"Guy, just forget about Rahmat!" Hafiz said as he brought a glass of water to me. "Forget about her and move on with your life kawai!" he continued. "Besides, you have a beautiful wife at home so why worry about Rahmat?"
"You won't understand, Hafiz" I huffed staring at him as he sat in the opposite chair. "There is a strong bond between me and Rahmat, I don't have that with Amani"
"Not yet zaka ce (is what you should say)!" he snapped at me. "Just try and open your heart for her to enter, wallahi that girl is a good girl and she's undeniably beautiful too" he crossed his legs. "She may not have all the things Rahmat has but who knows tomorrow?"
"You still don't get me, Hafiz. I just don't feel anything for Amani, we've been cousins for so long and I still see her as my cousin!" I said as a matter of factly.
"Just forget about Rahmat and see how you will love Amani. By the way, Rahmat is gone and won't be coming back. I wouldn't come back too if I were to be in her shoes" he said as I glared at him.
"Why, if I may ask!" I muttered.
"So that people will not point fingers at me and say, 'hey, that's the girl on that xxx video' Think about it please Hamid, I believe Rahmat cannot afford exposing herself to the public right now" he said rendering me speechless.
Just then, my phone began ringing. It was Amani, and even though I didn't want to pick the call I just decided to pick it anyway because she hardly call me unless she has something serious or very important to tell me.
"Excuse me please" I said to Hafiz as I stood and headed towards the window of his room. "Hello!" I said the moment I picked Amani's call.
"Hi, good evening Ya Hamid" she said with some noise in the background like a running TV.
"Evening, what's that noise for?" I queried.
"Sorry, it's... it's nothing, just a television program" she said and just then the noise went away, she must have left the place or reduced the volume of the TV. "I am in our family house," she continued. "Can you come over please Ya Hamid? Kaka (grandma) wants to see you urgently"
"See me? Why?" I asked.
"Nothing, just come please" She said and then hanged off the call.
Useless girl, only God knows what she did there that they wanted to see me! I hissed.
...
"Guy, hope everything is fine?" Hafiz asked pulling me out of my trance.
"Oh, yes bro! Just that," I gulped and continued. "Amani says my attention is needed in our family house"
"Wow, sounds like she reported you for not consummating you guys' marriage" he sarcastically said as he withdrew to his feet.
"That's stupid, I don't think so!" I said heading towards the door about leaving.
"You don't think so?" he asked trailing me.
"Yes, I don't!" I muttered.
"Really?" he sarcastically asked.
"Yes, please!" I muttered again.
"Okay, I heard you" he chuckled.
"You are really funny, Hafiz" I hissed at him and proceeded as we left his room. "How do you expect that little girl to worry about me not sleeping with her? What does she even know about s*x?"
"Hmm! The fact that she's seeing her period, she ought to know about s*x. By the way the world has changed now, get that into your skull!" He said making me to roll my eyes at him with a sigh.
"What if she knows about s*x, that doesn't mean she needs it now!" I said as a matter of factly.
"Women hardly tell, they invite. Just pay attention to her" He said sounding more boring than he had been.
"Hafiz you are boring me now" I complained.
"Am I? Well I am eager to start seeing babies walking and crawling in your house, calling you 'daddy' and me 'uncle Hafiz'!" he said making me to burst into laughter. "What's funny?" he asked.
"Everything! From your words to the way you are demonstrating with your hands, it's funny to me" I teased.
"Whatever!" he hissed.
"Yo, don't mind me" I friendly punched him.
"I will!" he said rubbing the spot I punched and feigning hurt as if I punched him that hard.
"Fine then" I sarcastically uttered.
"Wicked soul, you will surely end up falling in love with Amani one day but by then it would be too late!" he said as I laughed out louder.
"Keep dreaming bro, and what even makes you think she loves me right now that you want me to love her back?" I said staring at him, eye balls to eye balls as soon as we reached my car outside their compound.
