MALAK'S POV.
I hate family dinners, I hate family dinners.... I absolutely HATE family dinners and it's family dinner day already.
That means Adda Humairah, her daughter Salama and her husband if he's less busy, Ya Ahmad, Adda Billy and their son Asad, Ya Imran, Nafisa, Baba and Mama...
Mama!! A cold chill ran down my spine. That woman is my mother but she might as well be my least favorite person in the world.
Here's the thing, I'm the problem child.
I ain't an engineer like Ya Ahmad, An architect like Adda Humairah, A doctor like Ya Imran or a second year law student like Nafisa. Instead, I'm this kid that wasted my father's money by studying arts in the UAE. Now that's so unacceptable in mother dearest books.
Another thing is the problem of me being dark skinned and weigh between 60 to 65kg. I'm not fat....I'm hardly chubby but that's also unacceptable because I'm supposed to weigh not more 50kg, I'm supposed to be an hourglass like my sisters, but I'm not and that's also a problem.
Another unacceptable thing about me is being 22 and single...I don't even have a boyfriend and all those spoiled brats that are Mama's friends' sons never came back after the first meeting. They claim I'm too rude and that always set Mama off. How can Hajiya Rabi'ah Maiqusa's 22 year old be single?
"Ki fito sun iso" Nafisa said peaking from the slight opening in the door. I groaned but nodded, I just have to face the inevitable, let's get this over with.
"Hi everyone" I said with a tight lipped smile before I sat and stared down at my plate blocking the noises. In case you're wondering, I'm not particularly close to anyone in my house. I like being with Adda Humairah and Ya Imran is my buddy, maybe my favorite sibling too. Ya Ahmad hardly acknowledges me and Nafisa is just Nafisa....the bratty last born.
"Eat." Ya Imran nudged my shoulder looking at my plate. I hardly touched anything on it. "I'm not hungry" I replied. "You always say that, and it's a lie" he glared. "You don't want to get sick do you?" He adds raising a brow. "No doc, don't worry about me" I said with an eye roll and he chuckled lightly getting back into the conversation.
I kept staring down at my plate, I'm super hungry but I'm also worried about gaining weight, in case you didn't already notice, I'm anorexic. This disorder where you are always afraid to eat because of your weight, yeah that one. All thanks to who? Mama. She has instilled the fear of me gaining weight at a young age that I'll rather starve myself than eat. So I became anorexic about three years ago.
No one knows I'm anorexic, I haven't told anyone yet and when Adda Humairah asked whether I have an eating disorder six months ago, I was so offended she apologized and never brought it up ever again. I prefer them not knowing what's wrong with me.
".....Malak" my name is what brought me out of my trance. I looked up and met my mother's disapproving glare. When did I ever impress this woman? Right, never.
"Tun dazu ana ta magana kin yi shiru kin maida mutane mahaukata" Mama glared. Okay, I might have zoned out for too long because I didn't even notice when Baba left the table. "Sorry" I muttered. I'm not really sorry but I'll do anything for them to let me be.
Mama dismissed me with a flick of her hand as she starts to talk to her favorite child...Ya Imran. This woman!
After a while, Adda Humairah left to answer a call, Ya Ahmad left because he has something to attend to, Adda Billy is together with Salama and Aslam, Nafisa went out for a sleepover at her best friends and Ya Imran retired to his room leaving me alone with Mama.
"What happened to the boy that came last week?" Mama asked. I stared trying to remember the blind date I went to last week and it clicked. One of Mama's friend son was matched with me last week. I tried to be polite but the guy is frustrating, he's literally a mommy's boy and he has to report every single detail about his life to his mom. A grown up man? Haba Dan Allah!
"I don't like him" I simply replied. "You don't like everyone ayy ke Kam" she glared. "Too childish, too matured, too...... what's your problem Malak?" Mama asked. "I'm only 22 I'll find someone" I shrugged.
"You think 22 is young? Malak all your cousins that are 22 are happily married and some have kids already, with your skin color and weight you better settle with one of the guys I sent, su kadai ne zasu yarda su zauna dake, gata nake miki." Mama said fuming.
