She was sleeping when the shrilling sound of her phone woke her up. She groaned softly and with her eyes closed, Jalilah pulled her phone from underneath her pillow and slide the answer button. "Hello?" She slurred, wanting nothing but to close her eyes back and sleep until she felt exhausted to sleep. She had spent almost all the night packing her clothes, and packing had always been a hideous task for her.
"You're still asleep?" His morning husky voice echoed in her ears, she didn't know when jerked upright and her eyes opened immediately.
"Oh my god, am I late? Please, say I'm not." He chuckled, even though her hear was erratically beating beneath her chest, Jalilah knew his morning chuckle will be the best she will ever hear in her life.
"Yes, you're not, Jalilah. But you will be, any minute from now. You can't still be sleeping, barely two hours left." Her eyes immediately wandered to her wall clock while she was already pulling down from her bed.
"Come on, why didn't you wake me up since? I thought you promised that you'd do that?" She asked, stretching her body while she stifled a yawn.
"I packed too, miraculously overslept, something I've never done in my life. I woke up thirty minutes ago and figured out you might still be asleep, that's why I decided to call you." He said and she could point a finger at the tiredness that was dripping from his voice.
"You seem tired too, why can't we sleep some more? Maybe wake up again in the next thirty minutes?" She suggested, while already stripping off from her sleeping gown, because she didn't have to wait for his reply, it was an automatic no, she knew.
"Khadija, do you want to go to Adamawa or not? I can as well go about my businesses." She rolled her eyes as if he could see her and pinned her phone to left her with her shoulder while she moved around the room, trying to get her things together.
"I was just saying, I know you won't agree anyways. So, I'll wait for your call if you're here."
"One minute of wait..." He let his words trailed off and Jalilah scoffed.
"You don't have to threaten me, Yazeed. I know, you'll leave, not to Adamawa because I should forget about going to Lagos, I've heard this threat enough to have it memorized." He laughed and ended the call without answering her. When she pulled the phone away from her ear, she grinned, because she felt the joy that had filled her heart was too much for just a smile. She couldn't believe she just had an early morning call with Yazeed and they acted as if this was all natural for them.
She moved directly to her kitchen with her towel wrapped around her body, putting some things right, she walked back to her bedroom and immediately went to have her shower. She got ready in no time, afraid that if he came and she wasn't ready when he came, as much as she knew she was only trying to burst her bubbles with the threat, she wanted to make sure she didn't do anything wrong. Because she had the big deal waiting for them.
She was having her breakfast when she heard her phone ringing, she needn't to check her phone because she knew he was the one. She wrapped her veil around her head and walked out, wearing one of her most beautiful smiles. She met him in his car, and by Allah, even though she had spent some moments with him yesterday, he looked exceptional. As if this was the first time she was seeing him in months.
"Hey!" She excitedly waved at him and moved to his window. "Good morning," she greeted, leaning onto his swung window, Yazeed smile at her.
"Good morning to you too, should we leave?" He asked, and she shook her head.
"I was just taking my breakfast, you came early, Yazeed." There was a whiny tone laced on her voice, he undeniably found that alluring.
"Go ahead and finish it then..." He brought up his hand and checked the time on his wristwatch, "I've given you just ten minutes, after that, I'll be gone." He ended his words with a wide teasing grin and she pouted before she looked away.
"You've had your breakfast? Won't you join me?" He shook his head.
"I don't eat whenever I'm traveling. Go ahead, we're running out of time, Jalilah." She nodded her head and walked back to the house while turning to make sure he was still there with every step she had taken.
She was out in no time, as if she hadn't left just a few minutes ago. She was holding her small traveling trolley and her smile was just more of seeing him. She was excited that she was finally going back home, finally getting what she wanted after years of only wishing. She put the trolley in the back seat and sat in the passengers. "I'm all set to go, Boss."
He scoffed and ignited the car to life, "Stop being sarcastic, Jalilah."
"I wasn't being sarcastic, I'm just truly excited, you know?" She grinned and clapped her hands together. She brought out her phone and then she was nervous. Turning to look at him, she questioned. "I haven't told Mama that I'll be coming home today, I'm a little bit nervous."
"Should I take you back home then?" He sarcastically asked, and she whined before she pouted her lips and shook her head.
"Come on, you know that's not what I mean. I'm just nervous, you know why we're going there."
"You can do this, Jalilah, okay? Just call her, she's your mother for crying out loud."
She raised her hands up in surrender, "Okay, I'll call her now. Be as quiet as you could ever be. If it's possible, don't even breath, she might suspect something."
