Matan Fada, Katsina State.
2019.
Upon setting her foot in Marawiyyah's home, Falak felt this rush of nostalgia running through her, she felt homesick all over again. She's missed that house because they always run there after getting into a fight with someone more than their age. Her eyes misted and she continue to trudge into the very familiar room where she and Marawiyyah bunk their days for tsaro, looking after the cows. They will shun away Marawiyyah's stepbrother and hide in the room, he never was able to find them inside.
"Mari." She called into house, feeling as confident as ever this time around. She knew her friend is definitely inside that house, just like when they were younger. Maybe her stepmother, Baaba is alone in the house and Marawiyyah is still not back from the city. Who knows but she hopes not.
"Yes, who is it?" Falak's heart dropped to her chest hearing her best friend's voice call out to her. Her feet move before she could stop herself. She find her feet right inside the room, there are no changes made except for the pieces of new clothing that there wasn't before. There are few more stones decorated by the edge of the wall, like old days.
"It's me." Falak's voice whispered standing atop her friend's lying figure.
Marawiyyah's eyes shot up to the intruder knowing that no one has bother coming into her room for a long time. Everyone is afraid of being in her presence so seeing her friend standing on top of her only makes her laugh bitterly at herself then lie her head back on piles of old clothes she uses as pillow. This is one of her every time daydream to see her long lost friend. She knew she is the only one that will stand by her at those moments, she's always been there through thick and thin. Now that she is more in need of her, she gets those daydreams more often and she learnt not to pay heed to them anymore.
Comfortably closing her eyes, she sighed again and let herself wander off to those messiness dreams that haunt her life every time. She hates closing her eyes even for a second but in that way, she finds tranquility one way or the other. In those isolated dreams, she finds herself letting them punish her whole all the time. Those dreams makes her feel as though she deserves each punishment coming her way. She can't deal with it alone, she needs someone, however, there isn't any.
"Marawiyyah, get up, it's me Falak." She desperately say to her friend who looks like she's lost it and kept smiling miserably in her supposed sleep.
Marawiyyah stood up again and watch Falak feeling like those many dreams she's had of meeting her best friend again. So just like in all the dreams, she stood up in a hurry almost slipping to the floor and gave her a bone crushing hug. This time, it feels real and the hug has being reciprocated not like the dream where Falak will slowly move away and disappear into the thin air. She held her back equally as enthusiastic as she did her so she moved back to confirm her dream.
By Allah those dreams have been messing with her head for a long time. She needs to go find her friend if this one is also a dream. No one is talking to her in the village so she could ask nobody about Falak's whereabout. She wished to hear some of the girls talking about Falak or where she is but as soon as they sight her, everyone will keep quite some will even go to extent of mocking her as if she was the one who planned everything that has happened to her. She needs her friend to help her insult those girls so they will back off, just like they always do when they mock Falak of being single.
There stood her childhood friend and human diary. The woman knows her from head to toe, in and out. They were like twins together with Fikriyah, triplets. They have the best kind of relationship anyone could ask for. Even with the society turned against them, they still have each others back no matter what. Their friendship started even before they know what friendship means. They just knew that they don't like playing with anyone except for them trio. Any other person in their circle is labelled an outsider forever.
"Falak? Is that really you?" Her words spurted out, like an old machine waiting to be repaired, the hope in her voice bloomed like flowers during summer. Her heart blossomed with water like a dying ocean getting filled up again.
"Yes, it's me. I missed you do much, Marawiyyah. Where have you been all these years?" Falak hugged her again tightly only to let go of her when she heard an intruder behind them, not so pleasant one too.
"And who do we have here? Another prostitute?" She heard Marawiyyah's stepmother question from the door, her voice held disdain for whoever it is that came to visit her stepdaughter. She's wanted the woman to die with loneliness but no, all her hardworking is going to vain.
"Tune down your voice and don't repeat such word ever again." Falak heard Yazid mumbled to her from the door and that is when she noticed that they made an appearance some seconds ago just to hear another woman linking her disgusting voice at a princess. She didn't know who they were but from the looks of it, they are no untitled people.
"Good afternoon, Baaba." Falak pivoted and gave the wretched woman the smile she always gives her when she is all defensive on her best friend. The woman likes maltreating the girl with any chance she's got and Falak won't have it when she has her way now. She will do what she wants and no one will stop her now. Even then, she will climb on her back when she is beating Mari so she could stop or fall, she doesn't care. As long as her friend doesn't get beaten up.
