Broken Birds

Seven

Anwar's POV.

Something hits me on my face and I jolt up.
It was my sister who sleeps like a dead person.
I groan before tapping her "Khairat, wake up"

She pushes my hand away sleepily.
"Khairat, wake up"
"Just a bit more" she says pleadingly.

"We have to leave for Maimuna's naming ceremony. You know we should arrive there before anyone else"
She huffs sitting up.

My name is Anwar Mohammed, I'm 30years old and I'm the second out of five children. Our oldest is a guy, Zubair. Then Maimuna after me and Fadila after her, they are both married with kids. Then I'll last two, Modibbo and Khairat.

Modibbo is in the university studying Engineering while Khairat is in SS2 so she and I live in Ya Zubair's house with his wife and three kids. Aslam, Muhibba and Taslim.

I started my business five years ago. I started off with just selling fragrant soaps and liquid soaps. I expanded it 2years ago when I started doing it in bulk for hostels, guesthouses and anything that needs a lot of it. It's not a very lucrative business but I'm not giving up, it's better than not doing anything at all.

I huff getting off the bed.
"Come on, get up".

::

Awwal my boyfriend and I have been dating for 5years now. I know, what am I doing waiting for him, right?

But I love him.
I can't deny that I've dated two other guys during the years we've been together because I didn't feel I had time, I couldn't put all my eggs in one basket.

But I'm thirty now and he's the only one who's shown interest. All other men prefer younger women.

Did I also mention that he's married and I'm engaged to be his second. Painful part is that he got married 3years ago because his mother forced him. I don't know how true that is but that's what he told Ya Zubair and I.

So technically I'm not sure if I love Awwal or I'm settling for him but the thought of losing him scares me to my very core. What would I do if he leaves?

Would I ever get married?
I pray, fast, give out Sadaqah and do all I can. I'm not giving up on myself just yet.

Walking in my sister's house was filled up. I wanted to arrive early but I had to make a delivery on my way.

"Maimuna?" I call her.
She looks up at me and frowns "You said you'd arrive before anyone else"

"I know, something came up. Where's Fadila?"
She looks away annoyed as she struggled with her son, Nabil "Why are you asking me? How should I know?"

I look around "Isn't she helping you?"
"No. I'm not sure she's even here. But my husband's sisters are helping though since my sisters don't care about me" she says before looking at her son "Don't get dirty"

The boy sprints out the moment she let's go.
"Can you please excuse us?" I ask her friends who kept talking and laughing like they were in the market.

They all looked at me irritatedly before walking out.
"Why did you send them out?" She asks annoyed.
"I told you not to have your naming ceremony at home, you should have just got a hall"

She chuckles "It's not my first rodeo, I can handle myself".
I nod "Where is my niece?"
"She's with my mother in law, I can't just go collect her".

I hate family gatherings. In fact I hated meeting anyone I know. They all look at me with pity and some—I can tell they like degrading me, making me feel bad. So I plan to leave before anyone approaches me. My sisters are never grateful for what I do for them anyway, all they think is that I'm trying to sabotage their marriage because I'm bitter.