Forsaken Gem

Chapter 4

Some days later, I was summon Ed to the matrons office, upon reaching the office, I sighted the magnificent smile on the matrons face, which was surprising to me because ever since abida left all I get from her is cold stare and angry look I think for not being adopted.
" oh my dear Zainab, come over here" with her hands wide open ready to embrace me
I was startled and bewildered but never the less I moved forward toward her and she pulled me gently into an embrace.
" I always knew your destiny is bigger than this orphanage, I always knew you will bring us good fortune and since when you were young and people won't want to adopt you, I wasn't worried because I know deep down you are destined for more" I stood still in her embrace as her word startled me the more with my eyes wide, deep down I thought this is not real, just yesterday the matron was giving me a cold stare and today she is embracing me, this must be a dream..
"I want you Zainab to go now and call Larai and jummai from their various post I have good news for all of you. "
I nodded and headed out with different thought streaming through my mind, does someone want to adopt me? No I don't think so because she talked about adoption. I kept lamenting.
When we were all seated in the matrons office, the matron who looks very happy, stood up and came closer to where I was seated petting my head like an infant.
" I want all of you to know that Zainab has brought good fortune upon our orphanage, she is truly a gem of a person." She smiled as she opened her mouth displaying her teeth with like chocolate stain on it. I was told the people from maiduguri possess that kind of teeth.
Mama jummai looked at me with eyes like she wants to eat me a life.
The matron continued..
" one of our guest from an Arab man from Riyad, saw Zainab at the event and he was so pleased with her recitations and composure and so he asked for her hands in marriage
I didn't know when I gasp as loud as possible alerting the whole room who in return turned to see me..
tge matron was so happy for me, hugging me and congratulating me while mama larai the cook, carried a pitiful face as she held my hands tightly giving me courage.
Tears were streaming down my eyes as I look flabbergasted with the sudden news. The matron turned to look at my sudden change of state,
"What is wrong with you Zainab? Do you intend to stay here forever? No one wanted to adopt you, rather you re becoming a burden on us." she said  as she frown and turned her face to the side
" mummy matron, I will do anything you want, I will do double the work I do now, I will eat just once a day to reduce the cost, I will do anything" I ended up by touching her feet begging and crying as loud as possible
Mama larai was feeling sorry for me while jummai thought that is the best thing to do. I continued
" mummy am just 15 years old, please don't get me married now"
She jerked her foot from my grasp and folded her arms on her chest fuming with anger.
" Zainab, the decision has been taken, you re getting married weather you like it or not? I've already accepted his dowry and the bride boxes he brought for the wedding. She then turned and gripped my shoulder and brought me up gently as if she got a change of mind she started consoling me with kind words and hugged me telling me everything will be alright, insha Allah it will be the beginning of my happiness, my suffering has ended. I cried some more on her shoulder thinking how could I be married at such a young age? The matron specifically warned them not to let the staff know what was going on, she wants to keep it as private as possible. And that she has already send a copy of adoption form to the government agency, stated that I was to be adopted by well to do family.
Later on we left with Baba larai who escorted me to my room and consoled me some more, telling me not to worry I should pray and leave everything in the hands of Allah he will be the one to solve my issue insha Allah. She gave me some dua she called istikhara for me to recite before sleeping asking God for his guidance. That day I spend it in the room in the comfort of my bed reminisce the wonderful moment I spend with abida and matron mariya. Had it been she was here nothing like this will ever happen. She won't even be tempted with the huge money they are giving to her. I know our present matron has always been deceptive and selfish  but I never knew she could stood this low as to sell me off to an Arab for money.
The next morning, I felt a little bit better after the istikhara. Baba Larai came into the room with henna gotten from the mignonette tree, her very own makeup bag, some containers likely containing perfumes, small traveling bag with her. As she approached me I get my heart sinked as I felt the reality dawning on me.
"It's really happening" I murmured under my breathe
She was carrying a huge smile upon her face as she approached me.
"Zainab, is time to decked you up because they re already here for the nikkah." She said as she dropped everything on the bed
I jumped down from the up bunk and grabbed her wrist
"The nikkah is even today? You mean am getting married today? Why didn't she tell me earlier on? Why didn't she let me know earlier?
Am getting married today and is just yesterday I was told?" I cried out loud. I regret my life, why was I even born? I regret the day I was ..." mama Larai quickly shush me by covering my mouth with her palm.
"Don't say that, don't be ungrateful to your creator,  there must be a reason for your birth. Don't utter just word." She said as dripped from her eyes.
"I know how you must be feeling right now, this must be your own test that you have to undergo, and in this world there is no kid in this world who I see worthy of passing his creators test, take it as a test that you should pass." Everything will be okay! Now stand up, wipe your tears let me prepare your scented bath water. She entered the toilet just in the corner of the room to prepare the water.
I lay still on the bare ground, sobbing quietly while thinking of what mama Larai said. I will try my best to pass, I've been through a lot, this is also another obstacle I have to cross. Mama larai's footstep brought me back to life as she issued me into the toilet.
" first of all take your bath with soap and water as you normally do, then rinsed your body with this henna water and stay in the bathroom for 30minutes and rinse off and rinsed again with this humra scented water in the other bucket there" she pointed towards the bucket
