chapter thirty seven

"Wakey wakey Sleepyhead". Someone sang softly in my ear and I relaxed more snuggling into the blanket with a smile on my lips. "Wake up you dummy." The person shouted slapping my shoulder hardly making me to wince and I opened my eyes slowly adjusting to the light rays.

Why is mum suddenly wicked? Astagafurullah Astagafurullah Astagafurullah! God forgive me but I didn't mean to say that.

"Khair wake up. Is this how you will behave in your husband's house? Waking up by nine in the morning huh?" The voice hissed and I definitely knew its my mum. She's the only one that talks about husband's house on any little thing.

"Ok mummy,I'm up already. Pls haba". I said the lastly part very quietly. "Who's your mummy? Wallahi if you did not stand up now,I will pour water on you." She scolded and I quickly got up rubbing my sore eyes so that the remaining sleep will vanish away.

I turned my head to greet my mum but who I saw make me started running into the toilet.

"Ke Khair why are you acting as if you saw a ghost Dan Allah? Its just me your bestie." She shouted.

Is this part of the dream?

"Maya?!" I called her in a questioning form just to be sure.

"Its me girl." Maya said and I turned on the faucet washing my face quickly. I turned the door knob slowly and coming out to face the person who claims to be Maya.

And behold! Is the real Maya sitting on my bed and typing away on her phone. I moved close to her,collected her phone and kept it on the bedside without uttering anything. The look she was giving shouted 'the butt are you doing?'

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ooooommmmmgggggg Mayaaaaaa" I shouted pouncing on her and she was caught off guard making us both to fall of the bed. "This girl wants to end my life before I even get married to uncle Haroon. What cause this rubbish and oh....god yo...you're chok....choking me with yo....your hug....release me abeg". She said pushing me away but that didn't stop me from coming for another hug.

All what I planned to say to her when she pick my calls just ran away immediately i hugged her. I became instantly happy that my mouth was unable to scold her.

"Toh its okay"she pulled me off her gently with a smile. "Maya how?" Upon all my vocabularies,that's all I remembered that moment.

"You see,I came to your house back in Abuja two days after we came back from school. I knocked at your gate for bad forty minutes and..." I interrupted her story.

"Why didn't you call me?" I asked gasping. "EXACTLY! I didn't call and I don't know why. I guess I just didn't remember to do that." She said scratching the back of her head like a nervous school boy.

Ughhhhh. This girl is such a dumbo sometimes.

"And as you knocked for ten minutes, aren't you suppose to just go away?" I questioned again raising my eyebrows. "Stop asking questions and let me finish the story". She whined almost at the point of crying. I urged her to continue and she smiled.

"Ok so I knocked and knocked until one of your neighbours got annoyed and came out of his house. There,he kept shouting and shouting but I was just staring at him. He told me at last that you all were not around. I asked him where to and he hissed. He went back to his house and I went back to my job of knocking. He came out angrily again and told me you went to Kaduna. I smiled at him and his face expression was priceless".she finished laughing at the innocent man.

"I begged my dad to let me come to Kaduna but he bluntly refused saying he won't allow me to come alone. I begged him for two straight days and the problem was that Habiba went back to Heidelberg in Germany cos her holidays were over. After I got my dad to agree,he made me come with a company and guess who?" She asked smirking.

My mind immediately went to Malika and I waved it off. Nahhhh,she can't come to my house.

"Zulaihat." I said

"Its Malika wallahi". She corrected trying to suppress her laughter

"No shit!" I cursed hissing and Maya bursted out laughing. I seriously can't point out what the hell was funny about the matter.

"First I dealt with Ibrahim's nuisance but it was kinda cute". I said dreamily and she clasp her hand on her mouth trying not to gasp loudly. I realized what I said and my eyes widened.

"Tell me more." She said in a seductive- like voice. "Its not what you're thinking. Ughhhh." I groaned covering my face. "Just tell me everything that happened since you came to Kaduna." She said giving me her whole attention and I told her everything including where Ibrahim shouted he loved me which I kept blushing at.

"Woah woah woah! You mean you're in love with Ibrahim?" She asked wiggling her eyebrows. "No! I have told you no." I denied trying to keep a straight face.

