-Dinner at The Pier today? Babes please don't be a spoilsport.

Madina read the message from her boyfriend for the second time. She was sure a second one was coming in a few minutes if she didn't reply now, and the first one only came five minutes ago. Maheer was that impatient.

Habiba and Gwaggo were a few minutes away, heading to Abuja from Katsina. It would be perfect for her to hang out with Maheer for some hours to avoid them. They were a real pain in the neck!

But then she was in no mood for any outing. She could already imagine them in a brightly lit restaurant eating some overly expensive dishes that she wasn't even actually enjoying while Maheer was doing all the talking, her only nodding and throwing in some few words occasionally.

It was almost always like that. She hated those outings as much as she hated Habiba and Gwaggo being here.

But staying at home with them sounded more appealing, because she could lock herself upstairs in her bedroom or in the study room and pretend they weren't even in the house.

She was going to be the spoilsports Maheer didn't want. Madina decided. But before she even started typing, another message from him came through.

She rolled her eyes at how predictable he was.

-B????!

-You know Habiba and Gwaggo are coming, there's a lot of catching up to do. Maybe another day?

Madina snickered at that lie. Two seconds later, his call came through.

"Gwaggo is coming today? How could i have forgotten that? Oh Lord! Do i have to come?"

"If you wish to be murdered before your time, then of course no."

Maheer let out a defeated sigh, "I'm coming, then, probably with Nabil. And the sarcasm in your last message didn't go unnoticed, by the way. I will get you some Panadol on my way because we both know it's going to be hell."

"You can say that again!" Madina groaned then paused when she heard the sound of the gates opening, she swallowed, "Oh gosh! I think they're here."

"That means I gotta run out of here real fast. Bye, love you."

Madina was about to say it back when he disconnected the call. She gritted her teeth. She hated how he always ended their calls not bothering to hear her say back the words. Apart from being predictable, Maheer was also frustratingly uncaring. One of the reasons she always doubted his love for her.

But that was a smaller problem to the one coming into the house right now.

She nibbled her lower lip and began some breathing exercises until she heard her mother yelling her name from downstairs. She grabbed her turban cap and walked out, only to meet her halfway on the stairs.

"Mummy, they're here right?" Madina pouted.

"Yes, they are here." Hajiya Yasmin said with one of her warm motherly smiles, "And you know the drill. Don't let your grandmother's words get to you, remember she's old and most old people are grumpy..."

"I doubt if Gwaggo wasn't grumpy even as a child."

Hajiya Yasmin gave her a warning glare and she giggled.

"And you're going to be extremely kind to your sister, no fighting Madina! Please! I want this reunion to be as peaceful as possible, they're here for only ten days. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

"I'm going to need your prayers for that, mummy. You know how absolutely intolerable Habiba is, she lives to annoy me! Seeing me irritated gives her indescribable joy." Madina pulled her cap over her face, "Mummy, I'm gonna need your prayers a lot or i swear i might have to put my five-months boxing training into practice before they leave."

Hajiya Yasmin held her hand and gave her a firm squeeze, "Then I'm going to pray for you very hard. I really want this to go smoothly. Even if a little hitch came, let it be from them, not us!"

Madina smiled widely, "I got you, mummy."

"Good, Gwaggo is probably there wondering why you're still not there to greet her when you perfectly know she has been in the house for more than five minutes. Go before she comes for your head. Hurry."

Madina nodded vigorously and practically ran down the stairs. She was not about to give Gwaggo a reason to start yelling around the house. And she was going to make her mother proud!

"See who we have here." Madina smiled as she walked into the west wing humongous living room. Madina called that particular room the 'Death chamber' because it was the room Gwaggo always sat in from morning to evening whenever she visited. It was the room she always summoned the L-Ts children and grandchildren for meetings. The room all the match-makes for her grandchildren took place. Basically, anything that involved the whole family happened in the Death chamber and only a few of those sittings didn't end in tears.

When Gwaggo glared at her she quickly corrected, "I mean, Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah." Then sat beside her, not bothering to glance at Habiba who was on the other side, "How was your journey, Gwaggo?"

"Wa alaikumussalam wa rahmatullah, the journey was extremely bad. I'm telling your father to suspend that driver until he learns how to drive properly. I wonder why he hired someone like him in the first place! That man is too young to work as a driver for the L-Turajs."

Madina raised her brows in shock, "But Jabir's driving is totally okay. He is in his mid 30's and has only been here for barely two months. Please don't do this to him, I'm sure he's a family to cater for. He won't be here if he doesn't need the job." Nobody wants to work as a driver anyway, especially for the L-Turajs, because of you. She bit back the scalding words.

Gwaggo waved her hand in the air, "Then he should go and improve his driving skills if he truly needs the job. I can't watch someone who made me see my life flash before my eyes and do absolutely nothing about it!"