He threw his head back and laughed while shaking his head, "You're just so pathetic. I can't breath? Is this your new way of murdering me or what...?" She raised her hands up to her lips and made the sealing sign, she had already called Mama.
"Hello, Mamaaa..." She drawled lovingly with a smile on her lips. She knew the best way to get to Mama was by acting all loving and whiny.
"Jalilah am, how are you doing?" Came the coolest voice of Mama, and somehow, Jalilah found the courage she had missed. She knew she had to do this for herself. She loved doing this, right? Then she would.
"I'm fine, Mama. How are you and how's home?"
"Everything is fine. I hope you're fine too?"
"I am, Mama. Guess what?" She tried to sound all excited while in the actual truth, she was nervous as hell.
"The moment I heard your voice I knew something was wrong. What's it? What do you want to tell me?" She chuckled and felt light within.
"I'm coming home! Today! I'm on my way to the airport already."
Mama let out a happy squeal that made Jalilah more excited than she seemed. "So you've missed us this much? I wanted to ask you to come back home, but I figured I should let you do that on your own accord. You're welcome hone, Jalilah am, we can't wait to see you."
Jalilah chuckled, but her voice dropped down. "But I have a surprise with me, Mama. I'm coming along with it, something you've never imagine."
"What is it? Tell me already. Have you gotten that flawless skin you've been ranting about? Or you've ate a lot of junks and gained some weight? I would've love it if it were." She laughed and shook her head as if she could see her.
"I won't tell you, I said it is a surprise for a reason, Mama. Just get ready to welcome me home. Ask Fareeda to clean my room to its highest point of spark." They conversed a bit more before she ended the call and heaved a sigh, as if she had been holding her breath for all the minutes she had been on the call.
Yazeed turned to look at her with an amused smile, "You seem to have a good relationship with her, you're so lucky to have a mother in your life." Sadness lingered in his last words, but as much as Jalilah wanted to ask her what he meant with him words, she knew he wouldn't answer her. If he wanted to tell her everything, he would do that without her probing him for it. She nodded her head with a soft smile and silence prevailed in the room until they arrived at the airport.
He parked and turned to look at her, "I have no where to go in Adamawa, make sure you take me to any exciting place you know, okay?"
She grinned and nodded her head, "I'll make sure that one day will be memorable to you. But I have to warn you about something." She mischievously laughed as she spoke.
"What is that? Do you have monsters walking around the roads or something?" She shook her head.
"Our girls, they are so beautiful that you might drool just staring at them. Get your heart ready, and if you aren't strong enough, you might come back to Abuja with a bride."
At first, she saw that he wanted to retort with something bad, but he later chose to play along with her. "And I'm sure my beautiful wife will be jealous to have this handsome and out of the world husband of hers traveling to Lagos with some sort of a lady. That way, forget about being a ballerina."
"And who's the handsome husband? Please stop embarrassing yourself already." She laughed, but whenever Yazeed chose to play along with her jokes and crazy ideas, she found it so soothing and calming. They were still in the car, and Jalilah silently wished they didn't have a plane to catch and she didn't have a mother to face. An African mother in that case.
"I'm sure you know who it is. can we get going? Or you're hell bent on making us lose our flight?" He asked while he hopped out of the car and she did the same. They took their trollies and walked toward the departure side by side. Whoever saw them had to look at them again, because they looked so much like a perfectly made pair from heaven.
"I can't believe I'm doing this. Traveling to Adamawa for the first time and it's all because of you." He turned to look at her with a glare, but Jalilah knew so much that he only chose to glare at her so he could hide his real emotions.
She giggled and flipped her imaginary hair before she spoke, "That's perks of associating yourself with an Adamawa lady, we're so irresistible. Do you know that in the whole northern Nigerian states, Katsina and Adamawa has the most beautiful girls, right?"
"Coming from someone that accused a man for being too handsome." She didn't have to ask him who he was referring to, it was him. And she felt like strangling him until he forget he had heard all that Farha said yesterday night. They boarded their plane while all Yazeed did was make her feel embarrass to the point that she couldn't brag about the beauty of the Adamawa girls anymore.
They sat on their seats, she was the one at the window and he, at the other side. They were about to fly when the flight attendant came to them, "Hello sir." She called out, and they both looked up to her.
"Will you mind helping your wife with her belt please? We're about to go up." Your wife. Well, she had never heard a name that suited her the way these two words did, Ballerina inclusive.
Jalilah looked at the way Yazeed looked so nervous and wondered why wouldn't she get back at him now? "Yes please, Babe. My hands feel all shaky, you know I hate flights." She made a whining face and smiled lovingly at him.
The attendant smiled at her, "Newly wedded?" She asked, and Jalilah nodded her head.
