Song of the chapter; Halo by Beyonce.

"Why did you do that? You really shouldn't have. Honestly you shouldn't." I said to Bashir the moment I found him in the house after my interview. I've moved partly to stay with Baaba only going home to get important documents and food from Iyamé that I miss.

He didn't reply, only walking slowly in his hoodie, shorts, socks and slides ensemble to a sofa placed for random talks like this one. I used to think there were far too many sofas in this house until now, this pastel green sofa in this white room, is as important as our discussion.

"Yaya?" Bashir called and watched my face till I replied with a Na'am. He nodded and yawned, trying to get his concentration going.

"You need to understand one thing. You are my sister, my eldest sibling, my older sister and an example for us all. If I let some gutter urchin speak to you anyhow because he is a scholar, then even my friends can tomorrow say rubbish about you and I'll not be able to caution them." I was taken aback, quite literally since I shifted back to see his face properly. He moved his hands on his face vigorously, exhaling at the end.

"I've let people say whatever they want to say about me a long time ago. For some people, even if the truth is right in their faces, they'd rather take the lie they can't see. I've just learned to let things be and live my life on my own terms." I slowly spoke, noticing that his face creased the moment I said the phrase 'let things be', so I chuckled. Many people pray for a brother who'd stand up for them without question, but have none, I have one and I'm messing around. Not too good of me.

"Since you've resigned yourself to letting things go, that's okay." I smiled with a nod and Bashir shook his head, turning down his lips at me. "I was about to say that you should let those of us who have the time and know how to deal with riff-raff like that, deal with him." I looked up at his smug face, his lips set into a proud smirk and raised my own left hand to push him away.

He put out his arms and hugged me to himself, his chin on my head probably to remind me that at my five feet, eight inches height, he is taller. I let myself be hugged until I heard him humming this song making the rounds on social media about height. I mentally shook my head and gathered all my energy within myself to push him away. He is caught unaware and pushed to the floor from the force of my push. I began laughing at the frown that marred his handsome face.

"It's official, all that calm you're always showing on social media na facade. You're wicked." I laughed harder, he got up, dusted himself and walked away in the direction of the kitchen.

I sat back and watched him leave, listening to sounds of the house staff doing chores and in the spur of a moment, I stretched out my hands, cupped my palms together and began to say a heartfelt Dua for them.

***********

The last place I want to be right now, is here. I'll be honest, it's just planning a wedding, it's not supposed to be this hard. Baaba doesn't need to be here, his duty is to shell out money, Kaka should be in Lagos finding me the best fabric to wear, not arguing so passionately with my father about what events I'll be having.

"Wushe Wushe is a must! How's she Kanuri and not do that event?" My father stated with his face the most serious I've seen it in family settings. He doesn't even scold us his children, let alone use a tone like that for us. But, I digress.

"Look who's talking. If you didn't meet her, would you be asking for a Kanuri event? All her events her going to be Hausa events. Simple." They've argued this out as though I'm not here and sincerely I'm not mad. What has been the bone if contention this past five minutes is who's purse the wedding funds is coming from.

"I'm her father, by right, I'm supposed to be paying. Keh! Falmata, put twenty two million. We're going all out for my first baby girl." I shifted in my seat that gives me vantage point to stare at the whole room in shock. Twenty what? For seven hundred guests? I'm not hosting a two thousand guest ball oo, just dinner, finitó.

"See why I said you're a baby? Oil, busniess money is talking and you this meagre architect is flapping mouth." Falmata signaled me from her space on the ottoman beside my chair and I moved closer to her.

"Are they okay?" Her whispered question made me miss out how much Kaka was proposing. I exhaled and found strength to beat the leather chair I'm seating on very hard. They both turned to me in question.

"We already have a budget. It's only six million naira. We'll take two million each from both of you, Sa'ad and I will provide the remaining two." They both began to complain, I shook my head, calling an end to the argument.

"We'll have this meeting later, Sa'ad is waiting for me." I picked my bag and ran out of the living room where the wedding planning cum argument was happening and breathed in fresh air when I got outside the door. Sa'ad drove in just as I took out my phone to call him.

"Thank Allah you're here. Quick quick, drive me away. I don't know what has come over my father and grandmother, they are doing a battle of money spenders." Sa'ad got down to open the door to his white BMW four wheel drive and I sat gingerly in the front passenger seat, fastening my seat belt and on the lookout for either of the two.

