HEARTBEATS

chapter 17

chapter17

Kaduna

Let’s go  the groom is waiting , maryam said holding Bahijah's hand . Why is the house empty, she asked as they walked to the living room.
They have all left , take a sit your Ango will be here . Maryam said walking out of the living room .
“Amazing, I just got ditched by my best friend”!
Assalamualaikum, she heard a musculine voice, Bahijah avert her gaze and there he was , her groom . He was dressed in a blue kaftan and babban riga with a blue cap placed on his head. “ Too blueish ” she thought, but still he looks breathtaking.
“Don’t worry amarya , am all yours you can look at me as much as you want , when we are back ” his husky voice pulled her out of her thoughts.” I wasn’t ogling at you faithful husband”! Bahijah  rolled her eyes.
“As you wish my lady, you look beautiful and the dress suits you just like I imagined” he smirked sitting next to her on the couch.  Thank you, and you don’t look bad . She said.
I know babe, I know I look good he replied wrapping his hand around her waist .
“ Ohh please ” she rolled her eyes .
“ Stop doing that”!
“ Doing what”
Rolling your eyes , it’s making me lose my sanity . He said placing his head on her shoulder. Bahijah felt a chill ran through her spine when he placed a kiss on her neck. “ Excuse me Romeo and Juliet !” Maryam voiced out pulling them out of their thoughts . “ sorry, I know am disturbing you romantic moment, but photographer is here for a photo shoot before you guys leave”.
It’s okay, we are ready Adam replied.  The photo shoot took almost half an hour , after that the photographer congratulated them and then took his leave . They walked out of the living room and went to the parking lot with their hands entwined.

***

40 minutes later, they arrived at  hotel seventeen , where the event was going to take place. The groomsmen and the bride's maids lined up in two lines with the newly weds in the middle , Ed Sheeran 's thinking out loud was played as they walked into the hall . Everybody stood up when the mc announced the arrival of the couple , flashes everywhere.
Are you okay, you look nervous Adam said entwining their fingers once they settled down.
Am okay, I just don’t like being the center of attention . She replied in a low tone. You don’t need to be nervous , am here with you , just relax he said kissing their entwined fingers. A welcome speech was given by Amma and later after some jokes by the mc, the best man was called to give a speech .

“ Good evening family and friends, am Abdulaziz , the groom’s best friend and a brother to the bride. I still can’t believe you got married before me, who could have thought ! You know I thought you will never get married , but here we are it’s your wedding. I do have to say though just how lucky you are, you are leaving here today with a wife, who is lovely and caring and here l am still a bachelor. We all know the bride is a wonderful lady who deserves the perfect guy, too bad you don’t always get what you deserve , you are now stuck with a boring husband . I know as the best man , am supposed to sing the groom’s praises and tell you good stuffs about him but am sorry , I can’t lie . Again am so sorry Amarya I wish I could tell you the truth, but the groom have asked me not to talk about his ex girlfriends. Finally I wish you guys a happy married life . So thanks for listening everyone that its from me”.
“ I hope you don’t believe what he said” Adam whispered into her ears
Are you guilty Mr Dikko ?
Nop ! He replied . It’s time for your friend’s speech.

“ hello everyone , my name is Maryam . Bahijah and I have been best friends since diapers, she can’t live without me. She’s like a sister to me, a sister from another mother and also the best best friend in the planet Earth. I can’t believe she’s now married and has a Mrs attached to her name, my  favorite accomplishment of my life is that everything has changed except me and Bahijah , she’s still my partner in crime and she will always be . I can’t wait to give our kids stories about us. I still can’t believe that she’s now married to my brother’s best friend . The best love story ever. Tonight we got mother’s crying and father's that are filled with pride and I like all of the rest of your friends are happy for you. Well Bahijah, it’s been a long journey for the both of us , I will miss you so much , I will miss baking cakes with you and getting dressed up just to snap pictures. I wish you a happy married life and congratulations , I love you”.

Are you crying, Adam asked when he saw tears flooding from Bahijah's eyes. Don’t cry , I know you are going miss but you can still see her whenever you want . “ you just need to say it and we will be flying to kaduna ” he chuckled trying to ease the tension.
You don’t need to worry, am okay . I don’t even know the reason why am crying .
Minutes later, the mc called the newly weds for the their first dance. “ I don’t know how to dance ” Bahijah whispered . It’s okay am here, I will guide you . Holding my hand he said as they walked to the dance floor. They danced slowly to John legend's all of me .
“You see it’s not that hard ”
Yeah, I can see . Bahijah replied placing her head on his chest as the danced slowly .
“Why is everyone staring at us ?” she asked
Because we are the newly weds and it’s our wedding he replied nonchalantly .
Am tired of dancing and we go back
Okay as you wish .

The party went on without any problem, everyone ate, danced and had fun to the fullest.

