Gbazango, Abuja, Nigeria.
Friday, 16th March, 2018.

Nana Asma'u had accepted her fate long ago, she knew nothing she did would stop the marriage. But at that moment, as she sat all decked up awaiting her so called groom, she couldn't help but ask herself whether she was doing the right thing for herself. She knew Nuhu in and out, and she had decided to accept him together with his flaws. No one was perfect, that she knew.

Everyone had their flaws and that was what made them, well, them. It was a part of their personality that could hardly be changed. Asking a person to get rid of their flaws was like asking a bird to live without its feathers, or a dog to stop barking. That was not possible, flaws were a part of the human life and she knew nothing she could do would change that.

Even Abulkhair had his flaws, they were just perfect in Nana Asma'u's eyes, because she loved him. Her thoughts were cut short when the curtain was drawed and her sisters trudged inside wearing matching tangerine lace sewn into prom gowns with illusion neckline and split sleeves. They had subtle makeup on and their head gears were tied into pleated v-style.

"Adda Nana, Yaya Nuhu is here." Nana Asma'u nodded and her two cousins came out and took her out of the room to go see her husband.

Nana Asma'u was wearing an aqua lace sewn into a six piece skirt with a long trail and a blouse with keyhole neckline and raglan sleeves. She looked beautiful. Her make up was done perfectly. It was surprising how Hansatu got the money to pay for one of the best makeup artists and photography crew in Abuja.

Taking a deep breath, Nana Asma'u smiled and walked towards Nuhu. They had their first Halal hug and pictures were taken. After that, Nana Asma'u was conveyed to Nuhu's parents house in Arab road for the budan kai - unveiling of the bride.

Nana Asma'u changed into an atamfa whose background was onyx and had oxblood patterns splattered all over with frost and beige dropped in little quantities in random places inside the oxblood patterns. Her head tie was tied in the infinity pleated bridal style and she had oxblood veil on. Gold jewelries adorned her neck, ears, wrists and fingers. Onyx stilettos clad her henna stained feet. She looked breathtakingly beautiful and also happy, if only people knew.

Nana Asma'u sat on the traditional carpet with her face covered, her cousins and friends surrounded her and the unveiling of the bride started.

Back at Gbazango, Hansatu was surrounded by her step-sisters and brothers. Her mother was sitting at the farthest end of the parlor watching her daughter with keen interest. It was as if she was trying to unravel a secret that was hidden in Hansatu's face.

"You possibly couldn't take her to Maiduguri so we can have a proper Margi wedding. You wanted an Abuja wedding. What did you gain from it? You didn't even tell our mothers their granddaughter was getting married!" Asabe said. She was the oldest and the most temperamental in the family. Her temper tended to cloud her thinking.

"Ya Asabe calm down, maybe she has her reasons." Indo who was the calmest and unfortunately the dumbest said. She was the most gullible and emotional person in the family.

"What excuse would warrant her to deny us a chance to get our daughter married? What excuse, huh? She's always pushing us away. She likes to feel superior, to feel atop everyone else. I wonder what that husband of yours had seen in you." Larabie said and Hansatu rolled her eyes.

Hansatu knew what they were trying to do. They were trying to gouge out an emotion from her and it wouldn't work. She wasn't going to succumb to them. The marriage had been conducted and nothing could change that fact. Moreover, twenty years promise was no joke. She wasn't going to break that promise just because the person she made the promise to was dead. She was no deceiver.

"Keh Hansatu answer us. We're talking to you." Larabie said pushing Hansatu's head with her forefinger. Hansatu held that finger and twisted it until a crack was heard. Gasps filled the room.

"She broke her finger!" Asabe shouted and Hansatu's mother took that as her cue to interfere. Her daughter had never been violent so what changed? Had she failed in her training to her as a mother?

"Hafsa! I want to talk to you, in private." The other occupants took that as their cue so they left the room. Most of them didn't leave until they threw nasty looks at Hansatu.

"Hafsa what happened to you? This is not the girl I raised. Is this what I trained you to become? Is this what I taught you?!" Hansatu lowered her head. She looked remorseful. Only her mother could make her lower her eyes. No one else.

"Mami..." She trailed off. She had absolutely nothing to say. She had no explanation for what she did. She knew it was wrong on all levels.

"Don't you Mami me! Do you have any explanation for this? All of this?" Hansatu shook her head.

"Now care to tell me what you were thinking when you did everything?" Hansatu was quiet. It was then everything clicked to Hansatu's mother.

"Is this about the promise?" Hansatu raised her head and looked at her mother. She lowered her head before nodding. Her mother sighed. She knew her daughter wasn't stupid. She knew what she was doing.

"Does Husna know about the promise? Or anyone else for that matter?" Hansatu finally opened her mouth.

