Scarred For Life

Chapter 6

*

There was something about Kano that always made Afrah smile. For the better part of her life, she'd tried to figure out why she always felt giddy and excited whenever she found herself drawing closer and closer to the city. Alas, the mystery remained to be unravelled.

Perhaps it was the simplicity in the air; the way everyone seemed to move with a certain ease which was characteristic only to the North. Back in Abuja, everyone moved quickly and urgently, as though they were late for an important appointment. But here, in the heart of the North, things moved at a much more leisurely pace. Placing her head on the window, Afrah watched as a group of three young girls walked casually towards the gates of Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education, talking excitedly with their bags dangling behind them and their heads brought together. A group of teenage boys were ogling them as they passed, and she felt her skin crawl at the sight.

Turning her eyes the other way, she chose to stare instead at the many oddly-arranged buildings, most of them mismatched and looking like they were about to crumble at the slightest gust of wind.

"I hate this place," Amina muttered as they drove on. She was sitting beside Afrah, her nose buried in her phone while the driver sat in front of them, hands firmly on the steering wheel.

"You say that each time we come here," Afrah replied.

"Because I still hate it here," she replied with a snort. "It's so... ancient and plain. Who would possibly want to live here?"

"Well I think it's beautiful," Afrah shrugged, staring out the window again.

"You're only saying that because you have lived here for the better part of four years," Amina said. "By this time next year, you'll be sitting with me in Habil Café and criticizing this place as well."

Afrah thought otherwise, but she said nothing as they drove on. The road gradually become more crowded as they moved deeper into the city, and they began to see a lot more tricycles, dominating everywhere in a sea of yellow and brown.

"Umma says hi," Amina said as they stopped at a red light. Afrah turned to look at her. She had been staring at the young boy standing barefoot beside their car, his hands outstretched towards the next car as though in supplication. His clothes were torn in several places, and his hair was dirty and flaked with ringworms. Though he wasn't a pleasant sight, she felt a sense of pity towards the strange boy.

"Chatting with your mummy, are you?" She smirked at Amina as she reached for her purse.

"What's wrong with that?" She looked up sharply. Afrah ignored her as she rolled down the window and beckoned for the boy to come closer. As the lights turned green, she hastily dropped the 500 naira note in his hand, failing to see the look of utter bewilderment in his eyes as they sped off.

"When are you heading back?" She asked Amina, dropping the purse beside her once again.

"Probably tomorrow or the day after," Amina replied. "I need to go to the market with Mami to pick out a few things for the wedding. You're welcome to come with us if you'd like."

"No, thank you," Afrah shook her head. More than anything, she hated going to a crowded market, especially the ones in Kano, where the men didn't even try to pretend that they weren't staring at you.

"Might I suggest that we leave the day after tomorrow?" Lukman suggested from the driver's seat. "You will need to rest today, so there is no way you're going to the market today. And if you go tomorrow, then we cannot hope to leave on the same day without travelling at night. And your father has expressly forbidden me from travelling with either of you at night."