Night walkers it's me again and guess what?????
I'll have you know that this author is now legallllllll💃💃💃💃💃 PS I'm saying this in lady Whistledown's voice (if you've watched bridgerton)say a prayer for me tho
Alhamdulillah for eighteen years of Allah's mercy on me.
I've got a surprise for you all🙈🤭

••••••

Khadijah started at herself in the mirror, she wasn’t wearing any makeup as usual and wore an A-shape gown with balloon sleeves that reach her wrists, her head tie like always was a simple ture kaga tsiya, she paired it with hoop earrings and picked the ring Fahad had sent as a birthday gift, he’d told her he noticed the one on her finger and liked it so he wanted to give her something similar but different, she loved it and the only difference between that one and the one on her wrist was, the former had small glittery stones around the whole band while hers was plain.

She picked a maroon chiffon veil and maroon flats since her clothes were Tuscan sun colored with maroon and white floral patterns, she picked her purse that she thought she had no need for.

Baraka had called her the night before apologizing for not telling her, that she was occupied, though Afnan had called herself and begged her to come since she wasn’t going to be there, she needed someone she could trust to tell her everything and Kamla wasn’t around so she settled for someone she trusted most.

“Wai halan Khadijah mi kike har yau,” (What are you still doing?)umma popped her head in Khadijah’s room not exactly looking, she looked at her form and a smile made its way to her face, “Masha Allah see how beautiful you look,” Khadijah forced a smile and thanked her.

Umma looked regal in her scarlet colored swiss lace with small circles in peach which she paired with a peach veil and the gold jewelry set she’d showed Khadijah one time.

“You look beautiful too umma,” with a smile her mother nodded.

“Let’s be on our way, the driver is here.” Khadijah nodded and followed after picking her phone that was charging.

Afnan had called and reminded her to call or make a video for her, she’d rolled her eyes but complied by calling nevertheless, she didn’t know what she was in a rush for since she was going to see it immediately they left, she muted the video call and directed the back camera where they could see everything that was happening, she wasn’t paying that much attention to what they were saying.

It was the usual how lucky she was, ‘tayi goshi’ like they called it, whatever it meant anyways.

When they finished opening the third set, she received a message from Afnan thanking her and that her fiancé was requesting a video call too so she had to hang up, it brought a small smile to Khadijah’s face as she disconnected the call.

“Ke Khadijah yaushe zamu taho naki?”(You Khadijah, when are we coming for yours?)She gave the middle aged woman a tight lipped smile, it was either that or replying with never, she picked the safe side.

“Ana ma zawara lefe ne?” (Do they do bridal package for divorcees?) another woman she couldn’t recall her name asked with a sneer.

“Why won’t they do it? Ko ba’a yi ai kanwata ba kowacce mace bace, just look at how amazing she is, it’s not anybody we’re going to give fa.” (Even if they don’t, they will for my younger sister because she is not just any woman) that was Sadiya with a sweet smile. The people laughed agreeing with her beauty, someone even went far by saying she was probably going to attract someone as rich as the president, she only forced a smile to the light banter, the second woman who talked was silently raging though no one paid her any attention.

They left the way they came, Afnan was in Khadijah’s room when they went back home, as tradition deemed she shouldn’t be in the house when her lefe was brought, she tackled her aunt in a hug immediately she entered.

“Ya Allah all this excitement, what if the wedding comes around?” she teased making her close her face with her palm her cheeks tingeing with a blush.

“Aunty dee,” she muttered in a low voice.

“Oh come on, we both know you’re anything but shy, oya come let’s talk about gown, we have to give the world a reason to talk.” she squealed and followed her aunt, Manal her immediate younger sister joined them a few minutes later and together they talked for hours.

“Aunty dee ai as her younger sister and favorite,” Afnan interrupted denying her being her favorite, “Whatever, still”-she turned to their aunt-“isn’t she supposed to give me like ten things from her lefe?”

Afnan eyed her sister, “Sis you’re mad,”

“You just want to be stingy,” Manal huffed folding her hands.

