Fatima Yaccine is like a breath of fresh air, like a breeze stealthily caressing the earth, we can even say she's like the sun, you know shining so bright blinding you with all that beauty. This is my cousin through my eyes. My name is Ammuna Daggash and well I am equal parts sassy and cool. Yaccine is still sleeping and I am just waking up from sleep as well, all that I've said in describing my cousin and bestfriend is not even half of what other people say. She's like that.. very calm someone, sometimes it's annoying.
"Amna are you staring at me again ? it's seriously creepy, wait till you have a hubby first, you can stare at him all you want and it'll even earn you some rewards from Allah" Yaccine said with her eyes still closed.
"Ya Salam Ciney (pronounced Sai-neh) you scared me, and to answer you ,yes I was staring at you while you were still sleeping and yes I know it's creepy but seriously who can help it?" I said in one breath.
I got up from my bed and sat on the window, my mood is chirpy today, and nothing is going to ruin it for me in shaa Allah. Turning to face Yaccine I said " get up, let's go explore London town, I feel like having breakfast at Harrods"
"ugh you are seriously annoying,kinsan I know you want to go to Harrods saboda fine arabs ko? Well you are in luck today nima I miss having breakfast at Harrods" Yaccine replied.
Fashion for the girls is something sacred,you can and will never see them looking dull,whether clad in Abaya or decked up in atampa or even mom-jeans they are sure to look their best. They stepped out from The Dorchester and started walking down Park Lane, taking the London bus is always an adventure for them and today they ignored their chaffeur parked right at the front of the hotel.
"Amna kinsan bababo will be extremely cross with us for not staying at the apartment like he asked us to ko? and now we are taking the bus to Knightsbridge, on a normal day I won't be worried but today I feel a little bit anxious and I have this feeling in my gut..."
"ke kin cika tsoro fa, if we don't have fun now and explore when will we? you know everyone back at home in Naij has their eyes on us Ciney,most especially on you.. they are waiting. And you know exactly what they're waiting for.. He is coming.."
"Keh you know we don't say his name or even talk about him,I hate anything that has to do with him,how can everyone give so much importance to one person as if" Ciney huffed.
"we are here,lets go eat but Ciney I'm dropping this because we always fight when I bring him up and I don't want to ruin my mood okay?"
"toh ba laifin ki ne ba?" Ciney said hugging Amna as they make their way into Harrods
Harrods ( 3rd Floor) 10:42am
People are really different, some don't mind speaking on the phone 24/7 while some chat 24/7, I fall in neither category. I hate phone calls and I hate chatting, I am with a phone because of small number of important people in my life. One is my Hadjo, my mother and everything. As fate would have it my phone has been ringing non-stop for the past three minutes and it's Hadjo. This is the 11th missed call and I am getting agitated, if I should pick this call I know what she's going to talk about and I'm not ready for that. I came in to London for an undercover job... sighing I picked up
" Salamu Alaikum Hadjo.. how are you?"
"Kamal.. when will you come home? You'll wait till someone breaks the news of my passing ko? I have been trying to reach you for the last 2 weeks.. she sighed. Kamal please I am not feeling fine and the doctors say it's serious,come home Kamal, not for anything or anyone else but for your Hadjo hhm? She spoke..
I listened as she spoke and my heart clenched at the thought of something bad happening to my Hadjo.
"Hadjo zanzo soon in shaa Allah, now I have to take care of something important in London..Duty calls"
"So ba duty dinka ba ne to do as your parents say and want ko? It's okay Kamal,Allah ya bada sa'a" she prayed.
" ah'ah don't say that Hadjo I will come, I am coming.. 2 weeks and I'll be there in shaa Allah. Please let it be a secret between us, even to Takawa, don't tell him I am coming.."
After a series of goodwill prayers and ameen from his side, he dropped the phone and sighed. Sooner or later he'll have to go home and it's better he goes and face the king once and for all. He is not going to rule Fàànilè. Atleast that's what he thinks.
He looked up to the waitress serving him breakfast and mumbled a thanks. She smiled and sent a flirtatious wink his way. He could care less actually,doesn't even stir up any emotion in him. A particular scent caught his attention, albeit calming if he must say so himself, it's not something regular in his life that a scent should linger on his nose and try to jumble with his thoughts as to who it belongs to... He sure knows it's a feminine scent, that is exactly why he decided against looking up from his food to identify the person, or woman or whatever.
"Amna, you can eat for africa wallahi, mashaAllah your husband is on a loong thing" Ciney teased her cousin whose face was stuffed with pancake and sausages.
"Ciney you know what? say anything you like fa, ke if I start talking about your own hubby, you start creating drama saying Amna you know I hate talking about him blah blah.. ni gwanda ni bani da hubby, you fa we all know he is yours" she replied and stuck out her tongue at her cousin.
"whatever wallahi, I don't even care ko he is fine, royalty or not, he better not show up anytime soon ah toh! if not zanyi rashin kunya ba ruwana"
Despite himself Kamal chuckled. Lalle this lady's hubby is in for a treat. He paid his bill and went to the cashier "please can you give me the bill of those ladies eating at table 7? He knew the number because it was behind his table.
"Sir, are you related?" the waiter asked
"Yes, I am paying and I'm in a hurry just tell them "Big bro" paid. Thanks".
After settling their bill, he stepped out of Harrods and hailed a taxi
"47 Park Street please" he said.
It was later that night at bed, Kamal realised he had no reason to settle the girls bill. He knew it was that damned scent. One of them. The scent...
In another street few blocks away two girls sat wondering who is and why their bill was settled by 'Big bro' as he implied. Same thoughts. Different emotions.
