Our Fate

Chapter 12

Three hours later

When will I get to wash this? I'm already tired of sitting in one place?" Rahma complain frowning her face because she's Been in that room for the past three hour she arrive from Abuja. Her mum force her to start immediately because there was no time again.

"Ma, you have to endure for a while, to let your body get soft and fresh please" The lady said.

"Okay then," She said and continue typing on her phone.

"Basma please go and get me something to eat I'm hungry" She beseech.

"Am not even sure if there is any food in that kitchen yet" Basma said.

"What? Hauwa haven't cook?" She asked.

"I think so" she said.

"What about Mardiya? Where is she?" Rahma asked.

"Umma asked her to follow her out" Basma said.

"Oh! Basma can you cook even noodles for me? I'm hungry."

"Ya Rahma and food, hauwa will soon finish" she said.

"Are you not the one that said she has not even Cook yet?"

"Was only teasing, she's almost done with it."

"Ma, can we wash this up?" The lady who came down from Kano for the body repair asked.

"Of course please, finally I can now rest" She said.

Zainab came into the room and found Rahma with only pant and bra on the marble floor. "What this on your body? I couldn't even recognized your face" she said.

"Is part of the scrub use for the body repair" she response.

"Ahh please don't come and kill Aliyu with all this that day" zainab said wink.

"Zainab!" Rahma cringed at her word." Please stop it" she pleaded with her eyes.

"Are you shy? See you better package yourself well and stop been shy his all yours to take."

"Yes ma! She's right, don't be a boring lady on bed and even after the first night don't be shy of him, be normal and act as if nothing happen earlier." Hamida her body repairer who she as became acquainted with earlier advised.

"Ya Allah! I'm even shy of you girls now," Rahma said covering her eyes with palm.

"You better open your ears, let give you some tips." Zainab said.

"Zainab! How did you know all this? If not because you're my cousin, I will have think maybe you're a married woman too just like hamida here."

"Babe forget that, I read a lot of Hausa novel and believe me everything you need to know is in there."

Basma walk in with a plate of food and kept it beside Rahma. "Here it is before you kill me with your hunger." Basma said.

"Awwwn thank you darling! Let me just clean up first, before eating." She said and stood up to the bathroom.

After she return back, another set of spa was done on her body and she was given some mixing drink to have. Her mother  warn her against going out from now and also avoid meeting her husband to be. As if his even in Minna, she mutter silently and rolled her eyes when her mum say so.

Two hours later, they were done for the day and she has change into another set of atampa that was sewn beautifully, which fitted her body perfectly.

Hadiza came in just as promise and immediately hugged her friend who was glowing from all part of her body.

"You look beautiful, see how you're already glowing Rahma, have you start the body repair?" Hadiza asked.

"Yes fa, and believe me it all tiring, I can't believe I still have some days to do it more." She complain

"You're even lucky, is just some days you have to do it, since you were even out of the country. Ya Maimuna did her own for a month before getting married" Hadiza said.

"Uhm she try, I can't do it fa" Rahma said.

"But the lady doing yours Is more perfect, see how you're already glowing from all indication of your body Rahma" she complimented.

"Awwwn! I'm blushing, thank you dear" she said sheepishly." She will be the one to do yours too In Sha Allah," She said.

"In Sha Allah, I hope you don't miss my wedding when it come" Hadiza said.

"Haba, why should I missed your wedding for anything Hadiza" she asked surprisedly.

"I don't know, but that what mostly happen now, after marriage some friends lose their tie because their married" she said.

"Well you said some friends, we are more than that Hadiza we are more like a sister, I can only missed your wedding day when I'm no more alive again, so cheer up" she said.

"You're the best, you know" Hadiza said.

"Just like you too. please call Amina and Aisha for me, I haven't seen them." She said.

"Yeah! Aisha is already on her way but Amina won't be able to make it today till tomorrow before the henna party."

"Khadijah will also arrive tomorrow"

"Oh yeah you told me, together with the make up artist right?."

"Hello everyone!" Mardiya walk into the room with a paper bag.

"Umma is back too" Rahma asked immediately her sister walk in.

"Yeah she's in her room, and asked me to inform you to dress up before visitors start arriving"

"Oh I'm already dress, what did you have inside that bag?" She asked snatching the bag.

"Rahma will never change, see how you even snatch the bag as if is for you" Hadiza said.

She rolled her eyes and continue peeping through it. "Whatever!"

"Thank god! You can now leave my bag for me Ya Rahma, your fiance is calling you" Mardiya said and collect the bag, giving Hadiza a piece of the cake with ice cream inside, before lying on the bed.

"Going to market with Umma is so tiring wallahi." Mardiya complain massaging her neck.

"That why I told her I have other places to go" Basma said entering the room.