Geez, that hurts, like so much and I should be used to her insults by now but I'm not. She's my mother for goodness sake!
When I kept quiet she continued. "Malak you're the gossip of the family. Everyone is pointing at you. If you keep up with this and Chase all potential suitors away, you might end up with some poor man." She lectured.
"Define poor" I said and she glared. "You know what I mean" she adds and I nod. I really do.
The only boyfriend I ever had and still love even though it's been a year is poor in Mama's term. He isn't but he isn't rich either. Mama would never let her child marry someone less than a millionaire, that I'm very sure off.
A breakdown of who Hajiya Rabi'ah Maiqusa is.
So....this Mother of mine is a half Yemen, half Hausa woman who ended up marrying a Kano Hausa man, my father. Being the half cast she is, her kids took after her, fair skinned, slim, tall, curly black hair and everything she wished for them to have, well except me.
It's safe to say I'm a carbon copy of my Dad. Dark skinned, shoulder length hair instead of the mid back my sisters have, though I managed to get the curly hair trait. I'm not tall, but I'm not short either, not to forget that I'm not miss slender like her other girls. Now that's an embarrassment for her.
To add to my list of disappointments, I studied arts instead of all that office working jobs, then I went ahead and fell in love with a guy who was on scholarship in the university I attended. "No one even knows his family!" Mama shrieked when I told her about him.
Adda Humairah married Ya Ahmad's best friend, Ya Habib. His family owns a construction company which brings in lot of money and that's where Adda Humairah works as an architect. Being an engineer like Ya Ahmad, together they established an engineering company which is doing very well. Mama couldn't be happier with Adda's choice. "Smart child" she always says.
Ya Ahmad got married to Adda Billy whose family owns a couple of filling stations in the north and that's also well with her. Nafisa will surely agree to anyone Mama throws her way when it's time for her to get married, that I'm sure of.
Ya Imran is the favorite child so he's not pressured. Not to add that he's one of the youngest most talented neurosurgeon in the country who works in the family business that brings in lots of millions to the table. Plus he's so good looking he has many girls falling for the young Doc already.
Oh yeah, that's our family business. Baba is a doctor and own one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country located in Abuja. Ya Imran works there too and he and Baba visit Kano only once a month and that's when Mama organises the family dinner.
Then there's me! I'm even tired of pointing out my problems. I've come to terms that I'm the problem child even though it hurts.
"Mama" I called, she turned to look at me without a word. "About the Academy I want to apply...." I start before she cut me off. "Sau nawa zan fada Miki, I'm not letting you go to Abuja for some stupid art class" Mama said with finality. "Mama it's just for a year" I whined clinging to the glint of hope that she'll let me go. "I'll stay with Ya Imran and Baba" I begged.
"Your father is retiring in 3 months and you'll just be a burden to Imran, he's always busy as it is" Mama said. "Okay" I said with a resigned sign. This has been going on for a month now and the answer has always been no and I think I should just give up.
"I'm going to bed" I announced. I'm not, it's a lie but anything to get away from her. I'm going to have a phone call with Yasir, My family thought I'm done and over with him, but reverse is the case.
Adda Humairah and Adda Billy said goodbye and after my call with Yasir, I took my bath, changed into my PJs before slipping into my bed for a good night sleep............
Hi my loves!!!!!
How are y'all?
We finally meet again.... yay!!💃 Alhamdulillah😭❤️
Toh ga chapter one.
It's all about Malak, this time around we are looking into the love story of an imperfect problem child. Like that?
Hope so.
Anyways......see you in the next chapter where y'all get to say hi to Na'eem.
For now..... bye!!
YOU ARE READING
UNTAMED PRINCESS
General FictionTwo people of different worlds living in the same planet. When fate took an unexpected turn and unite them in the least of ways they could expect, what could be the possibility of 'happily ever after?' Maybe a Zero, maybe an infinity. Is it an oppo...
