Deceptive Glitters ✅

21. Unwanted Guests

“I was just about to call you again.” Hajiya Ladidi commented after Khadijah sat on the chair beside her, she didn’t pay attention to the tray that was kept on the centre table with drinks and snacks on it, it meant they had a guest, it was probably her mother’s friends.

She answered with oh, she didn’t know how to reply.

They sat quietly for a few seconds, “Did you go to the shop?” she shook her head as no, there was nothing Khadijah wanted more than to go and lay down because the conversation her mother was keen on having wasn’t on her mind.

“Do you remember my friend that moved to Zaria with her family?” Khadijah squinted, she had no idea who her mother was ranting on about, “they lived in the next street, maman Abdul? She used to come here a lot when you were kids, you still don’t remember?” she nodded.

“Let me talk to Baraka maybe she can remember, I know Sadiya has a bad memory like you” she laughed at the end, in as much as Khadijah liked seeing her mother happy and smiling, she wasn’t happy about this her cheery mood that the maman Abdul was causing.

After squinting at her screen for a few seconds she handed Khadijah the phone “Here, dial your sister for me” with no enthusiasm she collected the phone but smiled immediately after remembering when they were kids, since Hajiya ladidi didn’t know how to work phones, she’d give them to help her with almost everything, she loved those times because she would spend half the time playing the popular snake game that nokia has trying to beat Sadiya’s score, which she’s never had the luck of doing.

It reminded her of when they started releasing androids and she was over the moon, though they didn’t give her until she graduated secondary, she was elated when she finally owned her first phone, her father surprised her with it when she passed her jamb, it was one of her best memories.

“Na ce miki ki saya min tochi light amma baki yarda ba se da kika sayo wanna dake ban wahala” (I told you to buy torch light for me but you bought this one that’s making me suffer) Hajiya ladidi eyed the infinix hot khadijah thought perfect for her mother, she’d complained that she changed her father’s phone because she loved him more, yes her mother can be that petty, the next day she bought the same phone for her and she started complaining after a week that it was too complicated to use.

“This one is finer” Khadijah smiled seeing the frown on her mother’s face, “who should I call?” she didn’t know which sister she was supposed to call, she was not listening if she was being honest, she was too busy trying to remember the woman her mother was talking about.

“Baraka” she nodded and called, the last time she saw or talked to her was at the picnic she invited her to which her husband’s family hosted, she remembered how angry she was after she found out their little stunt.

-----After she heard voices-----

“What are you talking about?” with a frown etched on her face, Khadijah asked a guilty looking Manal and Nanah, Baraka's second and last daughters

“Erm….aunty khadijah, you see....” Manal scratched her head coming up empty, she had no idea what to tell her aunt.

“Don’t upset me, Nanah oya talk” a more fearful nanah started.

“Well aunty, mummy and daddy thought it would be a good idea to make you and uncle like each other and get married, since his wife has gone to aljannah and Azma doesn’t have a mummy anymore” Manal hit her sister and glared at her.

“Is what she’s saying true Manal?” khadijah asked the older girl who looked sheepish confirming her sister’s words.

“Where is the juice, Manal? What are you girls doing standing?” Baraka missed the sad look on her daughters' faces but mostly the angry one on her sisters’.