"KULU"

chapter 3

He likes me!!! I exclaimed in my mind.....
Is he even serious or joking?? I asked my self curiously.....
I turned around to completely say a no,but was suddenly stopped...

Stopped by what!!!
The cuteness of his smile,as he stood still looking at me seemingly waiting for an answer.

A word I couldn't utter, it seemed as if he eyes were glittering silver,
I couldn't care less but,all I wanted was to continue inhaling the sweet cent of his manly perfume along with his breath.

Uncontrollably I managed to take a step backwards,
My heart was beating so fast in a way it has never before.

I kept on staring into his eyeballs as he stares into mine,one can tell obviously he has lost it too that moment.
Finally I managed to come back to my senses, when he said :
"You are quite"
I started moving around, turning and then managed to face him, Sir I don't know but this doesn't seem right....
I was thinking if telling him that, but then I was stopped again ,when I thought I heard someone's voice calling me

"Yes" I answered and turned around.....

She said yes, he thought to himself.....smiling he replied
"Hauwa thank you"

Now I was surprised!!!
Thank you!!?? For what?
I curiously turned around and faced him...
He was smiling, in a way that he had never did before.... Now I was confused.....he was speechless so was I....
He then out of nowhere said
"So I will see you later" he then went off!!!

"Poof he disappeared" I told dije after narrating to her what entirely happened✌

Shocked she dropped the bowl of garri which she held....

"Kiceh mun wasa kikeyi (tell me you are kidding) she said

"Oh please, do I look that stupid to joke about something like this"!!? I added

" hmmmm" she sighed and said, as we slowly walk together towards the exit door....
"Kulu Amma if he is really saying the truth ,what's stopping you from accepting"?

Thinking of what to even say to dije,I was silent for a bit, until we reached their zaure, where she had to say bye and go back home.

" its no that easy, because I don't feel a single way like that towards malam Usman " I told dije,who in turn gave me a different look, lifting her left eyebrow.....

"We shall talk about it tomorrow when we meet,or I will instead come over to your place" dije said

"Now I have to finish cooking dinner before Mama cones back" she added

I waved her goodbye and took my way home.

Upon reaching home,I heard a familiar voice as soon as I stepped into the house.
"Could that be"? I murmured
And it was who I thought it was.
" Grandma" I screamed, happy to see her I ran to give her a hug,but as usual, she snubbed me deliberately.

This was nothing new ,Grandma has been hating me ever since I was little, for a reason I never knew why!!!

She keeps on insisting why I am still here and not married...

All this thinking was washed off my mind,when it was time for maghrib prayer, I stood up from where I was, and made my way to perform ablution.

After that, I prayed and went to get dinner from the kitchen, upon walking pass inna's room, I heard Grandma discussing with kawu .....

Stood still ,I waited to grab hold of what the discussion was.

"Yaro neh fa kyakkyawa"
(Its a very handsome boy)
Grandma's voice had said:

"But its not that ai Mama" inna said and later added
"We need to get kulu to agree first, her agreement matters a lot"

I didn't want to start misunderstanding anything so I had to wait back and listen more.

Grandma : " She must agree, she Does not have a say, its our right to decide whom she has to marry, and her being a northern girl will have to agree ". Angrily she added
" you are spoiling her too much"

I rushed off to my room,crying like never before,my eyes were getting heavier, tears kept on rolling down my cheeks,I couldn't even breath properly.

"Marriage" I said to my self, at this age of being 18 I should be preparing to go to university, and not planning to raise a child in the coming year......

I couldn't tell what was happening, my head was starting to ache out of pain.

I kept on weeping to the extent that I feel asleep.....

(Next Morning )

The village was quite today,I woke up and still had a slight side headache,which reminded me of what happened earlier....

"Innalillahi I haven't even prayed subhi"!!! I exclaimed as I quickly got up.
Upon reaching the door, inna came in:
" waalaikumussalam" I answered..... From the look of her face one can easily tell, that something was bothering her, I felt so sad for her ,since I know when it comes to grandma ,inna has no say to her instructions, in fact no one can dare go against her......

"Hauwa , I want to speak to you"
Inna said with a smooth slow voice

Before she could say anything I noticed her eyes full of tears ready to drop, I sat down close to her ,held her hands and began....

"Inna ,you are a mother to me,you don't have to ask me to do anything, and I don't want you crying to ask me on top of that"
I sighed, and thought about what I was going to do,which in the end,I concluded to do as my elders have decided.

I wiped away the tears rolling down from her eyes.
"I will marry him,whoever he is, and I will fulfill my duties as a wife, and be a good daughter by doing what my elders have asked me to"

Inna cried even more "that's the point Hauwa,you are going to do what you don't intend to do,you are going to put your own happiness down and make us happy, which is not what I want"
Inna said.

"Shhhh I stood up, it doesn't matter ,one has to always obey their parents,you have always told me this ever since I was little "

I turned around and faced her,wiped the tears again, and went away to perform ablution...

There I sat down on a plank of wood,with my kettle ,I didn't even know what I was looking at,but I was facing kawu's room,

I could not even tell I was crying.

I have never seen dark like this before, it's full of pain, emptiness, grief and sorrow....