When Stars Collide

Beginning of an End

"Why, Salman stop stressing Benazir and just behave like a good elder brother. Or even help her peel the beans." Salman pouted and slowly dipped his hands into a wide bowl of brown beans twelve year old Benazir had begun scrubbing to pull the brown covers off.

"Iya, please I want her number." He said again from his position near the wide sink. Iya rolled her eyes as she folded an about to be frozen samosa before placing it into the Ziploc bag she was going to place it in the freezer in. It was a day to the beginning of Ramadan and Salman was bugging her for Hibba's phone number.

"I will not give you. There are nice ways to get her phone number, besides, that girl is not to be played with. In fact, no girl is to be played with, so I'll let you go to her by yourself, ask for her number, if she doesn't give you, grovel for it, if she says no, then back off. I'm not just handing her number off to a stranger." Salman took out his hands from the beans again and It's stoned him with a bit of folded samosa on her hand.

"You want my kitchen to smell abi? Ori e o da!" Benazir giggled at the insult her older brother received, but ducked her head when she saw Salman's face. He'd quickly put his hands back into the beans and continued to scrub.

"But Iya, it's just her phone number, it's just a number. You can give it to me, I'll never tell her I got it from you." But Iya hissed and took the samosa maker from her housemaid to let the lady do other things. They'd finished with the snacks.

"Iya, it's me, it's Salman Bobo." Iya scoffed and turned to leave the kitchen, leaving instructions for Benazir to finish scrubbing the beans and use the blender to smoothly grind it before Magrib. She even wagged her finger in the direction of the siblings, warming them not to slack off or there'll be no dinner for them.

Immediately she left, Salman and Benazir burst into loud laughter. If they did not eat what was cooked, there were several things in the fridge to eat from or even the houses of the other wives. They would be fed to their fill.

"Yaya Salman. I think you should just find that lady's busniess." Benazir began slowly as she sieved out the dirty water from the beans. Salman widened his eyes, suddenly wondering why he didn't take that route since.

"Do you know her busniess name?" He asked his sister. She chuckled and Salman widened his eyes further at the strangeness of the sound. She wanted something.

"Well, Ifeoluwakinye wants something." Salman rolled his eyes. His youngest sister didn't call her full Yoruba name unless she wanted something. But there was nothing she wanted that he could not give, he was sure of that.

"What do you want?" He asked, holding up the sieve up for her again as she poured out the peeled beans husks from the bowl. She tutted and Salman pursed his lips at the drama she was portraying.

"All of the books in the Harry Potter series," She turned on the tap and let it fetch water into the bowl filled with now white beans. Salman danced in his heart and smiled widely at her, but his smile died when he saw how wider Benazir smiled.

"Signed by J.K Rowling herself." She finally finished, making Salman's heart drop in his stomach. He wanted to scream at her but he found himself reining in his anger to negotiate, he asked if could he get the first edition unsigned.

"Unsigned?" She put down the bowl, rinsed her hands and began clapping mockingly. "You think if I wanted those Harry Potter books, I would not have them? I want signed ones."  She said with a roll of her huge brown eyes that she inherited from her father.

"Okay." Salman agreed. He would find a way to do that, but he needed the phone number now. So he asked again.

"Hehehe, it's not that simple. I'll make a contract, when you sign it, you can have the phone number." Salman shook his head, his sister had baited him and slowly wound him into her net. It was worth it though, at least he would have Angel's number.

****

Hibatullah

Hibba wound a part of her scarf and tucked it under her arm as she sieved the Zobo that had just finished cooking on a coal stove in the kitchenette. She didn't have lots of space so she poured the Zobo into a clean medium sized bowl and took it to the living room where Nana, Ummi's nanny was waiting.

"Have you all washed your hands?" She asked the three occupants of the small room. Nana nodded effusively, but her two siblings shook their head, they'd just returned from school and were still in their school uniforms but the job they were about to do would give them lunch so they ditched all the other things to help.

Hibba watched the two of them walk away to the small bathroom where they waited for each other and when they finished, they walked back to the living room.

"So, this is the plan, Nana will pour the Zobo into the disposable cups, Hameed will wear plastic gloves and put the sliced cucumber, ice chunks and  pineapples in it, while Haleena will cover it and tape the straw to each cup. Please guys, no talking, be very clean. I beg you." They all nodded and Nana adjusted Ummi who was on her back and picked out the first plastic cup that had Hibba's busniess name printed on it.

Hibba returned to the kitchenette and began to mix the sparkling berry mocktail she was making as the main drink. The Zobo was a refresher for anyone who didn't like foreign drinks and wanted something local.

About an hour later, she stacked all the drinks into the backseat of the car her boss sent her, strapping Ummi to her back since Nana had to go cook for her siblings. It was so close to Ramadan after all.

She went back into her apartment, she cleared all the things she had used, washed her bathroom and began to fold Ummi's clothes, just as she started on the cloth diaper, her phone rang. She put down the diaper and walked to the kitchenette where it was charging.

"Mama!" She hailed Mardiyah, she asked how Hibba was.

"I just sent out my first order. I'm beyond pleased, Alhamdulillah." Mardiyah shrieked in excitement at the sound of contentment in her friend's voice.

"Alhamdulillah. So, when are you free? I just called to give you a message from my Ammi, she asked you to come over in a few days. I have to go to the masjid then I still have study group. I'm really busy." Hibba sighed and let Mardiyah go.

Ever since her friend left, their conversations were like that, short, quick, hurried. They didn't have time to talk too much and to Hibba, her friend was slipping away slowly. Hibba shook her head and set down her phone, knowing this was the beginning or the end of their relationship.

******
Heyo  guys, miss me? I'm sorry for the delay, I've been so busy. It will get better soon. I promise.
So, this chapter is for Jidderh_Kwho sent me words of encouragement that helped me write this chapter. Thank you for reading. 😘😘😘

See y'all soon,

TheOmoope 💙💛