Gbazango, Abuja, Nigeria.
Tuesday 20th February, 2018.

Do this, do that. The house was bustling with activities. The person they were even doing it for was looking like a zombie. She couldn't believe what was happening, how could her mother do that to her? Her mother knew all too well that she never loved Nuhu, so why? But she knew why. Her mother hated Abulkhair, if not that he was the giving type she would've stopped Nana Asma'u from even picking his calls.

"Asma'u come here and get dressed, they just asked where they should go when they reach pipeline mosque. You need to leave the house right now. I don't even know why your mum asked you to stay." Aunty Hauwa, Aunty Haule's twin shouted from the room.

Nana Asma'u entered and got dressed gloomily. She called UmmuSalma, her immediate younger sister and they boarded a keke {tricycle} for their trip to Kawu Ayyuba's house.

"Adda Asmee, have you told Ya Abulkhair?" Nana UmmuSalma asked the dreaded question.

"No. But I'll tell Kawu Ayyuba to call Mama and tell her to reject the gifts. That way I don't need to tell Abulkhair anything." Nana UmmuSalma hummed in response, agreeing to what Nana Asma'u wanted to do.

On reaching Kawu Ayyuba's house, Nana Asma'u found out that he had to travel early to Maiduguri as it was an emergency. One of the family farms was going to be turned into an industry if someone didn't claim it and being it that Kawu Ayyuba was with the papers that would serve ad proof, he needed to be there.

This revelation left Nana Asma'u devastated. What would she do? Picking up her phone, she called Kawu Ayyuba. They exchanged pleasantries in their mother's tongue, margi.

"Kawu, mama is accepting lefe from Nuhu." Ayyuba shouted, exclaiming in Margi. Just then, Nana Asma'u's airtime finished. She groaned in annoyance and opened her purse only to see that what remained there was just enough for their return home. If she made a dent on it then they would have to trek some distance which would be very inconvenient for Nana UmmuSalma who stepped on a nail the previous day.

She would've borrowed but she always forgot to pay back and only remembered when she recharges and they remove the money she owed them. She would've just bought from her account but she hadn't opened one yet. Abulkhair had suggested she opened an account to reduce her roaming with money anyhow but she wouldn't listen. See where that got her to.

Groaning in frustration, she asked Aunty Zee if she could help her with a hundred naira. She hated begging because her mother would always beat her if she begged for something, Hansatu would say that only poor people begged and she wasn't poor. What a lie!

"Habiba! Biba!" Aunty Zee shouted cranking her head to see where her irresponsible daughter would pop out of. She hated waiting for people. She also hated it when she called someone and the person took their time before answering her. And Habiba was always fond of doing both.

Aunty Zee's second and only male child, Zayyad popped his head from the curtain of his room to reply his mother on his sister's behalf. Habiba had told him to tell their mother she was going to visit her new found boyfriend's parents. He said he wanted her to get used to them a bit before informing her father, Kawu Ayyuba of his intentions and she couldn't be more happier.

"Mama na manta ne {mama i forgot}, Adda Habiba said to tell you she's going to Yusuf's parents house and Baba had approved of it." He popped his head back to avoid the flying slippers his mom had thrown at him.

"Why are you and your sister so irresponsible? Look at Hanifa, she's literally your younger sister but she has more sense than you can gather in a lifetime." Zayyad pouted.

"Nikam daina tura min baki. Bakin kaman duwawun kaza. {stop pushing that mouth of yours. The mouth that is like a chicken's anus}." Zayyad screeched and Nana Asma'u laughed.

"Come and give me that five hundred I gave you. I'll give you when I enter the room. I don't want to enter now because I'll be tempted to fold the clothes on the bed. So give me and I'll give you later." Zayyad frowned but gave her the money anyway. He was planning on getting Suya and giving it Nana UmmuSalma so that she could deliver it to his crush, Nana Saudah, who his eighteen year old self was older than by four years.

"Husna, take and buy credit for yourself. Buy something for Salma too." Nana Asma'u shook her head frantically, already regretting asking Aunty Zee for money.

Nana UmmuSalma collected the money with a wide smile. Nana Asma'u glared at her.

"Aunty Zee mun gode. Naga wannar tana jin kunya. Nikam inaso wallahi. {thank you. I can see that this one is shy. I swear by Allah I want it}." Nana UmmuSalma shouted when Nana Asma'u gave her a resounding knock on the head.

"Aunty Zee are you seeing her?" Nana UmmuSalma pouted.

"Kunfi kusa. Bah ruwana {you're closer. It's none of my business}." Auntu Zee smiled at them bickering. She loved seeing kids especially females bicker, it always brought a smile to her face. But as Allah would have it, her first daughter is an extrovert, her second child ambivert and her last child an introvert.

Nana Asma'u's problems long forgotten, her phone rang reminding her what she was doing. It was Abulkhair calling so she excused herself and picked the call.

"Nana Asma'ul Husna what's happening in your house?" Oh no.

"Uhm, can you come over to Kawu's house? I'll tell you everything here." Abulkhair hummed and cut the call. Few minutes later he was in front of the gate so he called her and told her he was outside. She came out and he drove away after she had entered the house.