I stood up, limping as if my legs could not carry the weight of my body, entered the toilet to bath. 30minutes later I came out smelling so nice and my body glowing so brightly. Mama Larai was still in the room waiting anxiously for me, she gave me a container with a substance inside, when I opened it it looks like a pink jelly and smells nice, she asked me to rubbed through my whole body. The scent was irresistible as I littered my whole body with it, it added glow to my brown skin.
"Mama Larai where did you get all this from?
I asked as I closed the lid of the container
" the matron gave it to me! You know in her place in maiduguri they are known for having scented perfume khumrah, and kulacham, she asked me to see to it that you used it today, that they are made specifically for brides" I scoff as I stood up from the bed.
" here is your clothes, made specifically for you. Try it on I know it gonna look good on you" she said as she passed me a polythene bag. I opened it displaying an orange and coffee cut lace, I loosen it from it folded state to display an iro and buba with it head gear.
" I don't know how to tie a wrapper" I said  as I looked at her
" don't worry I will help you out, first wear the new inner wears there on the bed and come over here I will help you"
I moved toward a the bed and wore it as fast as possible. Mama Larai helped me wore the iro and buba. She applied just simple makeup; powder, eye pencil, and lip balm that didn't change the color of my deep pink lips.
She asked me to wait while she got a small beautiful clay bowl with burning coal in it, bristling brightly, she asked me to loose my already washed hair that is full and long, she poured in some stick like substance into the burning coal and brought it close to my hair drying it in the process scenting the hair. When my hair was dried enough she tied it into a ponytail and let the tip loose freely. She added the stick again and ask me to squad on it so that the scent goes into my body and my clothes.
Around 12 noon I was decked up and ready. The matron said I should wait in the room until the nikkah is done and about to live with my husband. Mama Larai told me the matron doesn't want everybody in the orphanage to know She doesn't want to get into trouble from the government when they hear about it. She has already prepared my adoption papers that am going to get adopted by a decent family.
My heart burns again as my throat hurt with unshed tears. I fight the tears off and awaited my ultimate doom. The nikkah didn't take long as they have already giving the bride price which they paid with gold. The bridal boxes filled with clothes was a samsonite box of 4 with kits. The clothes were mostly abaya and nikkap and their veils. Mama Larai issued me out of the as I flashed the room a last minute look, this may be the last time am ever going to set foot here, I looked at our bunk bed and got nostalgia of me and abida playing on the bed. The room was small and lacks many facilities, they was no rug on the bare floor, it has always been cold but it was home to me, I find comfort, and feel secured in it.
She gave me a long black after dress to wear on and it veil to drape on my head. She carried the box she brought earlier in the morning, she told me it contains the clothes the matron chooses for me as for the rest of the clothes she will keep it for me.
We entered the matrons office and my head as bowed down, the matron quickly paced forward and grabbed me tightly whispering into my ears
" don't disgrace me here, you are already married to him now so if you do anything that will make him change his mind, then you are on your own, start looking for where to stay because I won't take you back"  she patted my back and smiled at me that didn't reached her heart.
She walked with me towards the man I believe was Salem, he looks like a man old enough to be my father with his mooustache and long beard.
" Zainab, bend and greet your husband" she said as she pushed me gently to the ground
I greeted him with salami aliakum and he responded promptly sending me smiles
The matron spoke to him in English while I started wondering how am going to communicate with him since I dont understand much English and Arabic too. He doesn't know how to speak Hausa I guess.
Well after they dine in the matrons office, she asked mama Larai to take me back to the room that later during the night my husband will take me with him. Mama Larai took me to the room comforting me telling me I should pray for Salem to be the right choice for me. Well I stayed on the bed thinking of many different things until it was time to pray that's when I stood up and pray but other times I was glued to the bed thinking of the mystery of my life.
After Magrib prayers, mama Larai asked me to bath again with same content and adore me with a beautiful black abaya with red embroidery in the front she wrapped a black veils over my head and then the nikap closing my face only my eyes were visible.
She walked fast with me to the matrons office who threatening  me once more and smile at the end hugging me tightly. She walked with me and mama Larai towards the gate been careful no one was watching us, the cloud was entirely wrapped with darkness like a black satin with sprinkles of ash in it, only our Foot step could be heard and the cricket chirping from different angles. We passed the gate were bello the gateman was, the matron looked at him and asked him to opened the door, he reluctantly opened the gate not knowing who and who where there.
We walked pass the gate toward a black car even the windows where completely tinted nothing inside could be viewed from outside. The matron knocked on the back rear window and quickly the window slide down revealing the older Arab man. He gestured her to come close, the matron came closer while he put into her hand a brown envelope. She smile and bend down thanking him. She moved me forward the other back rear door and opened the door. She placed me inside after hugging me and telling me all will be well. Mama Larai too hugged me shedding tears from her eyes. She held my hand just at the door and swung her face both side signaling me not to cry. My heart is beating fast while my throat is constricting and my eyes burning with unshed tears.
I sat with Salem in the back seat of the car, the car smell of vanilla, smoke and Arabian oud. They close the door and waved relentlessly as the car moved out of the untarred road. There was complete silence in the car as the driver drove in the dark night. I can't help but started wondering where he is taking me? What will happen to me now? My thought was Interrupted by his hands caressing mine. I quickly jerked my hands and looked up to behold his strong gaze fixed on me and his mouth contorted into a smile. I shifted my gaze toward the window screen as I saw trees moving in a hazed..

Hello beautiful people, please don't forget to vote, comment and share.