Madina sighed, "But..."

"That's final!" Gwaggo said, in her authoritative voice.

And Madina knew that was it! If she said a word again she might earn herself a longwinded lecture about how disrespectful she was toward her.

So she sighed, and tried to smile, "Are your legs getting better?"

"You would have known that if you called, at least once. But you don't care at all, Madina. I'm surprised you even remembered who i am."

Madina felt a vein on her forehead tick. What Gwaggo didn't know was she sometimes actually found herself wishing she could forget about her existence. But even when she was miles away, in one of the most beautiful houses in Katsina, she was always with them here! Either barking out orders at her parents through their phones, or calling to complain about one of her maids who served her undercooked chicken. Or her laundry man who always washed her clothes too much that they were beginning to lose their colors.

There was always something to complain about. Even if it was trivial.

And why would she call when she knew the only peaceful part of the phone call was going to be the first ten seconds of greetings. And the rest was going to be a lot of scolding, for something she forgot she even did, until she exhausted her whole credit. She'd rather pass and get scolded in person.

Madina had never seen someone as domineering as Hajiya Habiba, she was the mover and shaker in the LT family, with her well rounded body and smooth chocolate colored skin it was almost hard to believe she was in her deep 80's until she brought out her long grey hair or walking stick to walk. She rarely smiled, but when she did she screamed beauty and it was always priceless.

"Have you not been eating? Look at all these bones, and what are you wearing?" Gwaggo asked as her eyes briefly roamed over her body.

"Just a shirt and some sweatpants."

Gwaggo pressed her lips disapprovingly and gave her a once-over again, "Madina, how many times do i have to tell you to stop copying the western culture? We mean absolutely nothing to those people! Have you ever seen the whites dressing like us? And if you really want to copy them, why don't you wear their gowns instead? I am sure they have some nice and modest ones you can wear. But trousers are for men, Madina!"

"I only wear them at home, Gwaggo."

"It is still uncalled for! Look at your sister, Habiba has no single trouser in her wardrobe. Did she die? I'll be glad if you start copying her instead. Please get on the right path, young lady."

Madina closed her eyes briefly. Gwaggo could do her scolding, even punish her if she liked, but she could not tolerate her comparing her with Habiba. Or anyone. And Gwaggo always liked to push that button.

Madina let out shaky breath when Hajiya Yasmin walked in with three maids in tow, all holding big trays of refreshments.

"Is there anything you need before they bring the food, Gwaggo?" Hajiya Yasmin asked.

Gwaggo's eyes scanned the trays before she gave her a quick shake of her head. "No Yasmin, Thank you. When is Alhaji babba coming back?"

"In a few minutes, in shaa Allah."

Gwaggo nodded and stood up with her walking stick in hand, "I want to use the toilet and then pray. But tell him to meet me here."

Once she was out, Hajiya Yasmin shifted her gaze to Habiba, "Aren't you going to drink something?"

Habiba looked up from her phone, "No, mummy. I'm good."

"Okay then, if you need anything, just ask your sister or the maids."

"Okay, mummy." Habiba smiled and went back to pressing her phone.

When Hajiya Yasmin's eyes clashed with Madina's, she gave her a quick nod with a smile. A massage that told her to keep doing the good job. They were remarkably good at communicating without saying a single word.

Madina smiled back and nodded.

Hajiya Yasmin walked out, leaving her alone with Habiba and a silence that was painfully thick. She was sure Habiba felt it too, because she looked up from her phone immediately, then looked around the humongous living room.

"Oh, so we're alone." Habiba smiled widely, "Come and give me a hug, twin. It's been so long."

Madina scooted over and awkwardly gave her a side hug.

"God! You suck at hugs, Madina. You don't hug someone you haven't seen for so long like that. Don't you miss me at all?"

Madina rolled her eyes, "Give me ten days to think about that."

"Oh come on, twin. Stop the pretense, i know you miss me."

"What's there to miss about you, Habiba? But admittedly i miss that phone case. Come to maama!" Madina removed the vintage camera case from Habiba's iphone 8 and put it on hers.

"Well, you can have it all, I don't like it anymore anyway." Habiba grinned.

Madina almost groaned. Habiba always got what she wanted on a silver platter, it always only took a little blow-up and Gwaggo would come running to grant her wish. The golden grandchild.

The phone case was only a week old when they visited and Habiba set her eyes on it. And before Madina knew it, she was no longer the owner of it. 

"She's just going to borrow it for sometime, Madina." Gwaggo had said, to pacify her, "I can give you money to get another one, if you want."

"I don't need your money, Gwaggo. I already have enough to get two dozens of that case if i want, but what you did was just unfair and selfish. It's always 'as long as Habiba is happy, then to hell with everyone's feelings' with you. Selfish and always outrageously selfish!"