“Yes I agree, go and look for husband too,”

Khadijah stared at both of them in amusement, “Ai I’ve found him if not for….” Manal started but stopped when her eyes drifted to her aunt, she blushed and turned while Afnan burst into evil laughter.

“Continue now, mara kunyan yarinya,” (Shameless girl) Afnan cackled at her sister who was trying hard to hide her blush and glare at her at the same time.

Khadijah only shook her head but didn’t add anything to their banter, Afnan’s phone rang and she speared her sister a glance then eyed her when she muttered something along the lines of, ‘Loveeeee’

She stood to leave the room but answered the call, she said something under her breath and Manal started laughing, “Su masu my love se a hankali,” she called out laughing.

“Stop torturing your sister,” Khadijah chastised with a chuckle.

“She’s showing off,” Manal defended folding her hands.

“Okay, now tell me about that husband you’ve found,” her eyes widened like a deer caught in headlight before she blushed and lowered her head, “What?” Khadijah asked laughing.

“Aunty dee,” she turned refusing to make eye contact.

“Just tell me, it’s not like I’m going to hunt him down and ask him to leave you alone.” She added, after about a minute of back and forth she convinced her to spill.

“Okay we met on snapchat,” Khadijah nodded meaning for her to continue, “He actually doesn’t live in Nigeria but his parents are Nigerians,” this made her chuckle.

“Isn’t he a Nigerian?”

“Of course he is,” she answered now more free, “Well we started talking and all but it’s nothing serious, we’re more like friends.”

“Friends?” Khadijah teased, “Weren’t you just referring to him as your husband?”

“Aunty dee,” she laughed, “Okay we’re still getting to know each other and he’s just twenty-twenty one and we’ve not actually met in person, we were supposed to but then it was when Basra....” Khadijah nodded in understanding and they said a prayer for her.

“Keep going I’m hooked, wait you still haven’t told me his name.” Khadijah said after a minute of silence.

“Oh right, its Jay,”

“Just jay?” she asked incredulously.

“No, his snapchat name is jayASB but his full name is Ja’afar.”

“Nice name, so now should I start calling you Jay’s M?” Manal giggled while Khadijah only looked amusedly at her giddy niece, she was literally glowing.

“Don’t please,”

“Okay then, what is he like? Is he cute?” she wiggled her eyebrows while Manal covered her face with her palm laughing. “Come on tell me, or I’m calling Kamla and you’ll have to confess.”

“Okay okay, yes he is, here let me show you a picture,” she scrolled through her phone then handed the phone to her aunt, “if you scroll right you’ll see a video of him” Khadijah nodded and took the phone.

Like she said, he looked about twenty at most twenty two, he was wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, his hands in the pocket and he was laughing, the laughter looked so pure to be for a picture, maybe it was taken unaware, she thought. He was resting against a sport car his jean clad legs crossed in his front.

“His sister took that picture when their brother was fighting about something,” Khadijah nodded and scrolled to the video.

“I want you to meet my family though they won’t really know,” his voice came with light laughter, she heard two female voices in the background telling him to keep his phone down, another feminine voiced asked the first two to keep quiet, their faces weren’t shown, he was walking and she could see the full view of a large living room with simple English decorations in different shades and hues of brown, a face of a bored looking girl maybe younger than him or the same age came into view, she looked familiar to Khadijah but she couldn’t pinpoint where she knew the face from, she gave her brother-or better yet him and his phone an annoyed looked then closed the book in her hands.

“That’s adda beela like I told you, she hates talking and other people talking too,”

“I heard that,” her voice came with the same accent he had.

“Yeah yeah, and now the other two that my life a living hell, I could show you hamma Adnan but he would break both me and my phone and I kind of like having all my bones intact…”

“Didn’t they tell you to stop it,” the video was cut from then.

Khadijah could’ve sworn that voice sounded familiar, she handed Manal her phone.

“He sounds funny,”

“He is,”

“You know, meeting people online is dangerous but he seems like a nice person, just be careful okay,” she nodded pocketing her phone.

“I will.” She promised.

Khadijah stayed quiet after that trying to recall why he looked so familiar, and that voice, she knew that voice.

