Walking down the street felt like going down a lane filled with a thousand eyes on you. Yeah I felt self conscious. I felt like a tractor had ran over me and I was grounded into a paste then cooked and sun dried..you ask me how that is possible? I don't really know but I know I felt dejected.
Seeing Ayman with her.. Yes her.. She always finds a way to deprive me of the little happiness I have, I always find a way of shutting her off but this time I could not. She has invaded my mind palace.. You ask me why I don't blame Ayman? He is a tool used to put me to dejection..staring down at my watch.. "Wayyo Allah na..mami Aisha zata kasheni ni yau "(oh my God mami Aisha will kill me today). I hurridely hastened my steps knowing she will be at the zaure(enterance) waiting to pound on me. I was fifteen minutes late coming back from islamiyya.
"Aunty Nabeelah Sannu da dawowa" said mami Aisha.. I stopped in my track watching her speak.. "Munafika kin tsaya kina Kallo Na kamar mutumiyar arziki"(hypocrite, you are staring at me like an innocent person)
"wa..lla..hi..."I stuttered, before I could finish I heard a resounding slap. Before she could raise her hands again I ran inside, hitting my legs on a pot kept by the clumsy twins; Munir and Munira.
I hurriedly dropped my bag and I heard mami's voice shouting. "Wait for me!! I am coming.. you have turned into a street slut following everything on trousers..your stupid mother who left you and ran away taught you before she left".
I felt like I had been stabbed all over again seeing I don't even know my mother, she left when I was six months of age. I don't even know how she looks like but from my facial features, I knew I looked like her because I looked nothing like Abbah.
I went outside to an angry mami I had to cook for everyone before Abbah arrives, bathe Munir and Munira who could sometimes, be a pain in the neck. Sweep the house and massage my step sister Hasiya. yea..we are both mates, 15 years old but I still take care of her. Say that again I am the house maid in my father's house.
I cooked rice and beans making sure everything was to taste to avoid the wrath of mami who was staring at me like a lion waiting to pounce on its next meal.
I heard the muazzins call of maghrib prayer knowing Abbah is already on his way back. I started panicking knowing I have not yet swept the Zaure. I saw mami smirking, she always finds pleasure in my pain(call her a sadist) .
"Assalamu alaykum! Kai Kai Kai", I heard Abbah say, "Why is this house so dirty and disorganized?"
Before I could respond, mami interjected.. "ai yawon gantali ta Tafi.. Taje neman Maza Yanzu Na iddar da girki take shigowa."(she went for a walk.. Searching for men I just finished cooking before she entered).
"Nabeelah Ina kika shiga?"(Nabeelah where are you Coming from!) I saw abbahs fierce eyes staring down at me.
"Abbah our mu'alim asked us to sweep our classrooms...and.."
Before I could complete my statement, I heard hasiya saying "its a lie I saw her with one man outside, she did not even go to islamiyya".
I could not dispute knowing it would only cost me more beatings because she is the most preferred child.
Instead of the normal beatings I will normally receive, I heard abbah sigh and said with a calm voice "go into your room".
Both mami and hasiya were in shock.. I hear mami saying "but alhaji you just heard what hasiya said and you did nothing". Abbah performed ablution and left the house.
Coming into the room we shared with Hasiya although I sleep on the floor.. "Hmmm Nabeelah bakisan abunda Ayman Yace min ba.. Waifa so yake ya aure ni"(ayman said he wants to get married to me).
I kept mute.. She said "I know you were not taking care of him that's why I interjected". I did not say a word. I made preparations to perform Sallah.After my supplication, Munir and Munira entered..
"Aunty Nabeelah it's time for our Azkar", they said in unison.
"I thought I said you should not call her aunty?" said hasiya. Munir who was always ready to backlash said, "what is your business if we did call her that?"
I wanted to laugh but I knew what that will cost me. We said our Azkar in unison with the exception of Hasiya who was on her phone chatting and the twins left for their room.
I rested my head then I heard Hasiya saying, "Aren't u for getting something..?" I got up to also massage her till she fell asleep..
I could not sleep that night thinking of Ayman and the betrayal he put me through.
I awoke to a throbbing headache knowing it was as a result of the tears I shed earlier. So I took the opportunity to converse with my Lord, taking my small kettle and heading outside to perform ablution, I noticed that Hasiya was not in the room. Taking one foot out I heard.. "Mama wallahi the moment I looked at him I just saw he was lost in my eyes, that Mallam really knows his stuff..."
"ai the way I chased her mother from this house will be the way I will subject her to torture.. I have already devised a means to send her away.. And also I feel like your father is slowly loosing away from my grip because today he did the unexpected.. I need to revist the Mallam.." Hahaha they both burst into a fits of laughter.
Subhanallah.. Ayman, mama, baba are all under her control. I cried my eyes out quietly 'why me?' I asked I started making supplication since I could not perform Sallah. I begged Allah to help me overcome this tribulation.
Hey readers! I hope you guys will follow me on Nabeelah's voyage. This is my first story on wattpad you could all do me a favour with your votes by clicking that little star and your comments to tell me what you expect and what you really feel about the story. Also feel free to share this story with ya friends and tell them to share with their friends... The more the merrier.
Xoxoxo.