"Yes, two months ago. We're visiting my family in Adamawa." She lifted up her hand and showed her the ring she had thankfully put on her engagement finger. When she did that, Farha had insulted her that someone would think she had a fiancé, but she had never thought of taking it off. Had never thought it would come in handy.
"Great, that's so amazing. We're hosting a little competition for couples after we land, and if you win, you'll have two free expense covered stay in Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, in Lagos, Victoria island. With all their services included and guess what? The flight fee is free as well!" The moments those words slipped out of her lips, Jalilah let out a squeal and looked at him.
"Babe, we're definitely getting this, right?" Excitement dripped from her eyes as she turned to him, flashing him one of those cute Jalilah smiles that even if he wanted to, Yazeed knew he couldn't ignore.
"Yes, Ballerina." He decided to play along, and the moment that word slipped out of his lips, Jalilah knew it was a game over for her. She tried so hard to calm herself down, to show that she wasn't overly excited, out of the world even, because he called her a name she had never imagined to be called with.
The attendant smiled at them, "I'd like to take your names then." She pulled out the pen on her chest and lifted the notepad in her hand.
"Mr and Mrs Bunza." Please, is it the end of the world already?! Jalilah felt she was beginning to suffocate and it was so hard knowing how to breathe again. She watched as the attendant took their names and she reminded him to put the belt on her before she walked away.
Yazeed immediately turned to her and the first thing she felt was a knock on her head, "Jalilah! You're one of the craziest people I've ever met!" She whined outwardly and placed her hand on the place.
"You don't have to be this violent, Yazeed! I was just having fun, she was so pleased didn't you see?" At first, her lips were pursed into a pout, but the moment she was done with that, she ended her sentence with a cool and teasing smile that she always wears whenever she was being unserious.
"That game, make sure we don't win." He glared at her and looked away. She rolled her eyes at him and knew she had no choice but to annoy him more. She loved seeing an annoyed Yazeed, at some point, he looked so good to her.
"You don't have to be sulking your face that hard, what if she comes here again? Maybe we've even won!" He turned to look at her with a hard look that she had no choice but to look away to the window while putting on her belt.
When they landed, she turned to look at him and he had this relaxed look on his face which made her smile. "Welcome to the land of beauty." She whispered while looking at him.
He turned, "You're not among the beauties!" She knew it was to annoy her, but she seriously liked it when Yazeed did things that he knew she would be annoyed of.
"I don't know why you're still sulking your face and trying so hard to make me feel angry. You played well too, what's with the Mr and Mrs anyways?" She rolled her eyes and when Yazeed wanted to knock her head again, she dodged. "When Wafiyya was telling me that you're so violent, I didn't agree. But now I do. We're going to play this game, and if you do something that you know will make us lose, I won't forgive you."
"Do I look like someone that needs your forgiveness?!" She scoffed and turned away. They got down and before they reached the arrivals, they heard as their names were being called, not only them, a few more couple included.
They were directed to a hall were the game will take place, it was cozy that Jalilah wished she could spend some time there. Yazeed hadn't spoken a word, and before the game started, they were all given a notepad with a pen. "Dear couples, we're congratulating you on your marriage and we hope the lucky one amongst you wins the game. Before we start, it's an easy game. We are just going to ask five questions, and both of you will write the answers, differently of course. If you have the whole five answers the same, then congratulations already."
Jalilah turned to look at Yazeed that had his face scrunched up with a frown, she knew Yazeed will do all he can to make them fail, but she was hell bent on winning this game. "Please don't make us fail, I promise to be a good girl." She was sure he heard her, but he made it seem as if he was the only one seated and there was no one beside him.
"The first question is; write out one habit of your wife. If she writes the same like the one you wrote, that's one point." She turned to look as the couples looked at each other then smiled, all of them trying to hide his notepad from the other. Yazeed turned to look at her and she rolled her eyes at him. She didn't know what to write, but one thing was certain; she was crazy amidst all her habits. Even though she knew he will write something like stubborn or annoying.
"The second question is; what do you love on your spouse?" The first image that popped through Jalilah's mind was how he looked whenever he smiled, the grace that fell through his lips, that luminousness. She wrote 'His smile' boldly and wished she could say it out loud to them.
"The third question is; if you have the chance to kill your partner, will you do that?" She knew he would write no, because what had she done to him for him to want to kill her? But for her? It's a whole yes! She knew she would miss him after she killed him, but at least that would give her joy.
"The fourth question is; do you want to grow old together with your spouse?" Jalilah didn't even have to ask, she knew for sure the answer was no for him, and it was the same for her. But because he knew she was going to write no, and if he wrote that it was another point for him, he would write yes, doing all takes to fail them. So she wrote yes.
