A Peculiar lovestory (Completed)

10.

Asma'u yawned; she nuzzled her pillow enjoying the mild humrah scent. She curled up into a ball, and slept off instantly. She's had a long day, after the shopping spree, Hajiya Ruqayya had taken her to a saloon. She watched in awe how the staffs had loosed the old braids; wash the hair before oiling and combing it. She knew she would have cried if she didn't have her silky hair gene. The unnecessary caressing of her scalp would have given her a migraine. Ahmed had left to run an errand leaving her with Hajiya Ruqayya who had busied herself with a fashion magazine. After four hours of combing, oiling, stretching and braiding, Asma'u's butt was numb, as she kept twitching and moving to flex her butt muscles at least.

"All done" the hair dresser said smiling at Asma'u. Asma'u took a look at the mirror, she gasps in amazement, and beautiful is an understatement to describe her hair. She could not believe this woman had been twisting and turning her braids in different directions. It looked like a spider web, well a beautiful spider web; it amazed her that the braids were so clean. She could see the white lines of her scalp. The last time her hair had relieved such treatment was in like never.

"MashaAllahu, it's amazing. You've outdone yourself Zainab" Hajiya Ruqayya said peering at Asma'u's happy expression, with a nagging feeling as to how such a beautiful innocent girl ended up in kirikiri.

"Can you braid the hanging braids? I don't want her hair dangling around" Hajiya Ruqayya said looking at the braids, resting on Asma'u's back. The popular shuku style did her justice.

"Okay ma" Zainab replied. She separated the tiny braids into three, and then she started braiding it to a big one. She used a band to hold the tip in place. Then she handed Asma'u a ribbon. Asma'u packed up the hair, slid the ribbon on it, before twisting her hand to tighten the hair. Then she folded the hair, securing it with the ribbon. Hajiya Ruqayya stared at the now short hair in satisfaction, before going to pay at the cashier's desk. She called Ahmed telling him to get them some snacks, so they'd eat before going home to eat a main dish. Asma'u and Hajiya Ruqayya munched on some delicious muffins and a bottle of fanta drink each. Ahmed was asking Asma'u questions, while she answers. On getting home, a hot plate of wheat meal and Egusi soup awaited them. After eating, Asma'u had prayed then slid into her bed.

She yawned again, staring at the ceiling, as she thought of her life in Kano. She sighed softly remembering the busy roads, and the distinct smell of the motor park, a mixture of petrol, sweat and food. She felt her head swell when she remembered her friend, Amina they used to call her. Amina had gone missing a week before she got dumped in Kirikiri. She closed her eyes forcefully trying to get rid of the bad memory from that night. She couldn't remember how she had slept off but, she had screamed so loudly. She trashed the bed as she screamed louder. Today's nightmare had been different; she didn't stab the buff man. He had been the one who stabbed her today; she had been the one jerking and vomiting blood, her eyes loosing their light.

"Mumina wake up" She heard a distant voice calling her. She wondered if it was the Angels. "Mumina! Mumina! Mumina!" The voice chanted lowly. She felt her throat constricting of pain, she couldn't breathe properly. She was dying. Her body jerked again making Hajiya Ruqayya burst into wails. Ahmed was sweating, he held her close to him, calling her. She bolted up with a sharp intake of air, her eyes flied open. She kept trying to regulate her breath but it came out in pants instead. She kept heaving, her eyes as wide as saucers as she tried taking in her environment. She kept moving her gaze from Ahmed to Hajiya Ruqayya. She was blank for a minute and they felt like strangers to her, it took a few seconds for her brain to register them as her saviors.

"Are you okay? Should we go to the hospital?" Hajiya Ruqayya asked no one in particular. For a moment there she believed Asma'u was dying, with the way she was jerking and trembling. Neither of them could sleep a wink, Asma'u had never had her nightmare scare her like this. She was sure she'd sleep like a log of wood because of the day's stress. The next morning, Hajiya Ruqayya kept following Asma'u with her eyes. She didn't want any strange thing happening to the poor girl. Ahmed on the other hand had gone to work. Even though he hadn't been able to take last night off his mind, he had to go to work. After eating breakfast on the dining table, Hajiya Ruqayya kept practicing how to ask Asma'u what her dream was all about. She needs to know if Asma'u had those kinds of dreams frequently. She needed to know what triggers the dreams. Asma'u had already evacuated the dining area to the kitchen to wash the plates.