"Okay from where would I start?" Fadimatuu asked them.
"From anywhere" Zaynab replied her.
Flashback.
One month ago.
It was one rainy Friday afternoon after Friday prayer.
Immediately the rain stopped, Ammi asked me to accompany her to the hospital to visit her friend who put to bed.
I didn't want to accompany her to the hospital, not because I didn't want to visit her friend.
But the smell of the hospitals always make me feel nauseous.
And knowing Ammi if I told her I'm not going, she wouldn't let me, instead she'll scold me and even hit me.
So I had no choice but to accompany her to the hospital.
As we approached towards the gate of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
I saw people rushing into hospitals some in cars, keke napep, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrians.
We came in keke napep to the hospital.
What I love about this hospital was its greenish environment.
They're several trees which calms the environment and make one breath fresh air.
And the earthy smell of the rain which I love the most gives the environment more a feeling.
I remembered when I was a child I used to eat the soil when it rains but Ammi never stopped me when I ate it.
She used to say I better die so that she would live in peace.
But one day when Abba saw me eating the soil he scold me about eating it, so since that day I never ate it.
But I used to put the soil in my hands and smell it.
God there was nothing that smells more nice than the earthy smell of the rain.
If it where left to me I'll stay in this environment filled with trees and feel nature for the rest of my life.
I even imagined myself sitting alone in one corner I saw in the middle of trees, looking at them and probably reading a book.
That's why I am so eager to got admitted into Bayero University Kano because the environment was just like this.
"If you finished admiring the hospital can we go now" Ammi's voice brought me out of my trance of thoughts.
When I looked around I saw that the keke napep that dropped us had left.
"Sorry" I apologized.
She just nod and went ahead of me and I trailed after her.
When we're going to enter the Gynaecology Ward Ammi's friend was admitted in, the unpleasant smell of the hospital hit my nose making me to covered my nose with my veil.
What made me forget to wear face mask?
The hospital corridor was stuffy and the air had an undertoned of bleach.
The floor was slate grey and the walls dove. Above the ceiling was made from those polystyrene squares laid on a grid like frame.
The light was too bright in the hallway.
There are commercial prints on the wall, tasteful in the dull kind of way.
We went to the receptionist and asked her the number of the room she's in.
She sent us to the private ward room 3.
On the private ward the atmosphere was completely different.
The air had a perfumed scent which I liked compared to the unpleasant smell of the hospital.
And the seats were plush as I saw some people sitting. Every surface was dustless.
The nurses were unhurried and they moved with a serene purposefulness from room to room on their rounds.
They were vases of flowers and beautiful framed pieces of art on the walls.
They were even beautiful pictures of babies on the walls.
In the corridor was a water dispenser and in most rooms could be heard the noise of the television.
"Ammi here is the room" I told her.
"Okay you should behave yourself I don't want you embarrassing me in front of my friend and the people in the room" Ammi warned me like I used to embarrassed her.
"I won't embarrass you, I never did" I answered her.
"You better don't" she warned again as she turned on the door knob.
The odour of the room was not pleasant at all, why was the room not have perfumed scent like in the corridor.
I take a deep breath as my eyes fell on a beautiful woman, Aunty Kareema, Ammi's friend holding her new born baby sitting on the bed as her back laid against the headboard of the bed.
She smiled brightly at us as her eyes saw us, I smiled at her too.
"Assalamu Alaikum" Ammi and I salam at the same time as we went further into the room.
"Waalaikumussalam" Two elderly women probably in their late 50s, a woman around 25 and Aunty Kareema replied us.
Ammi went and hug her friend and collecting the baby from her.
"Tabarakallah Masha Allah, look she's beautiful Masha Allah" Ammi cooed on the baby smiling like a loon.
So she knows how to smile but when we're in our house she doesn't used to smile.
"Kareema look at the girl, she's exact replica of you, she's so beautiful Masha Allah, like I should go with her" Ammi said again.
Ammi love children very much and it's because she never had her own.
But instead of her to love me she hate me.
"Hafsatu my daughter is like your own, you can take her home if you want" Aunty Kareema replied her.
"Okay I'll take her home if she grows much older" Ammi said with enthusiasm.
"Okay you should give the baby to Fadimatuu so she can see her"
Aunty Kareema told Ammi.
"Do you want her to put dirt on your daughter's body? I won't give her" Ammi said as she glared at me.
"Hafsatu how can you say such things about your daughter" Aunty Kareema said as she sees no reason for Ammi to hate me like she does.
I remembered Aunty Kareema always correct Ammi on what she's doing to me.
She always told her to love me and remove the hate of me from her heart but Ammi never listened to her advice.
Unlike Ammi she loves me.
She even used to apologized to me when Ammi did something wrong to me.
"Step daughter" Ammi corrected her.
"Whatever it's you should give her the baby" Aunty Kareema said with finality.
Ammi hand me the baby even though she don't want.
The new born baby girl was tiny as I held her in my hands, she's sleeping peacefully.
I stared at her pretty fair face and her body was plump.
She's a cute baby girl, I like her already.
The smell of the room hit my nose again making me to feel nauseous.
I shouldn't stay in this room I need to go out and get some fresh air.
"Ammi please can I go outside and get some fresh air?" I asked Ammi.
"You'll say now you feel nauseous because of the smell of the hospital" Ammi replied me.
I just put my head down.
"You can go" Aunty Kareema said smiling.
"Thank you" I thanked her as I stand up from my seat.
"Don't stay long" Ammi warned me.
"Okay Ammi" I replied her as I waved at them including the other women in the room.
I closed the door of the room.
The perfumed scent of the private ward hit my nostril making me to let out a breath that I've being holding since I entered the room.
When I leave the private ward and entered the Gynaecology ward, the unpleasant smell returned.
I quickly ran out of the ward because I felt like puking.
I bumped into a hard body making me and the person fell on the ground filled with mud.
The worst thing was that I puked on him as we fell down.
I quickly got up from him and look at his white Kaftan which I ruined for him.
Mud was all over it and the puking I did on his clothe.
"Hey little girl can't you see where you are going that you bumped into me and ruined my expensive clothe.
"Look how you spoiled my clothe with mud and puking, dingy girl.
How can you just ran in the hospital like it's your father's house?" He angrily speak to me.
I just stared at him as he speaks, unable to form word to apologized to him.
I knew I was at fault, and I won't blame him in whatever he said to me.
I hope he won't insult me any further.
"I know I'm handsome so stop staring at me like you're going to eat me ugly duckling" His voice broke my trance of thoughts.
How dare him said that to me.
I know he's handsome, no incredibly handsome because I never saw anyone more handsome than he is.
But how can he called me ugly duckling, no one ever called me that.