Kameela

Chapter 11 - Confession

She grabbed her bag that contained her necessities from the rack it hung from in the corner of her room then walked out of the room lackadaisically. As she remembered her main objective at work that day, she tossed the bag on the sofa in the living room by her room and headed back there. She sifted through the files that were neatly stacked on her working desk and pulled out a sky blue file that read 'Office File'.

She pulled the bag off the sofa and walked downstairs. As she neared the bottom of the stairs, she smelled the sweet aroma of a blessed breakfast. She walked into the kitchen with a wide smile to find her mother eating breakfast on the kitchen island with her attention fully on the bowl in front of her.

"Good morning Mama." She said with more than enough zeal in her voice to tell anyone that it was a very happy day for her. Her mother looked up at her with a face full of astonishment.

"I can see your Ummama has something on you." Hajiya Fatima said surprised at her daughter's sudden emergence as an early riser that day. Kameela laughed as she dumped the bag and the file on the island and walked towards the pots on the stove to serve herself. The two ladies conversed about their plans for the day over a hot bowl of Dumame and Miyan Kuka. After eating to her fill, she dropped the bowls at the sink then rinsed her mouth and hand.

"Are you still going to work today after you pick her up?"

"Yes I still am. I need to submit something today and do a thing or two at the new site." She said as she stuffed the file into her bag.

"At least rest today. Catch up with your mothers."

"I will do that tonight and over the weekend Mama. I love you. Bye!" She said as she walked towards the back door.

"Oh Mama. I forgot to ask you. Could I please have that red and black material you got?" She asked as she stood by the door looking back at her mother's face. Hoping for a positive response.

"Which one?"

"You know. The one with the lace trimming at the bottom. It's in the last batch of materials you ordered. It's even still at home. Hadiza hasn't taken it to the store yet. I want to take it to Mudi to sew a dress for me."

"No. I've given you enough materials. If you want it, buy it."

"But Mama please. You already have it with you."

"I said no. Now be gone." With that, she sauntered back into the house leaving Kameela at the door staring at her retreating figure.

Kameela walked round the house and entered the car. Slightly letting out a greeting to Garba who was leaning by the door listening to Bello's radio.

She plugged in her earphones and listened to Handel's 'Zadok the Priest' on repeat till they arrived at the airport.

As Garba parked the car, she pulled out the earphones and put them in the front pocket of her bag then stepped out of the car placing her phone in its usual abode, her back Jean pocket, and headed to the arrival terminal.

She walked up to a lady who sat in a green plastic chair beside a counter wearing a white three quarter sleeved buttoned up shirt with a navy blue pencil skirt that stopped mid thigh. She looked like an employee to Kameela so she posed her question to the lady shoving a pen into her bobbed weave with a hand that was adorned with dark knuckles and nails an inch long.