Creme DeLa Creme

Creme 6

Creme 6

CHAPTER SIX

Fridays almost always come with joy mostly because weekend follows right after. Even those that have to go to work on weekends still like Fridays for the same reason. It’s the end of a week and a fresh one is coming. Everybody loves new things and the joy that an end comes with.

It’s the same for the CEO of MAUDE. Back from work by 12pm on a Friday she felt she deserved an early weekend rest and was glad for the first time in a while she had nothing scheduled over the weekend.

She lies on the couch in their living room with her legs raised over the top of the couch pressing on her phone. Her sister, Aisha was lying on the other couch.

“Aisha I’m craving Mousse and some churros with chocolate dipping.”

“It’s easy. You can make it ai.” Aisha replied without bothering to look her way.

“I don’t know how to.”

“That’s why YouTube exist.” Aisha replied in a duh tone.

“That has hardly ever worked out for me. I’m also craving some homemade lasagna with lot of cheese and macaroni salad. ”

“Well you make the best macaroni salad in this house that’s for sure.” Aisha complimented her. “Honestly now you’ve also got me craving something with cheese. Just anything hot baked and cheesy.”

“And we know who the best baker is ....” they both abruptly sat up as Maimuna said that.

“I’m calling her right away.” Aisha started dialing her other sister’s number to inform her they were coming over to her house with some ingredients for anything cheese and sweet.

As they were getting ready, Maimuna’s friend called her to ask if she could come over but she was more than happy to join her friend and sisters in an exciting foodie evening.

Aisha drove them first to the stores to buy the ingredients then straight to Firdausi’s place. She didn’t even bother turning off the ignition before the sprinted into the house to find her sister.

“Big sis” Aisha ran and gave Firdausi a bone crushing hug in her kitchen.

“I haven’t seen you in days plus no calls but now that you want food you are trying to kill me with love.” Firdausi pushes her away playfully.

“Come on. You know you’re my favorite. “ Aisha pecked her cheeks. Firdaus swatted her away.

Maimuna and her friend Sumayya walked passed them pushing Aisha out of the way. “Na you sabi. Please excuse me. ”

“Is that ..... the delicious smell of pizza I’m perceiving from your oven Firdausi” Sumayya asked placing her hand on her pregnant bump.

“That is correct Yaya Sumy (Elder sister)” Firdausi answered her. “I’m making two small pizzas to start. I figured you might be hungry. Before we start making whatever it is you want to eat.”

The trio quickly gave Firdausi a big hug. “We love you” they said in a sing song. Firdaus laughed heartily. They always make her day when they come over. Always full of energy and freedom spirits.

Maimuna held her immediate sister’s hand. “You know Fido we might fight a lot and all but you will always be the first person I will run to for anything after Anty. When my problem is food you might occasionally be number one before Anty. I can always trust you with that.”

Firdausi wiped her invisible tears. “Awnn Maims. This is probably the nicest thing you said to me in over 5 years.”

They all laughed at that.

The timer Firdausi had set rang off and she quickly rushed to the oven to check the pizzas. They were ready and perfect. One was pepperoni and the other was extra meaty. They eagerly waited for it to cool for a while as they discuss what to make next.

“I want to eat cake, waffles with ice-cream topping, cheese balls and pasta with cheese in it.” Aisha said dreamingly imagining herself eating all she listed.

“Don’t mind her. Can we make cakes? maybe cupcakes with different toppings.” Maimuna asked.

“That’s possible.” Sumayya nodded and Firdausi agreed.

“I want mousse too please.” Maimuna battered her eyelashes. “And if we’re going to make that we might as well make some macaroons.”

“Okay she gets to say all this hard stuffs and I just want pasta with cheese but I’m the one being unrealistic?” Aisha protested.

“Maims I doubt that’s possible. We can bake the cup cakes and make atleast 3 topping. But I can’t make macaroons now. However, it’s not a promise but whenever I’m free I will try and make them for you and bring it home.” Firdausi offered an alternative.

