CAPTIVE

CHAPTER 3

After hanging up I sit and think of the plan I just made with Mubarak. This is going to be quite risky. How do I leave the house without anyone seeing me? Not to forget or noisy gate, that alone is enough to wake the whole house up. Stupid gate. I sit and think, weighing all my options until I am interrupted with a banging on the door. Amina obviously. That girl just can't be quiet.

"Come in, it's open" I hope she has some sort of good news to deliver.

"Hanni,Umma said to tell you to take a shower and change into something from your wardrobe. The guests will be here in an hour." There goes my hope for good news. At least I'm given the option to choose what to wear.

Iget up and open my wardrobe hoping to wear the bubu Umma bought for me last Eid. The wardrobe is completely different. Not the way I left it. All my old clothes are gone and replaced with new ones. I would have been excited with this discovery, if only the clothes were like my old ones.

Mywardrobe was filled with plain materials all sewn to wrappers and huge blouses just like the one I was wearing. Even Kaka (Umma's mum) will not agree to wear anything from the wardrobe. Yes, it's that bad.

I run down the hall to catch up with a fast walking Amina who was chanting some weird song in Nupe.

"Amina,what happened to my old clothes?"

She stopped and turned to look at me.

"Oh Baba asked Umma to remove your old clothes and he brought those new ones as replacements"

Why would he do that? He should have at least stocked my wardrobe in clothes I liked.I don't even bother to voice out my opinions. It's not like anyone was willingto give me answers. In six hours I will be free from this nightmare.

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I'm changed into what appears to be a navy blue blouse and wrapper with a blackhijab. Considering I'm dark skinned and short, I look completely horrible. I wonder who these "guests are anyway".  I take one last look in the mirror before I head downstairs.

The voices coming from downstairs are deep and loud. I guess the guests are all men. I knock on the door to Baba's study; that's where the introductions were taking place.  

"Come in"

I enter slowly and I'm greeted with the unsmiling faces of four men including my baba.

"My daughter, have a sit." He wasn't even smiling. I obeyed and sat on the seat opposite three men I still don't know. "Seated opposite your fiancé Malam Audu".I take the time to briefly look at him. Dark skinned, okay very dark skinned, short,fat, protruding stomach, huge white beard. How old is this man? He looks at me and our eyes lock. He has icy cold eyes and it gives me the chills just looking at the so I turn away very fast and look at Baba. "He has paid for all the expenses of your wedding. It starts at 10am. His son Bello will escort you to your new house at 12pm....."

I zone out after that. I really didn't want to hear details of my wedding to Danny DeVito over here. I would even be more honoured to get married to Danny DeVito than Malam Audu.

"Are you even listening to me?" Okay, what did he say last?

"Yes"From the look on his face I can tell he is mad at me for completely zoning out and lying about it. But he doesn't ask me to repeat what he said last. Probably because he does not want me to embarrass him by saying the wrong thing.

"Do you have questions?"

"When do I go back to school? WAEC starts in 4 mon..."

"My wife wouldn't be attending the type of school you have in mind..."