LAURA

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Inna broke into tears of joy for seeing her brother whom she thought was dead for over forty years.
She couldn’t stop her tears “Rasheedu where have you been all this years. You abandon the only sister you had alive. Why did you never come back” she bombarded him with questions she have been asking herself for years.
Imam Abdulrasheed could not bear seeing his sister in tears it pained him to know he was the cause of the tears.
He led her to a chair and urged her to sit before he squatted before her.
“I am sorry Yaya forgive me” he mumbled.
“Did you know what I went through after I thought I lost everyone. My husband and daughter died. I was alone except for my granddaughter Laura” she cried.
Imam Abdulrasheed was crying too.
“Yaya I am sorry I was traumatized after seeing our parents and sibling die in the fire accident. They died right before my eyes and I could not help them because people stopped me from going into the burning house”
he sighed and continued
“. Our little sister kept calling my name to help her until I could not hear her voice. I felt that I should have been in the fire with them. That was why I left home.
But I came back looking for you years later in Kano but I could not find you” he tried to explain.
“My husband was sick I had to relocate back to his village”
“I should have come look for you in his village I never thought you will relocate back there. Yaya I never stopped searching for you, every year I go to Kano to search for you but I was never lucky”

Everybody in the sitting room looked at the two siblings in surprise.
Who would have thought the Imam that Abdulrahim’s father called is Inna’s long lost brother.
Abdulrahims father Alh Muhammad Kura knew his friend was looking for his long lost sister because he once told him.
He is happy for him to finally find her after all this years.

Yaya Babangida saw the guest off because he knew Inna had a lot of catching up to do with her brother and it is obvious he too have a lot to say to his sister.

“I am sorry for Inna could not see you off and she could not talk to you about when you people can come and take the bride to her husbands place” Yaya babangida apologized to them.
He then told them they would get back to them to fix a date for the bride to be taken.

Ummi was beyond happy when her husband came back and told her the Nikkah has been done.
He then went ahead and told her that his friend Imam Abdulrasheed long lost sister he had been searching for all this years is Inna.
She was more happier on hearing this because she did not want anybody to judge her daughter inlaw as a nobody’s because
she knew most of her friends and relative always want to mingle with people of their status.
The rich and powerful.
But on hearing she is the grand daughter to Imam Abdulrasheed sister, a well know Islamic cleric in Nigeria who even go outside Nigeria to deliver lectures.
She knows nobody will look down on her.

She picked her phone and called her daughters to share the good news to them about their brother being married.
She then started calling her family and friends.
Everybody was surprised at the sudden news of Abdulrahim the CEO of Pearls Construction getting married.
The only son of the business tycoon Alhaji Muhammad Kura and Professor Fatima Kura, who was once the minister of education in Nigeria before she retired.
Everyone wants to know the bride and from which powerful or rich family she is from.

Before you know it the news travelled around.
Yusuf was in Dubai enjoying his honeymoon when someone called to tell him.
He was surprise because he never knew Abdulrahim was dating anyone not to talk of getting married in that short period of time he left Nigeria with his wife.
He decided to call him.
“What is this I am hearing about my best friend being married to the granddaughter of Imam Abdulrasheed” was the first thing he said when Abdulrahim picked his call.
“Good evening my dear friend and have you forgotten about the time difference that you are disturbing my sleep”
Abdulrahim grumped because it was 2am and Yusuf disturbed his sleep.
“Abdul you have not answered my question. Is it true” he asked irritated.
“Yes bro I am married. You and I are now in thesame category” he smiled even though he could not see him.
Thinking about his wife brought a smile to his face.
He called her before going to bed and they talked until she fell asleep.
As much as he wanted to go see her he knew he had to give her time so she could bond with her knew found mothers uncle.
But tomorrow nothing is going to stop him from seeing her.

“Abdul how could you get married to some random girl I thought you had feelings for Laura and it was obvious she had feelings for you. How could you do this to her” Yusuf ranted.
He knew the both of them had feelings for each other. If Laura found out about Abdul getting married she will be so heartbroken.
And who is this girl that Abdul married.
Imam Abdulrasheed is a popular man but he has never had of him having a grown up granddaughter.

“Man its Laura, I married her, Laura is my wife” Abdul explained.
“What do you mean Laura. I was told you got married to Imam Abdulrasheed granddaughter” Yusuf asked confused.
“Yusuf it’s a long story” Abdul sighed.
“Then explain because I am confused”.
Abdul then explained to him everything that happened from the sudden marriage to how Laura is related to Imam Abdulrasheed.
Abdul then went ahead to apologize for not telling him he was dating Laura.
They wanted it to be a surprise for when He and Rafia came back from their honey moon.
“I’m happy for you guys. But bro if you dare hurt Laura  I will hunt you even in your sleep”
“You don’t need to warn me I love her so much that I cannot even think of hurting my wife”
“Wow I never thought I will hear ever you call anybody your wife after Farida’s saga”
“You know I have never been happy about what Farida did until I realized I love Laura, she is the best thing that ever happened to me”
“Man I have to go back to my wife she is waiting for me” he teased me.
“You know I am now married too so quit rubbing it in my face”
He laughed and congratulated me once more before he ended the call.