“Okay. No p.” Maimuna agreed.

With that, they quickly started making three different cake mix in small quantities. Vanilla, red velvet and chocolate. They began to munch their pizza as they filled in the cake pans. It was just like old times, when none of them had bigger responsibilities like marriage or running a multimillion naira company or finishing a degree. Life was much easier back then, but it was getting better even. Not that the challenges weren’t there, but they couldn’t complain. They still had each other, and that was enough.

Making the cake was easy and fast because everyone knew how to make it and there were two cake mixers. A big one and a hand mixer.

In making the toppings, Firdausi had to be precise and careful so that nothing goes wrong as she teaches them the easiest methods. Maimuna had tried making those cake icing Firdausi and others had thought her a million times but she fails every time. Aisha on the other hand gets it right most of the time but she’s always too lazy to be productive in her life.

“Now, what next ?” Firdausi asked as they were done making the toppings.

“Waffles” Aisha shouted and they all glared at her. “Okay fine. But please can we have an amazing pasta for dinner? It doesn’t have to be cheese, we can add cream instead. Please? Fido. Like the one you made for your husband that day when I visited you.”

“Aisha don’t over work a pregnant woman.” Maimuna warned her teasingly.

“Okay fine. Pasta for dinner before you leave. “ Firdausi agreed.

“Okay. And I will make those cheese balls for you Aisha, just cause I’m craving them too.” Sumayya offered.

“Yay” Aisha shrilled excitedly as two cheesy things are coming through for her.

“Just peel 10 potatoes.” Sumayya added, deflating Aisha.

“I guess my mousse will be shifted to another day.” Maimuna said sadly.

“Ya Sumy, why didn’t you come with Humaira?” Aisha asked as she grudgingly peeled the potatoes.

“I just didn’t think to. She would have loved being in the kitchen working unlike someone” Sumayya shaded Aisha.

“At least she will peel the potatoes. “

Humaira, Sumayya’s sister whose real name is also Aisha is Firdausi’s friend and high school classmate. Humaira, just like Firdausi is a very good baker who owns a bakery unlike Firdausi who takes orders and does her work at home leisurely.

“Just do your job right” Sumayya scolded Aisha. She found a place near Maimuna on the kitchen floor and sat down. Firdaus’s kitchen isn’t too small but it isn’t spacious enough to contain a kitchen island. Despite the different length of stools Firdausi kept in the kitchen Maimuna and her pregnant friend preferred to sit on the floor and stretch their legs.

“Aisha is over-working pregnant women. How’s our baby doing” Maimuna rubbed Sumayya’s abdomen.

“Good. You haven’t checked on her in a while.”

“It’s going to be a boy. Stop calling him, her.” Maimuna scolded.

“In sha Allah its a girl. Haba. I’ve had enough of Jamal’s trouble. The other day he was asking me when he can play ball with the baby in my stomach. I told him she’s not going to be stubborn like him and play ball in the house and destroy mummy’s things. He cried.” Everyone in the kitchen burst out laughing.

“That was mean Sumy. He’s just what ...4?” Maimuna hit her lightly.

“Well he should learn.” Sumayya said matter of factly.

“Since you keep doing this to him, I’m going to take him when you deliver. I will cook him jollof rice and jollof spaghetti everyday.”

“He sure loves your jollof. He still asks me when we’re going to Anty Maims to eat jollof.” His mother confirmed.

“My sweet baby.” Maimuna coerced.

“Does he still want to marry Anty Maims because she makes the best jollof rice in the whole wide world?.” Aisha laughed.

“What How did I miss this?” Firdausi laughed.

“He announced it in his class on career day despite wearing the most perfect outfit an engineer could ever wear.” Maimuna told her sister of the entire scenario.

“He most really love you and your jollof.” Firdausi said as she walked to the fridge to get more vegetables for the spaghetti. “But I totally understand him. Maimuna when it comes to making traditional dishes you are one of the best honestly. I remember there are times at home I get overly excited when you’re the one making lunch or dinner instead of Mama Fati.” Firdausi confessed.

