BIBA (The fulani girl)

Chapter four

To the outside world, Alhaji Baffah Hassan remains an enigma. A man of very few words and very guarded when it comes to display of emotions. Piecing together his personality remains a mystery to all who know, heard or had encountered him. The one single thing however that is agreed upon by both business partners and acquaintances alike, was that he possessed a strong sense of justice.

To his family, it depends on who you ask; his wife thinks him as obstinate and too hung up on conservative ideals. To his kids, he is a combination of lax and stern, depending on what is at stake.

He believes integrity is a power possessed by so few men and he feels he is one more step closer whenever he carried out an honest act. Today he felt he had achieved that, for he had kept his promise...almost anyway.

Over the years, his lanky fulani physique has filled up, transforming him into a burly man with a slightly protruding belly. His hair started greying in his early twenties. Now that he is well into his fifties, his hair is a complete mass of luxurious matted silver, complemented with silver goatee and eyebrows.

What he had lost to premature greying, he was compensated with, by a skin that doesn't seem to age a day over thirty.

His once acquiline nose has filled up quite nicely softening his once severe look. His very light complexion is dusted with light sunspots underneath his piercing dark eyes that views the world through thick wire rimmed glasses.

The family was complete at the breakfast table, with the exception Muneefa who is married and resides with her family in N'djamena.

Each time he looked at Biba sandwiched between Anwar and Kamal, an almost invisible smile cuts across his face.

Her face reminds him a lot about Bayero. She has the same toffee complexion, the same upturned nose, high cheek bones and wide forehead. Her smile on the other hand was like her mom's. It is the kind that will makes you want to smile along.

As food was passed around, she looked uncomfortable, taking small helpings of the scrambled eggs, plantain chips and liver sauce.

When the milk was passed to her, she declined, which was met by surprised glances all round the table.

"It's alright Habiba, try it, it taste almost the same as the fresh one." said Alhaji Baffah.

"I don't drink...I mean, I don't like milk."

"It upsets my stomach." she added
when they all stared at her as if she had just grown a horn.

"ohoo, you have lactose intolerance then." Kamal said, reverting his attention to his phone.

She felt relieved that they bought it. they even had a fancy term for it.

"it is understandable when someone has had a lifetime of something, obviously." said Hajja

Alhaji Baffah cleared his throat, as it's his habit not to ridicule his wife in the presence of a third party however wrong she might be. She took the cue and dug into her eggs.

Hanny was at her best behaviour. She sat gracefully and sipped a cup of spiced tea with no sugar in it.

Kamal was engrossed in the task of stealing glances at his phone, eating, and trying to pay attention to the conversation, while his older brother ate in silence, taking great pains not to show his irritation.

"Anwar, what are your plans for the day?" his father asked

He carefully placed his fork beside his plate

"Nothing much, I am meeting Jabir later." he replied, he however omitted the part that he had another commitment that morning.

"Perfect then, you can take Habiba out and show her around."