"F-F-Falak?" You could hear the surprise under laced in that single word she uttered not to talk about the danger she has felt lurking around those powerful people standing in her house. Any bad move from her might land her in trouble and her aging self won't take any other burden of life. And those sirens sound outside, it is enough to get her head back to where it should be.
"Yes, that's me. I hope you are not referring to us as prostitutes. It seems like you haven't stopped messing with my friend here." Falak's eyes held no respect for the woman in front of her knowing just how much she's made her friend suffer and is still making her. She can't even think about the things her friend went through without her. Even when she was there, they hardly are able to fight her off when she brings her trouble. They sometimes sleep outside the house just so she won't beat Mari.
The woman in front of her is approaching sixty but there is no sign of remorse for her bad deeds in the past. She is only showing fear seeing that the people with her can take her and vanish her away from earth. She could hear the sirens blaring just outside her home and the people looking at her with the same emotion as Falak's makes her more frightened. They are like robots, swinging with everything Falak does and their protective stance is enough to shake her petite figure. The regret she didn't want to feel started sipping through her pores, her greying hair becoming more greyer with each passing second. She can't even say a word so she kept quite.
"Anyways, I'm going to take my friend away from you and hopefully, she won't come back. Now if you will excuse us." Falak pivoted her attention back to her rooted friend who watched the scene unfold like she is in another dream again.
"Are you real?" She asked, her voice thick with emotions and her eyes are drained, sorrowful and doubtful. She has been through enough from what Falak could see. Her heart did a little sound of sob for letting her friend go through a lot alone. She should've been there for her, she wished she could change back time and went around to look for her dear friend.
"I am." And they hugged each other again, this time tears running down both their eyes.
Fikriyah dabbed her eyes at the sight she thought she would never see again. The sight she's always wished to see, them all grown up and still tight up together. Her two best friends just together in one place wrap around each others arms. Their tears and sobs brought her out of her reverie so she walked with tentative steps and wrap her arms around them. She buried her face in Marawiyyah's other shoulder and let out few tears.
"Fikriyah?" It came out like a question and squeal at the same time when Marawiyyah pulled away from them to make sure she is in the arms of her two friends in real life.
"Yes, that's me." Fikriyah beamed through tears and hugged her to her bosom in sheer happiness. She's missed them more since she's left before Falak did.
"Oh my God, where have been you two?" She asked, moving back to access her well looking friends. She couldn't be any happier knowing they are fine and healthy unlike her own situation. Oh Allah, thank you for answering my prayers and keeping my friends safe and sound. She muttered underneath her breath, tear after tear rushing down her tawny coloured skin.
Marawiyyah has always been beautiful to Falak that she feels like if not for her fair skin, Marawiyyah would've beat her in terms of beauty. From her well arched full dark brow, down to her round doe like eyes to her small cute Fulani nose then her almost none existent full pink lips. Rounding that up with a bucket face, her cheekbones up and jaw smooth. She is not dark and neither is she fair so Falak will only stop it at tawny colour, beautiful colour. Her small petite figure that Falak is jealous of. She never gets fat no matter what she eats leaving her curves in place, she looks thinner though.
"Long story." Falak wiped away her tears and pivoted to introduce everyone with her husband and children coming to the last.
"This is my husband, Shaddad. Our children, Sabeer, Safeer and Sabeeha." She watch carefully as her friend examine her children in surprise while her lips hang open in admiration. She looks like she couldn't believe what she is seeing then she move her hands to take Safeer from Falak.
"You have triplets? Just like our wild dreams?!" Marawiyyah spurted out, looking at Safeer in her arms, back to the other two babies looking at her closely to point her out too but then something will take away their attention, the chickens chirping outside.
"Yes. I've been looking for you everywhere, Mari. Where have you been?" Falak asked when they left them alone to wait in the car. She knew she was going to take a long time but there are some things she needs to hear from her friend before they take off.
"In the city of Kano. I was there for some years then came back some months ago." She was hiding something which both the other occupants of the room know. She is open to them all the time so Fikriyah gave her mature stern look which has Marawiyyah spewing out her guts.
