THE HEARTS REAWAKENING

52: MALE OR FEMALE?

I dare you to comment on each paragraph! I love you.

KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

There are tall glass cases filled with doughnuts, mouthwatering ones, glazed, sugared, powdered, drizzled with frost and so on. A selection of cookies in a red plastic trays by the other end, golden loaves of bread in bins, colourful fruit tarts and glazed gland. The sounds of mixer echoed throughout the cozy place, catch of the cash register, beep of timers going off. There is a creak of an oven hinge door getting closed by a really frustrated baker inside the kitchen.

But that didn't stop the sound of Amirah's racing heart from echoing inside her chest. It sounds so loud that she wanted to crawl off the face of earth and run the opposite direction. How could this keep happening to her time and time again? She is always at the precipice even if she uses her binoculars to clear her way, pooches keep sprouting out unexpectedly and she will have to fall over those precipice.

Sitting right on the chair is the girl Amirah met in the airport three years ago after her divorce with Imad, she was the first person to know about her story even without any of them exchanging their names. She just wanted to ramble on and on about what has happened when she couldn't keep it in then later on decided to make it look like she's dreamt about it but seeing the girl now in front of her looking equally surprised to see her, she is sure that wasn't a dream and that she's rambled it out to her future sister in-law.

"Let's go." Nazir ushered her forward, she use her palm to close another shaky breath but moved forward. She don't want all the sisters finding out about her past, only limited people should.

She knows more than Imad does, more than anyone too. And she didn't even ask for her name till they went their separate ways after landing in Nigeria.

When she stood right before the table, the three young beautiful girls are gazing at her with the same expression, curiosity even the one that knows all about her. It is as if she's finished thinking about what has happened three years ago and is now curious about how they met one another -with her older brother of course. Amirah's heart won't stop palpitating as if she's done something wrong albeit the brother knows everything he needs to know.

But his sister knows more than he does and Amirah won't want her telling him anything, at least not before she tells Imad all that has happened.

"Hi, Amirah." One of the sisters waved looking at her with creased brows, maybe thinking she's turned to a deaf person or even dumb. She stood like a statue instead of being the first one to talk to them.

Nazir stepped in thankfully before she does. "Girls, this is Amirah and Amirah, this is Dahma..." He pointed to the woman that knows all her secrets then moved forward to the most finest amongst the three. "...and she is Nuzha then Heyam."

"Hello." She forced a smile and thanked Nazir for drawing the chair back for her to sit, she did so quietly, allowing the smell of melted butter, coffee and toasted bread to engulf and calm her nerves.

"You are more beautiful in person. Black beauty." Heyam grinned widely, inching closer on her chair to have a closer look at a blushing Amirah.

"Thank you." Her reply is modest, not used to hearing compliments. The last time she's heard one -excluding Husna, Mukhtar and Afaf- other than from the recent ones from her two friends and Nazir, was three years ago.

Dahma didn't say anything but keep looking at her as if trying to study her whole life with that smile then she talked in a hush tone to her brother before the duo stood up after excusing themselves from the table. Amirah's chest hammered in her chest hoping Dahma won't tell him about why their marriage failed. She cannot stand up to go confirm it or they will suspect she is doing something she don't want them to know. She won't ruin something beautiful herself again, not this time around.