Before you go

Chapter Four

Bello Kabir.

Since Abu's friend, Sen. Ibrahim Tahir, and his family came and left, Ummu has been snapping at everyone and everything. Because of that, I've had to cut down on my visit to the house. I would usually visit everyday, sometimes even stay for dinner. But today is the third day since the last time I went over.

Today marks one week since Ruqayya collected my number. I honestly don't know what I feel about her or if I feel anything about her. But Abu said he wants to have an alliance with Sen. Tahir. And he wants to achieve that by having if not the two of us, then at least one of us married to one of his daughters.

Well, his daughter and his wife's niece actually. But that's not the point here.

And for the first time in my entire thirty years of life, Abu is asking me for a favor. He normally just asks us to do something, and if we have a reason to not do it, we let him know and he gives us an ultimatum. He's never one to force us to do anything —that's Ummu's role.

He knows both Yaya and I can easily say no to this whole thing. And even though he can force us to go through with it, he won't. He can force us to do anything, but not get married. He knows more than anyone how both Yaya and I pray for nothing short of a happy marriage. And I'm sure he would never take that dream away from us.

So a day before yesterday, when I was at work, Abu had called me. Abu never calls me while I'm at work, so imagine my shock to that. He had told me to go over to the house early that day, that he wants to talk to Yaya and I before he left. He had a flight to Jigawa and their airport didn't have a private jet hanger. Or he had just said it because he didn't want to take the PJ.

Either ways, I had told him I'd let Yaya know and we'd be there but he said he had already told Yaya. And that was how I knew it was urgent.

When I went to the house, Yaya was already waiting for me. Abu didn't waste time in telling us why he called us.

"You remember my friend, Senator Ibrahim Tahir? The one that came with two girls and his wife?" Yaya and I had exchanged looks before we replied in the affirmative. We both knew about the senator because after Ummu threw a tantrum about us not understanding what was going on between her and the woman she called juya —who we later realized was Sen. Ibrahim's wife—,we left her and headed to Abu's wing to wish him a good night.

That was when we got introduced to the senator and he insisted we stayed back for a while before he left. We did just that and we three all left at the same time.

"Did you see the girls he came with? Ruqayya and Fa'iza is it?" Yaya and I already knew where it was headed, but it was Ummu's role. She was the one always playing matchmaker.

"Yes, Abu." Abu nodded.

"Okay, I want to ask you both for a favor. I don't want to force you, and I don't want you to pressure yourselves. This is a thing of choice. I have known senator Ibrahim even before he became influential in the political system. We go way back. And now, muna so mu gyara zumunci. I suggested that we get our kids married to each other, and he welcomed the idea. Yesterday, we were on the phone and he told me he had talked to his girls." Abu had turned to me with a small smile.

"I got to know that Bello has been talking to one of the daughters. And that she might have feelings for him, or not. So I guess that's a good start. So Abdallah, at least try and talk to the other girl, Fa'iza. She's his wife's niece. See what comes out of it. Okay?" Yaya had replied with an okay and Abu's face had broken into a wide smile.