"She doesn't. No one does. She just thinks I'm getting her married to Nuhu because he's family and Abulkhair is not." Hansatu's mother sighed again. She slumped back in her chair and rubbed her forehead with her forefinger and thumb. She hated anything that would stress her. Anything that had to do with stress was not for her.

"So are you ever going to tell her?" That was the question Hansatu dreaded. From the look on her face, her mother had already depicted the answer. But she needed to hear it from her mouth. She needed that confirmation.

"I intend to keep the promise a secret. Just as I have kept it for twenty years. But if a situation comes up..." Hansatu trailed off and her mother nodded, understanding what it all meant.

"Allah ya basu zaman lafiya." And the conversation ended there.

After Nana Asma'u's budan kai had been concluded, she was conveyed to a house in Arab road in Kubwa. One of Nuhu's uncle's had gifted the house to them as a wedding gift. When she stepped into the house with her right leg entering before her left, tears fell from her eyes.

That was it, that had marked the end of her story with Abulkhair and had marked the beginning of a new story, of her and Nuhu. She knew it wasn't easy, marriage had never been easy, but she was ready to give them a try. She would do it, for her mother.

And with the new found determination, she walked into her husband's home with her friends guiding her. It was a new beginning for her and Nuhu and she was more than ready to conquer whatever obstacles might be hauled her way.

°°°

Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria.
Friday 23rd March, 2018.

Uwani's parents house was ready to accept the guests that were coming their way in the next few minutes. Uwani's mother entered the kitchen. She saw the samosas, spring rolls and doughnuts each sitting in a silver tray covered with a transparent plastic wrap. She opened a large silver warmer and saw the chicken wings looking so tantalizing. She nodded, liking the fact that everything was ready. The sound of cars entering the compound interrupted her thoughts and she rushed out.

"Uwani! Hauwa'u! Keh Hauwa!" Uwani came running down the stairs.

"Go and tell your father the guests are here. Tell your uncles too." Uwani nodded and loosened the veil she had tied on her head before wrapping it around her head and shoulders.

The guests were ushered in and the snacks were brought. Uwani's father and two of her uncles who were also Eesh's uncles exchanged pleasantries with Eesh's father and two of his brothers who were for the groom's side, together with Abulkhair, the groom himself.

"We had seen a flower in your house. We asked if we could pluck it and you gave us permission. Now we're here to pay for it and make it legally ours." One of the men from the groom's side said.

"And to be clear, this flower is Aisha Muhammad Umar." Abulkhair said and they laughed.

"Well then, how much are you willing to pay for this flower?" Alhaji Muhammad looked at Abulkhair and the latter put a hand in his pockets and brought out a bundle of five hundred naira notes, then another, and another, until there were six of them on the coffee table.

Uwani who was watching everything from upstairs widened her eyes.

"This is her sadaki {bride price}." Mashaa Allahs flew into the air.

"Toh when should the wedding be set?" Uwani's father looked at them.

"In two months time?" Eesh's father asked and they all nodded.

"The daurin aure will be done on the sixth of next month, which will be the first Friday of April." They all nodded and it was agreed on.

Food was eaten and congratulations were shared.

Alhaji Muhammad was happy, his wish was finally coming true. He couldn't believe it. It felt surreal. Even to him. But he knew that if what he had in mind hadn't worked out, he would've used the letter. That would tackle Eesh's weakness and she wouldn't hesitate. As for Abulkhair, he was an obedient lad, he wasn't someone who'd disobey the person who had raised him.

Eesh smiled, no, tried to smile at her reflection in the mirror but failed miserably. She couldn't even school her expression, her facade was falling. Her boss lady face was failing her. She knew it was mere jitters. She was scared, she didn't know why, but she was scared.

Eesh walked into her closet and opened one of the numerous drawers. She brought out a folder that had the name she so much despised; Aishatu Muhammad Umar Jalingo. That folder contained all of Eesh's important documents.

Eesh unlocked it with the little key that she had gotten turned into a necklace for her. She couldn't risk her father coming in to see the one document she didn't want him to ever see. She knew how he'd react so she hid it from him. And she intended to keep it that way.

After making sure the promise she made her mother was still well documented and kept safely, she locked the folder and kept it back in its place. The serene feeling that enveloped her got her ready for whatever was going to come from the marriage.

Come what may, Aishatu Muhammad Umar Jalingo had made her decision and she was going to stand by it.

Eesh picked her MacBook which had the list of events she wanted, the beautician she liked, the photographer she wanted, the event planner she wanted to handle her wedding events, the places she wanted the wedding events to be conducted in and every other detail.

The minute details like the colors of the clothes Eesh and her bridesmaid would wear and everything else would be handled by her cousins. The fonts for the invitation cards and all that too.

Eesh picked her phone and sent a message to the group her cousins created for anything that had to do with the wedding. They were that excited. When her cousins arrived, she shoved the MacBook in Uwani's hands and left them to read through.

At the end of the day, they had prepared everything and the next day, the beautician would start working her magic on Eesh's skin.