Café du mondé, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sunday, 25th February, 2018.

The place was bustling with people entering and going. Some were having their breakfasts, all decked up for work, while some were probably coming from their morning jogs, as they were dressed in joggers. Among those people, one young man, who looked to be about thirty years, stood out. He was wearing a starched white kaftan ironed to perfection. With a black cap perched on his head.

The man strained his neck to look at the door, it was obvious he was expecting someone. He picked up his small button phone and looked at the time, before hissing. He didn't like waiting for people, it made him feel inferior - which he was anything but.

He saw one of the waiters passing by so he stopped him and asked him to get him Jambalaya - a rice based dish, most often served with oyster, shrimps, ham or chicken. He requested that his be made with chicken and the waiter nodded with a promise to be back in a short while with the man's food.

"How long have you been here waiting for me?" Another man of about sixty years said as he took a seat opposite the previous man. The young man rolled his eyes and hissed, long and hard.

"And what are you wearing? Don't you feel odd in those clothes? Everyone is wearing cooperate wears and you're in a getzner?" The young man hissed, he was comfortable in his clothes.

"Are we going to talk about what brought me here all the way from Abuja, and you from Lagos or are we going to keep judging each other's clothes?" The waiter from earlier came and dropped the young man's food and turned to ask the older man if he would have anything. The older man shook his head and the waiter left, not before telling him to feel free to go through their menu.

"Sorry. Did you use the link I sent you?" The younger man nodded.

"I can't believe Abulkhair, that was not his girlfriend, I'm sure. His girlfriend is from a poor family so why is he getting married to Alhaji Muhammad's daughter?" The older man smirked.

"You shouldn't be worried about that, I'm even happy he has made my work easier. I don't know about you though, but he has made it easier for me to get to Alhaji Muhammad. Now I just have to wait till he gets married to that Aisha, and then I make my first move. I have everything planned out." The younger man took a spoon of his food. It was good, not better than the one his mother prepared for them back in Nigerian though.

"You're being selfish, you know that right? You're supposed to be thinking about us, not just you. Anyways, I was thinking that if you make your first move, Alhaji Muhammad would be weak, distracted and careless, Abulkhair would also be together with Alhaji Muhammad. So I'll use that opportunity to do everything once and for all. My plan doesn't need much stress, I just need an opportunity, which is where you come in, and then once I grasp what I want, I'm done." The older man nodded.

"So now we're going to keep tabs on them, huh?" The younger man nodded in response as he scooped another spoonful into his mouth.

"Good then. On a totally different note, we need to change the phones we need in communication, Alhaji Muhammad's PI has started recording our calls. My secretary told me yesterday." The younger man groaned. He didn't like that Alhaji Muhammad's PI one bit, the old man was always on their tails.

The older man brought out two extremely small walkie-talkies, they were so tiny they could fit in a brassiere.

"These have been connected. We can talk to each other from any where across the globe." The younger man nodded and collected it. He shoved it in his trousers pocket and continued eating.

"When do we see again?" The younger man asked when he noticed that the older man had stood up and was already leaving.

"I'll let you know. For now, don't make any move, lay low and wait for the wedding to take place. I have a press conference in twenty four hours so I have to leave right now. My private jet is waiting for me, make sure you make use of your walkie-talkie." The younger man nodded and the older man disappeared like he wasn't there to begin with. He knew what he was doing though, he was hungry but he didn't have cash at hand and if he used his bank, Alhaji Muhammad would trace him down there. He was vulnerable without his escorts, especially in a foreign country where he was a nobody.

The younger man finished eating and used his ATM card to pay for his meals. He walked out just in time his walkie-talkie started making noise.

"You used your bank. Alhaji Muhammad's PI would know you are the second person. Transfer all the money from that account and look for how to get rid of it." The walkie-talkie went dead and he groaned. What he was doing was so uncomfortable for him. Spending money, traveling anyhow and being secretive in public, he hated it. But then, remembering the hefty billions of naira awaiting him at the end, he smiled and quickly booked a flight back to Nigeria with his other account.

He called his friend and asked him to do what he had been asked to do and the friend asked if something was wrong. The earlier replied in the negative and the friend said an okay.

°°°

Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria.
Wednesday, 28th February, 2018.

For the past three to four days, the house had been bustling with people from all over the state and beyond. Colleagues and rivals, family and friends and even strangers were all coming to congratulate Alhaji Muhammad and his daughter on the marriage proposal.

Today was no different, Alhaji Muhammad had excused himself to go pick a call, when he heard sirens and then the screeching of car tyres.

"Who could that be? Bringing their escorts into my house?" Alhaji Muhammad's face twisted in annoyance.

"Alhaji Shamsuddeen, welcome." People from all over the parlor greeted the man who just entered. A man in black with shades and an air pod attached to his ear came and whispered something in the said Alhaji Shamsuddeen's ears and he nodded then dismissed him.

"Ah, look who came by. The one and only Honorable, his excellency Alhaji Shamsuddeen is in my house. To what do I owe you this visit?" Alhaji Muhammad gave a fake smile and an even faker one was what he received.

