Sincerely, Aishatu✅

2; A Long Night.

RIGHT AT the moment, Hajiya Asiya Al-Sayed walked down the stairs adorned in her red with embellishments of gold lafayya. Adorning her wrists, ears, neck and fingers were gold jewelries—which she never fails to adorn. Her face held minimal makeup—that was the most she could do for in her words, "I will not stress myself by baking my face up at this old age"

But that has always been her excuse to get away from Aisha's numerous makeup sessions. While the girl was learning to perfect her makeup skills, she used her mother as her model up until the old woman got tired of her eye brows being plucked and foundation baking up her face.

There was no denying that even with little makeup though, Hajiya Asiya was impeccably beautiful dark skinned woman. It wasn't just her looks that accentuated her in the eyes of people though. It also has to do with how she carries herself with grace and her attitude of treating people with kindness.

Perhaps, that was one of the reasons Alhaji Nasir Al-Sayed took her as a wife after divorcing his first wife. The two women's attitudes were start contrast, except for their one ability of keeping their calm even at the brink of losing all patience.

A couple of sighs, and eyes rolling were exchanged between the women in the living room as Hajiya Asiya walked towards them, her lips curled upwards into a warm smile. Her eyes first landed on her daughter, whom she offered a grin before she turned to her in-laws. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it's getting late, and I think it's time you all return home" Despite having her smile still masking her features, the direct way of putting her words is 'get the hell out of my house'.

It's not her fault though. She has had this with these women. They've been in the house for hours yet they can't seem to understand it's time to leave as it's late already. If they only wanted to stay in the living room, making noises to mock her like they've been doing, she can handle it.

But when they include her daughter, that's where her patience runs thin.

She had gone upstairs earlier for she no longer had the strength in her to deal with them or fake smiles. She saw her daughter come in, since she was sitting by the window. Hence, why she decided to return and end the rounds of insult and mockery the girl will undoubtedly get.

Hajiya was the first to scoff, as she spread her wrapper covered legs slightly. "Toh uwar marrasa kunya. Why don't you say it directly? Ask us to leave my son's house!"

Hajiya is not Alhaji Nasir Al-Sayed's mother, she is deceased father's younger sister who took care of him as a child of hers. He considers her a mother and vice versa. That is the only reason why Hajiya Asiya tends to thread carefully around the woman. But she has always made one thing clear, she will respect the old woman and his family so long as they don't disrespect her.

She has taken their disrespect for nearly twenty years. At least, she did up until the point she took Aisha into her home—until she adopted the girl and realized she now has a child to fight for.

Sure, Aisha is not related to either her, or her father by blood. But since Asiya has never given birth, both she and her husband considers Aisha a child of theirs and they both certainly loved her.

They gave her all the love you would give to a single child.

That's one of the reasons his family detest the girl. They detested the fact that he gave love to the girl his wife brought to his house. In their words, perhaps Aisha might just be a bastard child of Asiya's that she brought to their family so they would eat up their wealth.

Hajiya Asiya has been on the receiving end of all sort of insults, and she took them all in without complaints. They could insult her, and she will let them be. However, when they touch her daughter, that's when they have a big problem.