ZAFIRA

Chapter One

"Wake up sleepy head!"
Mariya said throwing a pillow at her.

"For goodness sake I just closed my eyes some minutes ago!"
Zafira exclaimed looking all grumpy.

"That's what you get for staying up all night watching movies."
Mariya said to her.

She got down from her bed with eyes as heavy as one who hadn't slept in days. She knew her sister did that on purpose. Probably because she woke up earlier and they both watched the movie together.

"Mum says to join her in the kitchen as she needs to go to work early today."
Mariya said.

"Why?"
Zafira asked still looking sleepy.

"I don't know, probably something came up."
Mariya said turning to leave.

Mari, as she usually called her little sister wasn't one to explain things in detail.

"Alright I've heard."
Zafira returned.

At 21, though Mariya was 6 years younger they were still best buddies. She was just about to go into the bathroom when her phone beeped. It was a message showing how much airtime she could get by dialling a code.

"These service providers are back with their scams. All they do is trick you into dialling the codes and take what's left of your airtime. Bunch of crazies!"
She said throwing the phone onto the bed.

She walked to the bathroom as though she wasn't ready to wake up. But her mum said to come help in the kitchen, so doing that would be better than getting scolded for not getting up early enough to help out with the chores.

When she was done taking her bath, she walked to the kitchen where her mum, aunt & maid were already making breakfast. Her mum usually wanted the girls in the kitchen anytime she was cooking. She would cook the soup and leave the easy ones for the girls when they were younger, but now they were all grown up.

Hajia Halima was one of those mothers who believed girls were to do the cooking and boys the other domestic chores in the house. Even when they had a maid, she treated them equally without discrimination. Her two sons Mahmud and Zaid had just come back from Lagos. So asking them to help with the chores wouldn't be fair since they returned very late at night.

When breakfast was ready Hajia Halima asked the maid, Hajara to go call the boys. They had breakfast on the dinning after which Hajiya Halima left for the office along with her sister Maimuna, who had come to visit.

"Zafee how's the holiday?"
Mahmud asked while sitting on the sofa watching TV.

Being the eldest, you'd expect him to be bossy all the time but he wasn't. Rather he was calm and very jovial making his siblings comfortable around him.

"Well I've been reading books, watching TV and I haven't gone out much. I just can't wait to resume school."
She said trying to put the dining room in order.

"Awww! That's good. So this cry baby of yesterday will soon be through with the university. Time does fly."
He said switching the channel from Fox movies to Sports 24.

Mahmud was done with his masters and worked as a lawyer in one of the firms in town. Zaid on the other hand was done with his youth service after studying architecture in the university.

"Big Bro! I'm not a baby. Okay I was."
She chuckled.

We'll be preparing for your wedding soon."
She said winking at him.

"You this girl!
He exclaimed.

"Maybe we'll prepare for yours first.
Silly girl."
He said trying to hold in his laughter.

"Where's Zaid & Mari?"
He asked.

"I think he's in his room & Mari's probably on WhatsApp chatting."
Zafira returned.

"When is daddy coming back?"
She asked turning to him.

"I don't really know. I think he should be back before Friday."
He said diverting his attention to the football match that was about to begin.

Alhaji Yusuf was a busy business man. He was into sale of cars, import and export. He spent his less busy months at home with his family.

" I think I'll go back to sleep."
Zafira said leaving for her room.

"Okay, sleep tight."
Mahmud returned, engrossed in the football match he was watching.