Life with Love✓

Chapter 4

*weeks later*

Hauwa's POV

"Hauwa, you are a matured,  fully ripe, elegant, hardworking and intelligent lady,"umma began. "We have looked after you so dearly, because you are  our responsibility, you are one of the sweetest thing that has happened to us, so now that you have all these qualities, I think it's time for you to get a husband."she completed and I just stared at her fair face with no words to utter.
For crying out loud, I was just nineteen...
Nineteen for heaven's sake.
"I know you might be thinking you are too young for marriage, but no my daughter,"she patted my shoulder. "You are just the perfect age to get married."
"But... But."I couldn't gather the right words.
"Don't worry, God will make it easy for you."she smiled, and that smile made me confused.
"Umma, but am not ready."I finally said.
"I know how you feel dear, but you just have to."she said before leaving the room.
I locked my room door with the keys and threw myself on my bed, then started crying.
I didn't know why I was crying, but I felt I just needed to.
I soaked my pillow in tears.
I couldn't believe it... Why did umma want me to get married at this age?
As I cried, a knock interrupted.
I quickly wiped my teary eyes with the back of my hand before opening the door.
When I opened the door, Ya Amir was standing there.
"Someone wants to see you,"he said at once before noticing my sore eyes. "Have you been crying?"he touched my face.
"No, no I wasn't crying... I put my face into a bucket of water, that's why you think I cried."I lied while putting on a fake smile.
"If you say so."he turned to go downstairs, and I followed.
I went outside, and to my surprise, it was the guy who dropped Safiya and I the other day.
What was he doing here?
I moved closer to the car as I felt a huge lump go down my throat.
"Hi."I smiled.
"Nice to meet you again, I just came to return your book,"he handed me Safiya's novel. "You forgot it the other day."his accent traveled through the atmosphere.
"Thanks."I collected the book as the scent of his strong cologne attached to the book.
"Don't mention."he smiled and waited for me to go back into the compound before driving off.

Safiya's POV

I flipped through my novel which my sister gave me earlier.
As I opened a page, a paper fell out of it.
I don't remember leaving a paper here.
I dropped the novel then bent to pick the paper.
Once the paper was in my hand, I unfolded it.

It read 'call me' with a phone number scribbled down beside it.
I didn't even care to think of who put it there, I just went to the hallway where the landline was.
Punched the numbers, then dialled it..
It rang for some seconds before someone picked it.
"Hello."I said.
"Hello, hauwa is it you? Did you see the letter I put in your book?"the male voice said in one breath.
I was silent.
"Hello, hauwa?"he said again before I hung up.
Hmm.... Hauwa, I see...
I ran back to my room, folded the paper, and put it in on of my hoodie's pocket.
No one will find it there.
*later that day*

"Safiya!"Hauwa yelled from downstairs.
I firstly hissed before going to answer her.
"Why were you screaming my name?"I asked as I stood in her front.
"Take this bucket of clothes and go spread them on the line, I have other works to do."she dropped the bucket she was holding.
I just stared at her figure while thinking of the note that was put in my book.
"Hmm... You really want me to do it bah?"I asked. "Then you will have to do what ever I say."I completed.
"That's never going to happen."she crossed her arms to form a 'X'
"Then I'll just have to show Umma the note from a lover of yours'."I smiled wickedly.
"Note? Lover?"she looked confused.
"Yeah your...."Umma's voice shut me.
"Aren't you two suppose to be doing something?"
After a little while of Nigerian mother's scolding, I went back inside, leaving my sis with the bucket of clothes.

°°°

Hauwa's POV

I went up to safiya's room because she claimed she was going to show me the letter from 'my lover'.
That girl is a pain in the ass.
She walked up to her wardrobe, opened it, tucked her hand into a pocket, then pulled out a white folded paper.
"Here you go, read it."she gave me.
I swallowed a huge lump of saliva before unfolding the paper.
As my eyes went through every single letter and digit, I grew more confused.
"If you're surprise, then call the number."
I brought my phone out of my pocket, then began punching the number before pressing the call button.
It rang for a few seconds then someone picked it.
"Hello."the farmilar masculine voice spoke. "Please may I know who this is?"I asked.
"I'm Khalid."the accent became more farmiliar.
"Khalid?"I asked.
"Yeah."
I had heard that voice before, but from where exactly?
I kept on thinking till it popped into my head.
"I found the note in my book."Safiya whispered into my ear.
It was him, the guy who helped us the other day.
"Were you the one who returned a novel?"I inquired.
"Yeah, wait, is this Hauwa?"
"Yes?and how did you know my name?"a thin smile formed on my lips.
"I heard it from your brother when I came to return the novel."he explained with that fluent intonation.
"Okay, bye."I hung up immediately and put my phone on the Safiya's bed.
Safiya was a really smart kid, but I don't think she was smart this time.