"The final question; kiss your spouse right now and have the most amazing home forever, or a package of chocolate?" What's the name of that chocolate she had seen an advert of? For real, chocolate over anything and anyone. And even if she chose the kiss, she would either die here or they chase them out themselves, there was no way this would happen. So, chocolate it is.
There were six couples, making them the seventh even though they weren't a real couple. She watched as they kept failing, because at some point the wives were being romantic while the husbands annoying and whatnot. Jalilah was nervous because she knew if these real couples didn't win, how would they do that? When Yazeed was even hell bent on making them fail?
Their notepads were collected and she turned to look at him, "Congratulations, we've failed." She whispered, but before he gave her an answer, she heard the woman speaking.
"Can we get your attention here, Mrs Bunza?" That had to be called thrice until Yazeed spoke through gritted teeth, "Jalilah, they're calling out to you!" Oh, she had forgotten about that name.
She turned with a shy smile and apologized. "We have the last couple answers here with us, I'll repeat the questions and say their answers as well."
"The first question was, write out one habit of your wife. Yazeed wrote 'She's crazy', and Jalilah wrote 'He thinks I'm crazy, well, I am.'" There was laughter all over that she had to palm her face, she couldn't believe Yazeed wrote that!
"The second question was, what do you love on your spouse? Yazeed wrote 'The way she smiles', and Jalilah wrote 'His smile isn't bad looking.'" Why is it that she had to embarrass herself in whatever she did?
"The third question is, can you kill your partner if you have the chance to? Yazeed wrote 'Sure, why not?' And before I called out Jalilah's response, I think we have to make sure Yazeed is safe, because I could already imagine her response." There was an uproar of laughter before the woman continued, "Okay, she wrote, 'Please do you have any untraceable way of murder?' Have you heard that? Yazeed, take care of yourself." All this while, Jalilah had her face into her palms, she was just waiting for the last two answers, she wanted them to win.
"The fourth question is, do you want to grow old with your spouse? Our calm Yazeed wrote, 'No please, I'll pass on that.' And Yazeed wrote, 'Grow old with who? Please I want my grandchildren to have a funny grandpa.'" Jalilah was sure he thought she would write some cheesy note with a yes boldly written.
"The fifth question which is also the final question is; Kiss your spouse right now and have the most amazing home forever or a package of chocolate? I'm sure Yazeed would say yes!" The woman chuckled and Jalilah didn't know when she jerked her head up to look at him, he was staring directly ahead, not even sparing her a glance.
"Please tell me you wrote no, we can't fail at this dying minute, Yazeed!" She whispered but he ignored her, not looking her way.
"Here's is Yazeed's response, he wrote 'I actually hate anything sugary, but will you make the package solely with Maltesers please?' And Jalilah, yeah, our funny bride, she wrote 'While making the package, I want Ferrero rocher, Hershey's, Toblerone, and a whole bunch of Cadbury and Twix please, lots of it.' Oh my god, they've won!" Jalilah didn't know when she squealed at the pitch of her voice and side hugged Yazeed.
"I told you, we're going to win!!!" She squealed and laughed. The sound of claps and aww were what brought Jalilah out of her little world of jubilation and she realized what she had done, together with the position she was in. She had just hugged him left side, they were seated, but that was a something! A whole level of something which she didn't know how to tag or name it.
She silently peeled her body off him and smiled back at the people, shaking the hands of the other brides. The woman called them and they moved their, Yazeed had a forced smile on his lips and he seemed cold, as if something had happened that took him off guard. "Please, select your departure date." She handed the tab to Jalilah, she turned to him.
"We're leaving in two days, right?" He seemed thoughtful, as if he was calculating the days left for them to leave for Lagos, while in the actual truth, he was still in shock. Nonetheless, he nodded his head at her, but still that shock kept lingering in every crevice and corner of his soul. He couldn't believe what had happened. He knew the moment that woman announced them as the winners, she would do something crazy. Maybe scream to the pitch of her voice or she would make some crazy dancing moves. But what she did? That was something he had never imagined. And man, did it take him off guard.
She watched as she chose the date and their flight time, which was in the evening, in Abuja of course. They were handed gifts and the rest of the couples as well. They left after all the things were done and Jalilah had their customized tickets in her bags. Mama had already sent their driver, he had been waiting for them. They hopped into the car and after they had exchanged pleasantries with the driver, she asked him to first take Yazeed to the hotel.
