Today's Friday. Islam loved every single thing about Fridays. It's been some sorta tradition to treat herself to something amazing friday-ly. Something that will make her happy. But there's one problem, she couldn't come up with anything that'll gladden her Friday today. She usually plan ahead of time, by agreeing to something she'll do a night to fri. But this Friday she forgot to plan anything out and was stuck on what to do.
Islam absentmindedly moved to the mirror and applied more lipstick before setting the ring light and lightening up the room by switching on all the lights, then clicked few selfies.
Soon enough she had an idea. She scratched her head a bit, before asking Husna, "Husna do you think I can cook again in this house? You know what Aunt said last time."
"Definitely..." Husna began.
She couldn't finish when she saw Islam squealing and dancing. Husna wondered why she wouldn't let her finish her sentence.
"...no," husna finished with a mischievous smile, before quickly clearing her voice and maintaining a tight face over seeing the look on Islam's face, like she was afraid Islam might throw a tantrum over that. But probably that's what the American kids do, when they're told a 'no'. Husna knew no way her mom would allow Islam to cook. Even the last time she did, it's just luck!
Islam's face dropped completely. She felt her heart sank, she had already planned everything out in her mind. She was about to have a marvelous fri. But just to confirm things Islam asked wether husna really meant what she said, "is your 'no' supposed to match with your 'definitely'? She asked, air quoting the last word.
"Yes." Husna answered.
Islam might not be American, but she was raised up there, she inhaled the American air and was fed off the American grain and definitely giving up ain't part of her dictionary, just like any other American kid.
So she decided to ask Aunt Kaula herself. She was descending the stairs when she missed a step and ended up crumbling down and falling on her buttocks, but that's not all, the place had just been moped and as result, when she tried getting up, she slipped again and fell down on her back. "Ouch! Oh my Lord." She winced in pain.
Then quickly a maid came, asking if she was alright.
"I'm okay. Please can you lift me up?" She let her hand out for the maid. She helped her up, Islam thanked her and made way to continue on her journey to Aunt Kaula's room, she kept wincing through out the way. She couldn't even stand straight. She had to hold her waist and managed walking with a bent back.
***
Islam waved her hands awkwardly in the air, as if saying hi. "Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah."
"Waalaikumu Salam warahmatullah."
Aunt nodded with a smile.
"Why are you standing that way?"
Aunt saw her standing in a disrupt manner, with a bent back, like a hungry monkey or best, an old lady.
On hearing that Islam tried straightening up a bit, but that made her wince on reflex. Aunt squeezed her brows at that. "Are you okay?"
Islam quickly nodded, with a clenched eye and lips. She finally opened her clenched eyes and kept looking at Aunt's coffee.
"It will get cold." Islam blurted out.
"Come and have a seat." Aunt politely offered.
"Well, Aunt I came here to ask if...." Islam began and then took a glance at Aunt, Aunt ushered her to go on. By now she had already kept aside the book she'd been reading.
"I wanted to ask you...." Islam started again but trailed off.
"What is it my dear? You can tell me anything."
"I was wondering if i can use the kitchen to cook something."
Few minutes passed and aunt haven't answered. Islam's face dropped, but she managed to let out a smile. She knew it! She knew she won't allow her. But it's okay! At least she had tried asking her. That's far better than giving up right from the start.
"What do you plan on making?" Aunt finally talked.
"Just grilled chicken."
"Alright, the chef will make it for you."
Islam didn't reply to that. She was lost on her thoughts till she felt Aunt squeezing her hands.
"Actually it's for my YouTube channel Aunt. My viewers asked me to make it. I usually do cooking videos."
Minutes passed before Aunt finally heaved out a long sigh, "Alright Islam. But becareful. I just don't want you to get hurt."
"Inshaa Allah Aunt I will be careful."
"And I don't want Husna in the kitchen, let her know that."
Islam nodded at that too. She finally hugged aunt and kissed her in the cheek. She looked as Aunt looked horrified for a second before putting on a fake smile. Islam wondered what that was. But she returned the smile with a genuine one and made a mental note to actually find out the reason why Aunt acted dishevelled over a kiss and a mere hug.
***
Islam was so happy as she got out of Aunt's room and was walking to the kitchen. She quickly went upstairs and had a new shower, she dressed up in a beautiful dress. She was doing make-up when Husna asked what's up with her.
"My love she allowed it." Islam said with a grin as she tried to blend in the foundation to her face.
Husna smiled mischievously, "that's a good news!"
***
Islam arranged all the ingredients she would use on the kitchen island, and then moved on to set the tripod about five feets away. Finally she went live.
"Assalamu alaikum guys! What's up! Today's video gonna be a cook with me kinda video. I'll be making flambe chicken! In the mean time you guys can ask me questions before I start. Five minutes for Q and A," She said. And the comment section began flaring. She laughed nervously, "alright guys that's so many questions, I'll try asking any question my eyes sees first." She said and began reading out a specific one.
"Where do you live?" Islam read the question out loud. And then she moved on to start answering it.
"I live in LA that's Los Angeles and Manhattans from time to time, and usually round the world during vacation." She finished with a chuckle. "But I currently live in my uncle's mansion here in Nigeria." She added.
Islam looked through the comments on the live chat, she bent down and lowered her head abit towards her phone screen. YouTube live videos been always fun. Still comments were flaring and she was trying her best to answer, though some of the questions were repeated ones. Like if two people or more asked the same question. She squinted her eyes to read another comment.
