'Please can we start over? I promise you won't regret it~A'
She saw his message but completely ignored him. How could he expect her to start over with him after being so rude. She can never be friends with someone as arrogant as he is. Or so she thought.
She sighed as she put her phone down and continued packing. Hafsa's brother's wedding was in two days and was going to take place in Abuja. Even though Nabeela didn't want to travel all the way to Abuja just to attend a wedding , she knew she had no choice, after all Hafsa's mother was Mamie's closest friend.
When Mamie gave her two cards this morning and asked her to start packing, Nabeela opened her mouth to ask whether she can skip the Dinner and Cultural day in Abuja and only go to the budan kai and Walima in Kano. However immediately she saw the expression on her mother's face, she changed her question to when are we going?. "First thing tomorrow morning," her mom had answered.
And that was how the next day she spent five hours sitting uncomfortably in the car just to attend the wedding of someone she didn't even know that well and someone she was pretty sure didn't even know her.
Together with Mamie, Hafsa, her mom and some of their mom's friends, they stayed in one of the houses provided by the bride's family. There was so much chaos the next day as it was the cultural day. At 2'oclock everyone except Nabeela was ready in their blue and yellow ashobi atampa. Nabeela was busy trying to wear her skirt. She felt like cursing the tailor, how could he sew this tight skirt for her. And how stupid was she not to try the clothes in Kano. She didn't think of trying the clothes in Kano as the tailor was her favorite and had been sewing her clothes for her for the past five years. How she wished she could sew, most tailors are turning out to be very disappointing.
"Nabeela are you still there?" She heard her mom yelling from downstairs at the same time she heard a screeching sound. She refused to look down afraid of what she would see. Just as she expected when she looked down, her skirt had torn into two.
"Nabeela we are leaving without you!"Mamie yelled again while Nabeela cried out, " My skirt is torn,".
She fell down on the floor thinking about what to do. She heard Mamie giving instructions to Hafsa and few minutes later Hafsa brought an orange dress to her.
"I think this would fit you," she said handing the dress to her. With tears in her eyes, she took the dress and went to the bathroom to change. Five minutes later they were all in a bus going to the venue, Nabeela felt so uncomfortable as she was the only one not wearing the ashobi and the only face devoid of makeup. All the girls' faces were filled with makeup while hers only consisted of powder, kohl and lip balm.
They reached the venue in about ten minutes. Even as they stepped out of the car, Nabeela was very angry at her tailor. As she was walking into the hall being the only one without the ashobi, she felt eyes behind her back. But each time she turned around, she didn't see anyone watching her.
Nabeela sat down together with Hafsa's classy friends. They kept chatting about different topics that Nabeela had no interest in. Nabeela just sat there feeling very uncomfortable and out of place. She just didn't fit in with them just like she didn't with almost everyone else.
While the other girls were busy taking pictures and chatting, Nabeela took out her broken phone too and opened the only app that could entertain her. She was very flabbergasted when she saw a notification from the message section.
'Are you the one in the orange dress?~A'
***
He was in a deep sleep when he heard his phone vibrating. Stretching his hand, he picked his phone from his bedside drawer. He picked the call without even opening his eyes to see the caller.
"Hello," he groaned.
"Akeel how are you?" he heard his sister's voice from the other end of the line.
"What do you want Ya Nawal?" He asked straight away.
"Are you still sleeping? At 2:00pm?" Her voice showed how surprised she was. When he didn't answer her she added "I am sure Baba doesn't know about this,"
He kept blinking as he adjusted to the light. Even though his curtains were not opened as it was already past noon, the room was iluminated with light. He yawned as he asked her what she wants again.
"I need to you to take me to my friend's wedding, she is my very close friend, I can't miss the wedding. Ismail is not in town so you are my only option,"
"I thought you can drive," he groaned.
"I can but I can't now you know?"
"When is it?"
"Now," she surprised him by saying.
"But I'm sleepyyy," he pouted even though she couldn't see him.
"Really? Sure go back to sleep, I will just have to call Baba and tell him about this, Bye bye, take care,"
"Wait just give me 20 minutes to get ready. I will come and pick you up,". With a laugh his sister cut off the call, she just knew how to make him do what she wants.