"Are you asking me?" he wrinkled a brow at me.
"Yes, I am asking you!" I folded my arms across my chest. "So tell me"
"Hmm," he heaved a sigh. "I don't know what to say but women can easily fall in love with handsome men..." — I tried to cut in but he couldn't let me so I allowed him to continue with his super-story. — "...and do you know what? If she doesn't love you she wouldn't be taking good care of you. She would always be frowning her face and muttering curses around you, just like in the movies. Indian movies for example!"
"Movies?" I deadpanned.
"Yes now!" he cleared his throat and continued. "Just know that she loves you" he said as I hopped into my car. "If you think I am lying, always look at her eyes whenever she's looking at you. If she looks away every now and then, know that she loves you!" he added as I started my car and drove away.
I was fed up by his words already, I couldn't even bade him goodbye. Everything we meet, he'd always bring Amani's topic. Was he interested in her or what?
...
The moment I arrived at our family house, Danladi opened the gate for me. Thus I drove in and parked close to my second car, which Yazid was using in driving Amani.
Yazid greeted me amicably, he was leaning by the other car. I responded to his greeting and then headed to Hajiya Babba's chamber, that was where our grandma was.
I went there and saw her sitting on a rug behind a wall with Safiya and Zainab massaging her legs. Amani however leaned her head on the old woman's lap, but as soon as she saw me she adjusted to a sitting position and greeted me.
I only nodded my head at her and then walked over to our grandma, squatted down and greeted her. "Dan Albarka (blessed child)" she placed her hand on my head and sighed. "Sannu da zuwa koh (welcome)"
"Yawwa kaka (alright grandma)" I uttered with a smile.
Hence she asked me to sit close to her, right next to Amani which I did. Just then she glanced at the two of us and smiled. "I see good in your union!" She said in her Hausa accent and continued. "I know what both of you are facing but trust me, the troubles are going to be over soon. Just make sure you put the fear of Allah in whatever you do, love each other for His sake and also..." She paused, breaking into tears. Like seriously?
"It's okay, Kaka" Amani gently embraced her and began patting her back gently. "Don't cry please Kaka" She added and guess what? The old woman gestured to me to join the hug which I sluggishly did.
The whole thing sounded weird to me, why was she even crying? Was there something I needed to know? Perhaps Amani told her I wasn't doing her good. She will see!
After the hug, we extricated and then she told us to hold each other firmly and to not allow anything to separate us. She also told us she would give us Safiya as requested by Amani, but on one condition that it had to be with my consent.
I didn't want anymore burden on me but if I didn't consent to it, the old woman would definitely not be happy. So I cleared my throat and told her I agreed.
After the whole drama, we set for home. Amani was supposed to ride with Yazid, her driver but I told her to come with me because I needed to talk to her. Therefore, Safiya rode with Yazid while Amani rode with me.
...
Halfway home, I cleared my throat and broke the silence that had crept upon us. "What did you told Kaka?" I asked concentrating on the road.
"Nothing really, Ya Hamid" Amani replied and continued. "I only told her I needed Safiya, so she said I should call and tell you to come over urgently"
"I don't believe you, Amani!" I muttered holding the steering wheel of the car firmly like I was going to break it. "I know Kaka long before you were born, so don't lie to me. That woman will never talk about our marriage and even shed tears if you didn't tell her something!"
"Ya Hamid please you need to understand, I didn't..." She said as I shouted at her.
"Silence!" My voice was so loud that I nearly lost control of the car.
She, on the other hand, covered both her ears and began weeping incessantly.
She kept crying and I didn't say anything more to her, until we were finally home. Thus, I alighted from the car and told her I wasn't happy with her. Yes, I wasn't happy because I knew she was at fault. She told the old woman something and it was obvious!
Minutes after I left her in the car and went into our storey, Safiya went out to check on her. Eventually, they both came back and headed upstairs with Amani lowering her gaze. She knew what she did!