MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE

THE ONE WHERE ABDUL IS MARRIED?

I slept with a smile on my face that night, but I didn't reply to the text. The feelings that came with talking to him the night before might have scared me a little; it was too crazy. So, I chalked it up as a dream and decided to let it evaporate. Quite frankly, I didn't think I would see him again.

The weekends aren't really busy at the café, so instead of going into work, I spent the entire weekend hiding out at home, avoiding everyone, and trying everything I could to get him off my mind. I even rearranged my reading nook and alphabetized the books in there, all in hopes of putting him out of my mind. Nothing seemed to work. I even managed to convince myself that I would never have to see him again. Basically, by the time Monday came around, I was itching to get back to work and use that as my escape.

When Monday finally came around, it was almost like the universe was against me this time around. Everything was going wrong. I woke up late, my dress got caught on a nail on my way out, I had to go back in and change the dress. There was traffic on the way. By the time I got to the café, it was already bustling with customers. I picked up my usual cup of coffee and made my way upstairs to the bookstore. There was a new shipment of books that came in this morning. Usually, I would have someone go through them for me, but we were a bit short-staffed due to the traffic. I didn't actually mind the added work.

I rolled up my abaya sleeves, put on my headphones, and got to work immediately. Firstly, I took inventory of every new book. I made sure to order a hundred of every new book, we would put out the first 25 and keep the rest at the back. We would sell out by the end of the week because we do sell some of them in bulk. After the sorting, I called on Tahir, one of the staff, to pack up the ones going to the back while I got to work putting up the ones that were supposed to be on display.

There were a number of people upstairs. Some were utilizing the workspace, and some customers were browsing the books. It was lunch hour, so I knew without a doubt that downstairs would be bustling with people. I had promised Mama I would give her friend's son a chance. That was the only reason I didn't decline his offer for lunch when I got a message from him asking if we could meet up for lunch. After the morning I had, a little lunch break wouldn't hurt. He insisted on picking me up even though I mentioned the place not being too far from me. Either way, Mallam Shehu was outside, and he wasn't having any of it. I gave in.

We had exchanged a couple of texts prior to us meeting up. The first time I met Hamad was at his sister's wedding. We actually got along quite well. He was a very quiet and easy-going guy, respectful even. We seemed almost perfect on paper. I'll give Mama that. Everything about Hamad was almost too perfect, and I didn't know how to explain that it's unsettling.

My train of thought was interrupted by a ping from my message. It was a message from him.

HAMMAD: I'm outside.

I grabbed my phone and wallet and walked to his car outside. Lunch went by without any problems. Rather, it felt more like a business meeting. Everything was too awkward. He asked about Mama and work. I replied diligently. There was a slight awkward pause in between while we waited for the food. When it arrived, we ate in silence. Hamad had a very introverted personality . I never thought the silence between us was a problem until—you know what, let's stick to the story here, because just like before, my mind will always wander back to Abdul, no matter how hard I've tried. During lunch, I couldn't stop comparing them. I only talked to Abdul for an hour, whereas Hamad has been in my life for a couple of months now.

Just as I was contemplating texting Rumaisa to make up an excuse to get me out of this situation, I got a call from my sister Aisha. I excused myself from the table to answer the call and walked outside to answer.

"Babes, Allah ya mi ki albarka," I started to say before she cut me off.

"Yauwwaa, you don't even have to say much again. I'm bringing your babies to you right now, as we speak. Kina shago koh?"