Thorns and Berries

Chapter Thirteen

Husna

The next day was the busiest we had witnessed so far the wedding preparations. It was Salma's kawyawa and even though the event was to kick off by noon that day, the house was already being thoroughly cleaned and arranged and the women had begun sorting the foodstuffs to be used for the event's cookings. The kawyawa was usually an event which witnesses the bride having one of her last funs before the day of the marriage. It was a big social occasion done in celebration of the about-to-wed bride. In most cases, like Salma's, it was only the females that were allowed to witness and participate in the event while the men find other ways to catch their fun separately.
  
Most times, the party included a local band who plays their instruments and another Dj handling the English songs. Local foods were prepared and served in abundance that day and the women would all wear the same wrapper on their waists and a white T-shirt and would have their faces drawn and decorated with local Hausa face tattoos, done with dark eye pencils, while some would dress in the most awkward and weird ways for the fun of it. It was usually the most fun part of a typical arewa wedding and usually lasted for long hours, from evening to late midnight and was mainly held in the family compound.
  
That afternoon, I had snuck out with the twins and Yasmin through a secluded exit tunnel in the garden, away from the eyes of the security men. And as we waited some miles away from the house, I called to instruct Saleh to drive my car to our location and he had done exactly as I had asked him to.
       
"Where will you guys be going from here?" He had asked, alighting from the car and giving me my rightful place in the driver seat while the children tagged along.
      
"None of your business, Saleh. We'll catch up with you later. Go back home. They shouldn't look for you." I instructed, starting the engine of the vehicle.
       
"Alright, Ma'am." He backed a bit away from the car. "Do drive safe and be back home on time." He said before my car drove away.
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Everything went faster than I had imagined. It was a really fun and busy day for all four of us, and maybe that was the reason I had fallen unconscious of time.
  
We had first visited the Wonderland, paid for and played numerous games, then I had taken them to the zoo where the kids had clung unto each other in shivers of seeing the wild animals except Hussain of course, who had showed his manly nature and pointed excitedly at them instead of hiding around like the girls. After we left there, I took them to watch a car race. Even though I knew how dangerous such games could be, I had still brought them there when Yasmin mentioned something about loving the sport. By the time we had left the race center, it was already 3:30pm. Thirty minutes before Salma's kawyawa would commence.
      
"I'm hungry, Husna." Hussaina grumbled with a squeezed face as soon as we got into the car to head back home.
       
"Me too."
      
"Same here."
    
Hussain and Yasmin corresponded.
    
I sighed. I was already tired of moving about town and right now, I badly needed nothing other than a warm bath and a fifteen minutes nap before participating in the kawyawa, which I was sure would be attended by everyone at their own African time.
       
"Don't worry, guys. We'll have lunch when we get home." I began strapping her seatbelt.
       
"I'm hungry!" Hussaina cried out again.
   
I shut my eyes tight and opened it again with a sigh. I hated that this was happening.
       
"Okay, okay. Fine. Let's go to Kilimanjaro. We're closer to that place. I also need to get something at Shoprite." I said and then could hear the children slap hands against each other's palms in triumph.
        
I gritted my teeth in annoyance. Those manipulative brats!
                                 

Author's time

Who else who feeling the gnawing impatience to meet Hameed again?

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