CLASSICAL MUSLIMAH

CLASSICAL MUSLIMAH: 18

Umariri Songhai, Borno, Nigeria.
Saturday 6th April, 2018.

Eesh was dressed in a lavender embellished atamfa with ice eel-like designs sewn into a six-piece skirt with a short trail and a blouse with keyhole illusion neckline and two steps kimono sleeves. Her head gear was tied into the splitting Zara Buhari style. Her makeup top notch, she slipped into her ice Brian Atwood's heels and an ice colored material with lavender designs on the edges was tied into a laffaya around her body and then used to cover her face halfway.

"No one will admonish her. Take her to the car." Alhaji Muhammad said after he had hugged his daughter. He wasn't going to follow them to Abuja yet, he had some unfinished business to complete before he left.

"Haba Alhaji, if no one admonishes her she would go there and misbehave. Daman gashi bah irin auren al'ada aka mata bah. An bar yarinya tayi abun da ranta yake so babu koh gwal daya {moreover it wasn't a traditional marriage. They've allowed her to do what she wishes that there's not even a single gold}." One of Alhaji Muhammad's half-sisters, Hallira said, making the last part sound like a whisper but Alhaji Muhammad heard her loud and clear.

"Idan kin tashi sake aure sai kice mijinki ya baki gwal tunda abun da kike so kenan {when you're getting remarried then you can tell your husband to give you gold since that's what you want}." Alhaji Muhammad said something under his breath.

"Alhaji what did you just call me?" He ignored her and walked away.

"Wai today it's me Alhaji called haffaratu thahabin {gold digger}, because of that hagara {shameless girl}." Hallira said surprised.

As Eesh was taken to the car where Abulkhair was waiting, Uwani's mother came out dressed in a lemon paper lace sewn into a plain wrapper and buba with v-neckline with silver stones used to trace the flowery pattern on the lace around the neck and bell sleeves. She was wearing a silver veil and a silver wedged Jimmy Choo shoe.

She took Eesh's right hand and said, "Aisha, this is for you. When your mother was dying, she placed your hand in mine and said, 'Take care of my daughter, for she is yours too'. And now, by Allah's grace, I'm about to hand you over to a man. I hope you respect him and work towards getting your Jannah from him. I know you won't disappoint me. I love you my daughter, now it's left for you to love yourself."

Eesh wondered why she had to translate the poem she wrote for her. She thought it was only for the Arabian night but shrugged it off.

With that, she placed Eesh's right hand in Abulkhair's right hands. She squeezed their hands. The way their hands were sitting in each other's, was how they entered the car and drove off to the airport where they boarded a plane to Abuja.

°°°

Arab Road, Abuja, Nigeria.

Nana Asma'u scrolled through her Instagram feed, saving things she thought necessary and liking the ones she liked. She stopped by a video which was still loading, she dropped it on the counter to check on the stew she was preparing to take with the yam she had boiled. Pouring a little quantity of soaked potash into it, she heard her phone making sounds which meant the video had finished loading.

She quickly dropped the bottle where the potash was soaked and cleaned her hand with the kitchen napkin then picked her phone. Jealousy took over her features when she realized it was one of the numerous videos of Eesh and Abulkhair's wedding events that had been trending since the previous week.