STRINGS

CHAPTER 1

10TH AUGUST 2022.

KADUNA, NIGERIA.

The droplet of water was the only thing that could be heard followed by a sneeze released by a twenty year old petite,dark skinned damsel dressed in black sweatpant with pink oversized hoodie,lazily descending the stairs when she felt the urge to sneeze again she stopped with her mouth slightly open waiting for it to come out again for the fifth time since she woke up and it came out making her duck her her head,her shoulder length hair which was braided came flying beside her face."Alhamdullilah..." she mumbled placing her braided hair behind her ear before marching down the stairs and head to the kitchen to make herself a cup of ginger tea hoping it will help with her cold,afterall she was the cause of it,she invited the cold to her body by going under the rain yesterday even after knowing how her body react whenever rain touched her but she couldn't help it, she loves rain.

When she stepped in the kitchen she met her mother,a hausa woman in her mid forties,peeling some potatoes. "Good morning mamii..." she greeted with a raspy voice picking some fresh ginger from the refrigerator.

"Ahhh!! you startle me..." Hajiya khadija exclaimed with her hand on her chest and her daughter just stood there with a dull face looking at her mother who just got scared because of a greeting."Mamii...I just greeted you why are you acting like you saw Annabelle or chucky...?? she peeve before closing the refrigerator and walk to the sink to wash the ginger since she was not going to peel the back moreover,she was too lazy to peel it.

"Zuhura!! you should have said your salm before walking in I almost got a heart attack..." Hajiya khadija said to her daughter who was busy blending ginger.

she scoff in disbelieve "Mamii why will I say salm when entering the kitchen? And in my twenty years of living,I've never seen anyone saying salm before entering the kitchen just like how we don't say salm when entering the restroom." She declared folding her hands over her chest in a defensive manner restraining herself from rolling her eyes at her endear mother who was suddenly overreacting and that earn her a smack on her back. "Aish..!! mamii I was only saying the truth. she whined annoyed stomping her feets.

"Useless girl!! Hajiya khadija remarked going back to what she was doing before.

"You still love this useless girl..." Zuhura mumbled picking a mug and at the same time releasing three sneeze.

Her mother who got tired of saying"Ya rahamakilah ".. stare at her daughter worried.

Zuhura sniffles putting the back of her hand on her nose rubbing it rapidly. "Are you okay? are you sick? you look pale, should we go to the hospital? Mamii asked frantically checking zuhura's temperature.

"Geez!! mamii one question at a time and am okay..." Zuhura chortled at her mother's expression she was really worried saying alhamdullilah for a caring mother in her mind.

"Why will you lie?? why don't you tell her "hey mamii I think.. ,no I have cold by going under the rain yesterday..." Came a familiar voice which belongs to her 32 year old, pesky brother from the door mimicking her voice and that made her angry because she was about to get scold by her mother.

"What's wrong with you children and scaring me this morning...? Mamii questioned before darting her gaze back to Zuhura giving her the is it true look.With a sigh Zuhura made her best puppy face looking at her mother. "Yes mamii but I promise I didn't stay out long."

"Another lie.." her voiced smirking slightly making Zuhura bit her lower lip clutching and unclutching her fist angrily wishing she could slap his big mouth that can never stop running. "Ya sultan please keep quiet..." She deadpanned,her tone holding frustration and a hint of warning.