CHAPTER 42

Enjoy your day guys!!!

Enjoy your day guys!!

Somia got down to the living room from her bedroom, wearing a short armless gown that got to her knees and which was white in colour. She bend down took the chair pillow on the floor, put it on the chair and going to the kitchen to check the food that she was cooking. She entered the kitchen, took a small kitchen towel on the table there and opened the cover of the pot on fire.

She had take her bath, just remains for her to dress in her official outfit and go to work. Since that it was Ashar's house that she was resuming to, she was not in hurry so she wanted to cook breakfast for her and her mother before she leaves.

She took the pot down from the fire straight to the sink and pouring the starch water out from the rice. She raised the pot up after pouring all the water there and put it back on fire, giving it few seconds to dry and preparing the soap.

Somia's mother came out from her bedroom with the aim that she was the only one that remains in the house, so wanted to do some house hold before going to shop. She stopped walking and listening careful as she was hearing a sound of plates beating on each other and the sound was from the kitchen.

"I am the only one at home now! Where is that sound now coming from!" She said with low voice, continued walking and going to the kitchen. She met Somia putting the plates on the plate dryer and cleaning the cabinet as she entered.

"Ah! You don't go to work? As I got down from my room just hearing sounds of plates beating on each other that is why I trance it down here!" She said as she was standing at the entrance and wearing a pyjamas.

"Good morning Ma! You know before I go to work, I will come and greet you first now" Somia said and faced her mother.

"I know but thought you are in hurry today! Are you not going to work?" She asked.

"I am going to work Mom! But want to prepare meal for you before I go"

"It's after seven already, when are you leaving?" Her mother asked.

"It's Ashar's house I am resuming to today so that is why I take my time, no attendance to be taken and Ashar is not a troublesome person!" Saying as she was checking the soup on the fire.

"Don't now take that for granted, be fast and resume there on time. Thank you for the meal my daughter!" Her mother said with smile.

"Yes Mom! You are Welcome as well Ma!" Somia's mother smiles and leaving the kitchen. Somia took the stew down from the fire after few minutes that her mother's left, packed her food inside a small cooker and cleaned the kitchen properly.

She washed her hands after finished with the cleaning, carried the cooler and going out of the kitchen. She went straight to her room as she got down to the living room. Sound of the door opened and closed, she put the portable cooler inside her hand bag and zipped the bag up. She off the cloth and started dressing for work.

She finished dressing after some minutes, looked at herself in the mirror checking the turban that she tie well. She carried her handbag and leaving the living room.

She went straight to their mother's bedroom to greet her quickly and be on her way, she opened the door and entered, left the door opened.

"Mom! I will be on my way now!" She said loudly for her to hear inside the bathroom that she was, taking her bath.

"Okay! Go safety my daughter, after finished having breakfast I too will be going to shop" her mother said loudly from the bathroom.

"Okay Ma! I will join you at the shop then. Bye mom!" Said loudly as she turned back and leaving the room, sound of the door closed.

Somia got down to the compound, walked out from the gate and standing at the entrance when she saw a light flashing to her from a black car a little far from her. She had know that it was the cab she ordered so she too started walking closed to it.

"Good morning Ma! It's open now, please enter" the driver said as he unlocked the door, Somia opened the door and entered.

"Your trip will start now! Enjoy your trip Ma!" The driver greeted her and Somia replied.

×××××××××

The cab arrived to the front of Ashar's house after two hours of the journey, it was traffic jams that delayed them and made the time to be long more than the normal time.

Somia got down from the car, quickly paid the cab man and going inside. The gateman greeted Somia with smile and opened the gate for her when the cab driver was turning back and leaving the place.

Somia adjusted her handbag very well as she was climbing the staircase and going inside the mansion, She knocked at the door once and opened it since was not a stranger. She met the house helps at the dining room setting the table.

"Good morning everyone and well done!" Somia greeted as she sat down on the chair that she always use to sit.

"Good morning Somia! It be a while you come here, I miss you" a lady among them said with smile after all of them had replied her.

"Thank you and same here! It's work at the office!" Somia smiles.

"Okay! Well done, Brother Ashar is still sleeping?" Another lady said.

"Okay! No problem, thank you!" Showed her appreciation, and brought out a laptop from her bag, opened it and on it. Taken her time for it to load.

"Should I give you soft drink?" The first lady asked.

"Oh! Thank you very much but not need, I am okay!' Somia said low voice.

"What is that? I will bring chill drink for you now, let be fast please!" The lady faced her other colleague and fast with what they were doing.

Somia carried the laptop closer to her, replying to emails and also working at the same time. Shukuran and their mother came down from upstairs to check what the maids were doing when they saw Somia downstairs.

"Good morning Ma!" Somia greeted and almost kneel down for Ashar's mother.

"Morning Somia! How are you. You haven't done with that?" She said to the helps as she replied Somia.

"You don't ask of me as you arrived!" Shukuran said as she sat down beside Somia.

"I am so sorry! I just arrived some minutes ago!" Somia apologised and keeps working.

