"The families! Layla, cue drum roll." I watched them from one to another as Layla clicked her tongue and beat the chair like a drum, truly cuing Falmata in like it was Saturday Night Live.

"The families of Alhaji Bashir B. Bakura and that of-" Falmata stopped her from speaking and asked to read it again. "Put some respect to that name. It has Gcon, MFR and OON behind the names, read them all." I pursed my lips, holding back my laughter as Layla truly began the whole sentence again, reading all of my dad's honors one after the other before mentioning Sa'ad's family name.

"Cordially invite you, whoever they are, to the Wedding Fatiha of their children. Labeebah Bakura and Sa'ad Lamido." Layla put down the white and lilac invitation that admitted one and clapped her hands.

"Congratulations Ya Labeebah. I'm so happy, you're joining my fam and I cannot wait!" She exclaimed at the end of her sentence and Falmata exhaled loudly, in a manner that made us look at her.

"I haven't even known my sister for long and she's going to be married to someone else. Would you look at that?" I rolled my eyes and asked for the invitation. When it got into my hands, I looked it over.

A perfect swirl of White and Lilac, embossed with gold accents, it had a jacket before the main invitation that clearly said 'Admits only one' on the side. I like it very much and I told them so. Layla and Falmata have outdone themselves with my wedding preparations, leaving me enough time to go on set, film all my pending movies and vlogs before the wedding.

"Guys, thank you." Falmata assumed a smile I've come to associate with the beginning of something mischievous popping into her head.

"The best way to thank us, is to give us babies. Let's be aunties very quickly." I bent down, picked a Hermes slipper that was a gift from Munir and aimed it at the errant girl. She shrieked, as she should, seeing as the footwear hit her smack on her shoulder.

"You should practice basketball with that aim. I was just telling you the truth though, no matter how much it hurts, you gotta do it and give us babies." I considered how far she was standing now and if throwing her my second footwear would be worth it. Layla's continuous laughter and snorts made me shake my head, find my missing slipper and walk away from the two of them.

"I wonder why she's so shy." I heard her say to Layla after the sound of shuffling papers, "You'd think she's never been married before and a virginal bride." I clenched my fists and counted to ten, otherwise, I would definitely pounce on Falmata without care.

*******

"Why didn't you tell me your wife is here in Nigeria? How am I supposed to save you now?" Abdul watched, stupified as his wife, Amal strode into the court room. His judgement hearing was supposed to be fixed after this closing argument hearing and Amal's appearance would destroy all the work that his lawyer had been doing all the while.

"I have no idea. She's supposed to be with my mother in Chad, not here in Abuja." Abdul looked around the room, but the effort if twisting his neck was too hard and she was sitting right behind him. He would not be able to reach her or signal her to leave.

"Guy, I'll see if I can stall them from using her as a witness, but in the case that I can't, faint. Let your soul leave your body or something, just stop breathing because you're going to stay a long time in prison." Abdul's apprehension was so visible. He finally got to know what it felt like all the times Labeebah saw him or when he hurt her. He saw how he wished for a miracle to happen but nothing happened.

His lawyer, a short stocky built man returned, held unto the dock and asked him if he offended Amal. Abdul frowned. No.

"I was just thinking I'd make sure for us to move to somewhere as far as Turkey where we'd never be found. I don't know what has turned her head." The lawyer shook his head, shut his eyes and shook his head again, adjusting the fabric of his wife before turning away back to his seat.

"God, why me. I've been punished enough haven't I?" He asked as soon as his lawyer was out of earshot. He pinched his unfeeling legs out of anger and feeling nothing, he wanted to cry but tears didn't come. He just sat there in tense frustration until the presiding judge came into the room. Everyone else in the room but him rose when the judge came in, Abdul cursed himself and his predicament because if not for it, he would have found a way to escape from prison. The person who broke his kneecaps knew what they were doing, they cut off all forms of retreat for him.

"My Lord," The prosecutor began slowly, adjusting his black well ironed gown, he walked to the front smirking at Abdul before turning to the white haired judge.

"May I present, my last witness before my closing argument." Abdul's lawyer jumped up almost immediately, screaming an objection that almost caused Abdul to laugh if his life didn't so depend on that objection. But the judge overruled it.

"You may present your witness. Barrister Grema." The prosecutor nodded and motioned for Amal who took off her sunglasses and face mask as she walked to the front. The prosecutor put her into the dock with a flourish and waited for the court clerk to let her swear on the holy Quran. 

"What is your name?" Amal said her name as carefully as she could, making sure not to have any affiliations with Abdul.

"Before now, what would you say was the attitude of your former Co-wife, Labeebah Sheriff towards her husband over there?" Amal thought carefully and began to talk about how Labeebah respected and loved Abdul at least to the best of her knowledge. The court was silent and only the sound of the judge adjusting himself on his noisy chair broke the silence.

"Before the day when Abdul threw her over the fence, did he hit her that day?" Amal stopped, then she nodded. Abdul's defence has built his case around the fact that Abdul had never hit Labeebah before that day and it was the anger of her hitting Amal that made him throw her over the fence.

"Do you have any evidence?" She nodded, took out a few printed pictures and handed it to the lawyer who shared them with the Court's clerk who in turn presented them to the judge.

"You're saying, before this court, that Abdullahi Babagana had hit his ex wife Labeebah before the day of the incident?" Amal nodded again, leaving no room for doubt. The lawyer asked her not to gesticulate, to use her words.

"He hit her once after the time in those pictures, and she had to use lipstick and concealer to cover it. A picture of it is on her social media page. His mother also hit her once after Abdul and I got married." The women in the court shouted, the judge hit his gavel for silence and Abdul's lawyer shouted objection again.

"Objection held." Abdul's lawyer couldn't request to cross examine the witness because he was not informed of her and it was not even a day of proper hearing. He angrily fisted his hands, feeling the bite of his sharp nails going into the soft flesh of his palm.

"My Lord, that is all. I'll go on to my closing argument if I may." As Amal went back to her seat, Abdul in a fit of anger grabbed her and pulled her to himself, furiously asking her why she left where she was and spoiled his plans like that.

"You and your mother deserve to rot in hell. I'm glad I won't be there with you." The policeman behind Abdul had to intervene for him to stop pressing on her wrist so strongly. She walked off and sat where she sat earlier, waiting for the prosecuting lawyer to continue speaking. Abdul had cut him short with his debacle.

Abdullahi Babagana put his head in his hands, his hands were cuffed so he could do nothing other than hold his head. He knew he was done for. Over and done with. No one would save him because he had betrayed far too many people. No one.

******

My people, how are you doing? Missed me? Please tell me you did. The wedding is coming along isn't it? I mean, invitations are out, look out your windows the pigeons I sent are on their way. May reach you tonight or tomorrow morning.

I also want to thank everyone who posts snippets of this book on their socials. You don't know how happy it makes me that my work is on your page, living there rent free. Thank you all for your support ❤️

I'll try to write some more so we can end this book this month. 😌I have so much for you guys to read.

See y'all soon. Please share, leave a comment, please  also tap on the orange star at the end of the chapter. I love all of you, God bless you.

TheOmoope 💙💛🙃