JIDDARH ✔️ (Preview)

10.

The breeze was slightly chilly as it blew in different directions. I tightened the hold I have on the plastic bag I'm holding. I'm coming back from the market where I went to buy vegetables.

I pushed the gate opened and saw Hajiya and another lady of her age, she must be a friend. That woman has so many friends, I can't keep up. I walked to where they are standing and bent down to greet them. It took them more than a minute to acknowledge my presence and answer my greetings.

"Did you buy everything on the list I gave you?" Hajiya Shafa'atu asked.

"Yes, I did." I nodded in reply. "Toh, go do what I asked you to and make sure you finish before I come back, if not......"

I didn't say anything, I walked away. As I was walking, I overheard their conversation. "Shafa, who is she?" The friend asked.

"Wallahi, she's my housemaid." My employer replied in a dismissive tone.

"Housemaid?" The woman seemed surprised. "This young lady as your housemaid?" She laughed. "And you're okay with it? She's young and beautiful, aren't you afraid she'd seduce your husband?! Masu aikin nan are not to be trusted at all wallahi." She exclaimed.

Subhanallah. I shook my head. I consider Alhaji Hameed as a father. When I entered the kitchen Inna has already finished cleaning it. "Jiddarh, you're back."

"Yes Inna, well done." I ambulated to the store and grabbed a big tub then I went outside where we wash the dishes. I sat down and carefully washed the vegetables, from tomatoes to bell peppers. After that, I took the tub to the kitchen and packaged it up then put it in the freezer but not before keeping the one I'll blend aside.

I helped Inna Lami cook lunch. We made tuwo with miyan taushe for Alhaji. Then fried rice with coleslaw for Hajiya and the girls, there's no way Lubna and Hajara will take Tuwo. Girls like them don't eat tuwo, their words not mine. I set the table while Inna clears the kitchen.

Inna served me the tuwo, but I decided to package it. I bid farewell to Inna then went inside to inform Hajiya that I'm leaving. "Wait for me," she ambulated to her room and came back with a parcel. "here, take this to my friend Hajiya Baraka in Zoo road." I stared at her, I'm flabbergasted. What does she mean I should take it to her friend? Doesn't she have a driver?

Her scream brought me out of my reverie. "Am I not talking to you? Take this and do what I asked of you." She threw the package and a two hundred Naira bill. I swallowed a lump in my throat and quietly took the package and left.

About twenty minutes later, I'm standing in front of a huge house with a huge ass gate. I knocked on the gate for more than five minutes before it was finally opened. A huge man stepped outside. He looks likes the bouncers I sometimes see when Aneesa forces me to watch a movie. "Who are you and what do you want?"

He looks scary but I'm not going to show him that I feel kind of scared, so I squared my shoulders before answering him. "I'm looking for Hajiya Baraka. Hajiya Shafa'atu, Alhaji Hameed's wife, sent me."

He went back inside and came back about two minutes later, he ushered me in. Because of how annoyed I was, I didn't have the time to appreciate the building. I was led into a huge living room with a cream-colored royal chair, the living room is as big as all the rooms in my house. It took that woman almost thirty minutes before she finally decided to grace me with her, oh so precious presence.

The moment I saw her, I knew why she's friends with my employer. She's dressed too extravagantly and she's already looking down on me. I didn't wait for her to say anything because I'm very sure the likes of her are good at nothing but belittling the likes of me. I greeted her, I didn't bother to hear whether she answered or not. I gave her the package and asked her to call Hajiya Shafa'atu for an explanation since she didn't say anything. And I was out of the door before she could react.