"Ah, can't I just come over to my enemy's house?" The room rumbled with laughter. The two men knew there was an underlying meaning to the statement but they decided to play it cool. If the other occupants of the room got the underlying meaning in that statement, they didn't show it.

"Please have a seat. The maids will get you something to eat." Alhaji Muhammad said and Alhaji Shamsuddeen waved a hand dismissively.

"No, don't worry. I won't have anything. What if my enemy poisons me?" The other occupants laughed and so did Alhaji Muhammad while discreetly looking around to see if he brought anything with, so he'd know what to do with it.

"Your jokes are the best." They laughed again.

"Congratulations, you've gotten yourself a good son inlaw." Alhaji Muhammad nodded, making a mental note to ask his PI to check if Alhaji Shamsuddeen had any former history with the Al'amin Abubakars, apart from the one they all knew about, of course.

Alhaji Muhammad kept conversing about politics and his upcoming campaign while discreetly making sure Alhaji Shamsuddeen didn't plant anything in his house. He knew the man was capable of it and even worse. He could do anything.

Alhaji Shamsuddeen was Alhaji Muhammad's rival in politics and even wealth. They were both competing for the same post in the government, thus the underlying enmity people didn't seem to notice between them.

At Eesh's side of the house, she was sitting with her cousins; Uwani, Amrah, Ruqayya, Ikram, Meenal, Neeha and Ummi. They were talking about the wedding and everything regarding it.

"Can you guys calm down? The wedding date hasn't even been fixed." Amrah said and they started murmuring.

"Adda Mami and the other married cousins are coming." Neeha who just got off the phone said.

Few minutes later, Mami - their cousin who recently got married -, Aqeela, Airah and Naja'atu came in. They were all coming from their respective matrimonial homes.

"Thank goodness no one came with their children, now we can talk serious." Meenal said and Airah rose a brow. Meenal shrugged and they all sat around Eesh in the parlor.

"So first off, let's have a list of all the events you'd like to have." Eesh almost groaned but refrained at the last minute when she remembered all her cousins thought it was a love marriage.

"Amrah get your MacBook." Amrah nodded and rushed out only to come back with a MacBook.

"Now list the events you want. You're definitely having a bridal shower." Eesh forced herself to look excited.

"Of course! I'm going to have at least six events." They all nodded in agreement and started chattering.

"You know, before we start talking about all these, we need to talk about the things that are closer, like the fact that we haven't created an Instagram and YouTube account yet with their hashtag. And the fact that we haven't talked about the beautician, where she's going to come from and all that. We haven't talked about the shopping of the kayan daki. You know the elders said they've left everything in our hands, we just need to forward our decisions to them." The girls hooted. They loved the idea of getting to do everything for their cousin's wedding no doubt.

"Why don't we start with the account first. I'll create the one for Instagram and then Ruqayya would create the one for YouTube and then we'll share the password so we can all have access to it." They all agreed and Ikram went ahead to create the accounts.

"What should be their hashtag?" Ikram asked and they all started murmuring.

"Wait, what's his name again?" Ruqayya asked.

"His name is Abulkhair, Ahmad Abulkhair."

"inyaw! See how she's calling his name without shame or shyness." They all laughed and Eesh rolled her eyes.

"What's there to be shy about? I can't be shy about someone I'm going to live my whole life with." aws flied into the air and Eesh smiled.

"Okay, how about AhSha?"

"Ew!" They started laughing.

"AiMad."

"Guy!" They laughed again.

"EeBul?"

"No naw." They started laughing again.

"How about KhairIsha?"

"Wow." They all chorused. Amrah brushed imaginary dust off her shoulders.

"What about Aheesh?" An even better reaction was gotten and Mami adjusted her imaginary collars.

"EeMad?"

"KhaEsha." Eesh said and they all shouted.

"That's the absolute best." They all agreed.

"KhaEsha it is." Ruqayya said and told them that was going to be the password together with Eesh's date of birth which was February 3rd.

"Now that that is done, we need to tag you both. What's his handle?" Eesh shrugged, she didn't know.

"Call and ask him." Eesh picked her phone but then realized she didn't have his contact. She quickly sent her father a text saying she needed Abulkhair's number.

Alhaji Muhammad was discussing with his PA about the food to be shared within Kwali when his phone pinged with a message from his daughter. He knew it was her because he had made her notifications specific.

Daddy I need Abulkhair's number.

Alhaji Muhammad's face broke into a smile and he hurriedly sent the number to her.

Eesh saw the number and saved it as Him with a heart emoji. She tapped on call and heard as it rang.

"Assalamu Alaikum." Abulkhair said immediately he picked the call.

"Ameem wa alaikas salam, how are you?" Eesh could hear the confusion in his voice when he replied with a fine.

"I need to know your Instagram handle. My cousins are making accounts for us."

"I'll send it to you via text message."

"Okay, bye." Abulkhair ended the call and Eesh almost laughed. He shouldn't get any ideas though, she didn't want to call him either.

Ahmad_Al'ameen

Eesh told them the handle and they continued.