Hilwa.

3: NEW FAMILY, NEW HOME!

Chapter 3: NEW FAMILY, NEW HOME!

Meeno sat with his chin over her palm her gaze on Hilwa who was staring into space. Early in the morning Hilwa came to Meeno's house and told her everything. Meeno couldn't say a word after hilwa's long heart rending speech.

"So you are going to leave?" Meeno blinked after what seemed like forever.

Hilwa nodded absentmindedly.

"Forever?" Meeno gulped.

Hilwa quickly shook her head "Dummy how can i leave you forever? Ummi said i will come visit from time to time in shaa Allah"

Meeno sighed "I'm a little unbothered now"

A lone tear slipped down Hilwa's eyes and she quickly wiped it away "I'm going to miss you"

"Me too"

The girls hugged each other, tearing up.

Later, Meeno told her mother and stepmothers about hilwa moving to abuja.

They wished her good luck and even gave her some money. All in all, she got five hundred naira.

"You are lucky you'll finally go to Abuja, i wonder when i will be able to visit there, the luxurious life, the beautiful roads and buildings" Meena sighed dreamily as they walked to Hilwa's house.

"Hmmm... i no longer want to go there fah, i'd rather stay and die here" Hilwa shrugged.

"I wish we have that kind of camera, hassan mai hoto (photographer) has so you could capture everything for me" Meena eyes shone.

"Hmmm" Hilwa hummed again. She'd always wished to visit abuja but not anymore. As Meena continued to say her blabs about Abuja, she couldn't help but wonder what the family she was going to move in with was like. Are they really kind like alhaji abdullah? Would they be rude to her? How would she keep up with that fancy life?

She wished she could just wake up and find that everything was a dream. She'd be more than happy.

Before they knew it, they were already home. Ummi gave hilwa a black abaya her sister, Inna karima, bought for her from Saudi Arabia 3years back when she went for hajj. She only let her wear it on special occasions.

Before 12pm, she was all ready and set.

"Tell all our classmates in school and islamiyah that i left, don't let Binta bully you, don't let her bully you Meeno..." Hilwa was saying when she was cut off.

"Salamu alaikum" Na'im said as he gently walked into the house.

"Jabbama na'im, jabbama" Ummi welcomed him in and told him to sit on the weaved mat.

They exchanged pleasantries before ummi stood to bring him food.

"No Ummi.." he paused. Okay that was totally weird, but then that was what he heard helwa calling her. He couldn't possibly call her with her real name, it'd be so disrespectful.

He continued "I'm really not hungry, Thank you"

"No you should eat something, let me get you fura"

She quickly went into the kitchen and came out holding a tiny calabash bowl. She placed it in front of him and excused herself.

Na'im looked at the fura, it had some crushed ice inside it. He knows it but considering the fact that he'd practically spent his whole life in Birmingham, he'd never tasted it before.