...after taking series of deep breaths he went back to his mother's room...
"Hajiya I'll marry her, you don't have to worry about that." He said just to make her not panic.
"That's my Muslim, come here." She said and smuggled him to her embrace. "That had always being your father's wish. Thank you Muslim." She stroked his back as she talked...
***
"Jasmine, come on, you need to get ready. We have a lot of preparations to do." Came mummy's voice. It was a low-key wedding so only a few necessary people attended.
The bride got a lot of treatment which she didn't want but had to do it. From taking different concoctions if herbs that tasted not good, to painful skin care and waxing, to suffocating hairstyling, taking measurements for dresses and other excruciating things. She couldn't believe all that stuff was for a man, the man she hated with passion, though there was no reason behind the hate but she did deeply feel hatred towards him. All she did during the days was shed tears, she hadn't been in touch with Sadeeq for the past days since he left.
As a culture for the Kanuri's, the wushe-wushe event was done with the bride and groom frowning their faces. They were forcefully made to smile by the parents. The event took longer than expected but was over at long last. The nearby relatives retired to their houses while the rest stayed in Usman's.
*
The day arrived. It was a Friday morning around 11:30am and Jasmine's aunts were getting her dressed for the blessed day, not really her aunts. She wasn't shedding tears because she had cried to the point that the tears stopped coming, she decided to accept her destiny as it comes, she was even smiling and laughing at the jokes being cracked by the people there.
None of her friends went except for her best friend of course, Hafsat, she was the one Jasmine trusted and loved wholeheartedly. She played the major role in making Jasmine to accept destiny that Allah will perform his miracle and will surely bless her life, she had always been a very good friend to Jasmine.
It was 2pm, after Jumu'at prayer, Jasmine was seated in front of the mirror preening herself when Aisha banged into the room, all eyes were on her.
"It's official. Mrs Muslim Omar Sa'ad." She announced, looking at Jasmine from the door. The news added an obvious spice to everyone's joyous mood while Jasmine on the other hand felt a sharp pain in her chest and felt blank. She didn't know whether she was happy about the news or contrary, she burst into tears as Hafsat went to her while others were jubilating. She placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and gave her an assuring smile to which she smiled back.
"Oh come on, these tears of joy should not ruin this beautiful makeup. Better draw them back." Hafsat joked to lighten up the bride's mood and handed her a tissue paper.
"Really? Tears." Aisha smiled and approached the mirror. She looked herself and the bride through the mirror, she saw the smile on her and whispered in her ears, "So good to see that you've moved on. I'm glad." She smiled warmly and added, "Big bro will also move on but you'll have to help him do that. He lost his beloved girlfriend not long ago, not up to 2 years ago, he loved her like no other, their love was just perfect, they so much loved each other." A lone tear escaped from her eye, she wiped it and continued.
"At last, she died and...and Muslim was responsible."
"But how? Why?" Jasmine said and just then, mummy came in and walked up to the mirror. Upon seeing her, Aisha whispered a "later" in Jasmine's ear and left.
"Jasmine." Mummy called. "Congratulations my daughter." Mummy looked at her oh-so-beautiful daughter through the mirror, the dominance of the Arab blood in her was obvious, she didn't look like a half-caste, she looked typically Arab except for her attire that screamed Kanuri from Maiduguri.
Jasmine gave a weak smile before letting out a "thank you."
"Leave us." Mummy said and the ladies in the room sauntered out. "Aidah come." she said again as Aidah was leaving the room.
Mummy sat on the bed, close to the mirror and held Jasmine's hands. She burst into tears and hugged her mother.
"Mummy I'm having a bad feeling about this. Muslim doesn't love me mummy." She said in between sobs.
"But do you love him?" Mummy asked. "No I don't wallahi mummy not even a weeny."
Mummy stroked her back and said, "it's okay, just pray everything will be fine" they let go, she held Jasmine's shoulders, looked into her eyes and said, "I'll also help you do that in Shaa Allah." She added and let her finished sobbing before she continued,
"Jasmine Usman Sa'ad...you're now a married woman, you're responsible so I don't need to inform you of your responsibilities, you know them quite well. So please, do your best to discharge your duties. Let go of bad friends, I repeat, Jasmine let go of bad friends else, they'll destroy your life in ways you never imagined. Show Muslim love and care, I'm sure he'll learn to love you, right now he's still in grief of his girlfriend's death but when you show him love, he'll forget about her and you will be the love of his life. Jasmine don't harm him in anyway, don't ever try such. I know you that's why I'm saying you shouldn't harm him so please don't. You're no longer under us, but him, he's ahead of you. Respect him, love him, appreciate him, protect him, console him, advice him, they are all your duties. May Allah bring an eternal love to your family and bless you with beautiful children with beautiful hearts like yours..." With that being said, and even more, she smiled and wiped Jasmines tears, she kissed her forehead and left.
"Aunty Aidah." Jasmine called, and it was another round of tears.
"Uh uh Jasmine don't, don't cry, pray, He listens." She hugged her, "just do as mummy says and you shall succeed."
"Aunty Aidah I have to cry, let me cry the pain in my heart. I miss Sadeeq." she cried.
"Sister." It was Sa'eeda from the door. "Oh sisters." She said and went in when she noticed the two of them.
