Without Melanin

Mini Me

1 month later

6:30 pm

Salimat kicked off the heels and pushed them to the side, she walked into the kitchen to find it empty.

"Zarah?'' she called out and she heard footsteps almost immediately, Zaraah was a 17 year old, distant relative her mother had sent to help her around the house over a month ago, around the time she began her project and God was she grateful, she didn't expect the project to be this hard, she didn't regret any of it though, it gave her a sense of purpose and fulfillment and she was grateful her mother was so thoughtful, now she had someone she could trust to at least keep an eye on her unwelcomed guest.

"Naam, sannu da dawuwa Aunty" Zaraah great.

"sannu Zaraah" Salimat answered, carefully massaging her neck. "Alhaji ya dawo?" she asked.

"Aa" Zaraah answered.

"Dije fa?" Salima asked again.

"Bata dawo ba Aunty"

"ok, kinyi abunci?"

"yana fridge, in sa shi are microwave ne?" Zaraah asked.

"aa ki barshi, zan yi warming da kina, you can go" Salima said, picking up bag.

"toh" Zarah responded and felt her to it.

Salima had started a foundation with the help of Hajiya Amina, over a month ago, it was a foundation that support the body positivity movement for those who had physical disorders or disabilities and also those with mental and cognitive disorder weren't left behind either, she was grateful to Hajiya Amina for talking her into starting this foundation, during this short time she had learnt a lot and had the opportunity to meet so many beautiful yet oppressed souls.

Salima pulled out some files from her bag and placed them on the kitchen counter, before picking up her beg and went upstairs to shower, pray and get some rest.

After praying isha, she decided to go back down to get some work done and also wipe up something to eat, she looked up at the nearest wall clock on her way down, it read 9:15pm, Najib was running late she thought to herself.

Going into the kitchen, she headed for the fridge, pulling it open, she took out one of the take away that Zaraah had neatly packed and placed it in the microwave, she set the timer and went to sort out the files she had left on the kitchen to kill time.

After some few minutes, the microwave made a beeping sound, signaling her it was done, she pulled out a plate from one of the carboard, rinsed it and transferred the content of the pack to the plate, Zaraah had cooked semovita, miyan kuka and some fresh fish, to God Zaraah made world class miyan Kuka and even that was an understatement, she picked up a spoon, since she needed to work too and settled on one of the chairs at the counter, just then she heard the entrance door open an closed softly making her pause.

After some few seconds Najib entered the kitchen, his face immediately lite up with a smile when she spotted her, she smiled back at him, her heart doing the little fluttering thing it always did anytime he was around.

He kept his suitcase on the floor, beside the kitchen down before coming around the kitchen counter to where she sat, "hello beautiful" he whispered kissing her on the lips.

"welcome back" she said smiling shyly, she couldn't believe after all these weeks he still made her blush.

"I missed you, did you miss me?" he said taking a sit beside her, never looking away from her.

She nodded shyly, avoiding his gaze, God Salima what are you? 5? She thought, scolding herself, she loved the way he looked at her, like she was his entire world. Najib had changed a lot since their wedding, well he was still his snarky self when it came to others, but anytime he was around her, he became so nice and sweet and unlike her he wasn't shy to tell her and show her how much he loved her.