ORNAMENTS✅

Chapter four

Dasuki State, Nigeria.

2021.

She ran to the maid's quarters and collapsed on her bed.

A slap. This has been the biggest embarrassment of her life. No one had ever slapped her in her whole twenty-three years of existence.

This is all her parents' fault. Had they not abandoned her back then, she wouldn't be here today.

She sobbed until A'i and Naja returned from work.

"Umaimah, why are you crying?" A'i asked, pitying her co-worker.

"A'i, he slapped me! He slapped me!" She said the words with such bitterness. "I didn’t know the mug would be so hot! I could've held the handle properly, but I dropped it—unfortunately, right on his leg."

A'i and Naja hugged her to console her. After much comforting, she sighed.

"He asked me to learn how to cook noodus with veggies and also p...pankekkk."

"Pancake!" A'i corrected, seeing how hard it was for Umaimah to pronounce it.

"I’ll teach you not just noodles and pancakes. I’ll teach you how to make breakfast for everyone here, okay? Don’t worry."

A’i’s words were comforting, and after they had their lunch, which was brought from the main house by A'i, she and Naja taught Umaimah how to make noodles with veggies, ensuring they weren’t undercooked or overcooked.

"But forget about him being all shrewd, he's damn handsome! Look at those pink lips and muscles!" Naja spewed excitedly like a giddy teenager.

Both A'i and Umaimah turned to look at Naja.

Is she okay?

But they knew they couldn't deny it—he was one Greek God. So handsome!

*

They were all seated for breakfast, including Alh. Shamaki. No matter how busy he was, Nini made sure he never skipped breakfast.

"Nini, your food is just to die for," came Yazid's voice, stuffing his mouth with laced yam.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Yazid," Nabeel chimed in, stuffing his own mouth.

"Look at these young men," Alhaji Shamaki said in awe. "All of them old enough to get married, and yet they’re all here stuffing my wife's food."

"Stop praising my wife's food too much. You too, go get a wife so you can praise her cooking!" he added.

Everyone, including Sauban, laughed.

"Yes, you’re right, Abba. Please stop finishing our food and go get a wife," Nini replied with a smile, just like his children she also referred to Alh. Shamaki as Abba.

Neither Yazid nor Nabeel replied. They continued stuffing their mouths with yam.

"Indolent children, see how they zipped their mouths the moment a wife was mentioned. Don’t come and get married; I’ll send you out of my house!" Alh. Shamaki said, and that set the duo off into a sea of laughter.

It was times like these that made Nabeel feel emotional. Look at them—a perfect, happy family. He was sure his dad was never this happy with his mum. They didn’t need to tell him what happened; he wasn’t interested, but he knew Nini was like a light sent to them. He was happy his father was happy with her, and so was he.

"Okay, I’m leaving," Nabeel said after gulping down the tea in front of him.

"Ya Nabeel, please drop me at school." Sauban pleaded making puppy eyes.