AFTER 168 HOURS [BOOK 2,168 HOURS SERIES]

Chapter 34: I'm Not Hungry!

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Friday Evening,

4:00 p.m...

Zainab was in the kitchen when Hajia Fati entered. She was surprised to see her there.

"What are you doing in the kitchen, Aliyah? You don't have to stress yourself."

"Welcome mum." Zainab joyfully went to hug Hajia and retorted. "I was just trying to prepare something."

"You don't have to stress yourself, perhaps, we have the cook and the maid to prepare dinner."

"Yes I know. I was just feeling bored that's why I came here."

"Nice. So, what do you want to prepare?"

"Tuwon Shinkafa da mian kuka."

Hajia Fati suddenly looked perplexed. You didn't forget how to cook it?

"Last night, I watched how to prepare delicious Hausa foods on YouTube. So, I decided to try it out today."

"Wow! Masha Allah. That's good. Its exciting to know that you're learning those stuffs. You need to be careful okay? I'll join you shortly." Hajia persuaded.

"Thanks mum." A line of excitement rose through Zainab as she measured the rice into a bowl.

Hajia Fati went into her room to change. She put on a simple gown and walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Maikuddi usually cooks once in a blue moon because she has workers who can do almost everything. She just give orders while they obey, but today is different. It's so strange that Hajia Fati entered the kitchen today. Obviously because of her new daughter, Aliyah.

When she got into the kitchen, Hajia Fati put on an apron as she watched Zainab. She gave a hand in Zainab's cooking as to help her improve.

Zainab rinsed a clean stainless pot and placed it the heated gas. She put an amount of water into it and closed it appropriately, letting the water to boil.

"Have you ever cooked this food before?" Mrs. Maikuddi questioned.

Zainab smiled at the thought. I don't remember but I think I used to.

"Wow! That's good."

"Umm... I don't know if Khalid would be able to eat this kind of food?"

"Yeah, sure. He would eat but just very little. He doesn't eat at home most times and he's not used to these kinds of food."

"Where did he grow?" Zainab asked, pouring water from the tap to wash the ride in a small bowl. After washing the rice, she posted the water in the sink and poured water to wash it again.

"I gave birth to Khalid in America. We stayed there for a while till after a while. I came back to Nigeria when he got clocked 13 to work and stay home. For some reasons, I missed Nigeria so I had to come back home. After his highschool in San Francisco, Khalid got an admission to study theater arts in Oxford university. So, he graduated months and I suggested he come home for a while. You know?"

"Wow! That's good mum. It's a good thing he came back home else, his attitude might get worse than it already is."

Hajia Fati chuckled at Zainab's funny words then she asked...

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, he'll be more responsible and respectable only whe_" a ball hit the bowl hard and everything almost Splash on the floor but Zainab was there to told it. Everyone's puzzled face looked up to see his mischievous, grin. It was Khalid in the kitchen.

"Khalid!" His mum cried.

A large amount of the water splashed on Zainab's body while the rest dripped to the floor.