"Iyamé, good morning, what's for breakfast?"

I asked as I stepped out of my room in my beautiful Senegalese boubou with embroidery at the neck and some more beautiful embroidery at the sleeves and full hem. The beautiful blue fabric lifted my mood when I wore it earlier after taking my bath and I haven't looked back since.

"Pap and akara. Something to stabilize your stomach till lunch." I nodded and sat down at the dining table. Kaka and my uncles really splashed on this place, the furniture was Turkish, the marble Italian, the setup so beautiful and everything seemed so new everyday.

"Thank you Iyamé." I thanked her and muttered Bismillah before I began to eat, bearing in mind I have to get myself to the set of an internationally funded movie in about an hour. Iyamé left the dining room where she always waits for me to finish eating before asking the day time maid to take my plates away, so I followed her with my eyes.

She reached the door and unlocked it, bringing in the smell of rain and Zainab. I automatically smiled at my personal assistant as she allowed Iyamé to take her umbrella and she walked towards me with a smile.

"Good morning ma." She greeted, I nodded, quickly draining my pap bowl and getting up. I don't want to be late, people have begun to talk that I get late to events now because my father is the vice president. As much as I don't want to listen to people or hear what they have to say, I just have to prove them wrong by getting to places early enough, never give them ammunition for more fire.

"What are we doing today asides filming?" She followed me further into th living room where I exchanged my crocs for a pair of Zara flat slippers. I need to be comfortable, I'm doing a superhero movie and my superhero outfit is a little on the uncomfortable side.

"We're going to do an interview with Hausaroom. You're pretty good as you are, maybe you'll add a veil." She looked my dressing over, I nodded,picking up the black bag Iyamé had placed over a folded silver stone veil, I looked myself over as I wrapped the dense cotton veil around myself and nodded in appreciation.

"Let's go." At the door, she put away the tab and opened a wide umbrella over our heads, making me hasten my steps to the idling vehicle, the bus's door opened automatically when we reached it, and while Zainab busied herself with closing and keeping the umbrella, I greeted my driver Baba Garba, he leaned over and greeted me back quite effusively, like he used to every morning for the past two months since he picked me and Huda up from the helipad.

Kaka picked him and Iyamé, while my father sent the maids, don't ask me I have no idea if my father runs a domestic help agency. I just know those women are formidable, they can fight, can throw unwanted guests out and just do their jobs so well.

"Baba Garba, we're going to the movie set at usman dam." That was our code for the superhero movie set. Zainab leaned back from her perch where she had discussed with Baba Garba. She picked up her bag to bring the tab she had dropped in it and sat next to me.

"At noon, your scenes end, you have lunch with your friend Rabiah, then the last fitting for your father's campaign inauguration party. That's all on today's schedule." I nodded and leaned into the well upholstered seat I was on. My father's political party was doing a campaign inauguration shindig and Baaba asked me to be his date, Kaka said lowly on the phone when I informed her that he wants to show off that he has a daughter and that I should allow him.

"Ma," Zainab started, without looking up from the tab.  "A particular number has been calling and sending you emails since last week. She says she's a friend and you're going to know her. Her name is Layla." My eyes lower of their own accord in deep thought, I don't remember any Layla. Then a surname pops in my mind, prompting me to ask Zainab.

"Layla Lamido?" Zainab nods vigorously, her curiosity showing on her face. I shake my head and laughter slowly bubbles out of my mouth, a wide smile lighting my face at Zainab's forgetfulness.

"You don't remember the last event you drove me to before the accident?" She slaps her forehead, making a crisp slap sound. I shake my head again, knowing she'll soon finish thinking and start understanding.

"Ah, Major's sister?" I nod slowly. She slaps her forehead again, this time I frown. The first time just have hurt, this one must have hurt harder.

"Stop beating yourself. Okay?" She smiled and nodded, asking me what to do when next she called.

"Just give her my number or later, give me the number she called with and let me speak to her." She nodded again.

I leaned back in my chair and a face flashed in my mind, in all his glory, beautiful hair and chiseled handsome face. I shut my eyes to clear the image but it was stuck there, I exhaled a breath, wondering what is he doing to me?

****

"She called me back."

I turned to my sister who had just walked into my apartment in her SpongeBob SquarePants nightwear and pink panther flurry slippers. I shook my head and wondered why she would put those two cartoon characters together when she was totally not like any of them.

"Oh" I replied her, my eyes going back to my book with difficulty. I wanted to know everything they'd talked about, but knowing Layla, I just played mute.

"Why's your response so lukewarm? Were you not the one asking me after work everyday what her reply was? Why are you doing like all those men who think showing off their affection for a woman is not manly? Abeg Abeg oo, if you're going to do like that, lemme go back to my room." She turned around on the spot and I didn't have a chance to give a good talking down for retorting like that, I stopped her from leaving.

She glared me from the side of her eyes and she found a seat in front of me. "I'm just worried she's going to be men apathetic, especially knowing all she's gone through. I watched that video Layla, I saw videos her friend posted where he broke down the door of her room, I saw her talk about it on YouTube. I'm afraid to push her into something so big so soon." After I poured out my entire heart, I wiped my face with my already sweaty hands.

Give me a peace mission and I've found a solution to things in two days without breaking a sweat, but Labeebah? I'm no longer sure of the man that I am. I'm constantly worried about myself.

"Yaya. First, I need you to rein yourself in. Na wetin? Na love you love am, you no kill person. If she refuses, you ask one more time and let her make up her mind, then you leave. You won't die if she doesn't agree to be with you. What if your genotypes don't match in the end? What would you do? Abeg oo. Leave yourself a leeway." She adjusts herself on the arm chair as though she didn't just insult me very well.

"I've heard you. Can I have the number?" She nodded, but didn't make a move so I turned my head to look at her face quizzically. She adjusts again.

"I've sent it to your WhatsApp. Check your phone." I nodded, then a thought occured to me.

"Why then are you here? You should have just called to tell me." She pursed her lips and I think she thought better of it so she smiled.

"Ya Sa'ad, it my birthday soon oo. I came to ask, what are you doing for my birthday?" I hissed and looked around me for something to throw at her, hissing again when I remembered I left my slippers in my room.

"You came all the way here Layla! To ask me about your birthday? Layla Lamido! Get out of my room." She laughed out loud, got up and swaggered out of my room. Just as I thought peace had reigned, she came back in to say, "Bring my sister in law home soon oo." I finally lost my patience and sent the book on my lap flying in her direction.

Women are so much trouble!

*******

Guys, hello! How are you all doing? I'm super sorry for the delay, I've just- I don't have any excuses. Just please take this chapter and forgive me.

So, who's team #LetThemMeet or team #WhyShouldTheyMeet? Because at this rate, see the emotions Sa'ad is churning out, I'm not sure baba is ready oo.

The Senegalese boubou I'm talking about in the first chapter is real and on Instagram, their handle is leboubouchateau and I  promise you, they have the most beautiful set of boubous I've laid my eyes on. So please go follow them, Labeebah will be wearing very many of their clothes(seeing the pictures does a lot of amazing stuff to my inspiration)

Anyways, I hope you guys have a great weekend, May God bless you all for thirty thousand reads, for all the comments, referrals, tags, etc. God bless you.

TheOmoope 💙💛