Accepting responsibility is not an option that is open to the individual, it is a mandatory, and also an absolute fact of human existence.
_salamatullah
CHAPTER SEVEN
Today I woke up very early, avoiding everyone especially farida. she keeps on blabbing none stop since morning but the only response she gets back is either uhn or a small grin.
I don't want to have any conversation with her regarding my relationship again, I don't want to make her feel bitter towards me too, I will just live a normal life like that of a sisters not a best-friend's one. I won't drag her into any of my mess again. From now on I will start living like an elder sister and I will make sure that farida never faces such humiliation or pain in her life…I promise that.
I serve myself right from the kitchen and climb up stairs to the balcony where I always find comfort and peace. I drag a resting chair and sit on, then bring out my phone and starts reading the novel "it ends with us" by Coleen Hoover while eating my meal. I love her books, I feels like all the characters in her books are me from both interior and exterior.
"taheera what are you doing here…kubra and I have been looking for you" farda said panting as if she climbed a thousand stairs
I turn around to face her and let go of a small laugh
"Is she leaving today…I thought that will be tomorrow"
"No.. " before I open my mouth to say a word kubra breaks in
"Here you are" kubra say hands in akimbo
"I thought you will be leaving tomorrow" I say
"Yes but yesterday kareema madaki sent me an invitation for her wedding dinner as a chef bridesmaid and they're going to starts all the necessary preparation and she wants me to be there"
"oh is that so.…ok I will drop you off then" kubra nods her head and retreat down stairs while farida and I follow behind
Kubra parked her clothes already and farewell ammi goodbye, I grab ammi's car key and heed to the carloads.
"so where am I dropping you…kareema's place or your house" I ask kubra fixing my gaze on the street
"kareema's place first, I informed mommy earlier that I will be at kareema's before dropping back home" kubra explains and I nods still my gaze on the street
After dropping kubra, I reverse to turn around when farida's call came through I step on the clout and pick the call
"What's up" I speak first
"ammi said you should stop at MAI-SHAYI coffee place and collect the jewelries she ordered from their manager the last time"
I scowl and further out "don't get you…which jewelries?"
"Let me hand the phone over to her so that she can explain vividly"
"ah taheera, I ordered some jewelries online from MAI-SHAYI coffee…their manager is selling them so I ordered from her the last time we talked. Please stop by…ok" she half pleaded
I answered okay and nods then drive away
The moment I arrived there, I just became wide-eyed, don't blame me okay…the place is so amazing, so creative. The owner most be damn rich, I know I am not a of tea but for this place, wow I would come here everyday to drink tea if it means to admire the place enough
I step out of the car and heed to the café, as I pull up the door I gasp and became dumbfounded this time around, it's bigger in the inside and the decorations and everything is perfect, so amazing.
"I can't believe this place is in Nigeria" I mentally mutters
"How may I be of help to you ma'am" someone voice out and I turn to look at that person. it's a lady, smiling at me looking so good in her beautiful apron that got the MAI-SHAYI coffee design printed on it
I give out a soft smile too, impulsing my phone Into my bag
"ammm…I came to meet your manager hope she's in" I say softly
"well she's not here yet but I am sure she will be here in a few minutes" she answered
"Ok I will wait for her then" I say and she nods
I spot a comfortable seat at the angle and heed to sit there, I put my bag on the glass table and tilt my head to everywhere in the café to give an admiring look
Some seconds later, that pretty lady appears again with a cup and soccer under it walking towards me
"Here's a cup of green tea for you ma'am, she will be here in a bit so settle with this before then" she says placing the tray carefully
"Awwn…how sweet of you thank you" I mutters almost loudly
"the pleasure is mine" she utters with a slight beam and retreat back
I bring up the cup and take a sip, and wow that's an awe, the flavor will make you drink up all the tea at once. I sip again and again and again till only one sip remains, just I was about to take my last sip, the door swings open and a lady in her early thirties appears looking so takeaway, her bag, her jewelries, the lace she's wearing, she's just the real definition of lady like and she looks familiar as in she looks like someone I knew.
I stand on my feet and walk towards the classy lady whom I guess is the manager, I approach her with a delicate smile all over my face and introduce myself
"Hello ma'am I am taheera…hajia halima's daughter" I say mellowly
"oh taheera right? Come with me" she say balmily walking to her office
I trail behind fixing my gaze at how she's walking so marvellously, as we enter the office she tell me to have a seat while she open wide the curtains and open a show glass full with sundur's and so much more. She bring out two buckets of sundur and three glasses of humra and some soaps that have quite an amazing designs on them, and another bag similar to an envelope. I think that's the jewelries.
"I thought she's coming herself to see the remaining sundur's I told her that I'd travel to borno to bring" she says packaging the turaren wuta in a grey leather bag
"well I thought that too…but she asked me to come over and collect the jewelries first" I say standing
She hands me the bag and walk me to where I parked my ride
"thank you ma'am…it's such a pleasure to meet you" I smile at her
"it's such a pleasure to meet you too and please stop with the ma'am thing my name is farida" she tap my shoulder caressingly
I gasp tenderly
"you bear the same name as my younger sister…no wonder you are so beautiful and classy" I say admittedly
A flush of pink and cream painted themselves on her cheeks that become visible for one to see, she smiles away and face me again
"Thank you dear, it's such a huge pleasure to meet you" she gives me a hug and it didn't take me a second to rap my arms around her too
We release each other and I enter my car and starts the engine. Some minutes later, I arrive home safe and sound. As I enters the house I meet with farida and I asks ammi's where about, she direct her index finger to ammi's corridor fixing her gaze on the TV screen. I wonder why this girl love watching this stupid show "the beauty match", every 4:00pm you will see farida running from our room to the parlor with so much speed just to watch this so called beauty match abi walk. I hisses and I ramble to ammi's room.
"Assalamu alaikum" I say
I found her praying and I walk and sit at the edge of her bed, as soon as finishes praying, she palms her hands on her face and turn towards me signing to bring the turaren wuta leather, and I do as she signs
She open it and Inbreathe each one of it. "hum…this humra's fragrance scent the best" she hummed again and I chuckles softly at her behavior
"Where are the jewelries?" She asked and I bring out the envelope from the turaren wuta leather and hands it to her
"she thought you will come yourself…there are tons of sundur to see, the soaps too, their designs are so good" I tell her
"That's why I am thinking of buying them for you before the price goes up" she says taking a good look at the accessories
I look up to her dumbfounded, feeling guilty for not telling her that Azaan and I are no more, I grin shyly and nods my head so that she won't lavish attention upon my face.