Love through time

By The Fault of Fate

Haroon's first direction was to confide in his adopted mother Umma
'To aii na sani tun da na ga zuwan Hamida ya dawama' Umma said (I suspected the moment I realize the frequency of Hamida's visit.

Haroon was seated by her foot on the floor of the living room while she sat on the couch.
'Umma I want to marry her, of course with the blessing of you and Baba Sani. Sai na tafi turai karatu da ita'(then I'll go abroad for my study with her)
'To barkan mu aii mashAllah wanna maganan tayi kyau' (this is wonderful news)Umma said beaming
'Umma zaki wa Baba Sani bayyani (help explain this to Baba Sani.
'InshaAllah tabbas yanna dawowa ' (the moment he gets back'
***
The next day after the morning prayer Baba Sani called Haroon
'Your Umma told me about your decision to take the scholarship'
'Yes sir' Haroon said standing by because he knew the next discussion was about Hamida.

'And you want to marry and go with the girl in question?'

'Yes sir' Haroon answered
'Are the girls family aware of this?'
'No sir, I was hoping with your support and blessings you could facilitate this'

Baba Sani sat attentively listening to Haroon. He was in his early 50's and looks and dressed his age. He was wearing a broad shoulders brown suits and seating on his favorite couch with his glasses resting in his nose. He has always been kind to Haroon and stood by him. He was his fathers cousin and after Haroon lost his parent, family members thought it was a good idea to give him to Baba Sani who had no kid back then.

'I will talk to the Dean of Law in the university tomorrow, I know he is from Kano and he is good friends with General Ahmed Dunguza' Baba Sani said

'Thank you Sir' Haroon said. He felt a kick of excitement in his stomach as he stood and walked back to his room. He can't wait to tell Hamida.
***
It had been one week since Hamida visited last and although she left him a note that delighted him and solidify his confidence to pursue the path to ask her hand in marriage, he had not heard from her since then.
'Mairo have you spoken to her' he was asking his sister
'No I tried to call but no answer' she replied
'Can we visits her, I'm really worried, I have to see her or speak to her Mairo'

'You know we can't just go and visit her with all the guards by their gate, I'll just try and call her again okay'
'Can we call her now' Haroon insisted.
'Fine' Mairo said with a grumbling face.
After several ring they gave up on speaking to Hamida.
Haroon had despondent feelings over his inability to see or talk to Hamida. This sad feeling showed and affected all his activities. He felt helpless. How was she? What happened to her? Should he be bold enough and go to her home? He was confused and he could not ask his uncle what he was up to about seeing her father.
While laying down on his bed unable to contain his feeling, he heard a knock on his room door. He wanted to squeeze back into his bed and ignore the knock when he heard his sister say-

'he's not sleeping and even if he was, he'll not forgive me if he finds out that you were here and I did not let him know'.
He stood up and opened the door, Mairo was standing with a fishy smile pointing down the hall way. When he turned to look expecting one of his lil sisters silly pranks, and there she was standing in a blues Aline dress and a white veil. She looked beautiful, he dreamt about this face every night. The bright white smile pared with her perfect rosy cheeks. Every sad feelings he held wash way as he watched her standing and smiling. Haroon wanted to give her a tight hug, but he knew he couldn't.

'Is good to see you, Ya Haroon.' Hamida said with a simile when Haroon walked up and stood few steps away from her.

'Good is an understatement Hamida' he replied to her.
'I traveled on a short trip to London with my dad, and I had no way of communicating this to you.' She said looking a bit worried and shy at him.
'I'm glad you are back'
They sat across from one another in the living room. He was listening to her talk to Mairo, who sat next to her and was asking her how London was, all he thought was how glad he was that she was around.
His mood and emotions were healed with her being there.
He tried to take his eyes off her but failed miserably. She occasionally looked his way and when their glance met, it send shivers down his spine. Every being in him loved her and the week he did not see her got him disoriented and the few things he managed to do he could not take her off his mind. As he looked at her he knew having her as his, in marriage was his prominent goal
she was his major goal at the moment and he couldn't make any decision about his future without her in it.

When it was time for her to go, Haroon walked behind her and asked ' will you be here tomorrow?'
'Yes inshaAllah Ya Haroon' She called him Ya Haroon as his little sister calls him but her mention of his name gladdened his heart.
She stretched her hand and handed him a note to his surprise. When she left he paced to his room and locked the door. What could she have written down for him to read. Part of him was glad, excited and another part was agitative about the note. Was it bad news.
He sat down and opened it.

Not because London is cold
Not because the sky is gray
Not because I miss my cat
Not because I miss my home
But because you're not here.

He held the note to his chest and fell on his back. Hamida had missed him as much as he missed her. She gave him joy, he never thought a written notes could be so precious to him. He stood and opened his wardrobe and neatly placed the note under the pile of his shirts, were he had kept her first note.
These notes validated his feelings towards Hamida, he felt wanted as well. The feeling of wanting to spend the rest of his life with Hamida was shared by her as well.
He decided he was going to ask his uncle about progress on going to meet her father. He could not wait for Hamida to be his wife. He could not wait to take her to London, and rewrite this her note with her.
****

'Professor Mani has spoken to General Ahmed Dunguza' Baba Sani was telling him in the early hours of the morning.
Haroon had quietly followed his uncle behind after the fajir prayers from the mosque. Instead of going to his room, he had sat on the rug beside his uncle. Without saying anything, Baba Sani got the hint Haroon wanted to know what the situation about going to see Hamidas father was.
'Mani said Dunguza has extended an invitation to us in his family home at kano. So we will be going to Kano on Saturday. I have asked Malam Mohamadu and the lmam of the Unguwa to also come with us'

This was exciting news for Haroon. His uncle had invited people he respected on this visitation. Hamida said her family was very traditional but her father not so much. It meant this was a big deal that her dad had invited them to Kano. Hamida is from the ruling family of Kano and her grandmother is the Emir's sister. She had told him her father tries to protect her from the strict family rules and when her mother passed, he refused to give her to relatives and insisted and traveling abroad with her.

'Na gode' thank you Haroon said sincerely to his uncle.
Saturday could not come early for Haroon. He saw Hamida briefly on Friday as she came to tell him and Mairo she was going to Kano with her dad.

'Next time I see you, you will be betrothed to me' Haroon told Hamida standing behind the 504 that had come to pick her.
She was facing down looking at the ground with a shy smile on her lips
'I have never being so nervous about going to Kano' she said with her phonetic accent
'My grandma Kaka Kulu is not the warmest person to me and my mum when she was alive, but I love Kano because I get to hangout with my cousin'
'I'm guessing she was not so nice because your mom was not Nigerian' Haroon said

'She never forgave my dad for marrying out. My mum and I were a reminder that her son defied her.' Hamida said

'Baba Sani knows I have a pending scholarship to reply to, so he is likely to ask for the closest date for the wedding Fatiha'
Hamida pulled her veil to her face indicating her shyness.

'I'll let you go now my love, I'll see you soon' Haroon was going to miss her. He was not sure when she will be back from Kano. As the car drove away Haroon was comforted by the fact that tomorrow his family was meeting her family and this will start the beginning of their forever together.