"I want to tell you a secret!" Shukuran said with low voice and shifted more closer to Somia so that nobody could hear.

"Next week is brother Ashar's birthday so we want to do a surprised party for him at work since that it fall during the working day!"

"I know! They have passed the circular round the company!" Somia said.

"Good! So I want you to be part of this surprise, Funbi too is aware. It's two of you that will tell us how to do it, arrange the hall for us and let everybody in that company knows except from Ashar and everyone should prepare for the party; bring additional cloth come and their gifts so that it will be a great surprise for him!" Said with smiles.

"No problem at all! Doing surprises, I am very good at that!"

"I trust you!" Shukuran said with smile when she and Somia claps their hands together.

"It just that I and Funbi are not close if not we will have done it together but I will done my part, trust me with that!" Somia said and closed the laptop.

"You done your part, take some people closer and she too she should done her own. I know what is doing Funbi, she is a friend to Iqmat!"

"Shukuran! You won't come and eat on time so that you can dress quickly and let us go to that Alaso ebi (Celebration Uniform) you know you will be dressing like a bride!" Their mother said as she was eating.

"I am coming Mom! Don't worry I will be fast this time, i am discussing something with Somia"

"Okay! My own is that you should have done before the time and let us get there on time. Iqmat's mother too will join us there!" Said with loud voice.

"Iqmat is not coming?" Shukuran asked her mother.

"That one! Just after the wedding and not ready to check on anything, her wedding gown she hasn't see it like this at the store that it's, not talk of wearing it to see how fit and beautiful it's, just neglect it. And keeps saying it's like the wedding should be tomorrow! Forget about her, I beg! She is just lazy" Said with loud voice.

"Oh! Uniform as started to be selling out!" Somia said.

"Yes oh! After the birthday now, the wedding will remain a month, two weeks and some days so preparations as started fully now!" Shukuran said with smile but Somia was not happy, it was like the wedding should be between her and Ashar.

"Wow! That is great, so no time again!" Pretending to be happy.

"Yes oh! Somia. Let me go and eat so that I will dress on time, we will continue with our conversation when we are back and if you are still here!" Shukuran said with loud voice and got up from the chair.

She was going to the dining room when she saw Ashar coming down from upstairs and wearing a very lovely Muslim's outfit with his car's key in his hand. Sound of the door too opened as well and Raheem entered at the same time.

"Somia! You don't call me that you are here!" Ashar said.

"I am sorry Sir! It's the fair lady that said you are still sleeping so I don't want to disturb you that is why I don't call or come to your room!"

"How are you Raheem? How is your sister as well?" Ashar's mother asked.

"I am doing great ma! My sister too is fine Ma and she sent her regard Ma" Raheem said with respect and with low voice. Him too was dressing so lovely.

"That is good! Send my regard to her. Are you still coming here? If you are I will give you something to give my grandson Basit!"

"Alright Ma! I will surely come back ma!" He said with smile on his face.

"Somia! I and Raheem are going out, make sure you wait still I come back. We won't be long because him too will go and pick Basit from school so will be back early. Wait for me Okay!" Ashar said with low voice.

"Why are you have to been explaining all that to her, if you order her to stay then she must stay when she is not your wife. Still explain and talking lowly for her!" Ashar's mother said.

"Mother! Please, she is my P. A and I know how I use to talk to her!" Ashar said.

"There is nothing wrong with what brother say now. As if she doesn't have a closing hour, if it's closing hour she has the right to go home now!" Shukuran said.

"Will you shut up! Vomiting rubbish out!" She shouted at Shukuran.

"We are sorry Ma, don't mind them Ma!" Raheem quickly said with smile.

"We will be on our way now, bye Mom and bye everyone!" Ashar said as he smiled at Somia and leaving the living room, walking behind Raheem.

"Somia! It's only you that will now be at home after we too have gone! Oh Dad is at home, you will keeps each other company!" Shukuran said and Somia just giggles.

"Come and join us now, come and eat!" Said loudly.

"Oh! Thank you very much! I bring food from home" Somia said as she was working on the laptop and focused on it.

"What is that? Bring food come here when it's not office you are going to!" Shukuran stood up with anger showed all over her and walking closer to Somia.

"Come on! Stand up!" She firstly collected the laptop from her hand, put it on the center table and pull Somia up with all her energy. Somia got up and following her to the dinning room to eat by force.

Some minutes after finished eating, Somia returned back to her work and Shukuran went upstairs to dress, their mother had left them as she finished eating and went to her room upstairs to dress as well. The housemaids came out from the kitchen to pack the plates and cleaned the table, the one that promised Somia soft drink brought it and putting it beside her at where she was sitting.

One hour later. Shukuran and her mother got down to the living room, Ashar's mother was wearing Nigeria traditional cloth called Lace, tied gal with it and looking so beautiful when Shukuran was wearing just ordinary English wear.

Somia greeted two of them Goodbye from where she was sitting and two of them left the room. They got down to the compound, entered into a lovely black car that the driver had cleaned, the driver too entered with them sitting alone at the front and driving out. Sound of the gate closed from both side after they had gone.