N 🇳🇬

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🎵When I can't sleep at night , without holding you tight, each time I try- I just break down and cry, pain in my head oh I'd be gone, spinning around and around ...although we've come to the end of the road, still I can't let you go, it's unnatural, you belong to me , I belong to you.. oh I wanna say that I'm lonely...🎵

🖤unknown🖤
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Chapter seven
August Weddings

             August, 2017
           G.R.A. Katsina,
                Nigeria

Day1
Kunshi/henna

It was 10 in the morning when Amira sat down in the living room of their aunts house in katsina admiring her henna. She and the rest of her cousins had their henna at the early morning so that they get ready before the event starts. Amira never applied henna before,. for that, she was really thrilled and excited about this whole wedding events.. she wants to know what happens, how it feels and what it looks like to attend such events for she has never attended any Nigerian weddings.

"Amira, stop admiring your hands and get something on ASAP, the event is starting at 2 and we've got to be ready before that. We have places to go right now." Fatima said to her as she entered the living room with some of her cousins behind her.

"No she doesn't" Fatima replied to Rahma- one of the cousins, under thesame age group.."Oh no wonder" Rahma said

At first amira didn't get what Rahma said but from Fatima's reply, she understood exactly what Rahma's question was.

The Six of them ,that is ..Fatima, Amira, Rahma, Munira, Maryam, Nusaiba moved to the car.

....

"fatima, wai me kuke yi ne haryanzu.."

"mama wallahi gamu nan kan...." her mother cut her off before she could finish talking

Fatima sighed and turned to them " Dan Allah you guys should hurry, mama has started complaining"

and that's how they left the place with fatima wearing her fitted blue printed Ankara gown, Amira with skirt and blouse  green printed Ankara, and same with the rest but with different type of ankaras

As soon as they reached their aunt's house where the event is taking place, they went upstairs where the bride is as they were instructed. They greeted the people they can as they move upstairs.

Unlike others, it wasn't easy for Amira, to her it was something new but to them, it is something they are used to. Like, what's there in being at a crowdy place with the people you know or know you.. It should be a normal thing right? Well for her it's not.. Its just like being in a crowded  place where you don't know 99% of the people there who speak and act in a way you've never come across.. ain't that be the strangest and weirdest thing to ever happen to you...

Well!!

"ina wuni mama" that's what Fatima and her cousins have been saying, and Amira doing almost all of what they are doing.

They reached to bride's room or should we say where the bride is kept for now. They knocked the door and entered the room with a soft Salaam.

Amira was left flabbergasted, she has seen the answer to her mind, to that thing which she has been thinking about if this is how they normally dress, then how do they look like at weddings.. I have heard that weddings in Nigeria are great events that are cherished and well prepared for.... So if at this wedding I have worn this and dressed beautifully.. What of the bride? How will she look?

The zainab that she knows has been transformed into a smoking dead drop gorgeous bride. That is The power of beatification.

Amira couldn't even start to describe her, she didn't know what she wearing or rather she didn't know what is was called... Is it even a cultural dressing or a traditional one?..

.. Well whatever it is, it is deemed right that the embroidered navy blue buba with sparkling silver stones has befitted Zainab...beautiful cannot be used to describe how she looks, just mashaAllah

"mashaAllah mashaAllah, ya zainab kinyi kyau sosaiii  wallahi.." different comments on how zainab looks came out of fatima and her cousins, admiring her.

She thanked them smiling shyly as her friends keep mocking her and out of nowhere Amira's voice was heard " you look ravishing, oh my God I don't know what to say"

She didn't even realised what she said until everyone laughed at her "stop laughing at my Britain girl.. please, thank you" Zainab turned and smiled at Amira and she smiled

An elderly woman entered informing them that it was time for the bride and her friends to come outside

One of the bride's friends laughed and said "amarsee ta ango" and zainab looked down smiling "wallahi zan ci kaniyanki Rahma"

.....

"I don't understand what you're saying, you mean we can't go to the event center?" Adnan asked Muktar

"yes, yes, yes we can't go especially now" Mukhtar answered him in irritation

"why?" Amir gently asked him

"Well the thing is, men don't usually go to wedding events especially henna it's mainly for the ladies only"

"ladies, bullshit..

" Adnan chill abegg.. if you're so interested in the wedding go and get dressed at least, you can accompany me to the place for I have something to deliver" Fahad who has been using his phone told Adnan.

"ah no, we are all going there" Amir said as they all went to wear something presentable

.....

"we are here" Fahad said referring to Adnan

Adnan looked at him "I can see" mukhtar chuckled "then why are you still seated on your seat"

"ha!, you don't expect,  'only me' to go out now in the middle of..." he looked around him "... in this gathering of people mostly feminine!!!"

Amir laughed "common lad, don't tell me you're scared of the ladies"

"not just ladies, I haven't been around girls this way.. you know, the ones I know, the ones I'm used to are not thesame" Adnan said in a matter of fact

"not thesame? what do you mean, that these ones have horns or what" mukhtar said and they all laughed

"no..

" we get the point, weren't you the one who insisted that we come... But sha sha some people here are wondering what this car is doing here, we have to deliver what we're here for, yeah? "

They all agreed and went out. Fahad went back to the booth to pick up the cartons of drinks they were asked to deliver, asking or rather demanding for assistance from them.

