Blooming

5.

𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑴𝑺 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑫𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺

She could not believe it has been over two two weeks since her stay here. Time seemed to have gone by so quickly. Halima muses as she made her way into the garden.  As she sat on  one of the wooden chairs, she recalled how Hajiya had flashed her a disapproving look when she had come back yesterday. It wasn't okay for one especially a lady to be coming home by 7:pm almost everyday but she couldn't help it.

Despite today being a weekend, she still had some remaining work to do. She was not only confined to the status of Cosmos secretary she was also part of its "Creative team" a special team which had been set aside for coming up with new designs and themes for the Company. Each member was expected to present a new idea every six months. A thing they call "keeping afloat in the creative realm" the best presentations were selected and used for the year. It was a very competitive role that Members were being replaced if their input is not forthcoming or creative.

She was currently working on a template which she had designed recently. With the wedding season, she had decided to name her presentation Beyond the alter  It was a hamper which would contain a customized journal, A stylus pen and a book of affirmations. It could be customized based on individual preferences. She was not a big fan of souvenirs but working in a firm that deals with that, she had come to appreciate its significance hence she came up with the idea. There was still  a long way to go from their presentation date which was two months from now and she was not even close to her target yet. She wanted to create something unique yet stylish.

The weekends were supposed to be spent with Kamil bonding but he had followed Abba to a trip on Friday. They were to come back tomorrow, Sunday. She had intended to take him to the Children's library. As little as he was, staying with Abba had made him a lover of books too. She wanted to nurture this culture and she was doing so by buying him books and taking him to the Children's library every month. Now that he was not around, she would just spend the weekend sulking.

The times alone were always dreadful that was why she would always seize the opportunity to do something engaging. From coming up with new ideas, to taking online courses. She wasn't one who enjoy outdoors she would rather stay in her room and watch movies.

Spending too much time alone would make her mind drift into the happenings in her life. Her Son's fate.. What if his Father decides to take him away from her? What if she ends up invoking the wrath of Allah on herself by not obeying her Parents? She would plunge into long hours of hazy thoughts which would end up in tears and headache. It was one thing to make a decision but it was another to stand by it despite all odds. What had kept her going was the conviction that it was better for her to be alone than lonely.

Coming here would be her peace. She could no longer continue to stay with her Parents. The pressure was becoming too much from them so much so that she had nearly renounced her pact. A thing she would have regretted. The decision to pack out was not one she had come up with recently. It had been with her from the day she had left Ismail's home. She would have gone to Ande's if not for her Mother's Words to her. But here, they had not expected her to pull that stunt.

Alhamdulillah Alhaji Sani and his Family had not thrown her out. She is beginning to slowly fit into the bits and pieces of their home. Hajiya had put her in charge of supervising the staffs on the third day she had come to the house. Whatever food that would be cooked for the house was now her responsibility to choose. Her days were spent sourcing for different types of local and continental dishes. Something that keeps her mind busy from the Mountainous load in her heart. But guilt was a funny thing it mocks you in the face of ease. Her coming here was not an entirely brilliant idea.