“Me too. Same!” Aisha agreed. “But you hardly know where the pot is these days.”

“I’m too busy these days ..... and lazy honestly. But I went through 3 months of suffering and torture at Anty Safina’s house, how can my cooking not be good. Though I’ve slacked now but still. The only think I feel has gone to waste by not marrying Khalid is my cooking. Oh well his loss.” Maimuna shrugged. “ I went through that just so I could be a ‘perfect’ wife who can ‘effortlessly make her husband happy by filling his stomach with deliciousness.’ Oh Anty Safina” She laughed coating her aunt.

“May she continue to Rest In Peace. She was an entire show on her own. And God was she pissed when your wedding was called off.” Aisha who was now done peeling the potatoes went to the sink to rinse them and put it to boil until soft.

Sumayya folded her legs laughing. “She really liked Khalid. I heard he got married about a year ago.”

“Yeah so I heard. I wish him well or whatever.” Maimuna brushed it off. The one man who isn’t her next of kin that she had loved more than she could ever believe was Khalid. Her healing journey is a roller coaster and she’s still on it.

“Or whatever? You’re spraying coolness. Where’s your politician? Presido. How’s he doing. It’s not easy to lose a child.” Firdausi asked concerned.

“Yeah. It’s not easy to lose any loved one. But time heals and you learn to deal with it and live with it.” Maimuna replied harshly.

“Okayyyy” Firdausi dragged. They all sensed a rage of anger.

“Looks like there’s trouble in paradise.” Sumayya commented.

“I don’t think it’s going to workout.” Maimuna sighed.

“Uhm. Months back you told me that you can probably maybe think of marrying this man cause things seemed to be going right.” Firdausi reminded her.

“Well Fido, a lot can happen in few months and maybe probably things aren’t going right as excepted. They aren’t going exactly left either. I just feel ... I don’t know. Numb maybe.” Their sister was clearly confused. “Alright forget it. Maybe it’s just me. Or because of the little distance lately. We will resolve this. Let’s just check our cakes and continue our lovely day.”

She didn’t want to talk about it so they just let her be. Maimuna knew it wasn’t because of the distance. There was a time they spent two months in different countries. One would be in Nigeria the other would be abroad but they were closer than some couples sharing the same roof. She just wasn’t too confident about the relationship anymore.

They finished decorating the cakes and arranged them in box of six for each of them including their mother, Anty and brother Faisal who showed up with Firdausi’s husband just in time for dinner. They made a total of six boxes of six cupcakes. Then ate the extras for dessert.

They had a delicious shrimps cream cheese spaghetti and potato cheese balls with a glass of chapman for dinner and cupcakes for dessert.

“Maims. Come with me. “ Firdausi dragged her older sister to the kitchen when they were about to leave. She opened her fridge and brought out a small glass bowl rapped in foil paper. “I figured you might actually need extra sweetness. Something better than cupcakes.”

Maimuna collected the bowl and opened it to see her biggest craving of the month. An entire bowl of chocolate mousse. She gave her a hug. “Fido this mousse is not the sweetness I needed. Your sweet gesture of making it for me out of love and concern is what I needed the most. I love you.”

€€€

Her phone rang just as she concluded her Isha prayer. She ignored it and began her Du'as and Azkhaars. By the time she was done, there were three missed calls from Presido.

“Wow" she sighed as she stared at her phones screen. It’s been exactly five days since they’ve had any form of contact and it shocked her that she didn’t notice any of these and it hadn’t bothered her one bit. What happened to the Maimuna that will throw a fit if he didn’t return her calls or if he didn’t check up on her for 36 hours max? Does this mean that she’s grown or evolved or whatever it is that Life Coaches and motivational speakers use?

She hit the call back button and patiently waited as the call started ringing. Two rings and Presido answered.