When she finished, all of them are in tears, drenched with it. Falak is sobbing and hiccuping till Marawiyyah helped her with some water when she calmed down. Falak blamed herself for not being there for her friend as she goes through those sorrowful moments without her help nor her shoulders to offer. She was there enjoying life moving around the sky to school then trying to get Shaddad's attention to herself before becoming the woman she's always wanted to be.
Ya Allah, what has she done? She's damaged her friend's happiness forever. How is she to help her now when she has ruined everything for her. Should she even show her her face after turning away from her and letting her face the world all alone? There were promises of always being there for each other since they were young but look where they are now. She continue to cry while the others rub her back, she feels ashamed to be sitting in between her two true friends. Both of them have gone through a lot, she was the only one with smooth life compared to what they went through.
She got into the palace and change her life or should she say, forget the most important girls in her life. She made new friends in the palace, has maids at her disposal, have countless brothers waiting for her to whim and they take action but her friend, the girl with the golden heart that helped her get where she is today. Deep down she knew if Allah hasn't sent Marawiyyah and Sani that day to help her with money, she wouldn't have gone to the palace, she would've gave up and stayed with Adama.
When she got all the luxury, she didn't bother turning back to her till a year later. What was she thinking getting so engraved in her own life to think about her stone? The girl who would give away her life for her without hesitation? The girl that took her stepmother's money and gave her not worrying about the consequences? Falak felt like she is not worth her concern and friendship. She cried again feeling her heart constrict for not being there. How she wish she can take away the pain.
If only wishes were horses. She would want to take away her friend's concern first then any other thing should follow behind. She couldn't stop the tears even if she wants to. The worst part is, Mari didn't cry when she was telling her the story, she looks so strong and unyielding. Falak would've killed herself in depression if that was to happen to her.
"Falak don't you dare blame yourself for this again. I know that from the look on your face, you are thinking about that." Marawiyyah sternly say to Falak in a small voice having cried for a long time.
"How could I not, Mari? Do I even have to explain myself to you after all I've done? I told you I was going to stay in touch but I never turn back to you till a year later and it was too late then. I was there trying to prove something in the palace. Trying to get so many things for myself but never have I ever think about asking for help to search for you when I know I can do that! You were so close to me suffering and I couldn't even feel your pain. You are out there fighting demon after demon but where was I to help like I promised? I told you I would be there for you always but I broke that promise. I don't deserve your friendship, Mari. I've let you down." She whispered the last part crying her eyes out not letting any of them to touch her.
God, she feels so awful!
"What the heck is your problem? How could you get that I was in pain when you were also battling one thing after the other? Stop blaming yourself and let's take this as our bumpy road which we have to pass through." Marawiyyah stubbornly hugged her friend close to her bosom.
"I've let you down, Mari. I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you. Please forgive me!" She continue to cry in her friend's shoulder still getting that heavy feeling in her chest burdening her soul.
"I held no grudge on you, in fact, I'm so happy that you've finally met your prince knight and even got triplets! You too, Fika, you got a Prince. This calls for a celebration!" Mari try making the atmosphere light and Falak did chuckle a little so did Fikriyah who kept quite through the whole conversation happening between them. She didn't know what happened when she left but they look closer to each other.
"I will tell you about this love story of ours and you won't stop laughing. I've gone through a lot to get what you are seeing but I won't change a thing." Falak let out a small smile reminiscing her bumpy ride with Shaddad or should she rephrase that to, before she got Shaddad.
"I would love to hear it. I know the mischief is still in you and let's see what happened with the big bad Prince." She wiggled her brows and Falak only grinned widely knowing her friend will enjoy every bit if her adventure even though she didn't do hers.
"Can we take you away from this woman? I know she never stopped her bad ways and I honestly can't let you stay here after all that you've been through. She is already calling you a prostitute, only God knows what she will do in a little more time to come." Falak voiced out her concern. Even if she doesn't want to go with her, she will drag her with her bum on the floor. That woman can cause depression and suicide with her sharp mouth.
"I want to go with you." Mari whispered without any hesitation so they stood up and started packing her clothes to leave that forbidden house. She can't wait to live with her friends together and share the memories they've missed of one another.
*****
Yoyoyoyo!
How are you all doing?! The comments are still pending o, shaa, here is another update. Watch out for Marawiyyah's chapter. What happened?!
RQ; Would you rather be able to twist people's minds or be able to appear and disappear whenever you want? They all are appealing I don't even know which to choose, you?
Aishatu.