February 28

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JANUARY 2020.
KANO, NIGERIA.

Mornings are always busy in the Majeed household, with each member rushing to prepare for their day—some heading to school, others to work.

"Where are my socks?!"

"And my textbook?!"

"Mummy, my shirt!"

Jaiyana groaned, pulling a pillow over her ears to block out the chaos. It was too early in the morning, for God's sake, and she was still trying to sleep! Couldn't they be a little considerate?

She sighed in relief when silence finally fell, signaling that everyone had left. Oh, finally! Now, she could sleep all she wanted—forgetting, of course, that she had to be at the office by 8. Classic Jaiyana.

But her peace was short-lived when the door to her room flew open. She didn't even care to know who it was because, so help her God, she was ready to kill whoever had the audacity to disturb her precious beauty sleep.

"Ya Jay! Mummy said you have to take us to school today; she's running late for work!" Her sixteen-year-old sister shouted, then disappeared as if she hadn't just dropped a bombshell.

Oh, great! Just great. Her mother always did this. But was she complaining? Who was she to complain, anyway? Duh!

Reluctantly, she opened her hazel eyes and sat up, stretching her arms and murmuring a supplication for waking up. Tying her hair into a messy bun, she slid off the bed and headed to the bathroom.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Jaiyana threw on an abaya over her Mickey Mouse pajamas, grabbed her phone and car keys, and left the room.

She found her three siblings waiting for her in the parlor. She glared at them, and they burst out laughing.

"Good morning, Ya Jay," they greeted in unison.

"What's so good about the morning when you've already ruined mine like you always do?" she muttered, rolling her eyes as they all headed outside.

The uniformed soldier opened the gate, and Jaiyana zoomed out of the house at high speed. True to form, she was a rough driver.

"Hey, nitwit! Watch where you're going!" Jaiyana yelled at a man who overtook her.

"With the way you're driving, we might wake up in a hospital bed one day, Ya Jay!" her sister Jasmina quipped from the passenger seat.

"Whatever," Jaiyana replied, rolling her eyes.

"I've never met anyone as dumb as Fauziya," Jasmina said suddenly.

"Who's that?" Jaiyana asked.

"A stupid girl in my class. Can you believe she's letting boys take advantage of her for money?"

"Gross." Jaiyana scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Doesn't she get money from home?" Jahaan chimed in from the backseat helping Jalil with his tie.

"It's complicated. Her dad's a rich politician, but he doesn't care about them. Her mother hustles day and night to support the family. Fauziya is desperate for money to fit in with us, and the only way she thinks she can do that is by giving herself to the spoiled boys in our class."

"May Allah guide her to the right path. You guys should talk some sense into her and pray for her."

"Ameen," they all chorused.

Five minutes later, they arrived at the school. Just as her siblings were about to get out of the car, Jaiyana stopped them.

"Wait!"

"I hope... I just hope none of you ate the cake slice I left in the fridge! Because so help me God, I will—"

"You're yelling, Ya Jay! Our friends could hear, and it's so embarrassing for them to hear you yelling about a cake slice," Jasmina shrieked.

"And? Do I look like I care?" Jaiyana raised her eyebrows.

"We haven't, Ya Jay. You can calm down now," Jahaan pouted.

"Good. Just try me next time, and I will come to your classes to make the announcement," she smirked.

"No way!" they all shrieked before running off, leaving Jaiyana laughing heartily. She zoomed off again.

Back home, she tossed her car keys on the console at the entrance and shrugged off her abaya before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.

But guess what? The food warmers were empty. How crazy could her siblings be? Ugh!

She sighed, grabbing a bowl, spoon, and a bottle of water from the fridge. She quickly made herself some cornflakes, finished eating in five minutes, then rushed upstairs to get ready for work. She was, as usual, running late.

In the Majeed household, everyone did their chores themselves. They woke up before dawn to get everything done since everyone had places to be in the morning. They didn't have maids, because the last ones they had were... well, tragic. That's a story for another day, though!

Thirty minutes later, Jaiyana was ready. She wore a peach A-line gown that looked stunning on her, expertly tied her headscarf, and threw a veil over her shoulders. After spritzing on some expensive perfume, she grabbed her phone and bag, then headed downstairs.

She took her car keys from the console and locked the front door behind her. Their mother wouldn't be back from work until five, so Jaiyana and her siblings were usually home before her. She greeted the soldiers guarding the house before speeding off—like she always did.

When she arrived at the office, her boss was already seated in her swiveling chair, waiting patiently for her.

Oh no, Jaiyana thought as she shut her eyes briefly in dread.

"Is this the right time to come to work, Miss Jaiyana Majeed?" her boss asked, his tone dripping with disappointment.

***

Heyyo, guys!

How are you all doing? And what do you think of our Jay? I know you already like her as much as I do! 😌 How was the first chapter? I hope you enjoyed it!

If you did, please leave a review! I'm super excited about this book 💃, and I know you are too! So please vote, comment, and share! ❤️😫

Ruu. 🥀
1.3.22.