Unedited.
Abuja, Nigeria.
November, 2019.
•ASLAM.
After performing Istikhara for a lengthy period of time, I decided to take the next step. There was no point in wasting more time.
I came out of the restroom and put on a pair of sweatpants and a shirt then headed to Mami's room.
I knocked on the door and entered with a Salam.
She was seated on the cushioned rocking chair at the corner of her room, her spectacles perched atop her nose that stood proud and unbroken, reading one of her books from the big bookshelf in the corner, if it wasn't one Darussalam book, it was another.
"Muhammad," she called.
"Na'am Mami, Ina Wuni- Yes Mami, Good Afternoon"
"Lafiya dai koh? -Is everything alright?"
I sat on the Persian rug that covered the floors of the room, straightening my legs.
"Dama akwai maganan da nakeso muyi -There's something I want us to discuss," I smiled.
"About what?" She asked, giving me her full attention, taking off her cat eye framed spectacles and setting her book on the side table.
"Uhmm...ehmm" I scratched my head.
"Eh dama, I wanted to tell you, there's a girl..."
She smiled "Go on, ina jinka - I am all ears."
"Ehmm, the girl Yasmine told you about, Amna..."
"Okayyy..." she raised a brow.
"I wanted to tell you, so that you can tell Baba in yaso se ayi formalities." I explained.
"Ma shaa Allah, Alhamdulillah. I am so happy, Amma baka kyauta bah, you should've told me this earlier ai -You're wrong for not telling me earlier."
"Kiyi hakuri - I am sorry." I smiled.
"I will make enquiries and I will inform your father, he'll do the rest. You know it is important to make sure babu wani matsala, yar gidan mutunci ce, gidan tarbiyya, someone who will make a good partner and a good mother. It is the right of your child over you to choose a righteous mother -You know it is important to make sure there is no problem and she is from a good well mannered family."
"That is true." I nodded.
"Ya sunan ta kace? -What did you say her name is?" She asks.
"Fatima Amna..."
"Kasan family dinta? Yar gidan waye? -Do you know her family? Whose daughter is she?"
"Diyar Dr Omar Abdullahi, former MD din Nigerian Ports Authority -She's the daughter of Dr Omar Abdullahi, the former MD of Nigerian Ports Authority"
"Okay kamar na gane, matarshi wata kaman buzuwa koh? -Okay, I think I am acquainted, his wife is tuareg right?" She asked.
"Eh, half-caste ce ba buzuwa bah, half Egyptian ce- Yes, she's half caste not tuareg, half Egyptian" I explained.
"Oh haba, sister din Lami introduced us to each other a bikin daughter dinta kamar last year, na manta -Oh really? Lami's sister introduced us to each other at her daughter's wedding around last year, I don't remember exactly." She replied.
"Baba too probably knows him, he said they are acquaintances. They're from Bauchi and they're a decent family. You can do your thing but I am confident you will not find anything haywire."
