•Hamza
Admist the slightly clustered crowd, I noticed a woman clad in an all black ensemble of a classy black evening gown with long sleeves that looked like a dress a celebrity would wear to an award show. Shiny but not too shiny, just perfect for someone who wasn't looking for too much attention. It was sequined flatteringly with a few decorative stones shining below her neckline, ruffles lining the end of her sleeves and the entire lower half of her flat dress down to her feet.
Her dress would definitely be the talk of the town. But what confuses me is her secretive appearance; concealing her entire body was fitting for a proper Muslima but with it, she wore a niqab covering her head with the exception of her mascara flossed eyes: the gems that seemed to attract a great deal of my focus on them. She looks like an Arabian princess if not better. At this point the bride looks like a maid if put into comparison to the woman who with her appearance deserved to be tagged the Belle of the ball for this night.
Her big, glittery brown orbs made a connection with mine for about two seconds, unwavering until she heard a beep from her phone then she turned away, disappearing further into the crowd as she left me in a daze, wondering who this mystery woman was.
A look into her eyes felt like a glimpse at what others call deja vú. Her eyes swirled with emotions that seemed to form her past and maybe present. I noticed a glint of despair, pain and a little of fear. Curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to find out who this lady in black was.
"Sarauniya (queen)!" I said almost loudly but not enough for my friend Bilal to hear, "Who is she?"
"Aaliyah. She's the late Alhaji Mujib's daughter." He said seeming uninterested with the topic.
"Ina gidan su? (Where is her house?)" I asked sounding a bit like a crazy stalker.
"Ka kamu fa ciwon so ko? (You've fallen in love right?)" Bilal asked as a smile spread across his face, "Her house is at Asokoro district. Remember Aunty Shamsiyya's house? The place is not far from your habibty's home."
"Ok, thank you. Allah ya maka albarka (May Allah bless you)."
"Let me know when to expect an invitation card." He said while trying to stifle his laugh but fails woefully and I smack his arm as payback while joining him too.
I wanted to follow her and speak to her but I heard the music start, signaling the commencement of Bilal's cousin Nadiya and her groom; Haidar's overpriced dinner party for both families.
The entire room was engulfed in an uproar with people dressed to impress with their phones dangling in their hands in hopes that they would be noticed in their way too expensive outfits. The funniest of the crowd we're the caring mothers playing match makers for their ignorant sons who've refused to get married or were just hopeless romantics and the young girls and boys searching for potential soulmates in the crowd filled with unknown people.
The craziest part of this whole setting was the way everyone danced like their lives depended on it and people stealing with the smallest chances they got from phones to expensive jewelry, money and other valuable items so everyone had to have fun and keep a close eye at the same time to avoid being the next victim of another dinner heist as my friend Imam put it when we went to a similar event a few years back in Kebbi and met a barauniya (thief) in our midst who shamelessly stole 60k from the bag of the amarya's (bride) mother in-law.
It had just been thirty minutes since I saw my habibty (love/dear) and she was no where to be seen now. It seems she never came back into the building since she left. What a shame...
I really wanted to have a chance at getting to know something about her even if it was a fragment or a piece so to say. But I lost my chance when she walked outside that door. I prayed to the Almighty for a little luck to find her as I got up to look for my love at first sight. I stood in the middle of the room for a while thinking of where to first look, turning my head left and right like a mad man in hopes of catching a glimpse of her beautiful, honey colored eyes again just to be stable mentally.
The search proved futile once I looked around and couldn't find her. Cinderella I'd named her finally after looking at my wristwatch and coincidentally seeing that it was 12:00am just that I didn't find her glass slipper or maybe Gucci flip flops though the children themed character fit her in every way possible as she disappeared at the perfect time.
Once I realized staying in the hall was a waste of time, I left without forgetting to throw a little wave to Bilal's direction who with as much as a little eye contact knew where I was heading and with a nod from him, I disappeared outside the hall to find my damsel in distress.
I found her the moment I stepped foot out of the building. Alhamdulillah I said to myself as the smile I couldn't help to form spread on my face the moment I saw her slouching against a grey car with her eyebrows furrowed. I knew then I had to jump in to play Superman and save the day then maybe I'd be able to steal her heart and be her Prince Charming Insha Allah.
I walked a bit too slowly at the moment, starting to feel a bit shy. She looked up to notice me coming towards her from afar and as if she saw her worst nightmare, her eyes grew bigger and what looked like fear was the reaction her face displayed. I started to walk a bit faster to catch up with her once she put her phone in her bag and turned to walk the other direction but she beat me in the race causing me to lose her yet again.
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That was chapter one y'all. I rephrased some sentences so that they're correct now.
Vote and leave a comment then share! So that our family can go back to what it used to be.
~Aisha Safiyanu🥀
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Aaliyah to the World
Romance"Sarauniya!" I said almost loudly but not enough for my friend Bilal to hear, "who is she?" "Aaliyah. She's the late Alhaji Mujib's daughter. " Bilal said seeming uninterested with the topic. "Ina gidan su?" I asked, sounding a bit like a crazy sta...
