A Table of Two

Chapter 6

Amma wait... Hamza is involved in this? no no no, it can't be ai.
In that moment rays of memories started flashing back, first it was Mama A'ee, telling me about what Hajiya Balle said two nights before. She is Mama A'ee's friend and minister's only neighbor, just behind her house. I had return from the mosque when I heard whispers from the front door, as they approached towards my direction she loudly voiced about her daughter's wedding in two weeks, to seem as if they were having a normal women gist.

'Remember what I told you' was the last thing she said as she faded off the huge long gate, while Mama waved her like one kid losing his new girl to a school vacation.

Mama A'ee met me at the Minister's sitting room with Lanre and Nazeera watching ''The Originals'', sannu da hakuri dana, she said.

Yes ma, I replied.

She dragged my shirt indicating I should follow her, and we walked majestically to her small sitting room, a place so perfect for gossip. Hajiya came with her gossips again, mama began, as I remained quiet thinking mostly about my daughter, who when angry looks much like Mama A'ee.

Kanaji, wai you should be careful that the person responsible for all of these is very close to the family. Ehen, I replied, showing little interest in the talk.
Kanaji ko, she told me about Hamza, that he grew in her neighborhood with his grandmother. That he was a very stubborn child then, told me how several times he was caught stealing from her friend's husband though he is related to them. That they later banned him from visiting when he kidnapped their son and asked for ransom of over 100,000.
Mama, don Allah tsaya, bari na katse ki kadan.

In essence she is saying it's Hamza kenan ko. Mama looked up partly in agreement with Hajia Balle's claims on Hamza.

But, I know Hamza, he told me about his past even this story. In his story he was the one kidnapped not the way how Hajiya Balle designed her own. Mama, karki damu, your daughters are coming to you tomorrow Inshaa Allah. I stood up in dismay and a bit of anger, I can't believe you think of such about Hamza, inazuwa I said and left to join Nazeera and the butler.

Hajiya Balle has always brought cooked stories to Mama A'ee and mama will gist me about it every time. One time in December 2012, Humrah had just gotten admission in that Cairo University, Hajiya Balle convinced mama that Cairo was in turmoil then and it will be a suicide allowing her second daughter to study there. Hajiya even narrated a supposed story of her far niece who was killed earlier that same 2012 in that same University and in the same place Humrah was to stay when she gets there. Hajiya Balle is this type of friends our mothers have, one that comes in at the very time something marvelous we so desired is given to us, in an instance with their convincing narration and big exclamations our mothers will take the matter from Abuja down to the lagoon in ''Legas''.

So after watching the episode I came back to Mama, I looked at her, mention Hajiya Balle three times and we laughed it off.

But this morning it seemed Hajiya is right this time, I thenredress my memory from the day it all began and Hamza has been in the center of it all.