"Now care to explain why there where people taking boxes into your house?" So he saw it. Nana Asma'u cleared her throat and told him what happened. All the while, he was listening attentively without cutting her off at any point.

"So why didn't you call me and tell me? Weren't you planning on telling me?" Abulkhair was clearly hurt.

"No Allah I was planning on telling you. But I didn't want Mama to accept the gifts so immediately I reached Kawu's house and found out he wasn't there, I called him and while I was telling him what happened, my airtime finished. We still haven't finished talking. I wanted him to tell Mama not to accept the gifts first before I told you about it." Nana Asma'u said and Abulkhair nodded.

Wordlessly, he drove to Access bank and bought the form for opening a savings account for Nana Asma'u. After doing all the necessary things, she was provided with her ATM card and they left. All these was possible because he happened to know a friend who helped.

All the while, Abulkhair didn't talk to Nana Asma'u except when necessary. He didn't tease her nor did he pester her and that made her worry. On reaching the house, Abulkhair turned to Nana Asma'u.

"I'm meeting Abba tomorrow to talk about my wedding to you. If Kawu comes back, text me." Nana Asma'u nodded and tried to go out when Abulkhair's voice stopped her.

"Don't forget this, I love you and no matter what your mother will do, I'll try my best to get married to you." Tears filled Nana Asma'u's eyes and she nodded before going out.

Abulkhair drove home with the intention of telling Alhaji Muhammad that he couldn't marry Eesh because he loved someone else. Just as he finished his Isha prayers and was about to sleep, his phone pinged. He checked the message knowing fully well that Nana Asma'u wouldn't get the opportunity to message him that day.

It was from a number. Curiously, Abulkhair opened the message.

I just thought that you should know because I'm sure he wouldn't tell you. Dr. Hon. Muhammad Umar Jalingo has been diagnosed with leukemia, a deadly cancer of the blood. The diagnosis was made last three months and as at then, it was stated that he had five more months to live. So that means that he has only two more months to live. I know he hasn't told you about it yet and you might not believe me but below is the picture of his folder which holds the diagnosis and the date it was made.

Truly, below the message was a picture and it was quite correct. So Alhaji Muhammad was going to die in the next two months he didn't care to tell Abulkhair? After loosing both his parents, Alhaji Muhammad took responsibility of him when his own relatives thought him a witch who killed his parents, typical Nigerian thinking.

He nurtured him and made sure he got the best education that he didn't provide his own daughter with. When Abulkhair's family wanted him dead so they could inherit all the properties, Alhaji Muhammad protected him from all of them without him knowing. And when he grew up and said he wanted to be with his family, instead of being stopped or called an ingrate, he was wished luck and peaceful life with his family.

When Fahad's father wanted to snatch the properties Abulkhair was to inherit, Alhaji Muhammad fought tooth and nail to make sure what Abulkhair rightfully owned remained his. Even when Alhaji Muhammad had the chance to claim Abulkhair's property as his in court, he didn't.

Alhaji Muhammad was Abulkhair's father, mother, friend, cousin, he was his everything. Literally. Eesh would ask Alhaji to vlog with her but he'd refuse, but when Abulkhair asked him to have a drawing competition with him and he did.

Abulkhair slept with the thought of Alhaji Muhammad on his mind. The next morning, Abulkhair got dressed early and sent Nana Asma'u a good morning text. He drove to Asokoro to have a talk with Alhaji Muhammad.

After they exchanged pleasantries, Abulkhair was the one who did the talking.

"Abba, what is this?" Abulkhair handed over his phone to Alhaji Muhammad. He watched as his face contorted in confusion, before changing into something he recognized as realization before it turned to fear.

"Abulkhair..."

"Abba is it true?" Abulkhair's eyes started filling with tears.

"Yes but.."

"Abba why?"

"Abulkhair..."

"Abba why would you hide this from me?!" Abulkhair shouted and Alhaji Muhammad frowned.

"Ahmad Al'amin Abulkhair sit down right this minute otherwise I'm not going to hesitate before spanking the hell out of you!" Abulkhair calmed down and sat back down.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel indebted to pay me before I die or for you to marry my daughter because you think it's my last wish even though it is. The point here is that you weren't supposed to find out." Abulkhair let the tears fall. May Allah bless everyone with someone like this in their life.

"Abba I'll marry Aisha." Abulkhair declared.

Alhaji Muhammad looked at him with shock, even though he saw it coming he didn't know it'd come this fast.

But that was the plan right? That was the plan all along.

"Are you sure you want to marry her? I don't want you to do it because I have leukemia or something. I want you to be happy, but at the same I want my daughter to have a spouse I can trust. And her lack of interest in the male specie is not helping. I want to make sure that you're happy before I die even if you're not married to my daughter. I can get my daughter another husband even though I can't find someone I know like you. Take a deep breath and tell me, do you really want to marry my daughter? Are you willing to take on her responsibilities as her husband?"

"Yes Abba, I'll marry Aisha. I'm willing to marry her." Abulkhair said and a voice they least expected replied them.

"No you're not! Not! Never in a million years will i marry this man. Even if he's the last man on earth, I'd rather remain a spinster."