They arrived at the hotel, Jalilah hopped down together with him and stood there, staring at the way he was just looking around, not sparing her a glance. "I'm sorry," she said, her eyes intensely fixed on him.
He turned to look at her, for a split second, their eyes met and she looked away. Sometimes as much as she wanted to look deep into Yazeed's eyes, she couldn't. "Sorry for what? Bringing me to this state or?"
"I hugged you, I shouldn't have. I was so excited that I didn't know when I did that. You have every right to be angry at me for that, so I'm sorry." She ducked her head, embarrassed that she voiced it out and also hugging him in the first place.
He was just staring at her, the way she was fiddling with her fingers and how sad she looked. To say the truth, he felt bad that she hugged him even if he was sure she didn't do that for any reason. But his only reason for acting the way he did was because he wished they hadn't won that thing, because their proximity getting closer with Jalilah was only worsening things for them. He knew Sulaiman promised him that Alhaji will never know he had gone to Lagos with her, but some things were risky, he knew. Deep down, he was afraid to fail himself.
She looked up at him, and to his surprise, there were tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, now you'll think of me as a wayward girl, right?" She questioned, her tears falling down on her cheeks.
He realized she wanted an answer from him, anything that would make her feel less horrible than she was feeling. He knew that kind of feeling, wanting acceptance from someone so bad that if you didn't get it, all your world will crumble in a matter of seconds. He didn't know the best thing to say to her that will make her feel better, she was crying so hard now that her shoulders shook with her cries.
He was just staring at her as she cried, finding it so hard to compose another word that will tell him she really didn't do that on purpose. She knew disgust when she saw one, and she was afraid of the words that might erupt of his lips. She cleared her tears but more gushed down, "I'm sorry, please? I promise I didn't do it intentionally."
Jalilah wasn't able to close her lips when Yazeed pulled her to his body, hugging her ever so slightly. Jalilah broke into more tears and with reluctance, fear, shock, she placed her head on his chest, crying even more. Yazeed put his hand on her head and began tapping it lightly to console her. "Shhh, it's okay. I know you didn't do it on purpose, okay? I won't think bad of you. Calm down and stop crying, Jalilah. Or do you want Mama to notice you've cried?"
She shook her head and tried stopping her tears, which she did successfully. After a minute or so, Yazeed pulled her away from his chest and looked into her eyes, "It's fine, okay? You were just so excited, I didn't have any thought on mind. I should even be the one apologizing now, because mine is intentional."
She chuckled amidst tears and shook her head while clearing her tears. "Thank you for that. And no, you shouldn't apologize. You should go in and get some rest, just tell them your name they'll give you the key, I've booked it already. I'l send the driver in an hour to bring you home so you could eat. Thank you once again for coming."
She looked so innocent with her tears still on her eyelashes and the cool smile she had on her lips. He nodded his head and spoke, "Thank you as well. Go home, Mama is eager to see you." It was hard bidding him goodbye, and after Jalilah sat back in the car, she was finding it so hard to erase off what she was feeling in her heart. It was a strong feeling that she felt she was being knocked off her feet.
Even though she didn't want to call Farha because she was still mad at her for what had happened, she knew she had no choice but to do that, because only Farha will set her mind back unless she wanted to be smiling absentmindedly while she was having a meaningful conversation with Mama. Besides that, she had something important to discuss with Mama, she had to be serious. So, she Dailed Farha's contact with a second thought.
"I hate you, I hope you know that?" She asked, and Farha giggled before she replied.
"I know that, but I love you to the extent that my heart calls out to you and your beloved boyfriend!" Whenever Farha admitted she loved Jalilah, the whole universe had to know, because it was the only evidence Jalilah knew that Farha had done something bad to her.
"I have nothing to hear from you, idiot. Actually, I can't set my head straight, Farha. We're in Adamawa, to cut the story short." She said through gritted teeth, she was anxious to the extent that she felt cold in her bones.
"Oh my god! Don't tell me. Where is he?"
"I've lodged him in a hotel, we have to speak with Mama first, I don't know how to start, Farha."
"Girl, this isn't the only reason you've called me. Tell me, what else happened? I could see you have something you want to scream about but you're forcing it back. And about Mama, we've spoken about that already, you just need a little push and you're good to go."
She hated the way Farha knew her just from the way her voice sounded or how he spoke, and now she had to tell her the truth. Because truth be told, that was the only reason she called her for, maybe with Mama's matter inclusive. "Astagfirullah first, but girl, Ya Ilahi! I don't even know how it happened. But trust me, it was a whole different vibe, so amazing, a feeling worth embedding in one's heart." She wasn't just saying, hugging Yazeed had got to be the most amazing feeling she had ever experienced.