Mrs Mahmud, Mrs Mas'ood

42

Saturday morning met Hauwa and Mahmud in the Cosgrove Smart Estate, Wuye. Once again in the time they've known each other, both of them wore their favourite – and matching – outfits; jeans, inner shirts and unbuttoned button downs. They even wore similar black boots and while Mahmud had considered taking a baseball cap, Hauwa had a bucket hat on the veil draped over her head. Like him, her phone and cardholder were in her back pocket.

The sales representative and finishing officer of Cosgrove, Valerie, waited for them in front of the open house. Her smile was warm. Hauwa easily smiled back. "Good morning!"

"Good morning. My name's Valerie and you're welcome to Cosgrove Smart Estate, Wuye. I hope you got here safely."

Both Mahmud and Hauwa nodded. Her smile widened as she put her hands together. "Great! This is our open house. It's a five bedroom fully detached duplex which is fully automated. There's currently none like it and you can quote me anywhere."

Hauwa thought back to Bilaad's Bora-Bora and grinned. "Smart houses are sexy. We visited one last week."

"Trust me," Valerie told her, "This is better than anyone you've seen. Shall we?"

Hauwa turned to Mahmud who nodded. "Sure. Please lead the way."

She took them round the property first and explained that the house owners could easily have six cars that'll fit into the allocated space. Hauwa envisioned a small garden in the back with a double seat swing where she and Mahmud could spend their evenings. The mental image brought a smile to her face and it dropped Bilaad's points. Valerie then led them back to the front, telling them Cosgrove prioritized beauty, aesthetics and quality.

As she moved to open the smart door with its fingerprint scanner and code keys, Hauwa spoke. "Ah, I forgot to mention. The fountain at the entrance? Absolutely lovely."

Valerie smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!"

The door clicked open and she pushed it in. "Welcome to Cosgrove Smart Living."

Hauwa's jaw dropped. "Oh my God..."

The foyer, already furnished like the rest of the house for interested viewers, was stunning with all its complementary pieces. Mahmud quietly took in everything while Hauwa exclaimed for them both. Valerie, clearly enjoying the reaction, moved on. She showed them the guest bathroom.

"The entire house has motion sensors and light sensors so you don't need to bother yourself with switches unless there's a problem with the sensors which would be immediately fixed once you reach out to us. You can ask Google to help too."

She tapped on the mirror in the bathroom and Hauwa gasped when it came to life.

"Every bathroom in the house has a smart mirror. You can watch movies, send mails and even keep track of medical charts and records which you personally input. Every bathroom is furnished with marble tops and really nice finishes. We have concealed tanks and every other thing you can think of."

Hauwa nodded, reducing Bilaad's points with each word Valerie said. Valerie moved on. She took them through the double French doors and into the living room which had been furnished with fixtures in warm tones. Hauwa could not stop gasping and it made Mahmud smile. Her best piece was the Samsung frame TV on the wall which looked like an art piece rather than an electronic appliance. Everything was amazing; the central AC vents, the wireless in-ceiling speakers, the regulators, the lights and then the Google/Alexa pods that awaited commands.

Valerie faced Hauwa. "Do you want to give a command?"

Hauwa's eyes were wide. "I can?!"

"You can tell it to open the curtains. Just start with 'Hey Google' "