A Promise to Aabidah (#1 Natives series) #ProjectNigeria

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

        THE SUN WAS EXTREMELY BRIGHT THE next day. It wasn't even past eight in the morning and she already knew she was going to be coming moving round Lagos a sweaty, stinking mess.

"Argh, God." Aabidah groaned. Where was the rain Lagos so desperately needed? She thought as she broke two huge eggs into a bowl.

Her close friend, Basmah Hussayn, who was a physics teacher in one of the many secondary schools in their hometown had called her this morning right after subh prayers to rant about how she didn't like that it was raining on a school day.

Aabidah who at the time had been wrapping up her packing had listened to her long time friend go on and on about how the weather was a couple's weather, and how she couldn't wait for her friend to come back home so they could go to work together and gossip like old times during lunch breaks.

Today she was going to ask for a transfer at the bank where she worked. Talking to people about their problems had been a habit of hers for as long as she could remember. She wanted to keep on helping people even though it was because of the most common of things. There was a certain pleasure in seeing someone reassured in a world where assurance was quickly becoming scarce.

A ding sounded from the toaster machine, dragging her attention to it. She dropped the fork she had been using to whisk the eggs on a kitchen rag atop the kitchen island and hurried to the side of the kitchen counter where she had plugged in a small Phillips sandwich maker.

Her kitchen was wide and airy and mostly white. Just like she'd always wanted it. It was one of the places in the house she had thanked her husband so fervently for. A huge white fridge had been placed close to the quartz kitchen counter for easy access with a deep freezer close to it. Every machinery she could think of to use had already been pre-prepared for her arrival into a foreign home. She had added a few things though; the blue and silver lined curtains, the air conditioner, and the flower pots that housed special herbs and spices.

The bread slices she had buttered up and locked in the hot toasting machine came out a crisp golden brown when she pulled the lid open, steam whiffing out from them. She smiled and took out the toasts, switched off the socket and carried the first two slices of bread with her back to her former position.

She bit into one of the steaming toast then went on to make her avocado and egg filling for the sandwich she intended to make for breakfast. As she applied butter to other slices of bread, she listed off the things she had to do today.

1: First things first, take Bilal to his paternal aunt's.
2: Get the transfer proposal approved at the bank.
3: Meet the agent who was going to help lease the house out. 
4: Get all of Bilal's belongings from school.
5: Spend time with her parents and younger brother, Aminullah.

There would be no need for her to go to the airport now because she could easily book flight tickets to Abuja with her smart phone. Easy! Today was going to be crazy, she thought as she walked back to the toaster with another set of bread. She snapped the lid close after putting in double slices of bread with their filling. She was eating the last slice of bread when she heard running footsteps. That was when she realized she had forgotten to add getting a transfer for her son from his Lagos school to her list.

"Mommy! Mommy! What are you cooking today? When are we going to Mukhtar's house? The last time we met, we promised to play ball the next time we meet. So, hurry!" The short boy who ran down to the kitchen asked in one breath before coming to a skidding halt in front of his mother.