When Stars Collide

Tamarind

Heyo special people 😍❣️, how are you all? Who else missed my babies? I missed Ummi the most, so I have plenty of her in this chapter.

Please comment and vote 🙏

Happy reading.

"Ummi baby."

Hibba leaned back in the photography studio's couch and watched with a smile as Chichi shook a rattle drum in Ummi's direction. Ummi seemed to notice the sound and turned with a half smile that stopped Hibba's heart.

Hibba had made a decision to do a photoshoot to mark Ummi's halfyear point.  She didn't think it right to throw a party or make noise about it, but she remembered that one of her most beautiful pictures was the one of her at six months. Her parents had driven all the way to Kano to a photography studio like this one for a picture of their little girl.

She wanted that for her little girl. So she went all out, bought the traditional alira fabric and made the Fulani traditional wear, picked out a white skirt, grey  blouse and pop socks as Ummi's two different looks.

"Ummi!" Chichi hailed the six month old and she turned, finding it in her to smile, she started with her little dimples that looked like someone poked her cheeks, to the widening of her rosebud mouth, she smiled and it was fit to be called a smile worth cities.

Hibba rubbed her teary eyes and hissed when she saw the Kohl she had lined her eyes with stain the back of her palm. That smile reminded of Hibba's mother, it was just too much of a reminder.

Hibba's phone rang, cutting off her reminiscing, she picked the little phone she used for her busniess and accepted the call without looking at the number.

"Assalamualaikum, Hello." She greeted. Then she sat up immediately when she heard the voice of her boss. Hibba looked at her watch, it was so late in the afternoon, just over twelve pm, it could not be about a drink order, could it? But it was.

"My dear, a friend of mine is in a bit of a bind. Her mother in law is bringing a party of twelve to Iftar today and she is only one person. She needs Zobo, strawberry mocktail and one traditional drink. Will you be able to do it? Four litres each, and she's offering double whatever you take for making the drinks normally." Hibba quickly calculated in her head and nodded, remembering that it was a call, she quickly said yes. The money was worth the stress.

"Can I ask my driver to come at six? Will it be ready by then?" Hibba went through the number of hours it would take and answered in the affirmative. Her boss hummed and cut the call, Hibba asked the photographer to be quicker, she felt pumped, all the money she had spent on Ummi's photoshoot had come back in double. It was truly a blessing.

Hibba took out her other phone and called Nana, who she asked to begin cooking the Zobo leaves in hot water over coal fire, she gave a few more instructions and ended the call, one part was getting done.

Chichi seemed to notice the urgency and turned to ask her what was happening, she explained and Chichi in turn hurried the photographer up. About Fifteen minutes later, Hibba was strapping Ummi to her back and leaving the studio, Chichi behind her with the backpack that contained Ummi's baby supplies.

"You sure you can do it?" Hibba chuckled, knowing Chichi hadn't really seen her make a drink before, so she was bound to be skeptical.

"I can finish my Five pm, In Sha Allah. You'll see." She promised and walked briskly to the bus stop, she needed to be at the Karu market soon or the tamarind seller she knew would go home due to being out of stock. She thought of something and handed Chichi a few thousand naira notes  to buy packs of juicy strawberries from the huge grocery mall close to her house for the mocktail. That would also make things faster.