"Admit it". She urged

"No!" I denied firmly.

"Admit it"

"No"

"Admit it"

"No"

"Admit it"

I almost said yes when I heard a knock on my door. "Come in" I shouted and my mum came inside.

Thank you mum for saving me from saying a yes.

"Khair you're still in bed? Stand up and make breakfast for your friends. The other one in the parlor seems to be hungry. Be quick about it before I descend on you." She said and walked out not giving me a chance to greet her.

I quickly went to the toilet and take three minutes shower. I came out and wore a simple gown then rushed out with Maya following me. I met Malika in parlor for real, chewing gum and pressing her phone mindlessly.

Ughhh,how I dislike this human being.

"Hey Malika". I greeted and she looked at me from head to toe like I'm some sort of begger. "Malika,is she not greeting you?" Maya unexpectedly said behind me making Malika to pout and said 'hey' also. She thought she looked cute but honestly to me,she don't.

I went to the kitchen and started peeling sweet potato. I rounded everything up within twenty minutes and arranged them on the dinning table. My mum came down telling me to bring theirs into their room. I did and returned to the dinning table.

Maya served herself and I also served myself. "Aren't you hungry?" I asked Malika when I saw she didn't serve herself. "Huh you suppose to serve me you dumb head. You know I'm a guest right?" She said using her disrespectful voice.

Oh God, how I wish to slap this creature sitting across me now!

I just served her since she's actually a guest not minding the evil things my instinct is pushing me to do.

"So are you guys sleeping here?" I asked after we are all done eating. "We wanted to but my dad said we shouldn't be a burden upon your parent you know"Maya said shrugging.

"It won't be a burden. But wait,where are you staying then cos I know you don't have any relatives in Kaduna and don't tell me you're staying in a hotel". I said in one breath.

"Chillax. Malika's dad owns many penthouses one of which is in Kaduna so he decided that we stay there until when our stay is over. So I guess we should be going there now cos I need to take a proper shower. And yes you should definitely come with us cos we're gonna have a lot of funnnn"Maya finished explaining giggling.

"If you can't come,then whenever we're going out,I will come and fetch you and we can explore Kaduna together right?" She added.

"Yep that's so right. But let me ask my parent first then we can go. Oh my God I can't wait". I said holding her hands and we started jumping like dolphins making Malika to roll her eyes at us. I sashayed to my dad's room while knocking before entering.

"Khairee what brings you here with that pretty smile on your face?" My dad asked patting a space beside him.

I thanked God internally seeing that he was in a good mood. It will make my request easier.

"Daddy you know Maya came to Kaduna right? But she's not staying here cos her dad says she will be like a burden upon you so she's staying at her uncle's penthouse." I said taking my face up to still see those happy eyes looking at me.

"Oh ok,then what?" He asked and I gulped lightly.

"So I want to stay at the penthouse with them so whenever they are going out,I can just follow them right dad?" I said almost giddily now but my dad frowned.

Oh fish!

"No you can't. Its not like I don't trust Maya but no you can't. She can come pick you up whenever she's going outing but you can't stay at the penthouse with them. Understood?" He said drawing his own ear in a warning manner.

Tears immediately gathered in my eyes within a second.

"But dad..." I started but he cut me off. "No buts. I said you are not going. Oya leave my room." He said softly pointing at the door. I stomped out while planning to shut the door loudly but I realised what I was about to do and closed the door as gently as I could. I can't afford my dad to disown me. 

I walked to the parlor with watery eyes. Running to Maya and hugging her tightly as if my life depended on it, I told her what my dad said. She started crying with me to the extent the whole situation turned out to be funny at the same time. I bursted out laughing while still crying.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Malika hissed softly looking at us with murderous glare and what seemed like jealousy? Good.

"You two have to stop this little nonsense. Its not like we're dying duhhh! And we will come and get you whenever we are going out." Malika said eyeing us and that's when we broke the hug.

"She's right girl. Let's stop acting like big babies. I would be going now so byeeee." Maya said wiping her tears and giving me one last small hug.

I escorted them to her car and kept waving until her car was out of sight. I walked back to my room feeling all emotional. I realized it was the time of the month. Well,that explained the crazy mood swing. I ended up crying myself to sleep.

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