BRIDAL CONTEST

Chapter 13

  It took them 9-hours 55-minutes to arrive at Murtala Muhammad international airport Abuja from Capetown international airport. It was 3:05am on a Thursday morning in a few hours the quiet road is going to buzz with so much life. Private cars, public transports and official ones taking people to where they work while others work on the streets selling what those in the cars need, organising and putting people to order.

The chaffeurs couriered them to the Tambari mansion where they will have a few hours rest and then disperse.

Before 10am they were back to their house in keffi, the gateman kept smiling like he won a lottery probably welcoming back the return of homemade meal and some gifts from abroad.

"Keep everything by the door", Ammi orders Yakubu and her children look at each other dreading the vigorous cleaning Ammi will make them do and with school shopping for Amnah and packing for school it is going to be a long weekend for her.

  Dead bodies of tiny species of cockroaches welcomed them first and then some cobwebs here and there. Mrs do good Amatullah tied her veil on her head and took a broom to begin the chore, her twin concentrated on the cobwebs while Amnah faced the kitchen to get it ready for cooking.

Before Maghrib their food was almost done on the gas stove and they were famished. All of them have sweating cans of soda in their hands gisting and taking sips from it. The house was back to its senses, clean and scenting of the incense they bought from Saudi, even the walls of the house knows its occupants are back.

"Inalillahi", Amatullah squeaks jumping up and down on the couch which make Amnah almost scrurry out of the sitting room.

"What was that all about?" Abbi rushed to the parlour to see why his daughter was shouting on top of her lungs.

"it's a wall gecko! See it there under the frame" Amatullah, her mother and sister were all jumbled up on a two-seater shivering. Abdullah ran to the kitchen to get a broom, he removes the frame gently not to alert the animal but the female species in the house screamed again "Gashi nan ze gudu" they confused him and made him almost stomp on the thing if not for his father's interference. Only a smash and the thing was lifeless.

"Beat it again, it hardly dies" Ammi was giving instructions from afar.

"Why don't you come and beat it" Abba rose his brows challenging her. "Abba do you still have your black seeds? I have to burn it there might be another one lurking somewhere.

"kafanki", Abdullah pointed to where she was standing beside her husband and she almost jump on him when Abdul started laughing.

"Ina Wasa da kai ko?" She gave him an eye and he suppressed his laughter making his chest vibrate.

"Allah ya huci zuciyarki ya mamata".

******
Arshad match on the gas pedal of his Bentley car, his heart boiling, and his ears bringing out smoke like the smoke escaping the silencer of the car.

   How he reach Keffi is a miracle because of the way he was driving the car absentmindedly, his inner organs in turmoil of the news he heard earlier.
"How could he? " he asked himself for the umpteenth time.

  He felt like scraping off the skin of the security man's face when he was asking him who he is.

Look. I'm not here for your stupid questions, he wanted to spark but then said "Arshad Tambari" instead.

  It took the security guard forever before he came back and pushed the sliding gate. He drove in angrily around the fountain at the center of the house. He didn't need to knock on the door because Abdullah was at it already.