Kameela

Chapter 15 - Candy Man

Holding up the tall slender glass bottle to her nose, Kameela took in the scent of the turaren wuta.

"It smells so nice but frankly speaking it's too expensive. I'll buy it for half the price." The woman threw her head up, away from the several bottles that laid on the lush carpet and looked up at Kameela with a bewildered expression.

"Haba Hajiya. Look at the bottles and the quality mana. They're even worth more than I asked for." Batulu said as she adjusted herself on the floor, shifting her weight from her left arm to her right arm as she had started getting the marks of the carpet embedded in her palm due to the pressure.

"Don't call me Hajiya. Just call me Kameela. Batulu you know this wouldn't even last me a month." She said as she pointed to the tall slender bottle she had just dropped back on the floor.

"It's from Sudan pa." Batulu said shoving more bottles towards Kameela but Kameela failed to notice as she heard the gate open and a car with loud a engine rolled in.

"Sudan na cikin gari ko? It's either half the price or nothing." Kameela replied as she walked to a window that showed the view of the compound, shoving her two fingers into the blinds to give space for her eyes to see who the guest is since they hardly got them. She stood by the window till a body left the car. She didn't wait another second by the window before dashing out of the house. 

"Aunty Khadijah!" She screamed as she ran out and threw herself on her like a 6 years old child whose father had just come back from a foreign land bearing gifts.

"Oh Kameela. Its just been a couple of weeks. You're going to break my back." Aunty Khadijah said as she tried to find her balance after the impact.

"I'm not fat." Kameela said as she peeled herself away from her aunt and stood hands akimbo.

"I didn't say you were. I meant I'm getting old and I can hardly afford any extra gram on me."

"Okay fine. On one condition, you bring a whole bucket of alawan madara next time you come." Kameela said as a smile actuated on her face as she imagined herself seated in a room all alone with a bucket of alawan madara between her legs.

"Done." Kameela held her hand and walked inside the house. Upon entry, she suddenly remembered what she was doing before.

"Oh um, Aunty Khadijah this is Batulu, she sells turaren wuta. She sold them to the neighbours and the house was smelling fantastic so I had to get her contact. Oh and Batulu this is Aunty Khadijah, well obviously my aunty."

"And mother-in-law." Aunty Khadijah added which reminded Kameela of her single but married status. If not for an aching heart and a housemate that always came in slamming the door, she wouldn't have known she was married at all.

"Oh yes. That too." Kameela said dejectedly but almost immediately put on a poker face to avoid any questioning on Aunty Khadijah's part and gossip on Batulu's part.

Aunty Khadijah ended up being the buyer of Batulu's famous turaren wuta from 'Sudan'. After the exchange of money and 3 bottles of turaren wuta and then  advertising her gyaran jiki trade. Batulu left

"Good afternoon Aunty Khadijah." Kameela said kneeling down in front of her aunt with her 32 all out for display. She hadn't seen her since the wedding and now that she is, she was over the moon.

"Stand up. Because I'm now your mother-in-law doesn't mean we can't still be friends." Aunty Khadijah laughed lightly while she held Kameela's upper arms in attempt to help her sit up.

"How's Bappa Ali?" Kameela asked as she adjusted herself beside her aunt, pulling out her dress from beneath her.

"He's alright. Just fine." Aunty Khadijah smiled while Kameela looked at her in awe, jealous of her aunt's and uncle's relationship.