HEREMAKONO ( AWAITING HAPPINESS )

Chapter Four. Part 1

Totally irritated, Nnadia reached for the pillow close to her and used it to hit her best friend. 

" Ouch." Hajara squealed. 

" Serves you right." Retorted Nnadia.

" You are supposed to be on my side. My ears are still paining me but you are busy laughing your heart out." 

Unable to control her laughs, Hajara replied. " Sorry bestie, but you deserve it. If aunt hadn't gotten to you first then I might have been the one to pull these stubborn ears of yours. I mean what else do you want?" She enquired. 

Not bothering to give a reply, Nnadia's mind went back to this afternoon's incident. Recalling how her mom had grabbed her by the ears immediately they were inside the house after seeing off the guests. 

She had screamed loud enough to get her dad's attention, hoping that he would save her. 

" Please release her, my dear," she heard him plead with her mom. 

" No, Alhaji, let me deal with this ungrateful child." Her mom hissed. 

" Of all the people in the world she chose to embarrass me, the woman who gave birth to her. Just look at the dress she is wearing, she purposely discarded the expensive dress I bought her for the occasion. Look at her hair, she is not even wearing a single makeup. Do you know she even left him all alone by himself to idle away in her room?" She complained in anger. 

" I will handle it." Her dad said rather calmly. Freeing her from her mom's firm grip. 

" Nnadia, go wait in my study." He told her. 

When he finally sat down in his study, he called her name three times. 

" How many times have I called you?" He had asked her. 

" Three times, baba" She replied quietly. Knowing with certainty that he was very angry with her. 

" I asked you before if you had anyone interested in marrying you, but you said no. Why are you misbehaving then?" He enquired. 

" I'm so sorry, baba, I never planned to embarrass you and mom." She apologized. 

" It's Okay. " Her dad went on.

" I just want to inform you that you are getting married in the next three months. Whether it's with Abdullah or someone else. If you break this proposal then I won't hesitate to make you someone's third or fourth wife. So don't let me hear a single complaint from your mother. Do I make myself clear? He asked stiffly. 

" Yes, baba, I will do as you say. " She said quietly. 

" You may go." Her dad dismissed her. 

It has been some hours later that Hajara had come to visit her. 

" What does he look like?" Hajara went on asking. Bringing Nnadia back to the present. 

" Like a womanizer." She replied flatly. 

" Really, do you mean he has the same looks as Mike?" Her friend joked. 

" No. But Hajara, please don't ever say that name anywhere near me again." She said getting angry now. She had stopped thinking about him for a while now. Before she went on holiday, he had been using different numbers to call or text her. Apologizing at times but most times insulting or threatening her. It got so bad that she had to change her number. 

" Okay, sorry." Her friend apologized. " I just really want to know how he looks that's all. Do one thing just give me his full name let me search on Facebook for him." She demanded. 

" I'm not sure," Nnadia replied. " I think I heard mom say Abdul Azeez Sesay once when she was talking to dad."

" Okay let me search for him and if I don't succeed then I will go ask aunt myself," Hajara stated. 

" None of my business," Nnadia told her. 

After finding a few people with that same name, Hajara brought her phone to Nnadia to inquire which one of them he was. 

" Here." She said, handing over her phone. " Is he among them?"

" This one," Nnadia said, clicking on the right profile. 

"O M G! " Her friend squealed. " Are you kidding me right now? This man is damn fine. I have not seen such handsomeness lately, not even in movies. Look, he even has thousands of followers. Wow!"

" So?" Nnadia asked flatly. 

" You know what?" Hajara went on to say to her. " You are being a spoiled brat right now and I wish aunt will get her hands on you again soon. I really feel like smacking you on the head for your stupidity. Don't even try acting silly with this man."

Rolling her eyes, Nnadia ignored her friend's advice. They chatted for a while until it was late. Nnadia gave Hajara some of the things they sent her and she went home. 

Later that night, around nine pm. Nnadia was getting ready for bed. She set her playlist to Tere sang yaara on repeat. This was her favorite romantic Indian song. She was about to close her eyes and let it drift her to Lala land when the music automatically stopped and her phone started ringing. 

Annoyed, she took her phone to see who it is. Noticing that it was an unknown number. She knew it must definitely be the person she just gave her number to earlier today. 

She stared at the phone ringing until the call ended. ' It most definitely has to be him.' She thought.

A few seconds later she heard her message tone. And yes, it was a message from the number that had just called. 

And it read. 

      Hi beautiful, I think I called a little too late for you to be sleeping. I have been busy all day and only got to reach home just now. Goodnight and I hope we can talk soon. Abdullah 

Her heart was beating so hard she thought it might explode. ' Why is he texting me?'

She thought out loud. 

Closing her eyes she prayed not to meet with him by any chance tomorrow.