Only In Jannah

31: Throw way back

Hajiya Abu rubbed her palms together looking up at her son.
"Honestly the weather in Abuja is really bad, just feel the cool air here Mahmoud" he smiled admiring her choice of clothes, she looked elegant in a Kaftan dress paired with a matching veil which she beautifully finished with the famous ture ka ga tsiya head tie which made her look like the Hajiya Abu everyone called her, Mahmoud would tease her about that later on. They proceeded to the waiting area, their only luggage being Hajiya Abus handbag which Mahmoud proudly carried with his phone pressed to his ear as he waited for their guide to pick the call.

Sama'ila who was Hajiya Abus second cousin directed them to where he waited and with a wave of his hand in the air they spotted him.
"You're welcome to Bauchi" he greeted giving them a flash of his scattered dentition "I hope your flight was smooth" Sama'ila was tall and lanky; almost as tall as Mahmoud. His lips were dark from all the packs of cigarettes he had smoked over the past twenty years. At forty, Sama'ila had the responsibility of catering to his aged mother alongside his three married sisters who provided the little they could afford, his wife and two sons, the stress was visible in his eyes.

"I'm Mahmoud and this is my mother Hajiya Abu" after a short moment of pleasantries Sama'ila lead the trio out of the waiting area and when Mahmoud saw that the walk wasn't ending he stopped.
"Are we meeting someone?"

"Actually my tricycle is parked over there" he said pointing to a far end of the parking area "we're not allowed to go beyond there"

"Oh, okay" they proceeded to where the tricycle was parked saying a few prayers before entering the back. The chilly air grazed their skins as the tricycle pushed forward driving at a very loud and slow pace, twenty minutes later it came to a stop and Hajiya Abu muttered an Alhamdulillah when she alighted safely.

They followed Sama'ilas lead into the house taking two turns before they arrived at their supposed destination.
"Assalamu Alaikum, Dada" Sama'ila called slightly raising the curtain at the door they stopped at, they heard a low reply from inside before he asked both Mahmoud and Hajiya Abu to go in. Hajiya Abu breathed unrelievedly; if one was claustrophobic, they would die in that living room. The thought of why and how a part of her family lived below poverty level disturbed her and she wished her mother was still alive to give her an explanation.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a woman, bent forward by age entered through the other doorway joining them on the leather carpet that covered the floor.
"Dada?" Hajiya Abu smiled when she got a nod from the old woman, both her and Mahmoud extended their proper greetings before Hajiya Abu revealed her identity.
"I am a daughter to your cousin" before she could finish, Dada had completed her sentence saying "Mariyah" and when Hajiya Abu nodded Dada's eyes turned glassy.

She looked up as tears began to flow through the side of her eyes "Mariyah ashe zan ga zuri'an ki"

***
1949

"Ladidi!" She heard her name being called and quickly dug her feet out from the sand. Ladidi hurriedly shook off the sand particles on her feet checking to make sure she hadn't soiled her clothes. She ran into the house trying to wipe her face of guilt, she heard her mother yell out her name again just as she stopped outside her doorway to try and catch her breath.

"Yes" She stood at attention keeping her hands folded at her back as her mother accessed her from head to toe, Yelwa tutted.

"And what did I ask you to do?"

Ladidi hit the side of her head trying to quickly remember what her mother had asked her to do "he's not there" she beamed thanking God she actually did what she was asked to do, her mother shot her an icy glare before returning to her chore.
"And that's enough playing for one day, go and think of what I talked to you about earlier" Ladidis smile died immediately, while her friends were busy getting an education her mother wanted to get her married to their village head who was old enough to be her grandfather. She slid down keeping her back rested on the wall, she would remain like that till the call to magrib.