Falling For Haneef

1.

" Free me please, hurry up and get me home. Mummy is making waina, you want some?"

" Nah I'll pass, I still have to add finishing touches for my clients work. They're coming to pick it up tomorrow" I own an online business, Kiyah'splace. I am a professional caligrapher, it came naturally for me though but alot of practice got me where I am today. I sell my writings to people who are ready to heartily pay the cheap price. " Okay toh. Maybe we'll send Oga Marcus to bring some for you" Oga Marcus is their family driver, a very funny and friendly man.

We live in Kaduna state, Nigeria. Juwairiyah stays at Unguwan Dosa and our other bestfriend Tayibah, stays very close to her in Kawo new extension. I live somewhat close to them, in Marafa estate. We all live in the centre of Kaduna state, G.R.A's, where most of the happenings happen.

I soon drop Juwairiyah at her place and hurry home. My client gave me a week to nicely design his mothers name just to randomly gift it to her. If only my mama was around, she would have received all the pampering in the world from me.

" Baba Adil, Good afternoon" I greet with a high pitched voice as he opens the gate to my home. Baba Adil is our gate man, he's pretty old, older than my father even.
" Zakiyah welcome home" He answers as I drive in and park my car.

" Baba Adil, how's everyone at home?" I ask as I get down from my car and lock it. " Everyone is fine, your step mother is already at home. Be careful o" Even he knows the kind of devil she is.
Everyone knows. " I will, let me enter and rest, I still have work to do"

" Okay okay"

I live in a huge house, you can say a mini-mansion, due to the fact that my father owns one of the biggest textile industries here in Nigeria, Alim's Textiles.

Pushing the front door open, I come insight of my stepmother and her daughter chatting in the living room. " Good afternoon" I greet audibly, giving them a quick glance and I hurry up the stairs to my room after not receiving an answer from them. " Zakiyah, are you blind?, didn't you see me here to greet me?" My step mother says as I get to the top of the stairs and I completely ignore her.
I'm really not in the mood to deal with her after giving a stranger a stray punch. " You can imagine, she ignored me fa. I don't blame her, I blame her useless mother"

Breathe Zaki, Breathe.
She's purposely doing this to spite you.

My room is spacious and everything I used to decorate it screams class and extreme comfort. My mama and I fixed some glow in the dark starlights around my room few months before she left approximately 10 years ago. They're the key beautifiers of my room.

I used to have a medium sized walk-in closet in my room but I had to convert it into my studio. I shifted all my clothes, shoes and bags into a large purple wardrobe in my room now and everything here is intact. I change from my green abaya into my work shorts and a sleeveless crop top and tie a small apron around my waist that has a large pocket where I place my snacks.
Usually always cookies, I love cookies.

Caligraphy has always been my calling, my mother was good at it and yes, she passed that passion onto me. It always feels great to sit down and use my pens to creatively design alphabets and make them all stand out. My father influenced me into applying for Business Administration, he wants me to take over Alim's Textiles. I don't really fancy it but I don't mind.
We struck a deal saying if I agree to apply for Business Administration in any school of my choice, he'll build my own workplace for me. It was more than a tempting offer so I accepted it and now, the building is almost done.
It's like a win-win situation for both of us, he gets to secure the future of his company and I get to do what I love and make money out of it.