"Ya Rahma, Umma is calling you" Basma inform.

"Again? Okay I'm coming" she said and ended her call.

Upon entering the room, she saw her mum sitting on the praying mat, so she was surprise and asked to confirm if really she called her." Umma, Basma said you're calling me" She asked.

"Yes Rahma, come and seat here with me" She gesture "I want to have a motherly conversation with you before the house get full. You know you will be busy with your friends and other things likewise me too.

"Yes Umma, I'm listening." She said, though she know deep within her she was scared, scared of everything that her mum will said.

"Rahma listen to me carefully, open your ears and heart and get everything I'm saying please. Marriage is not a joke, I repeat, it's not a joke neither is it a bed of roses, but you can prayerfully remove the thorns so you can enjoy the roses. Rahma be patient and tolerate your husband for whoever he his, obey him and respect him for the sake of Allah, and In Sha Allah, Allah will be pleased with you too."

"There is this proverb our Nupe people say 'ede kata gada kata o, ala wan tuyi kata o' (if a room wrapper is wet then dry it back inside the room). If you had any misunderstanding with your husband solve the problem with him and avoid letting any third person into your issue, be wise! And let go of ego and pride no matter who is at fault."

"May Almighty Allah bless your marriage, protect you both from the eyes of evil and give you both a big heart to endure and tolerate each other" her mother pray.

At the moment her mum finish talking to her, tears were already streaming down her cheeks and she let it flow freely. Her mother word still echo deep inside her." Thank you Umma" she said wiping her tears.

"Rahma stop crying okay! I'm not trying to scared you. You see when you find a person perfect for you, their flaws don’t feel like flaws again. I know you love Aliyu but you're not ready to be with him yet because you feel insecure about it, or having some doubt because you haven't been in a long term relationship yet. My daughter been in a relationship or short one doesn't matter, all that matter is that you both love each other, fate as brought you two together.

Your father and I didn't even know each other, we were arrange and like I told you before, it wasn't an easy journey for me at a start, but as life goes on we let go of everything and fall in love at last."

"You need to work hard to keep your marriage a happy one. Marriage is something to cherish and is something to hold on to. It is also an adventure filled with new and exciting experiences. Okay!" She said and smile at her daughter who was crying on her laps.

"Rahma my prayers shall forever be with you, In Sha Allah! May Allah bless you with a fruitful children that will be the coolness of your eyes." She said soothing her back gently.

"Thank you Umma, this is one of my prayer always, to have you and Abba witness my wedding day, my happiest day and a great memory. May Allah continue to bless you both for us, Umma I can't do this without you, you're our pillar and we love you so much. Everything you said to me shall forever be so, and In Sha Allah I promise not to ever disappoint you" She said and hugged her tightly.

"I love you too dear, I'm already missing you" her mum said wiping her own tears before her daughter could see it.

"Umma I'm going to missed you too, I wish getting married is not half of my deen, we will have just been like this forever with you." She said.

"Don't worry my dear, get married and create your own family too, their a blessing in disguised."

"In Sha Allah Umma. Can I go now? I left Hadiza inside room.

"Yes dear you can!" She said and Rahma left the room with a heavy heart.

*    *   *

The next day

Ever since they wake up early in the morning, visitors as started arriving and the house was becoming crowdy.

It was henna party day, the bride and her friends will gather for a henna party, where their hands and feet will be decorated with traditional dye, their hair make, and body repair was done on their body. It's part of north African little celebration before the wedding day.

"The henna party came to an end and everyone was looking beautiful with their decorated henna glowing.

The bride own was far different from theirs and Fuller than her friends and sisters own, the henna fitted her dark skin and shine perfectly. Her hair was perfectly plait into small size. And she couldn't just wait to show Aliyu everything!

"Rahma what are you thinking of like this?" Hadiza asked tapping her lightly.

"What should she think of, apart from wishing to see her fiance standing next to her" Amina teased.

"Well her wish will not be until next tomorrow, we don't want your husband to lose control upon sighting you" Khadijah uttered.

"Or even ripe you off naked with his eyes." Aisha added.

"Ya Allah! what type of friends did you bless me with like this?" She said and huff a sighed." You girls are so naughty, let me go and take my bath, before you all corrupt my ears" She said and walk into the bathroom.

Immediately she came out of the bathroom, with her towel securely wrap around her chest, she walk and sat down facing the mirror. And she quietly believe the body repair really work on her body.

"Rahma your phone has been ringing, maybe you should check it up, it might be Aliyu worried" Zainab said and the name alone send a shiver down the pit of her stomach. She quickly pick the phone from the night stand and his message was the first she go through, it always sooth her heart and give her that hope that everything shall be well with them.

She smile rereading the message as usual. The message it self, strong their bond a lot. And she don't think she can spare a day without getting one of it.