Dayesha

12- DAYESHA

A couple of hours, persuasion, and promises later, dad finally agreed to let me go to the wedding. My excitement knew no bound because obviously I was going to meet up and get to know Ilyas personally. Face to face yunno.

Zainab has gotten our bags ready, and we're to board an airplane to kano tomorrow morning. I'm spending the most of today making plans in my head against Saturday.

Scrolling through my Facebook while laying on my back on the bed, I came across a post made by a Arewa page or so. It's a love story of how a newlyweds met, through Facebook.

Seems I'm not on the wrong site afterall huh? I giggled.

Their story sounds similar to what's happening between Ilyas and I. The only difference being that she was an online vendor who he had purchased some items from, to surprise his girlfriend. Somehow, the relationship ended few weeks after and he came back to her online store, hoping he could make refund or get the items switched with something else. And that was the catalyst for their love story to bloom.

This love of a thing is crazy.

I flipped back, now lying on my stomach as I try compiling questions for my meeting with Ilyas. What I'd like to know about him and just other normal stuffs dai.

Just then, a notification came in. Ilyas.

Hey baby. How does Saturday sounds?

I read and quickly typed back a response.

I'm afraid that'd be impossible. Sunday?

His reply came in after five minutes, which I found weird somehow. He's usually fast with the replies.

I'll manage. Can't wait to meet you.

I smiled, there's no need doubting. I'm falling head Iver heels for this guy who I'm yet to meet or see.

The feeling's mutual. See ya when I see ya ;)

And that's it. He read the message and logged out. Okay?

I've got to get some sleep as it's almost midnight. Maybe I'll dream about what our love story would look like. Oh, the bliss.

****

" are you sure you've called her?" I whined for the third time in the span of thirty minutes.

Zainab huffed and sends me a pointed glare. She's got no patience I tell you. "Ke! Are you deaf? Weren't you beside me when I made the call?"

" ai kinsan my mind wasn't with you this entire time. I'm only standing beside you physically, zuciya ta is completely somewhere else." I said in defence.

"Toh sannu mallama, better focus on what's happening around you," she hissed.

Just then, her phone pinged with a message. I immediately snatched the phone from her hands and read the text aloud.
Come to the nearest store. The car is  a blue Toyota camry.

Good. Our host is here.

Zainab and I picked up our mini travel bags and followed the directions. We soon spot a fair-skinned lady beside the said car, looking around and waiting for us to show up.

"Sadiya!" We yelled at the same time, waving our hands.

" Zainab, Ameerah!" She ran over and gave us a bone-crushing hug. Her lemony perfume engulf my entire being instantly and I sniffed her veil in satisfaction.

"Sadiya, how has it been ?" I asked as we all stroll towards the parked car.

"Lafiya qalau wallahi. Ya school stress my love?"

Her posh ingausa accent never ceases to impress me. She sounds like my favourite hausa broadcaster on TV.
Wait, she's also a broadcaster and a journalist. I'm guessing that's the real reason why.

Zainab answered the question for both of us, in a rather dramatic way to which Sadiya laughed at and opened the backseat door .

I entered the car first, my muscles instantly relaxing on the soft leather seat. Closing my eyes briefly,  I inhaled the nice smell of the turaren wuta in the car.

"Sadiya, I love everything about this car," I confessed out loud, my eyes still closed.

She chuckled. " koh?"

"E mana, everything about it screams classy taste. I'm glad your job is paying you, kin burgeni sosai."

Someone cleared their throat awkwardly, drawing my attention to the fact that we weren't just three in the car. My eyes snapped open to the driver's seat.

Holy moly

" wow," I breathed.

"Assallamu alaykum ladies. Da fatan kuna lafiya?" The fine man sitting behind the wheels said, in a husky masculine voice.

"Lafiya qalau Alhamdulillah. Thank you for coming to pick us." Zainab said in her cheerful, yet polite voice.

Me? I'm lost.

"Wa alaykum salam." That was my only response to him before facing Sadiya.

"Is he your fiance?"
I wanted to make sure I wasn't crushing on someone else's person.

" a'a Ameerah. He's an acquaintance to the groom, and also happens to be a secondary school classmate to me," she explained.

"Aww, Ma Sha Allah."

The handsome bawan Allah kick-start the car engine, a small smile on his face.

Still seeing the confusion on my face, Sadiya further explained.
"I'm still uncomfortable driving through busy places like this, that's why I asked for help." She smiled sheepishly.

Oh. That makes sense now.

"Okay, that's fine." Zainab beat me to comment, so I just nod my head I'm agreement.

I purposely cleared my throat before talking. " you're yet to tell us your name, Mallam."

"Yusuf Abdullahi ma'am. It's nice meeting you."

Zainab beat me to a comment yet again. " Ma Sha Allah, wannan Mallam ne fa Sadiya," she turned to sadiya with a knowing smile.

"Stop pulling his legs DanAllah," she laughed.

Funny, but Zainab was right in a way. He didn't seem to be the type to make unnecessary chats with women, nor flirt with them. His aura was cool, calm and welcoming.

"I guess Mallam Yusuf here isn't engaged to anyone?" It came out more of like a question than I had intended.

"Kai Hajiya!"
"Ameerah!"

I looked at Zainab and Sadiya innocently. Did I say something wrong?

"Meye faru? It's a harmless question ai."

Zainab rolled her eyes at me and pulled out her phone. Sadiya, however, seemed like she was trying to communicate with me with her eyes. Too bad, I'm not fluent in reading body languages, so I merely shrugged.

I looked in the mirror, and caught his gaze. It took me aback for a second, as the intensity wasn't what I'd expected. I blinked, and looked again, but his eyes were now set on the busy streets of Kano.

Introverted men aren't exactly my type anyway. My type is someone like Ilyas, not a shy type.

Speaking of which, I type an address to Ilyas and turned off my phone smiling.

Finally. It's just a matter of a day and few hours, and I'd be meeting with him. I'm fully convinced I'm in love with him now.

A perfect love story of ours would soon be on every social media streets. It would be perfect.

What could possibly go wrong anyway?