“What’s his full name? Not the snapchat name or anything.” The both chuckled at that.

“Promise you’ll believe me, ya Afnan didn’t believe me when I told her,” Khadijah promised understanding that she intentionally didn’t say his full name.

“Ja’afar Abubakar Barkindo,” Khadijah started at her blankly, “He even knows aunty Layla and them Raina, they’re cousins he said.”

“Barkindo?” Khadijah asked again and she nodded. “He has a sister Huda right, Noorulhuda?” she nodded again.

“How do you know?”

“I’ve met her and I know his brother,” her eyes widened before she jumped up abruptly.

“Really?! Ya Afnan didn’t believe that he actually talked to me, see how I’m pretty fa.” She pouted though she was still giddy.

“Okay madam, calm down and be careful with how you talk to people on social media, some are just liars trying to pounce on innocent girls and others are just extorts so please be careful, and two focus on your studies, you’re too young to have a boyfriend.”

“Ya Afnan is getting married,” she said pointedly.

“To your cousin that we’ve all known all his life,”

“But he is aunty Layla’s cousin,”

Khadijah released an exasperated breath then fixed her unwavering gaze on her niece, her eyes widened a bit, “I’m trying to make a point Manal, just be careful,” she nodded with a promise to be careful and that she’ll stop answering people on social media, then muttered under her breath that she’d already found the one why would she even need to talk to anyone else.

A few minutes to maghrib, their driver came and Khadijah made sure to walk them to the car and prayed before they left the house.

She saw a Honda parked a few paces from their gate, she didn’t really notice things in the area but she didn’t know why that particular car made her feel on edge, she disregarded it then went back inside the house, she passed her mother’s sisters and went back to her room, her phone rang almost immediately she closed the door.

“How was work?” Fahad asked after they exchanged pleasantries.

“Alhamdulillah, I’m almost done with ya Sadiya’s own,”

“That’s very good, barakallahu feeki,” she smiled.

“So your brother Ja'afar how old is he?” if he was taken aback by her question he didn’t show and he answered like she asked him about the weather. “How old do you think is suitable for him to be in a relationship?”

“Jay,” he burst into laughter, she raised her brows even though he couldn’t see her. “Who will date jay should be question, all he cares about is sport cars.” He finished with a low chuckle.

“In that case, I’d say you should start getting ready to welcome a new addition to your family,”

“Which of my siblings want to get a pet? I thought they’ve learned from Aneesah’s failed pet fish.”

“I just finished talking to his girlfriend.” This time she did laugh, he was quiet for a while before he told her to wait and hear for herself.

She heard a phone ringing before a familiar voice spoke, he greeted his brother and asked how Nigeria was, he told him something about Aneesah almost running his car into their cars, his laughter showed he found it funny rather than threatening.

“Jay hey I wanted to as you something,” he replied with ask away, “I was just talking to someone and she said she knew you,”

“A lot of people know me hamma,”

“Be serious, she said she’s your girlfriend,” the line was silent for about a minute before she heard him sigh.

“How do you know Manal?” Khadijah’s heart lurched, she hadn’t realized how stagnant she stopped.

“Wait, you do have a girlfriend?” she could hear the surprise in his voice.

“Ugh, why do you sound so surprised? Actually don’t answer that, do you like her though? You know your opinion means a lot to me and I need you to like her.”

“Let me first recover from this shock alright, kiss Huda goodbye for me and tell ammie to not bother planning my wedding alone, it’s like you and Adnan are joining.” She heard his laughter then he told his brother to stay safe.

“Okay so he has a girlfriend?” he said more to himself than her.

“Congrats then,”

“No seriously, he has always been unserious, everyone makes an example with him when it comes to irresponsibility, now I certainly want to meet the girl,” she laughed again because he honestly sounded surprised.

Someone called her name, “I’m coming they need me,”

“Alright, I need to absorb this shock,” she hung up then went to the living room where her mother was seated with two of her sisters that she didn’t really like all that much, those aunts, like Sadiya called them.

“There is someone looking for you outside,” her mother stated simply.

