Chapter 15

Later that day, after she had prayed Isha, they spread the weaved mat outside the compound and settled down to eat while her mother was inside. "So, tell me about this Abuja. I always wanted to go but you know baba will never allow me to, I mean, who do we even know there? Lucky you, you stay there now." Dalia gave her a disbelief look, who talks that much in less than a minute. "Well... I won't say because I really don't go anywhere except weekends." "Where do you go during the weekends?" Amrah asked after she had swallowed her food. She stared at Dalia, waiting for a reply. "The man that brought me here, I go to his house and clean," she spoke nonchalantly as she continued to eat. "Why? You said he's married, what's his wife doing then? They don't have a maid? Or his wife is sick? Or..." "Amrah..." She interrupted, brows furrowed. "That is none of our business. I do what I was asked to do not stick my nose into what doesn't concern me and you should start doing that too." She advised at the end. Even when Amrah asked again, Dalia changed the topic instead. "I want to go see baba jibril tomorrow and also go to bintos house, I haven't gone there ever since she gave birth." Amrah shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. After they had finished eating, Amrah cleared the place and they did the dishes together as they spoke more about Dalia's stay in abuja. The next day, Amrah accompanied Dalia to her parents house. "Dalia? Is that really you? You look incredible, abuja is really treating you well." Dalia smiled sheepishly as she thanked her uncle. Amrah's mother scoffed silently and looked away. She had been bugging Amrah's father to also send her daughter to daddy's house since they knew he would never say no to his request but he disagreed. "Baba can I also go to abuja during weekends please? Just the weekends and I will be back at aunty Amina's place." "I would even prefer if you stayed there with her. Maybe he will also return you back to school," her mother spoke for the first time since they came. Amrah beheld her mother's gaze and sighed. She knew if her father would consider allow her to go for the weekends, he would change his mind by what her mother stated. Jibril looked at his wife, mouth open, wondering why she brought back the talk they had already buried months back. "Amrah is not going anywhere. If Allah wills, she will also continue with her studies not through Alhaji Mubarak...." He paused and looked at the girls. "I hope you don't have any problem there, dalia." She slowly shook her head as she suppressed a smile. Amrah's mother hissed as she rose from the couch and headed in to her room. They all stared at her retreating back till she closed the door loudly. Dalia already knew Amrah's mother disliked her, this wasn't a new thing to her. "Baba, let me go cook lunch for us. Come dalia let's go," the word left her mouth. They both rise to their feet and left the living room. "I am so sorry about inna's behaviours. I don't know why she keeps doing this," Amrah mouthed the moment they entered the kitchen. She sighed and looked around the kitchen. "Why are you apologising? You did nothing, inna didn't do anything. She also wants the best for you, right?" Amrah smiled and nodded. She loved how Dalia had a soft heart. She was certainly considerate. "I wanted to ask you; have you thought of getting married while you're in school?" Amrah asked as she started piling the yam she brought out from their store. Dalia threw her head back laughing. "I am only eighteen please and I don't think I can leave mama now, no, no way--" Amrah dropped the knife and beheld dalia's gaze. "You're turning nineteen in few moths aren't you? And speaking of leaving aunty amina, you've not been home for about 7, 8 months? So I think you can handle it," Amrah reasoned while she continued with her work. Dalia chuckled and shook her head. "You're not making any sense here, Amrah. I mean what even brought this up? Or mama told you she was tired of me?" She bombarded her cousin with questions. Amrah suppressed a smile and shook her head, "not at all. I was just wondering. Now that you're about to start going to school, what's next, marriage of course," she concluded as she moved to the sink to was he the yam she finished piling. Dalia folded her arms around her chest, "uh, service, get a job if possible or start my own business, sounds convincing to me." Amrah turned her head and glared at her. "We both know Baba will not allow this and aunty amina won't allow it too... so, better change your plans on this missy." Dalia ignored her statement because she knew it was the truth. Though her mother won't force her to get married early, she knew it would be taken as something negative in her family if she graduates from the university and moves further with her career instead of settling down. She sometimes wished her father's family weren't so cruel and selfish. "May Allah choose what's best for all of us," she muttered instead. Amrah smiled, "ameen, that's what you should've said moments ago. Now come help me open this garlic." Dalia smiled back and they cooked together as they chit chatted. After they were done eating, they left Jibril's house and went to their friend's house, bintoto. She was their friend in secondary school and she got married a year after their graduation. Her parents were not being fair to her, Dalia thought. She was a year older than bintoto but she already has a baby. And she was married her cousin whom she doesn't love. The thought of it irritated Dalia and it made her have a thought that marriage is not for her.