When Stars Collide

Meeting Salman

 It had to be said that Bauchi has terribly pressed on Hibba's patience. Chichi was the worst as she would do stuff for Nafeesah and return to their hotel room to stay away from the hot sun and the anger that Nafeesah's family members seemed to carry around with them waiting to dump on anyone. 

"Hey! Have you seen my red bag? I left it behind this sofa." Hibba who was carrying a covered tray of food and drink to Nafeesah's room stopped and turned gently to the owner of irritating high pitched voice. It was as she had suspected, one of Nafeesah's terrible twin cousins that never ceased to make life hard for others. 

"How am I supposed to know where your bag is? Did you keep it with me?" Hibba finally burst out and she had to silently press her bare feet on one another to feel slightly better. She didn't want her anger to get the best of her, thereby ruining Nafeesah's day. 

"Well, I kept it here and you're the only outsider here." Hibba hissed and walked into an alcove that linked Nafeesah's room to the living area. She opened Nafeesah's room with a push of her foot and gingerly entered the room, Nafeesah who she brought the food for was in her bed, eyes swollen from crying and covers drawn to her chest. 

Hibba set the plate on the bedside table and walked to Nafeesah. Wondering how the makeup artist would be able to cover the eye bags that were so prominent on Nafeesah's face. 

"If Chichi was here ehn, she would have beaten up that your cousin. That Zainab is such a pest!" Hibba hissed but Nafeesah laughed regardless of how much she had cried earlier. Hibba set out a mug and poured some of the thick Kunun Gyada in the stainless steel flask into the mug.  She set a spoon in it and handed it to Nafeesah who had shifted her position, she was now resting on the headboard. 

Nafeesah's parents were ones who were easily influenced by family and their thoughts were always about how to make their family's life better but forgot they had children who were affected by their decisions. 

"Eat some of the kosai na. I spent time making it, don't let my effort go to waste." Hibba watched as Nafeesah who had finally eaten something after days of starving herself because her cousins told her something about Ayman's ex-wife being a former model. 

It had taken all of Chichi's restraint not to throttle both girls but Hibba had begged her not to, then Chichi moved to a hotel in town from where she shuttled to and fro Nafeesah's parents house. 

"I like how much weight I've lost. Let's keep it like this." Hibba's face contorted in slowly burning rage, knowing that no one but Nafeesah's useless cousins were to blame for all the happening madness. They planted a stupid idea in Nafeesah's head and She who was a perfect size was left second-guessing herself. 

"Nafeesah, think. For a second think about the fact that Ayman met you at your former weight, liked you, fell in love with you, decided you'd be his forever and came here to ask for your hand. Did you think he'd do that if he saw something he didn't like?" Hibba decided to go down the path that she hated to go the most, using a man's affection to make a woman feel better, but Ayman's love for Nafeesah made her bloom. 

"I know he liked me then, but have you seen his late wife? She was barely a size 6. All the brands in Abuja wanted her to model for them." Hibba hissed and got up, went to her phone and scrolled to a part of Instagram people no longer went to and brought up a post where Ayman's late wife told an interviewer that her continued weight loss was as a result of her crisis as a sickle cell patient. 

"Are you satisfied now?" She asked her friend. Nafeesah could only look at the playing video for a few seconds before taking her eyes off to look vacantly at the corner.