“Who?” she asked adjusting her veil, she’d only removed the head tie and jewelries when they returned.

“Go out and see now,” her aunt Badriyah snorted she turned to her sister, “Is this how she does to all her suitors? How does she want to get remarried?”

“Toh help me ask her,” umma pointed to Khadijah who was almost at the door, she would’ve preferred to wear a long hijab but she didn’t want to hear whatever it was they were talking about, she heard something about matchmaking and it soured her mood.

The Honda she saw earlier was parked inside the compound now and a man stood outside in a dark green shadda, she couldn’t make out his features because he was facing the gate on the phone. Her first thought was why umma had let a stranger drive into the compound, normally the jobless men that think to court her, those that had the nerve to approach her that was always parked outside. His voice hit her before she even reached where he was standing, her heart started beating when she heard the unmistakable voice of the man that was the source of all her nightmares, the writer, director, screen player and actors, everything, the man that single handedly ruined her.

She wanted to turn and run back to the safety of her room, maybe her father was at home, she would run to him, he would stop this madness, but her legs failed her, she kept staring at him wide eyed not even trying to hide her fear.

“Khadijah?” Suleiman said with a small smile, “How are you?” he groaned when she didn’t reply. “Let’s not do this please, it’s pretty cold come in,” he moved and opened the passenger door of his car but she made no move to enter.

She tightened her hold on the phone she was holding, she was feeling cold but sweat was running down her back, she tried hard to focus on her breathing.

“Here,” he held her hands and she gasped and tried to fight him but he was stronger and he pulled her so she was flush against him, “Calm down, I’m not doing anything to you,” if she heard, she didn’t show trying to free herself, her eyes were already filling with tears.

“Let me go,” she whispered lowly giving up, he’d always found pleasure when she tried to fight.

“There, see calm down.” His hand that was rubbing her back felt like hot coal was being poured there.

“Please leave me alone.” She cried.

“Khadijah please come with me, let’s go back to our house....” one moment she was against him and the next she felt her body hit his car, then she heard her father’s voice, his always leveled voice sounded angry.

“What is wrong with you?” he yelled at Suleiman who looked anything but sorry.

“I was trying to talk to her then she started crying, I only wanted to console her,”

“Do you have any sense at all? Don’t you know she is not your mahram or have you forgotten she is no longer your wife?” their voices alerted the women that were sitting inside and they came rushing out.

“Malam lafiya, ya kuke ihu?” (Is everything alright, why are you yelling?) she missed the figure of her daughter trying to catch her breath against the car.

“This…this….this insensible man,” he pointed to Suleiman who’d gone back to resting against his car, “was trying to hold her,”

“Toh is she not his wife?” the look he sent her made her swallow any other word she might try to blurt.

He ignored her and walked to his daughter who looked disheveled and wrapped his arms around her and helped her walk inside.

“Get that man out of my house before I call the police,” he warned when they were almost inside. He took her to his living room and sat her down then handed her a bottle of water.

Malam Sadeeq was returning from maghrib congregational prayer, he saw the car but disregarded it thinking it was a visitor or something, and as usual he’d stated to talk with some of the elderly men around the area, normally he stays until after isha then he’ll return home but he’d needed to use the bathroom and he walked in on that sight he knew would forever be engraved in his head.

Whatever it was that man had done to his daughter for her to be so scared of him? He knew how she was before she got married, she was daring and spoke her mind, but now she was timid and kept to herself and though it worried him and he’d tried to talk to her, she always only smiled with she’s fine or just tired, one excuse after the other, the only person she talked to was Sadiya which was why he never really bothered when she went to her sister’s.

He talked to her until she calmed down, “What happened? Did he hurt you?” she managed to shake her head no hearing the worry in his voice. “Please talk to me,” she shook her head and croaked out she just panicked, he wanted to ask why but respected her privacy.

“Will you be fine by yourself? I’m going to the mosque,” she nodded again, with one last glance her way, he left the room through his door.

Khadijah hugged herself and let the tears fall, her body racked with her sobs. She didn’t know for how long she sat there