"What is your favorite color and why?" Islam read out loud with a smile.
"Thanks so much for asking this Reshma(a character in my other book called Reshma, check out the books it's lovely lol) I love white. It sparks peace and represents my faith. It's specifically chosen by Allah for his prophet may peace be upon him."
"I love you and would like to know your favorite snack."
"Love you too. It's fries." Islam answered yet again with a smile.
"What is the best thing you're talented at?" She read out yet another question.
"Honestly I'd say my major. I'm a bit talented at my major. Designing clothes and painting face. Quite good with that."
"What's the best compliment you've ever received?"
"Can we say being called a ruiner?" She said before laughing out loud, "Kidding guys. I feel proud when people compliments my hard work."
Islam knew how difficult it was when people limits the credit of her hardwork to just having wealthy father or worst a pretty face. Many people comment negatively on her page by linking her hardwork to just being rich, they often say it's something anyone would achieve with such amount of wealth and a pretty face. They have no idea how hard she works over her vlogging carrier; depriving herself of sleep and waiting to edit videos and stuff, sometimes losing a whole video clip after wasting hours in editing it and so on. But that's the nature of man, not all will appreciate and like you.
"What's an ideal first date for you?"
"By dating I'll take it as a husband-wife kinda dating. There are many things I would love to do with my husband. Watching a movie, looking at the night sky together, holding hands, so many things on my endless list."
She then laughed at her own answer, and she saw fans giving her the laughing emoji.
"Why do I have a feeling you'll soon be off?" Islam read out loud and laughed out loud.
"Well, maybe pretty soon somebody is gonna snatch me away." She answered with a chuckle.
"Who's your role model?"
"My prophet (saw)."
"What's the one thing that speaks so much to you?"
"Love for all, hatred for none! ...We should all love humanity, love everyone equally and shouldn't hate on any. Some might be quite annoying I know. But patience never hurts! I mean it does hurts but you will always end up the winner!" Islam further elaborated!
"Alright guys times up. I even added a minute. We gotta start our delicious flambe chicken soon!" She said as she moved further away from her phone and moved to the kitchen island, where she placed all the ingredients.
"I hope I got the best camera angle. I believe you all can see everything from here." She said as she moved towards the fridge and brought out a frozen chicken.
Soon enough she had mixed all the spices she would use, and have marinated the chicken.
She waited a moment before moving it to frying pan. Once the chicken was moderately fried she turned to the camera and said, "alright guys i'm about to do the hottest thing ever! You all gonna fall in love with me after this. I'm about to make the flames go out! Quite awesome I know!" She said flickering her lashes and smiling happily.
She moved on to pick the bowl that had the small amount of vegetable oil mixed with water.
"Guys I have my bowl of oil that's been mixed with water, the idea of doing so is so when the oil and water been added unto the frying hot oil, it will make the flames go out. One can use only water, you don't necessarily have to mix it with oil, as soon water comes in contact with the hot oil, the flames will go out! And that's what we are here for. That's all about flambe chicken!" Islam finished with a smile.
Islam shined her thirty two out before pouring out all the oil and water mixture, and indeed the flames were out!
She turned around slightly so that fans could view her well, "for further effect, you can use a lighter. Which i'm about to do now. The flames will even go out with greater intensity that way!" And Islam moved to the kitchen island and picked the lighter as that's where she kept it, as soon she lights the chicken, and that in turn lights the oil the flames were out, she was about to talk again when she felt something sprayed all over her. The thing clouded her vision. Luckily enough she was with glasses on, she gently took the glasses off and that's when the view she saw made her eyes watery.
"You extinguished my fire. Who asked you to do that?" Islam cried!
Juhaif squinted his eyes at that, he was thinking of all the things that made this girl so rude, she owe him a thank you right now, but here she was complaining about everything and nothing! He gently dropped the fire extinguisher that was in his hands on the floor. She always destroys every single thing, and now she had started setting the house afire! This girl, this girl's visit to his house ain't a luck. She kept damaging every single thing in the house and was now trying to burn down the house, with her spoonful cooking skills and the guards of her to get angry over getting helped with extinguishing the fire!
He got outta his reverie when Islam stamped her feet on the ground, with a pouted lips, a mascara smudged eye from crying and a white face like that of ghost as result of the fire extinguisher he bathed her face with, she moved towards her phone. It was still on live, she rubbed her eyes with her hands to see what they were all saying as more comments than usual kept coming in, everyone was just laughing.
Islam read some of the comments in her mind;
She said we gonna fall in love with her after that! Damn i'm in love with her extinguished face.
Oh my God look at her face! 😂
Oh my gggg is that a ghost? 😂😭
Use the lighter to make it more effective(in Islam's voice)...just like that bummmmppp #extinguished face lmaoooooo!
That guy is sexy lmaooo! He should come up on camera often😍
Islam kept reading the comments as some series of hot tears came flooding, she used her hand and cleared away her tears before finally clicking the button supposed to end the live chat. She turned and glanced at Juhaif that was just standing. She wondered what must be going on in his mind. She wanted to give him the finger but just walked away instead, she felt too weak to put on a fight, he made her the laugh of century on social media. To everyone, she is now just a silly girl! What a pity!
****
Guys what's your fav chappie so far? I won't tell of mine till the end, remind me to let you know once the book is complete!