He jumped out of his bed and started getting ready. Five minutes later he was fidgiting with his car keys. He met his sister and Mom in the living room. He greeted his mom and told her he was going to take Ya Nawal to a wedding. He pinched his sister on her cheeks making her squeal, before putting his shoes and heading out.
When he reached Yaya Nawal's house just as he expected, she was waiting for him. Dressed in a yellow and blue ankara gown with a yellow head and with her baby hump now quite visible, she was sitting by the door with two sandwiches in her hands. Immediately she entered the car she passed the sandwiches to Akeel.
"Oh my God, you are the best Yaya Nawal," he screamed as he ate the yummy sandwitches.
"I know you didn't take anything since morning and I want you to take me to the dinner too tomorrow,"
"Are you bribing me with sandwiches?" he asked glaring at her.
She hid a smile, " Look at the road dummy, you see, Ismail will be coming back tomorrow and he would be so tired to drive,"
"Sorry I already have plans for tomorrow night," He informed her as he parked the car.
"Pleaseeeeee,"she gave him her best puppy dog eyes.
"I have two cards, I will give you one,"
"We are here," he said instead of answering her.
"The angwaye are already here. I am really late," she said looking at a group of ladies all in the same atampa as hers.
She picked her phone and bag before hopping out of the car.
"Do I have to come and pick you up?" Akeel asked.
"Don't bother I will find someone to drop me,". He sighed in relief. Waving at him she walked inside. Akeel was about to reverse the car when the ladies in the ashobi blocked his way. Among about 30 ladies, there was only one girl that wasn't wearing the ashobi. When the girl came closer, he noticed how familiar the face looked, those bushy eyebrows, that dimpled smile, those eyes, but he couldn't place where he knew her.
Even as he drove home, he kept trying to remember where he knew her. He found his sister in the living room using her phone. Plugging his own phone to charge, he slumped next to his sister and asked , "watcha doing?"
She said only a word which made him remember who the earlier girl was.
"Wattpad,"
"Wow, it's Nabeela," he shouted.
His sister watched him confusedly as he jumped up and ran to where his phone was charging. Opening wattpad, he checked the only book he had in his library. He scrolled down to the chapter where the author posted their pictures. Do you know that moment when you really want to load something and your service will just be too bad? Akeel felt like throwing away his phone.
After what seemed like forever, the picture finally loaded
"It's Nabeela, it's really her, I saw Nabeela today,". Just to confirm futher more, he messaged Nabeela04,
Are you the one in orange dress?~ A
"Which Nabeela," Waleeda asked from the couch.
"The Nabeela from wattpad,"
His sister adjusted her sitting position on wattpad. "Wait you mean the one you fought with?"
"You know about the fight too?"Akeel asked.
"Every Nigerian on wattpad knows about it, it was tooo....... as in have you seen how the screen shots have gone everywhere"
"You are kidding right?"
His sister shook her head.
"Have you even apologized? I understand you acted that way because of Niima but still you acted so arrogantly, the opposite of how you really are,"
Akeel bowed his head in shame. He could never forget the comment he made about her mom, if only he could rewind time and never even download wattpad in the first place. His phone vibrated and he looked up to see a notification from wattpad.
Did you see me?~N
Immediately he saw her message his eyes lit up. He dialled his elder sister's number. His sister picked up on the third ring. He heard her voice with a loud music coming from the background.
"Whats up bro?"
"Urhmm are you sure you have someone that is going to drop you,"
"Speak loudly I can't hear you, wait give me a minute I will call you back,"
She called him back five minutes later. And this time there was no music in the background.
"Do you have someone to drop you at home?" He asked her.
"Yes, what's the matter,"
"Uh-oh, nothing, I just called to inform you, I have cancelled my plans for tomorrow and can take you to the dinner just because of how much I love you," he said and quickly ended the call before his sister asks him why he really changed his mind. He turned to his little sister and saw her laughing really hard.
"Are you going to apologize again?" She asked and he nodded his head.
"That's the brother I know?" she said with a smile, he smiled back hanging his arm around her shoulders. With his other hand he replied,
Yes, I couldn't help noticing you. You were the only one not wearing the ashobi ~ A