Innayo steps into the room quietly. She moves her hand up to turn on the lights but decides against it. She closes the door softly behind her and walks towards her husband's silhouette standing in front of the glass window that overlooks their backyard where a flower garden sits. It's the only wall length glass window in the house.
"Gorko am {my husband}." Innayo calls slowly, her voice slightly echoing in the dark quiet room. She only calls him that on rare occasions. If the lights were on, she would've seen how his pupils dilated as she called him her husband in fulfulde with her sultry voice.
She walks towards him and hugs him from behind, placing kisses on his back that's covered with jalabiyya. She turns him around and hugs him, placing her head right where his heart lies. She can hear his heartbeat loud and as usual, it's almost in sync with hers. It never seizes to amaze her that her heartbeats are almost in sync all the time.
"Yiide am {my love}." Innayo calls again. She knows he heard her the first time. But she wants him to acknowledge her properly.
"Noi {what is it}?" Innayo smiles. She raises her head from his chest and pulls him to the bed. She sits him down and sits beside him. And then she pushes his head to fall on her laps. When she's sure he's comfortable, she sighs. She doesn't talk though, as usual, she waits for him to break and open up to her. He always does. He's just like Fatima, they talk at their own pace. You can't force them.
"Where did we fail, Aisha? Komai yarinyan nan ta nema ina bata {I give this girl everything she asks for}. I didn't allow her to lack anything. I worked hard day in day out to provide her with this huge house so she doesn't see her friend's house and feel inferior. You know neither of us came from rich families, but I want her to be able to brag that her father is well off. I gave her all the luxuries of life. She attended one of the best schools in Abuja, right from her primary school.
"I know that wallahi {I swear by Allah} between me and the one whose hand my life is in, I have given her all I can and all that there is materialistic. Bata rasa ci bah, bata rasa sha bah, bata rasa sutura bah {she didn't lack feeding, she didn't lack clothing}. I even added annual vacations to my budget just to make sure none of them lacked. So, bah irin soyayyan da ban nuna mata bah. Nidai nasan ban ware kowa a cikinsu bah. Meye ta rasa? Da har sai wani namiji ne zai iya bata {love, there's no type of love I haven't shown her. I know that I didn't isolate any of them. What did she lack? That only a man can give her}?" Innayo rubs his shaved head and sighs.
"Ita mace ce {she's a girl}. You might love her but you can't love her the way she wants to be loved. There's a feeling women get, you wouldn't get it. I understand her." Abba turns such that he's gazing into Innayo's eyes.
"But I didn't say bazatayi aure bah {she won't marry}. I just want her to be independent like Fatima before she gets married." Innayo smiles.
"Nasani Yiide am {I know my love}. But she doesn't yearn independence, she just wants to be in love with someone whose feet is the gateway to her Jannah. That's it. Sai ka bata abun da take so {then you give er what she wants}." Abba sighs and keeps quiet. At one point, Innayo begins to think he has given up and is dozing but he speaks up after almost thirty minutes.
"Look at A'ee dan Allah {for Allah's sake}. She decided to leave studied and get married. Yanzu batada abun kanta. Komai sai mijinta ya mata {now she doesn't have anything of her own. Her husband has to do everything for her}. It pains me to see her wearing clothes that she shouldn't be wearing. I see her wearing hand me downs from our siblings and it pains me. Her husband can buy her anything but he doesn't. If she was independent, all these wouldn't happen." Innayo sighs.
"A'ee doesn't have Baba. He's gone. If he was here he wouldn't watch her be rubbished by her husband. And Goggo doesn't have the financial strength to care for her. Goggo has everyone taking care of her, and others don't agree with A'ee being taken care of when she willingly refused independence." Abba knows all that, Innayo knows that he knows. But she has to remind him to make her next point valid.
"But Afnan has me, she has you. And even if today, either of us returns to Allah, I'm sure Nana, Amal and Sa'eed wouldn't let her be reduced to nothing by any man. And moreover, ai mazan ma bah duka aka hadu aka zama daya bah {not all men are the same}. I was like Afnan when you married me, only having my secondary school certificate. And now, I have a masters degree in interior architecture and design. And you funded it. Kawai addu'a zamuyi mata Allah yasa haka ne mafi alkhairi {we just have to pray for her, that Allah makes this the best for her}." Abba sighs and nods making Innayo smile. Now she's sure he has resigned and left everything to Allah.
One week later.
The entire Abba Sulayman family have been going helter skelter for the past week to make sure that everyone goes well for today. After today, the last daughter of the Abba Sulayman family will be conveyed to her husband's home after a set up wedding is held and a Walimah.
According to Abba and Innayo, the world doesn't have to know of what happened last week. They should all just assume Afnan is getting married this week and being conveyed at this same time too. That's all.
The wedding has already been conducted and now the Walimah is about to start. The guests are already in Dr. Kwami's refurbished house. And Afnan is to be conveyed their for the Walimah and afterwards, everyone is to leave Afnan with Dr Kwami in their new home.
Afnan is dressed in a fuchsia pink patterened lace with onyx embroidery sewn into a six piece skirt with a three inch trail paired with a high neck peplum blouse with peplum sleeves. It is peppered with stones all over. An onyx large stoned veil is wrapped around her. Her head tie is done in a simple pleated pattern and she has the simplest of makeup on.
If it were up to Afnan, she would simply wear a long Khimaar and have zero makeup on. But Amal and Fatima wouldn't have it. According to them, this is a one time thing and it must be done in the grandest way possible.
Afnan is held by Amal and Fatima on both sides while Halima walks in front of them with a kasko.
Innayo and Hajjo are standing by the foot of the stairs, while Innayo has tears in her eyes. She can't believe her baby girl is now a married woman. She has been emotional for the past week with Abba being her only anchor.
Afnan is trying so hard not to cry because Halima has already warned her not to ruin her makeup for the third time. The makeup artist has already left.
"Adda Nana, where is Abba?" Afnan whispers as yodel start to reach her ears. She can't see her father anywhere. She hasn't even see him since the day she returned.
"Yana daki {he's in the room}." Amal whispers making Afnan frown.
"I want to go to him." Fatima takes Afnan's hand and leads her to Abba's room. Afnan enters with a salam.
"Abba na." Afnan says as she sighs him standing by the window.
"Abba, baka yafe min bah koh {you haven't forgiven me right}?" Afnan's voice is shaking.
Abba turns with tears in his eyes. He hugs Afnan and kisses her forehead.
"Allah ya miki albarka auta na, Allah ya baku Zaman lafiya da zuri'a dayyaba {May Allah bless you my last horn, May Allah give you matrimonial peace and a beautiful family}." Afnan smiles. That's all she wanted to hear. Now she can go meet her husband, her husband from fifty thousand years ago. Her match by Allah. Her match made in Heaven.
YOU ARE READING
BFFs: Match Made in Heaven
Romance"Whatever God has put together, no man can put asunder." Farida Abba Sulayman mostly known as Afnan meets the man with braces, calculative eyes and rimmed glasses that catches her eyes and sweeps her off her feet. She loves him, he loves her too. Th...