The words were on the tip of her tongue then but she quickly calmed herself and said instead, "It's okay she can keep it for sometime."

And that was it.

"Where is your boyfriend?" Habiba asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"He's coming later with yours."

"Ah, alright. I have been thinking about us going for a double date..."

"No!"

"Tomorrow will be a good day for that."

"Allahu musta'an. I said no, Habiba. You and your own boyfriend can go but Ya Maheer and I are not interested."

Habiba smiled, her bitchy smile, "Your opinion doesn't really matter, okay? But i will consider your boyfriend's, I will ask him myself when he comes."

Madina looked at her incredulously and rose to her feet, "Can you like please respect my wish, for once? Or just not act like an arse for a second?"

With that she stormed out of the living room. When she heard Habiba's evil laughter, she almost stopped and turned to give her some punches. But her mother's words immediately ringed in her head.

She took in a deep breath and walked away. It was all she always did anyway.

***

Madina busied herself in the study room working on the illustration of some dresses inspired by the Givenchy 2010 paris couture collection. Doing one of the things she loved so much, and staying away from whatever chaos that was happening in the Death Chamber was an inexplainable pleasure.

She paused when she heard footsteps approaching, then Habiba's distant voice, "I think she's in there."

Madina quickly slapped the flap of her iPad close and hid under the study table. She held her breath when they came in.

"Well, she's not here, obviously." Came Maheer's voice and a sigh, "She's not picking my calls."

"I'm sure she is in here, the lights are on and she's not in her bedroom... Oh look! her iPad and pen are right there on the couch. Okay, Madina come out from your hiding place already." Habiba said in an exaggerated slow pace, teasing her, "Ya Maheer check behind those shelves, Ya Nabil you go behind that table and I will check from here."

Madina rolled her lips and waited. One minute later, Nabil's face appeared under the table and she almost let out a gasp.

"Don't say anything." She mouthed quickly, "Please."

Nabil raised his brows then mouthed back, "I got you."

Madina let out a sigh when his face disappeared and he said, "Guys, i can't find her."

"Me either. Habiba, I seriously don't think she's in here. Maybe she sneaked out when no one was watching?"

"Yeah she hates us so much that she can't stand to be around us. Honestly, I won't be surprised if your guess came out true." Habiba tutted, "Anyway, she can't run away from her family forever. Let's go, dinner should be ready by now."

When they all walked out and the door clicked close, Madina leaned against the table and released a deep sigh. That was close!

Four minutes later, she crawled out only to find Nabil sitting cross-legged on the couch, going through her iPad.

She cleared her throat loudly and when he looked up, she raised her brows at him, "Excuse me, Ya Nabil? You're not allowed to touch that."

"Oh come on Madina, even after i bailed you out?"

They looked at each other for a fleeting moment before her shoulders slumped and he smirked with a wink.

"So what is this? I never knew you had a job."

"I still don't have a job. That is just something i do for fun." Madina said, waving her hand toward the screen.

"Oh, but you're remarkably good. I mean i could even mistake your illustrations with Claire Idera's."

Madina raised her brows and gave out an incredulous laugh, "You know Claire Idera-Nnani?"

"I do a lot of research. And let's just say, i'm pretty fond of people that have a proclivity for hard work."

"Wow! I'm greatly surprised."

Nabil chuckled, "You don't have to say it, your face says it all. So, do you have any plans for it?"

She shrugged, "I can't accomplish them even if i do, so what's the point?"

Nabil turned to face her as he folded his arms over his chest, "Tell me, what's the problem? Baba Ahmad or Gwaggo or is it from you? But wait!" He sat up straight quickly, pointing his index finger at her, "I thought you studied medicine?"

"Yes, i did. I have my medical license already and I'm expected to keep aside the thing i love with all my heart and start my housemanship any moment from now."

A brief moment of silence passed before Nabil spoke, "Did Baba Ahmad make you study it? I know for sure it can't be Aunty Yasmin."

"Yap, because according to him the career i chose will be an absolute shame to the L-Turajs."

Nabil's eyes widened in shock, "He said that? Well, look at me too, I'm an engineer because Abba wanted that for me, he said death is always looming over pilots, they don't want to lose me in a plane crash. Like I'm not going to die anyway."

Madina laughed heartily, "But come to think of it, when they have Gwaggo's blood running through their veins every single second, it's almost impossible for them to not behave like her."

Nabil threw his head back and laughed, "But we're no different, are we? Believe it or not we also have that same blood running through us."

Madina sighed briefly tracing the little vein bulging in her hand, she said, "I don't ever want to be like this to my children. If any of them wants to be a chef and they are sure they are gonna rake it in, then I'm going to let them. Our parents don't understand the absolute zest that comes with doing something you've passion for.

