UNFORGETTABLE ||Editing||

chapter one🌸

I really hope not.

We went into our house and I open the pedestrian gate for Mama and Nana to pass through. Inside, we saw lots of people. Men seated on the royal carpets and ottomans that were only laid out during weddings.

I saw Baffa (my father) dressed in the Alkyabba (thobe) he only wore to very important events, where his status and calibre was  respected. My Paternal and maternal uncles, My brothers and cousins, Baffa's friends and many more men.

The alghaita players (traditional flute) and drummers were playing at their best. The house was really in a festive mood. We ducked our heads as a sign of respect for the men and the elderly.

We followed the back garden to get to the kitchen door and upon reaching there we were welcomed by a series of guda (yodelling) by the old women cooking on open fire at the backyard. I wondered why though.

Alhamdulillah someone wasn't dead. I wondered who was getting married though?
Maybe Hauwakulu my cousin. They recently received her kayan lefe (bridal gifts from the groom's family)

We entered the kitchen and saw more ladies and women, everyone was engaged in cooking one thing or the other. Maami (my mum) was supervising everything.

She greeted with Nana's mum and they went into the house, Maami was explaining something to Nana's mum in a hushed tone.

I saw my sisters and sister in laws and some of my aunties that lived here in Abuja. I greeted them all one by one and something was off with each of them.

I went and hugged goggo Meiramu, my mum's sister and my favourite aunt. Hoping she'd tell me what was going on.

"Goggo De a wari (when did you come), what's going on? who is getting married?" I asked her hoping for an answer.

I looked in her eyes and they were emotionless for a second before they welled up with tears.

Oh my God! what's going on? 

I really hoped my question had nothing to do with her tears.

Goggo meiramu forced a smile on her face, which made me sure nothing was  alright because Goggo Meiramu's smiles were always real and unforced.

All these were not making sense, nothing was adding up.

"You will soon find out daada am " Goggo said and continued frying Maase (rice cakes).

Maami and Nana's mum came back into the kitchen a very sad look on Mama's face, she shot me a pitiful glance which made my heart thump.

I heard Maami mumble what sounded like 'hope you haven't told her yet' to Goggo Meiramu.

"No, I haven't"

Told me what?

I was so tired of being in the dark.

I sighed and took a plate which I loaded with some Mase and miyan taushe (vegetable soup) for Nana and I. Grabbing two bottles of kunun aya (tiger nut drink), we sprinted upstairs greeting some people on the way to my room.

I closed the door behind us and turned to Nana.

"Nana I am confused, something is not alright and nobody is telling me and did you see how everyone was looking at me"

"I know, I also noticed, let's hope for the best" Nana gave me a reassuring smile.

I sighed and we sat down in the carpeted floor and started eating in silence.

We finished eating and prayed Zuhr and Asr which we missed while at school. Wee plugged our phones and started called our friends, telling them about the mystery wedding at our house.

"Babe, are you telling me you don't know whats going on?" Maryam asked  me. I rolled my eyes at her even though she couldn't see me.

"If I knew will I be asking anybody. I don't know, but I have this awful feeling something is to happen" I shrugged.

"Stop thinking like that, in sha Allah nothing bad will happen" said ever positive Nana, to which I shrugged at.

The door opened without a knock and Fadila, Goggo meiramu's 5 years old daughter came in.

"Adda Munaar, my mom said I should come and call your friend, be dillan sare (they are going home)" she said with her eyes to the ground in her timid voice.

"Owk....deely. ....yehu yachu mo o don wara (go and tell her she is coming)" I said and I stood up picking our used plates while Nana took the bottles and we left the room.

I meet Zeemamah, my cousin on the stairs and it  seemed they'd just arrived. We hugged and do the greetings, I introduced her to Nana.

It had been ages since we met.

"Iyye amarya (bride)" she said wiggling her arched eyebrows I raised mine in response.

"Who is the amarya?" I asked quite oblivious to her meaning. She just chuckled and shook her head. I left her there thinking it was just another one of her antics. She was such a clown.

We continued down the stairs with Nana. I stuff some more mase and kunun aya into a plastic bag for her knowing she loved them. We saw them off and I promised to tell her any news I got later.

I went back to the kitchen, My family had a lot of explaining to do.  Immediately I went into the room, Goggo fadimatu (my father's sister) said  the esthetician and henna artist had arrived and they were starting mine first.

why? I didn't know.

I didn't complain though because we all know being the first had it's perks.

We went to my room and settled for work.

She rubbed the kurkur (turmeric beauty paste) and dilka (local exfoliating product) on my face and arm then went ahead with the excruciating process of hallawa (local sugar waxing).

The henna artist was this really nice young woman who came all the way from maiduguri. Her name was Fanna Zarah and she was very pretty. She really knew her work.

Itold her I didn't want lots of design, just something cool and simple.

She said ok and begun her work by 6:30 we were done and masha Allah, I must say she indeed knew her work.

My  hands and feet were adorned with lovely black and red henna prints, like one bride. I chuckleed at the thought, I mean, I was just sixteen.

Little did I know.

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End of chapter 1!!!!

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Munaari❤️