“Babe" he sighed into the phone.

Usually she’d have melted and swooned and have butterflies in her stomach when he does that, but today she was not shaken.

“Heyyyy" she drawled, trying to be sweet.

Whatever she was trying to get at, it worked because Presido just have her his sexy chuckle. “Where have you been? I missed you"

Maimuna wanted to scoff.

“Um… I was at work throughout the week, working my butt off trying to make money and make clients happy and also get satisfaction from doing that” but Maimuna didn’t say any of that. Instead she said “Oh I’ve been around.. you know, working and stuff"

Presido didn’t even notice she didn’t reply his ‘ I miss you' with an “I miss you too".

“So, do you have plans this weekend?”

Maimuna massaged her temples as she tried to visualise her schedule for the weekend.

“I’m not really sure. Something might come up. You know how I’m open to meeting clients during weekends.”

“Oh come on Babe. Just this Saturday , clear out your schedule and let’s spend some time together. I want to take you out. Let’s have lunch and watch a movie or something like that"

Maimuna gave it a thought and sighed. “Alright I’ll see what I can do. But nothing will be official until Friday. I can’t be so sure"

Presido wasn’t convinced, but he gave in anyway “Alright Babe. Will be looking forward to your call. And I’m picking you up"

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face “Sure. I’ll see you then. Bye" she quickly hung up before he’ll say something like ‘I love you’ and she wouldn’t know how to reply.

After the call ended, she sat there on her prayer mat and thought hard about her relationship with Presido. Things are happening to her lately and she’s not liking the way she’s feeling towards him. It’s not that she doesn’t like him anymore, she’s just not ‘in the mood' to be around him these past few days. Maybe she was suffering from some lingering PMS. It had to be that.

After a delicious dinner of Tuwon Alkama and Dried Okra soup, Maimuna together with Faisal and Aisha cleared the table. While Faisal and Aisha did the dishes , Maimuna packed the leftovers in plastic containers and arranged them in the fridge. She came back to the living room to pick her phone when she heard her mother call her from her bedroom.

She entered the room with a Salaam and found her mum sitting on the ottoman beside her vanity table, a worried look on her face.

“Aunty is everything okay?” She asked as she sat gingerly on the carpet facing her mother.

“Not really. I just got off the phone with your Uncle.” She said warily “He sounded very angry. Apparently your cousins Neena and Badriyah are getting married in two months time. He’s wondering when Muhammad’s people will go see him to set your own wedding date"

Maimuna's eyes were as wide as saucers.

“what?”

Her mother nodded “You heard me"

Maimuna massaged her temples as she broke into a cold sweat. “What else did he say?”

“He said he wants to see you in Kaduna before this week ends. There is a lot to talk about"

“But Aunty I’m fully booked this week wallahi I can’t squeeze in the time to go to KD and then come back that same day….”

Aunty raised her hand to shut her up.

“Please Maimuna, for once in your life drop everything about work and go face your Uncle. I don’t want to be the middle man between the both of you. Talk to him, have a reasonable conversation. If need be, spend the night there. Just sort things out with him.”

“Aunty…”

“Dan Allah. I don’t want any drama Maimuna. Just go. I’m sure Fauzee and the rest can handle everything at work. Just sort things out with him. Idan auren ne mafi alkhairi, so be it. If it’s not, Alhamdulillah. I just want you to clear the air between the two of you. I don’t like the way he’s making this issue sound like it’s my fault. I mean you’re a grown up, I can’t force you to make decisions given the fact that terrible things happened long ago. If he has forgotten, well I haven’t…..”

Maimuna placed her hand on her mother’s knee to calm her. She was on the verge of tears now. “Aunty it’s okay. I will go insha Allah. I’ll clear my schedule for this weekend and by Friday I’ll be off God willing. Things will be sorted. I promise I’ll never make you the middle man again"

Her mother nodded as she heaved deep heavy sighs of relief. “Allah ya kaimu. May Allah be with you"