Mine forever (EDITING)

Chapter two

Amal

As i put the final word on my chemical process engineering exam, i couldn't describe the feeling of alleviation that coursed through my veins.. Four years of aggravating lectures and annoying course works all done and dusted with.. What more can you say at this moment other than thank your Lord?

Alhamdilillah (thank you God).

I rushed out of the lecture theater with so much exuberance and rushed home. I was going to cook a big dinner tonight. Fatima wasn't done with her exams so she's out with her course mates studying.

I busted out all our pots and pans trying to decide what to make.. Living in a foreign country you tend to miss the good old home cooked meal. I decided i was going to cook Jollof rice, salad, fried plantain with grilled chicken... Fatima loves my freshly squeezed lemonade so i decided to go to the farmers market and get some ingredients.

We all deserve a little treat after the month we have had. Final year was not for the faint of heart.

I took my wallet out of my purse, grabbed a coat and head into town. I went by inch park and collected all ingredients i needed to cook, came back home and started cooking.

I ended up cooking a lot so i decided to text some of our friends and invited them over. I went into my room to get my phone and i saw a missed call from an unknown caller and a text.

'Salam, how are you? This is Abubakar Shattima. I guess you are not by the phone so, call back when you are free'

Okay.. So i had completely forgotten about that. By that i meant my arranged marriage or whatever they called it. Ya khadija said he would call but i didn't hold my breath.. It has been two weeks since she broke the news to me and he calls me today. Okay. First impression; not very good. The text itself sounded a little bit arrogant but i guess I already knew he was arrogant, so.. whatever.

I went about my business.. Called fatima to come home and eat, along with a couple of friends; Mimi, halima, laurel and Natasha. They all responded right away and informed me to expect them soon.

"Wow Amal i'm stuffed. Thank you!" Halima said pushing her plate.

"You truly are blessed.. This food is so delicious, your husband will be the luckiest man alive" laurel said stuffing her mouth with more rice. I chuckled at her comment.

" i know right! My girl is amazing" Fatima said pinching my cheeks. I swatted her hands away and pouted, she knew i hated people touching my cheeks, it hurts.

"Ibrahim is definitely a loser" fatima added. Since i told her about my conversation with Ya Khadija she has been trying to convince me that it might be a great thing. Ha! Yeah right! She just wants me to not feel like a third wheel whenever her beau was around, she had tried setting me up with a number of Ahmad's friends in the past.

"That he is" i just said standing up to get my plate to the sink. They all laughed with a hint of pity, which I honestly resent.

"Why can't men just appreciate what they have?" Mimi lamented. Oh..oh. What's wrong? I thought, knowing her there has to be a problem. There always is with her and a present boyfriend. It was a very toxic relationship and we have all tried our best to break her out of the shackles of that relationship but it was to no avail.