*
Turai was busy pulling hassana through the aisles of the mall they went to shop, holding a long list of necessities. The government agreed for the citizens to bring their own food too as this will help save a lot of food provided already. Besides, what the government might serve might not be what a person wants to eat so it is a good idea.
The moment turai heard it on the news, she pulled hassana out of bed and took her to the mall to shop. Hassana was reluctant to go but the mother won't have it. She was even telling hassana that when they are done with the mall, they will go to the city market. The market again! Hassana was crying within.
In times of war, food is the most important thing and so they must have it in bulk. Turai kept pulling hassana aisle after aisle, filling up the trolley until there is no more space to keep any other things but just then turai looked at her daughter's empty hand.
'Oh no!' complained hassana within.
That was how hassana became another trolley until there is no place to hold anything anymore.
"Mom take it easy now. I can't hold anything, my arms are hurting, pleeeese let's just go!"
There were so many loads on her arms, hanged on her neck, held with her hands, even each finger holds an item, so torturing. Meanwhile, she saw her mother even looking around for more stuffs. Ya ilahi! She's in trouble!
"Mom please, the money might not even be enough....."
"Good. Call your father and tell him to send us more money. It's a good thing that you remind me."
A tear nearly dropped from hassana's eye. Remind her! Who wanted to remind her? Instead of stopping her, it even instigated her. That was the reason hassana never wanted to come shopping with her mom. It's pure torture.
At long last they finished with the shopping and approach the cash register. Just like hassana has predicted, the money wasn't enough.
"Remove the money from this card please."
Both hassana and her mother turn to see a tall handsome man beside them offering his ATM card.
"Oh we can't really accept this, I will just call her father...."
"Please do. This is free. You don't reject free gift done out of goodwill, do you?" he quickly pushed the card towards the cashier.
Hm! Goodwill her foot! Not this man again! Hassana meet this man that called himself mahmood. She met him at the accident scene the day that the field marshal nearly hit her. He was the man she asked to put pressure on the victims legs.
After nearly gotten hit, he insisted on helping her drive home but she refused. Then he asked for her phone number and she refused. He even ask for the address of the hospital she works but she refused and quickly left the scene. Who knows they will meet here again. Whoever he is, she have no idea and didn't care to know at all. Now look at him saying something about goodwill.
The man even collected their trolley and brought it to hassana's car, helped unload and stood there staring at hassana eerily. Turai thanked him but the guy's eye were fixed on hassana. Witch! Or wizard, he will eat himself not her.
"Well, we are going. Thanks again." Turai entered the front seat and lock the door still wondering why the man wouldn't leave.
"Can I at least have your...."
"No! Bye!" she entered in the driver's seat, hit the gas and drove away.
Silly, weird man. Who will give her phone number to him so that he will disturb her day and night. Let her deal with this war anxiety no, he wanted to add another one to her.
Turai looked at her daughter wondering why she refused to give her number to the man. Come to think of it, even turai noticed the man was weird. Is it the beauty of her daughter that made him looked like a fool? Strange! She was about to say something when...
"City market you say?"
"Yes. We need to buy the local stuff." She said checking her list again.
Local foods like daddawa locust beans, kuka ground baobab leaves, okro…..
"I prefer the dried one due to the situation we are in."
Lots of foods stuff and lots of people buying and selling as if today is the last day before the war. Hassana hated going to the market with her mother the most. It is the worst because turai will go round, come around, about turn....endless to and fro within the same market which will make one so tired.
"How much is this fish?"
A woman was buying dried fish and all of sudden she screamed.
"Innalillahi, snake!!!"
Haba, before you know anything, the market was in chaos with everyone running away from the snake scene. Everyone but hassana and her mother. The only thing that stopped turai from running was because she saw hassana didn't run.
Bending down and lifting a cane basket, hassana saw a small black snake curled up. It looks scared and stared at hassana. The latter looked into its eyes and just like a memory, hassana saw how it ended up beneath the basket.
It was extremely hungry and slid from a hole near the basket. It smelled fishes and tried to get one to satisfy it belly. However, as it tried to get one dried fish, a hand will come and snatch it away. It will have patience and go for the next one but the same thing happened and kept happening.
It is pure torture when one is hungry and the available food kept getting snatched away. It was so tired and wanted to change position when it heard a loud shout and then another until the place was filled with so much noise.
"Poor thing. You really suffered." Hassana picked it up, looking around for a safe place to deliver it.
"What are you doing?!" said turai panicking.
"Don't worry mom, it will be out of harm's way. It's just a baby."
Not only did she delivered it safely, she threw a large dried fish at it. The way it stared at her, she could feel the gratitude.