AFRA

CHAPTER 20

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AFRA'S pov.

I walked out of the bathroom in my Blue bathrobe, I stared at my reflection on the mirror.... 'URGHH!! I look like a sick chicken'.
Soon my phone began to ring 📳.
It was Didi.

📱"Hello?".
📱"Good evening Afra, Yes, thanks, I'm home now".
"So, what's up? What do you plan to do?". She asked and I huffed.
📱"I'm planning on trying to convince Mr Mashood, no matter how angry he is, I'll try to convince him to reschedule the presentation"
📱"And how sure are you that Mrs. Da'ud Wakil will come for the presentation".
📱"Who's Mrs. Da'ud Wakil?".
📱"The business partner, who came today, kursum mentioned it while we were at work.
📱"Lailaha ilalah, Di-di thank you so much for your big ear 👂👂" .
📱"😒😡 Big ear?👂👂
I'll just ignore that for now".
"So, why do you suddenly sound so excited". She asks.
📱"I have a plan, and I'm sure it's definitely going to work".
📱"What's the plan". She asked.
"Afra?! dear it's time to make dinner". Stepmom's voice interrupted behind the door.
"Ma, I'm coming".
"Hello Di-di".
📱"Yes".
📱"I'm so sorry, need to go now.. .. I'll call you back, later... Bye". I said and end the call.

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"Okay, that's the first time, I'm seeing a woman doing that in real life, I mean the only place I see things like that happening are on television". Rusöol said as she descend the stairs with Tas-alla.
"What?! Come on sis, a woman abandoning a man at the restaurant with a huge bill to pay?...Kei things like that happens in reality".

"So funny, I still can't believe you let him washed all the dirty dishes for the food he ate..... You really mean business".
"Of course I do....Oh! Big sister".
Tas-alla greeted as they spot me arranging dinner on the dinning table.
"Lazy bones, showing up when dinner's ready". Grandma mocks them.
"Granny, we were stressed out from work today, that's why".
Rusöol complains while yawning.

"You're lucky your father didn't catch you both sneaking into the mansion after Maghreb today". She said and they giggled.
"That's all thanks to you". Tas-alla said and kiss her on the cheeks.
"I've warned you not to kiss me on the cheeks countless times". Grandma complains and both Tas-alla and Rusöol kissed her on each side of the cheeks.
"You both will receive your punishment for this later".
Grandma added and they all laughed.
"What's up Big sis?". Tas-alla said grabbing a fruit on the table.
"Nothing". I muttered.

"Why didn't I see you both at the prayer room?". Stepmom asked as she walks in with father.
"Umm, because". Rusöol paused.
"Be-cause we.. uh.... were, you know". Tas-alla replied sounding sarcastic.
"We know what?". Father asked.
"We... were praying separately". Tas-alla lied.
"Praying huh! why?!!". Grandma asked.

"Yes granny, re-member we told you that we missed some pra---yers while at work?". Tas-alla asked blinking repeatedly.
"Oh! do I, look Tas-alla I'm old now, and I tend to forget lots of things these days, so I don't recall anything happening like that".
"Uh yes grandma, I remembered, when they came home earlier... BEFORE Maghreb time". I interrupted stressing the word BEFORE.
"Oooh!!". Grandma exclaimed.

"Yes ooooh!! ". Tas-alla exclaimed smiling.

"Uh-huh oooh!!". Rusöol added nodding.

"Ok-ay, if you're all throughout with oooh-ing may we all sit for dinner?". Father asked sounding happy.
"Sure Ba-ba....... Father, I meant father.....
father, dad....
daddy... Father". Tas-alla said and we all laughed.

Dinner was really going great, no complains about coming home late, no scolding from Baba about me not making dinner, and lami wasn't here either..... God knows where she is.

"Ah-hem". Father clears his throat to get our attention.
"Today...". He said and we all look up, and turn to him
"The Imran family were for a visit earlier this morning, and they brought something really good, very good for the family". He said and turns to me.
"Especially for you Afra". He added and smiled.
"What Baba?". I asked.
"A..... Proposal". He said and I nodded.
"But Baba, we talked about this before, I really don't want to quit my job". I pleaded, I'm sure he was talking about this business proposal thing again.

He chuckles and pinches the bridge of his nose before turning to me.
"Like I was saying, they'd brought not a business proposal but a MARRIAGE PROPOSAL".

MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

MARRIAGE PROPOSAL
The words kept echoing in my head ..... Is this really happening, I remembered us have a discussion about this few days ago but I never knew it would be too soon.

"Afra... Afra?".
"Uh.. ye-yes father". I replied.
"You seem absent minded, I was just wondering if you could go out with Abbas.... Abbas Imran, he's the one who...".
"I'll be really busy through out next week..".
"And what about weekends?". He interrupted.
"Wallahi, I'll be more busy then".
"With fashion designing?". He asked sounding irritated and I nodded afraid of answering with my voice.
He huffs and says
"I'll pick a date for you both to meet each other". He declared.
😲😲😲😲😲
"But Ba... ".
"I make decisions in this household". He yelled.
I turned to others sitting on the dinning room and immediately my eyeballs became heavy.
It was filled with water which I was fighting to hold back.
"Excuse me". I said and stood up to leave.

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
"Abbas Imran..... He's a jerk, sister Afra you have to disagree..
..... He's not good for you ". Tas-alla shouted.
"What do you mean, do you know him?". Rusöol asked confused.
"Ohh!!! Now I understand why the name sounds unfamiliar to you, it's because when he'd came to visit you were hospitalized then, remember when you had stomach ulcer?".
"Yes, stomach ulcer, I think that was when I was nine, when I fasted on the month of Ramadan for the first time, what happened?". Rusöol asked again.
"Then we were living in Gombe and not Kano......so was this time his family decided to come and break their fast at our house, at first he seem so well-behaved and respectful, while we were having a little chat, he asked if I was really fasting and I said, yes, he then laughed and said dumb Ramadan fast".

"I was surprised by his comments, so I asked if he wasn't fasting.... And it turned out that he was a mummy boy and his mum don't want him to fast".
"So, he was faking a fast? ". Rusöol interrupted.

"Yes Rusöol". I replied.
"That's not what angered me most, but the fact that he made me looked like I wasn't fasting argh!!!!". She shouted and climbs the bed.
"He drew a smiley face on father's soup before it was served and father believed that I was the one who did it😭😭😭".

She clings onto my left arm and placed her head on my shoulder.
"Say no sister Afra".
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