***

My legs are hurting Bahijah whined , they were sitting on a bench in the hotel garden waiting for Adam's personal chauffeur.
Take off your hills , I can message your feet if you want.
No it’s not needed, am just tired
Here, let me help you, Adam said squatting down a little bit as he helped her slipped out of her hills.
I can’t walk like this barefooted.
Don’t worry , I have an extra slippers in my car. Adam’s chauffeur arrived some minutes later and drove them back home.
It was almost midnight , when they got to the mansion . The night was so quiet that you could hear the humming of the birds and the sound of the chilly breeze . The soft lights that scattered in the mansion giving enough light to see the surrounding.
I will see you tomorrow in the morning , take care of yourself . He said pecking her lips
Okay , see you in the morning

Bahijah woke up to the sound of the birds and the slapping of the chilly morning breeze. She quickly jumped out of her bed and walked to bathroom , she took her bath with a lavender shower gel and brushed her. Wrapping a small white towel, she met a young teenage girl in her room when she came out . Hi , am sorry I came in like this I just wait to see you personal . Am Ameera, Adam’s cousin and the auta of this house . She said grinning from ear to ear.
Nice to meet Ameera, so how are you doing.
Allahamdullilah, am doing great , am so happy to see . You’re so beautiful, ya Adam is very lucky I know you are going to be babyn baby.
Excuse me , babyn baby what’s that?
Well, Amma calls your husband baby so you are babyn baby simple . Ameera replied dramatically
Wow , Bahijah chuckled. You know what , why don’t I get dressed then you can show me Amma’s room.
Okay .
Bahijah quickly got dressed in a pink lace and tied her headtie in a ture kaga siya style, she took a pink veil and wrapped it on her shoulder. Let go she said slipping into a white flat shoe. The walked together to Amma room as Ameera told her stories about Adam.
“ you know, Amma thought baby was never going to get married and then he proved her wrong, here you are”!
So, he never had any girlfriend?
Yap, but he was like every girls crush especially sadiya.
Who is sadiya?
She’s his stepmother's niece , she lives with them. Don’t worry you will meet them when you get to Abuja but you have to be very careful , because she’s not nice she’s like a witch.
Ameera! Bahijah called that’s not good, you can’t address someone as a witch.
Believe me, you will understand what I mean when you reach there. Here we are Ameera said knocking on the door.
Come in , they heard a female voice from the other side of the door.
Assalamualaikum , they both said as they walked into the room.
Amma and baffa , your daughter in law is here to see you , goodbye aunty BJ I will see you later Ameera said walking out of the room.
Good morning Amma , Bahijah greeted squatting down a little bit
Good morning sweetheart how was your night
Allahamdullilah.
Good morning sir, Bahijah greeted the elderly man sitting the couch.
Good morning Amarya , how was your night.
Good sir and yours
Well bad and it’s all because of you and your husband's wedding, my wife has been very busy that she doesn’t have any time for her husband . He said in a serious tone. And call me baffa
Am sorry baffa, Bahijah .
Don’t mind him sweetheart, he's only joking and feel free this is also your house .
Assalamualaikum, they heard a musculine voice from the doorstep.
Waalaikumusalam, Amma replied.
Good morning Amma and baffa . Adam greeted sitting on the carpet next to Bahijah .
Good morning Adam , baffa replied. Well I was just telling your wife that my wife doesn’t have anything time for me because of the both of you .
Calm down baffa, my wife and I will be leaving in a few hours , then you will have your wife’s attention and my wife and I can also have some quality time together . Adam  said placing a kiss on Bahijah's cheeks and at that moment Bahijah wished she knew a spell that will make her teleport back to her room. She has never felt so shy like this , “ this man will surely be the end of me” she thought and her fair skin did nothing to help with the situation as she was blushing uncontrollably . Minutes later a maid came in with a trolley filled with breakfast , they had breakfast together with baffa and Amma, it was fun as baffa and Adam made the breakfast more lively with baffa teasing Adam and Adam was making Bahijah wish she had a spell she could use to teleport back to her father’s house.
Bahijah met a lot of guests and relatives, some were nice while some were not so nice. Hours later Maryam and the girls arrived to say goodbye . They were currently sitting in her room when Ameera came in and inform her that they will be leaving in thirty minutes. She quickly took another bath and got dressed in a black abaya . Bahijah ! Cynthia called I will miss so much, am so happy for you and I wish you all the happiness in the world.
I will miss you too Cynthia and thank you.

Here, it’s a gift from my mom, passing a small box to Bahijah.
Cynthia I can’t collect this.
Please! Remember you said my mom is like your mother right . Then please if you really consider her as your mother , then you need to accept it.
Okay , take care of yourself and your mom, call me if you need anything.
Okay.
After some hugs and kisses , they were finally leaving. They got into a car as lsa , Adam's personal driver drove them to a small private airfield. There was a watch towers and two hangers , the area was surrounded by a chain link fence with no trespassing signs and some few armed guards by the entrance. On the tarmac with the stairs was a large black private plane with the name “DIKKO” spelt with golden lettering . The car drove to where the plane was and stopped close to the stairs leading to the plane.
A private plane!! You own a private plane! Bahijah said with a surprising look .
Yap let’s go he said holding her hand , as they stepped out of the car. Bahijah couldn’t believe she was standing next to a private plane, even do her parents are not poor, they are fairly rich. She never thought she will be boarding a private plane . This is serious , she voiced out .
What's serious.
Nothing. She replied as they boarded the plane. There were six seats , Bahijah sat down next to Adam . Two female attendants appeared seconds later, they almost look like models. Good day , Mr and Mrs Dikko , do you need anything the dark skinned one ask. Nop Adam replied .
What about you ma'am ?
Just some water please.