I truly doubt they will ever understand! Every little thing, the L-Turajs this, the L-Turajs that. I know they are only trying to make us feel significant and valuable, give us everything they didn't have and I appreciate them, I really do but they really need to sit back and let us do some things our way. Ya Nabil, if i ever lost my mind know that they caused it!"

"Oh come on, we don't even pray for that to happen. But yes, someone seriously needs to pass that little piece of advice to them." Nabil shook his head and returned his gaze to her iPad, "Now back to your fashion illustration, i think you should work freelance. A win-win for you and your father."

Madina slumped back against the couch and rolled her eyes, "I don't think juggling fashion illustration with my medical profession is a good idea."

Nabil opened his mouth to speak when a beep from his phone interrupted him. He went through it quickly and looked up, "That's Habiba, she's looking for me. I'd better get going."

"Don't tell anyone I'm here, please. Even Ya Maheer."

He made a cross sign over his heart, "Cross my heart and hope to die. It was nice chatting with you, Madina. I have learned a lot of new things about you, which were all quite interesting i must say. And really, weigh up the freelancing thing, you can do it if you put your mind to it."

Madina nodded with a smile.

He was almost at the door when he paused and turned, "Habiba told me about the double date tomorrow and she said you're kinda against it. Please do come, looking forward to that kind of chat again."

"I will think about it."

Nabil smiled, putting on the hood of his black hoodie, "You're a tough nut, aren't you? But of course, think about it. Good night."

"Good night."

Once he was out, Madina puffed out her cheeks and released a breath, it had been long since she had a good conversation that was as nourishing and restorative as this, where she put down how she felt without being judged, just a mind that worked like hers and some listening ears.

Maybe the double date wasn't entirely a bad idea...

***

Madina had just finished her skin care, the last part of her nighttime routine when her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Her lips tipped up when she saw her 20-year-old brother's incoming video call.

"Hello, Londoner." She beamed looking at the screen.

"What's up sissy?"

"Not much, just preparing to go to bed. How about you?"

"Same old, same old, just stinking cold down here. How's the reunion preps coming up?" He wiggled his brows.

Madina sighed, "Not so exciting."

"I feel your pain, fam! For the first time I'm thankful for my exams for holding me back, i mean this whole thing is old-school, how about a family vacation in Tokyo or Phuket or just any place enjoyable in or outside Nigeria. Trust me, everyone would look more forward to reunions like that. Please propose this idea to Gwaggo on behalf of me."

"Arafat!" Madina's eyes widened, "I'm not ready to die just yet. She's always here when you come back, or you can just call and deliver your proposal, her phone works perfectly fine."

Arafat grumbled, "Fine, boring reunions in Abuja for the rest of our lives then!"

Madina laughed.

"Haven't you noticed anything different on my face since we started talking?" Arafat narrowed his eyes.

Madina scrutinized him, he was a perfect replica of Hajiya Yasmin, which made him and Madina a splitting image of each other. Their resemblance was uncanny, from the fluffiness of their eyebrows, to the pronounced dip of their heart-shaped lips down to the minuscule feature.

"Arafat, I can't notice anything."

Arafat gave her a minute before he groaned, "Still? We haven't FaceTimed in a long time, there must be a reason i called now. Check carefully."

Madina's eyes widened when she noticed it, she burst out laughing, "You called because you wanted me to see your beard? You chicken!"

He released an exaggerated sigh, "Whew! One eternity later!"

"Mabrook! Beard is finally out." Madina cheered, "Now we won't hear the end of it."

"You just wait for my arrival. You guys ain't ready for it." He grinned, "Now that you have finally seen this beautiful progress on my face, I'm going to allow you to sleep. Laters."

Madina chuckled and shook her head, "Alright then, take care of yourself."

Madina just turned off the side lamp of her bed when the door of her bedroom flew open. Habiba walked in and jumped on the bed.

"What the..." Madina screeched.

Habiba placed her head on the other pillow and looked at her, "I want to sleep here."

"Why? You have your room all to yourself!"

"I know, twin."

Madina folded her arms on her chest, "Then please get up and go to your room. I want to sleep."

"If you can pick me up bridal style and take me there, then..." Habiba wiggled her brows.

"I'm not playing. I'm very sleepy, Habiba. Please, I'm really begging you now."

Habiba propped her head up with one hand, and squinted her eyes, "We searched for you all around the house when Ya Maheer came, where on earth did you hide?"

"If you really want to know, get out of my room first."

Habiba sat up and rolled her eyes, "I have already made up my mind, if you can't sleep with me then you can walk out. The ball's in your court."

Madina hissed angrily and laid down, turning her back to her, she plugged in her headphones and turned on Suratul mulk recitation by Mishary Rashid.

WANT TO CONTINUE READING? HEAD TO OKADABOOKS.