, he frowned at her.

"I'm not fat." which was true he was more on the skinny side but, slightly.

"Ok ooo fatty, anyways what or who angered you?" She asked nodding at the position he threw his phone.

"Fatima, though its not her fault but she canceled our outing. She's attending a wedding with her dad." He whined.

"Where were you guys going to go to?" she asked smirking at him.

"Nowhere special, just to see the site work of our future house In Sha Allah."

"Iyyyeh lover boy." she teased him.

"Move aside jor what did you girls cook? I'm hungry."

"Ahmad and food." He heard Rahma's voice from outside, he stood up and wore a blue T-shirt over his grey pants before stepping out. She was standing in the passage with Nafeesah their cousin, her daughter resting comfortably on Nafeesah's hips.

"You are always in this house." He teased her.

"It's my father's house as much as it's yours, anyways Ahmad inglishi, I came to see my parents." He cringed at the childhood nickname which Rahma has refused to let go of.

When he was three, he had been sent to his grandma's place he came back to his parent's when he was ten and he couldn't speak anything other than Hausa. He couldn't cope in school there was this particular day two of Rahma's friends came to the house, one named Amina then dared him to speak English to her and explain why he didn't go to his evening Islamic school.

He couldn't and they had all laughed at him and said he couldn't speak English, to which he began crying furiously screaming repeatedly.

"I  speaking inglishi." And they all laughed more he never forgot that day, he never spoke to Amina and his greetings were always a mumble.

"Mummy come and tell me the story of why uncle Ahmad is called Ahmad inglishi again." He heard his seven years old nephew's voice Umar.

"Aaah gladly." she threw him a wink and left with her son.

"Ahmad your aunt is on the phone, she wants to talk to you." He heard his mom's voice from his parents room, he entered her room with a salam after replying, she handed him the phone.

"Talatu." she mouthed and left the room. Aunty Talatu or as she was fondly called amarya'n Lagos was his mother's younger sister who lived with His parents before getting married in Lagos, which was almost 22 years ago but yet they all still called her amaryan Lagos for they were used to the name.

"Assalamu alaikum." He greeted putting the phone to his ear.

"Waalaykum salam, Ahmad you have refused to come and visit me right?" She asked.

"Lagos is far wallah, I can't make such a long journey." He complained.

"Its because you found that girl you want to marry, I can remember when you used to come to Lagos almost every weekend for Sakina."

That was true, there was a time he was madly in love with aunty Talatu's first child. He had been very much interested in getting married to her then, he had even bothered to tell his parents about their relationship. They dated for awhile before she broke up with him telling him to get back to her when he was financially fit, as per a Lagos big girl that she was, she couldn't settle for an undergraduate that didn't have a bright future for job seeking after he graduates. That was how the relationship had ended and he was glad it did for he finally noticed Fatima, Asiya's friend.

"Ahmad, are you still there?" He heard his aunt's voice, which brought him back.

"Yes, sorry what were you saying?"

"Me, Sakina and the rest of your cousins will be coming for this year sallah celebration, hope I will get to meet our wife?"

"Yes I promise you you will like her she's very nice, intelligent, beautiful, amazing cook and the best part, a devoted Muslim." He stated proudly.

"Hmmmm congrats my dear, may Allah bless your relationship."

"Amin." he said grinning from ear to ear, that was the effect of talking about Fatima, he always felt this certain happiness within him.

"Ahem, the other day Khadeejah was telling me that she's well a bit on the fat side, is that true?" The amusement in his aunt's voice was obvious and before he could answer her...

"Is that Ahmad? Give me the phone let me talk to my love." He heard Sakina's voice which made him roll his eyes.

This girl with her annoying voice...Then another part of him replied 'when her voice could drive you crazy then, now it's annoying right?'

"Baby na how're you doing?" She asked in a sing song voice.

"Assalamu alaikum Sakina." he said calmly she giggled and replied his greeting.

"You no longer call me is this fair ehn, what did I do mana?"

"I've been busy with work."

"Toh the only man working in Nigeria, sannu." she replied sarcastically.

"Sakina I have things to do dama mama is even calling me." He lied.

"Mmmh Ok, but before you go promise to call me tonight or at least tomorrow."

"Toh, I promise."

"Ahmad kenan, good night and dream of me." she gave a final laugh before ending the call.

He sighed and shook his head, he dropped the phone and went to the living room to join the rest of the family.