Entwined by Destiny

Chapter Three

      The next morning like every working day, everyone woke up early to prepare for their various activities. In Prof. Naseer's section of the house, his wife Dr.Hauwa was seated at the dining table with Fateema and the kids, taking their breakfast. A light-skinned woman in her early forties, she's visibly pregnant.Seated by her right is a young, chocolate-coloured boy of about three years, whom she was feeding.
      
"Yawwa, maigidana (good, my husband) take your pap and be stronger than Aunty Ihsan and Aunty Ikram"
       
  "So I can beat them up like Aunty Iman does?"he grinned.
         
  Laughing, she replied, "Yes, even stronger than Aunty Iman.Or have you forgotten you are a soldier and soldiers are the strongest?! "

This earned her another huge grin and prompted him to gobble up the pap just as she wanted. Ihsan and Ikram just ignored them and kept on eating cos they are already used to their mother and Abdallah's gibberish.
            
Fateema on the other hand was slowly sipping at her freshly brewed mint tea while hiding the secret smile she couldn't resist. Indeed she lacked the ability to resist the joy every mother feels whenever someone dotes on her child.
           
  'Mai da wawa' says the Hausa-man and that's why day in day out the love, respect and adoration she feels towards her Mummy keeps increasing cos of the way she dotes on her son Abdallah. Even though he has long since been weaned, the doting grandma still prepares for him special pap and food loaded with essential nutrients for healthy growth.As such, he grew up into a healthy, strong and vibrant little boy.
       
  Fateema finished her breakfast of chips,omelettes and mint tea but remained sitting on the table, her attention focused on the pregnant lady and the toddler.
         
7:13am on the dot, Prof Naseer came bursting into the dining room all dressed up for work. All the kids rushed to him chanting, "Good morning, Daddy!"with Fateema tagging behind them.

Prof Naseer picked up Abdallah, threw him up in the air, saying,"Morning, General Abdallah!".

Transferring the little boy to one hand, he side-hugged his young daughters and then Fateema while answering their greetings.
     
All of a sudden, he checked his wristwatch then looked at Fateema with a stern face,"Hassana what are you still doing at home by this time when you have a test by 8am?"
     
"Daddy....".

"Don't Daddy-me!I stand before you as Prof this morning not Daddy! Have you forgotten the rules? You should be at the premises thirty minutes before schedule for every test!"
   
Bowing in respect, she apologized, "Sorry Prof, I'll just go and call Iman and Safiyyah right now".
With that, she picked up her large duffel bag and hurried away, tying her niqab in the process.
      
As he's fasting (Monday & Thursday nawafil fast), he didn't even glance at the table.Putting down the boy, he smiled at his pretty wife and gave her a peck on the cheek before saying, "I'm off to work. Till you come".
     
  "Just say till we meet later when you return home.How can you know my arrival when you are high up there a sama ta bakwai (seventh floor) while I dey down dey struggle with chalk and blackboard? "
     
  "No, banda sharri fa! (don't paint us black) Mrs Lecturer it's marker and whiteboard .We don't supply you with chalks that can make your hands dirty!"
          
They both burst out laughing before he bade her farewell and went after Fateema (to his mother's section).
           
With a stern face he reserves specially for "Prof" moments with the kids, he got to the section with the intention of scolding Iman and Safiyyah for wasting Fateema's time.But alas, upon entering the room, the scene he met with made his expression to change abruptly into one of a proud dad.
       
Iman, dressed in her school uniform was crouched infront of his mum and was gently applying balm on her legs while Safiyyah and Fateema stood waiting.
        
Smiling, he sat right beside Iman, greeted his mum then pushed off Iman's hands saying, "Oya, go to school and allow me to get my share of my own mother's warmth. You sleep together, wake up together,eat together and it's still not enough for you? I'll do the massage.Run along, Hassana is already late."
      
After Iman and Safiyyah greeted him,the trio left the room and hurriedly entered the adjacent one. Just as they expected, the occupant was clad in hijab and deeply engrossed in reciting the holy Quran with her reading glasses on.