HER WORTH ✓

4~sepration

Habiba's POV:

"Get in."

Taking a last glance at Mom who was standing afar with no emotion on her poker face tore my heart to pieces.

"Won't you atleast grant me a hug?" I muttered while glancing around my house recollecting all the memories I made in my house, the good and the bad ones, the happy and sad ones.

Realizing I was leaving everything behind felt like my whole world was crashing down.

"Habiba, please get in." And slowly, I got into the car with my eyes still glued on Mom who still hasn't moved an inch towards me, and even as the car began to move, Mom was still standing like a statue.

The last view I saw as we drove out of our street was her running after our car.

But why will she run after me when she was in a hurry for me to leave?
I must be seeing things.

Now that I have fulfilled her aim, I hope she's happy.

"Habiba, I know you're not in the right frame of mind now, but I want you to know that I will always be here for you." A beautiful chocolate-skinned girl expensively dressed in such an attire I have never seen before says with a bright smile, she looks like someone in her early-twenties.

"Please don't regard me as your sister-in-law, rather I want you to see me as your sister, I'm Amina by the way." She introduced gesturing her hand forward for a handshake.

"Thanks." I hesitated before accepting her hand.

"Anytime, well permit me to quickly brief you on something important." she chuckled.

"Since you're married to my brother." she continues to talk but my eyes only saw her moving lips, as my attention had long gotten divided.

Gazing through the window, I wonder what type of man he is? And if he was also aware of the marriage? Or was he oblivious like I was? I presumed.

"Do you understand?" Amina pats my shoulder attracting my attention back to her.

"Yes..." I stammered not recollecting what she said.

"Great! And that's why mom never shares a car with anyone, obviously, except the driver and dad." She laughs.

"Ohh!" I sighed.

"Were you even listening?" She laughed gazing at me closely.

"No, Sorry." I smiled after it felt like decades.

"You're so innocent and cute." She pulls my cheeks softly.

It was sunset when I felt a hand stroking my hair, I could swear it was Mom before Amina's voice cleared my sleepy eyes.

"Oh! You're awake?" She smiled.

"Yes." I sighed.

"You fell asleep while we were talking," She adds with a big smile and just then I realized I was resting my head on her lap.

"Sorry," I said lifting my head right away.

"No problem." She smiled.

"Where are we?" I asked shifting my gaze to the window.

"We're still in Kano, I'm sure you're already famished from the trip, don't worry, once we reach the airport I will get you something to eat." She replied.

"Airport?!" I yelled almost distracting the driver.

"Yeah, we're flying to Lagos, is there a problem?" She asks curiously.

"Lagos?!" I whispered ignoring her question, and again it dawned on me that I was leaving my Kano for Lagos state.

Since I was born, I have never stepped my feet out of our small town, not even to the city of Kano, and today, here I was leaving the entire Kano state for Lagos state.

"Will I ever see my mom again?" I mumbled to myself while gazing at the beautiful view of Kano City.

And soon, the airport came to view, I was delighted for the first time today because this was my first moment seeing an airport live.

Once we drove into the airport premises, we were ushered in by some hefty men who were all dressed in black suits and dark sunshades.

I couldn't take my eyes from the huge crowd as we stepped into the building.

Many people were pulling their suitcases and luggage around, some were enjoying each other's company while reading the magazines, while some were chattering and eating while they patiently waited for their plane.

"Aren't we going to wait for the plane like everyone?" I asked nervously as Amina led the way.

"No, we are... Amina's response was cut short when her mother reminded me of her presence.

"We don't fly commercial, we fly privately." She sneered focusing her attention back to her phone.

"Private plane? Why?" I murmured but Amina heard me and smile.

"No reason, I guess it because we  are influential enough to afford it." She explains.

"Okay."

After going through searching, we got to the plane. My mouth went ajar once I saw the plane, it looked heavenly massive.

This was my first time so I was very curious to see more of the plane, I was tempted to go around it but I didn't want to look amateurish so I shoved my amazement aside climbing the aircraft.

"Careful." Amina sighed taking my hands in.

On getting into the airplane, I was left more dazed by the interior appearance, everywhere looked unbelievable beautiful, more beautiful than it looks in my text books, there were two ladies dressed in their smart uniforms ready to feed us lunch.

"What will you like to eat?" Amina who is sitting opposite me asked as we fasten our seatbelts.

"Hmm... I sighed not knowing what to say.

"Let me help." She smiled while she called one of the air hostesses.

"Get us two plates of fried rice and salad with two bowls of pepper soup and two chilled bottles of drinks to gulp down the meal." she orders while I watched in amusement.

How many stomach is all the food that she just mention going to feed? We're just two, and obviously mother-in-law sitting at the end corner of the plane.

After a while, the air hostess returned with our meals in a trolley. The food looked delicious and it was stylishly dished out and the aroma fills the air.

This was my first time seeing food given this type of decor and glamour.

While the air hostess continues to lay our meals on our seat table, I just stared at the food in admiration.

"Dig up!" Amina smiled as she was already halfway into her food.

Surely, whoever cooked the meal did justice to it, and though I lacked appetite I enjoyed every taste of each spoon I took.

I ate till I was fed up but Amina urged me to eat more, and soon she got tired of convincing me to eat, the air hostess cleared our dishes and tuned on the tv.

"This will keep you busy." Amina smiled as she punched the remote to a Hausa channel.

"Thanks." I replied not really interested to watch the movie airing in the TV.

In a short while, I lost concentration in the movie as my whole mind drifted back to Mom.

Only if you knew that no amount of luxury would prevent me from thinking about you then maybe you wouldn't have let me go so easily, your presence was sufficient for me not these materialistic things.

I don't know how I will survive without you in the city, you're my strength and weakness. Was it so easy for you to push me out of your life like I meant nothing?

By now I could feel my tears threatening to fall.

"Will I get to see you again?" I sighed shifting my gaze to the window while relishing the view of the clouds.

***