As they were bringing the drinks out, a group of young ladies came and passed them

"let me adjust this cap, what is it called again?" Adnan asked mukhtar

"Qube or zannan bukar " mukhtar said smiling at Adnan

"yeah yhh whatever... I see you've got pretty girls here" Adnan said and they all laughed, Fahad grabbed his share and left them there

"fool" Amir said and shooked his head "Mukhtar let's go" and that's how they all left carrying the drinks inside the house

They've met many people on the way and greeted the ones they can, they met up with fahad and mummy

"mummy ina wuni"

"lafiya lau sannun ku" she answered them

Fahad said he will go to the place where the bride is, he had to see his Zainab and how beautiful she looks and the boys said they would accompany him.

On their way, adnan has automatically changed from the funny him to the cool guy he is. He walked alongside Fahad as they chitchated. Whereas Amir was waiting to see his twin sister, they have resolved from the unreasonable fight they had and back to their normal selves like they always do. He also walked alongside Mukhtar as they silently exchange whispers mainly about the Mukhtar's cousins they are about to meet.

They have reached the place and saw some girls dancing to the beats of some old women drumming of calabar (kidin kwarya or kalangu ).

"hey look" adnan pointed at Fatima as he spotted her. They moved to where she is with some of the girls they don't know of as they were about to join the girls that are busy throwing their legs left and rightwards in the name of dancing.

Fahad moved fastly forward to talk to her, he called out her name but many Fatimas turned and she did not turn.

"all those Fatima's for you only" adnan teased and Fahad rolled his eyes

Amir at the back was busying his eyes searching for his twin not minding the number of girl's eyes shooting his way. Fahad called her name once and she turned, she widened her eyes surprisingly. She touched one of the girls with her and walked together to where the boys are.

"Fahad, ashe kunzo"  fatima said "eh wallahi, nakawo sakon mummy neh, tarada wa inna santayan, especially adnan dinnan that has been disturbing us to come and see katsina fine girls" Fahad answered her

"wait don't start" adnan started calmly as Fahad, Fatima and the girl she came with laugh "how many times do I have to tell you to stop speaking this language when I'm here okay!" they smiled and shooked their head

"Maryam ina su Muhammad?" Mukhtar asked his cousin of her brothers' whereabout

"wallahi bansani bah, kamar nagansu dazun da Amira" she answered him telling him that she hasn't seen them for now, but she had seen them with Amira

"Amira?" Amir said softly "okay I didn't actually understand a thing, but when you said Amir which Amira?" he asked Maryam

"oh my god, you're the twin brother right? you guys look absolutely alike... sha anyways yes her. They've bonded pretty well, she wasn't really attached to the girls here, she..."

"yeah yh, I know my sister" Amir said in a matter of fact

They all laughed at them "she  didn't actually want to dance because she doesn't know the dancing steps, so I left her with them" Fatima further explained to him

All the way, adnan didn't say anything, he didn't like that girls attitude, what is she feeling like?!!

As they continued to chat, Fahad asked her to take him to Zainab and they all went together.

"ah who brought this human being here?" zainab said teasing Fahad

"ain't you happy to see me, your 'loml' " he said and they all laughed

"laa lala.. Ah me oo, I must tell am" Rahma said jokingly

"who you go tell?" Fahad asked her

" ah she she knows na" they all burst out of laughter as Zainab blushed.

"you can't kill me aswrrr"

"abeg you guys should follow me" Fatima said referring to adnan, Amir and Mukhtar.

That's how they left Fahad with the rest of the bride's friends.

"yawwa Amira we've been looking for you" fatima said as she spotted Amira with Muhammad and his friend.

Amir quickly looked up from his phone to his twin, and instantly he smiled as she smiled back.

"you look absolutely gorgeous," Amir said as he hugged his twin

"my God Amir thank you" she answered back

"what happened to your face" adnan started and they looked at him "fatima really looked pretty but  I don't know what you did to your face.. You're naturally prettier than with your make up, and your gown.. My goodness Amira it's too tight didn't you know that..."

"Adnan for goodness sake don't start with me today" Amira said

"I was only kidding, you looked beautiful" he said ashe hugged her.

Amira moved aside and dug into conversation with mukhtar, Amir, Muhammad and his friend while adnan stood along with Fatima and her cousins male and female.

🎶🎶Katsinawa....

As soon as the woman with the microphone started singing the song and the drummers drummed to the beat. The bride's friends, cousins and almost all the attendants there screamed and jumped from their to the dance floor.

They arranged themselves in three long straight rows as they began dancing, starting with throwing their right leg lightly twice, they will turn a little and throw the left leg twice then they will turn backwards, left once right once continously..

That's how the choreography goes for the song mostly done by katsina people. The dance is called tamboli  Both female and male can dance the dance

(the spelling might not be correct sha)

Fatima, her cousins, Muhammad his friend left the alkalis behind and joined the dance. The alkalis sat together and watched them dance. They were surprised to see fahad dancing too.... like how did he know how to dance it

Well that's fahad for you

The bride too joined the dance... People that don't know how to do it or don't want to brought out their phones taking them video. Some just sat watching them amazingly

And so Amira brought out her phone and took them vidoe too..

The elderly parents were doing liko spreading money to the bride and the ones singing the song

As the dance floor filled with laughters, voices, shouting and money...

and that's how it ended with the alkalis putting in mind that they will or must learn the dance too...

Or so they thought it was the end...

Mummy quickly came looking for fahad "mummy what's wrong?" Amira asked as she looked at the disturbed face of her aunt.

"it's Hadiza" she had said

Now that's the end...