"The photographer is here. You've been crying right sister?" She said and went to adjust the makeup on the bride's face.
Photos were snapped, joyous moments were shared with the few trusted people that attended. There was something Jasmine was feeling, which she didn't know.
Getting married to Muslim meant not being able to have Sadeeq all for herself, she remembered those nights she would wake up and pray for them, the fastings she did just for them, the sadaqah and all. So now she's stuck with Muslim forever, no, capital N-O, something must be done.
At around 4:30 in the evening, the bride, her best friend and her family were on their way to the Muslim's home. The bride was to be taken there before going to her own house. Jasmine met Hajiya, as usual, they cracked jokes and played like friends irrespective of them being inlaws. Jasmine almost forgot she was in pain because seriously, the group of people around her were sweethearts and darlings...
After Isha prayer, the bride, Aidah, Sa'eeda, Aisha, Hafsat and some few more people made their way to Jasmine's matrimonial home in a convoy of just 5 breathtaking flashy cars.
In no time, they were in front of the house, probably a home to Jasmine. They alighted the car and went with the bride to the interior, they took a survey of the house and left the bride veiled in her room, on her bed. After everyone left, the bride thought of whether to wait for her husband and do everything culturally, but then, will it even be possible? So she shrugged.
She freshened up and did some yoga exercise, who does yoga late at night? Definitely Jasmine, because it was really a long and tired day, she needed to stretch her muscles.
She put on her nightgown, loosened her ponytail and was drifting in a tranquil sleep.
...
Jasmine had woke up late because she slept real hard, she prayed Fajr and went to the kitchen, she made egg mayo sandwich and chips for breakfast not leaving out an apple and a glass of milk. She ate hers, kept Muslim's on the dining table and strolled out to take a tour around the house.
She sighed and thought that it was going to be a good day, nothing was seeming to be difficult about marriage like they say.
She was walking around, admiring the natural cool air blowing gently and sniffing the scent of fresh grasses and wet sand, everything there screamed beauty, peace and great melodious silence!
Her ears caught the sound of birds chirping, she couldn't help but follow the sound. She approached the sound and it was a beautiful garden that has trees like masquerade, honeysuckle, eucalyptus, red maple, neem, ivy, black plum, guava and some others which she didn't know, she didn't expect to see some. The place was evergreen, the red maple and other flowers added color to the garden.
She didn't know when "ya Allah" escaped from her lips. "My dream." She smiled and started laughing cutely and softly.
"How dare you?" A deep man-like voice said from behind her. She turned to see who it was, it was Muslim holding a watering can.
"How dare you come into this place? This is my private place. Only I am allowed here, so out." His sweet man-like voice warned.
"Um... I'm sorry." She trembled and turned to leave but stop in her track. "Your food is on the dining." She said and waited for his response.
"I don't want it. Just leave." He said, then she dashed out.
"Whatever." She shrugged and made her way to the dinning area, she ate the food she kept for her husband happily and went to call her family. She decided to first call Sa'eeda.
"Good morning amarya." Sa'eeda said through the phone and chuckled.
"Morning little." Jasmine answered, "how are you doing?" She asked.
"I'm fine. You sound happy sister, did anything happen?" Sa'eeda gasped and continued, "did he? Homagosh"
"Hey idiot, nothing happened, we didn't even get to speak with each other." Jasmine explained.
"Oh. I should have called you sef. I thought you were busy with him." She simpered.
"How's mummy, has she woke up?" Jasmine asked.
"Nope"... Replied Sa'eeda. They spoke with each other for a while before she hung up, she was missing home.
Everything was boring so Jasmine decided to do what's she's very good at, what she does with Sa'eeda - cookies. So she went to the kitchen, brought out the ingredients and started preparing, the flour she fetched was excess so she wanted to keep the rest in the cupboard, she leaped and was trying to keep but she could not reach the cupboard, so was looking for where to keep it when she heard his voice - Muslim's voice.
"Let me help you." Je said in a calm voice and collected the bowl, as if he wasn't the one that talked to her sternly earlier.
"Thank you." She said curtly and returned to her business. He opened the cupboard and placed the bowl gently.
Turning to her, he said, "I want to have a word with you, when you're done I'll be in the garden."
"I don't like getting into people's privacy." She said smiling and raising her brows, she shrugged her shoulders as she talked, she felt like strangling him. She didn't bother to look at him, she continued with her business.
"Are you coming or not?" He asked, annoyance evident in his voice.
"No, I'm not coming." She looked into his eyes and said sincerely.
He had to convince her because he really needed to talk to her, they can't continue like this, they should find ways to sort themselves. "Please. If you're not okay with the garden, you can suggest where we should talk." He said, trying hard to suppress his ego.
Paying attention to the tray she was working on without sparing him a glance she replied calmly, "I'm okay with the garden," she rose to look at him, "if it won't take long, I'll bring these out of the oven and come with you now." She calmly said.
"Let's leave it until after Zuhr prayer." He said and she gave him a you-are-not-serious look.
"Well, it's now or never, I also have things to do." She said, not bothering how he would perceive it.
"Okay, whenever you're ready." He said and ambled, not waiting for her reply. He was being gentle with her just because he had no choice but it was so unlike him....
____________________
As-Salaam alaykum. How're you all?
I feel like I'm moving too fast, am I?
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Thank you,
Fatiimah.