"They're not going to come after you. You'll just get more money than you need when you ask them." I rolled my eyes.

"Assalamualaikum Labeebah." I smiled and replied the Salam as sweetly as I could, this butterfly in my belly won't stop fluttering. I mean if you were here too, your belly would flutter as the man is fine. If I wasn't marrying him, I'd be stalking him on Instagram in my free time.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, I just texted him and asked me to get me out of the house, I didn't tell him where.

"Let's go see Mami. You need to see her, you missed her the two times you came to see Baaba." I nodded, looked down at myself and shook my head. In a white knee length dress top with bell sleeves and black jeans and white sandals, I don't look like I'm going to see my mother-in-law to be. Naw.

"Let's go tomorrow. I don't look serious enough." Sa'ad' brow popped up, nearly up to his hairline. He shook his head and swung the wheel into the road to Central Area. We're obviously going to Ombre Cafe, it's our place, our favorite eat place.

We're that couple, the one that has a song, a restaurant, a pasta, a color, nearly everything. When he eats Elbow pasta he calls to tell me how he's eating our food without me. We're that couple.

"Let me just get a drink for us and we can go to Jabi Lake and sit at the bank." I nodded and looked in the backseat to find a bag he keeps there for emergency sakes, it has this very fluffy blanket and a magic fold mat that spreads very wide so we're not touching.

The glass lets me see how he's pointing at the football match playing on the television attached to the wall and how he laughs with the attendant. Sa'ad is one of those people who genuinely thanks people for the services they render, the petrol attendant, the gate person, nearly everyone he meets has a smile and thanks. He literally brightens the day of those he meets.

I quickly take out my phone and begin filming him say thank you with a genuine smile as he leaves the cafe. The security woman obviously feels the weight of his thanks as she stares long after he has left. I bless Allah everyday for putting him in my life, keeping him there because I don't put in a single effort he does it all.

"Babe, the drinks are here. I'll need you to hold them till we get here, the Jeep has cup holders, this car is just fashionable, not one practical thing about it." I laughed, took the hot and cold drinks from him and set them on my lap as he wound out of their car park.

We sang along to several songs on the way, solemnly listened to the beautiful recital of three of Sa'ad's favorite surahs by Layla. I made a mental note to tell her to send them to me, I felt so much peace listening to them. It was as though I refreshed my soul.

"We're here." I nodded, the feeling had not left yet and I was feeling Melancholy that it would be over soon. I carried the drinks while filming a video of us walking down the path to the bank of the lake and set down my camera to capture us walking down and Sa'ad spreading the mat, putting the blanket on the mat and taking my bag, then the drinks. Generally being attentive as always without knowing he was being filmed.

I went back, took the camera, took some shots and videos of the landscape before tucking it back into my bag. As we ate some of the crackers in his emergency bag, he pulled out a square box and handed it to me. I looked at it quizzically, an eyebrow raised.

"Are you giving me a ring, Sa'ad?" He palms his face, but nods at me to open it, I push out my lower lip and open it. Finding nestled in it, two charm bracelets, a his and hers one. Though instead of being made out of diamonds and all, this is made from rubbish rubber, perfectly wearable for a long time.

I sighed and looked at him, he didn't speak, only stretching out his hand for his. He took his, clasped it on and waved it in my direction, I felt tears well up in my eyes and I blinked them back furiously.

"Thank you." I said as I clasped mine on, it fit me perfectly, making me smile ruefully.

"Labeebah. Thank you. You're such a light. You've taught me so much in such little time and I cannot wait to be able to say 'My wife', I certainly cannot wait to brag about you, not that I don't now, but there's a certain ring to saying, 'My wife' acted in that blockbuster or is the ambassador of that diamond company. Thank you for giving me that opportunity. I love you." I shook my head, continuously making movement with my body that even I don't understand, but Allah certainly sent me a blessing.

With that thought in my head, I burst into full on sobs and tears. Alhamdulillah.

*****

Hey my people. I really have no words. I literally don't have words so I'll just beg you all to comment if you haven't, vote if you didn't want to and please share if you are about to leave.

See y'all soon. God bless you all.

TheOmoope 💙💛🙃