Blooming

13.

𝑫𝑰𝑨𝑴𝑶𝑵𝑫 𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯

Everything looked okay or at least she thought it did. Years before, she would have wanted this independent life. To have a whole house to herself in an entirely different area with people she did not know or have never even come across. But here she was months without seeing her parents a depressed mess.

To People she looked like the perfect Woman. Ideal career, Rich home, an adorable son, Perfect life. But she knew better because almost every night the realization that she was now a disowned child presents itself to her thoughts.

Perhaps it was the stillness of the night or the fact that there was no distraction or noise just complete silence that made her thoughts easy to come at her. But whatever it was, it makes her doubt her decisions. Makes her question this path she had taken. Should she not have stayed in her Marital home and endure? Was she wrong for not wanting a sad life for herself? No one had bothered to ask her the details of her marriage but everybody is making her regret that she had left it even if it meant she would have to bear with living with a Man who did not love her but rather sees her as a stumbling block between his wife and his Family.

Her beloved siblings who have never gone a day without calling her, she could count the number of times they had spoken from when she landed im Nigeria until now.

She misses them dearly. She missed her friends and her previous life where she did not have to pretend.

If she would remove the awkward times they had made efforts to relate with her when she had first came back, it was almost 3 years now from when they had last spoken with her siblings.

All this when compared to a Woman who had spent almost 10 years away from her family made her situation a mole hill compared Saudah's.

Saudah, the Family REBEL the one nobody associated with. The one who was forbidden to attend occasions.

Halima's father was the third born of Alhaji Turawa's six children. Saudah's Father Alhaji Hammad was the eldest and also the richest. This meant that the family lineage rested on his shoulders. Her Father bad told her that he had left his home in the US when the news of their Father, Halima's Grandfather's death had reached him.

They had all unanimously agreed that as the heir, he should come and take over the Family house. despite the numerous houses he had. He had agreed without a second thought. He was a man who believed in Custom and tradition. Raised with the core values of the typical Arewa man.

Babaa was what everyone called him including the old and young, his children and siblings, and even his wives. Born and bred in America, when he was 19, Alhaji Turawa (Muhammad but because he was staying abroad, he was being called Alhaji Turawa.) had decided to come back home, they had left him to continue his studies and because he had interest in his Father's business, The Turawa empire, he had picked up where Halima's Grandfather had left off. Only coming home occasionally.

American ways had not influenced him in any way he had specifically asked for a wife from Home. He was a man of little words who always wore a stern face. Almost all the kids swore that they had never seen him smile. Whenever there was a family dispute, it was Babaa who would resolve it. Whenever a child misbehaves, it was his name that would make the child cower in fear. Everyone even her Mother did not want to fall into Babaa's trap. But unfortunately like her Mother will say his own daughter was the one who stood up to such a man. The Apple does not run far from the tree.

Saudah was her Father's twin. Every feature and every detail on her body was the duplicate of her father's the way he walks gracefully, the Stern face and long fingers. The extremely fair skin and long nose. There was nothing that Saudah lacked when it came to her father. Even the Witt and intelligence. Everything was his.