Love through time

The Present

Birmingham, UK 2018
Zarah stood by as the train approached the platform. The station was less busy by this time of the day. It was mid-afternoon on Sunday. She entered and sat on an empty seat opposite a lady and her little girl. The girl looked about the age of four and had her blonde hair in a ponytail. She stared at Zarah who was wearing an Ankara dress. The colourful design had locked the little girls attention on her. She imagined the girl had not seen someone dressed up in African print. Zarah flashed the girl a smile and waved at her.

Zarah was a 20 year old pretty lady. She had a beautiful eyes that got enhanced with her wing liner and her oval face with rosy cheecks. Her skin was bright and creamy brown. She was mistaken for an arab and she had to always correct people that she was Nigeria.
She was on her way to visit her host family when she was a fresher. The Anaamas were a mixed-race family who cared for her when she was new to Birmingham. Aunty Julie, the wife is her mother in Birmingham. She is a warm and lovely white woman in her 50s and gives a lot of hugs and kisses to Zarah. Her husband Professor Anaama is a British-Malaysian man with a kind heart.
Her first year at Uni was hard for her. It was the first time she was alone without her big Kano family. The only relative she had in the UK lived in Manchester Anty Fati who was her dad's cousin, so the school had suggested a host family. She loved them like her parent and because she lost her birth mother at the vital age of 9, Julie's love and care was received wholeheartedly.

Today was their 25 years wedding anniversary and they were having a big celebration. Zarah was used to attending big celebrations in Kano, with her big family. She's from the Royal family of Kano, her father was the Iyyan Kano, an important title and her mother Princess Hamida was her dad's first cousin. She had an elder brother who was way older. Ya Zaid was in fact 10 years older than her. Growing up they would gist and confide in each other when their mum died, but now he was been groomed by their dad to be part of the family business and one day become the Iyyan Kano.

Her family was driven by a sense of duty. Her father had married her mother out of the sense of duty and also taken the title of Iyyan Kano when his dad died out of duty.
She loved and adored her dad, he was gentle with his children especially her, being his only girl. She always thought her dad put his duty first before himself. When her mum died, he was asked to marry another cousin of his, which he did without objection. He loved her mum so much, that everyone talked about his love for her. After she died he did not want to remarry, he just wanted to raise his kids but his family would not let him do so. He was told Anty Murja would be his wife and so it was. They all got along with Anty Murja, she was nice and caring but the dynamic and somewhat complicated nature of Zarah's family made her anxious.
Everyone in her family had to marry within, it was the tradition, and the oldest family member chose spouses for all. She had promised herself not to fall in love with anyone after witnessing one of her cousin's heartbreak. She went to school and fell in love, but was refused his proposal by the family. She was asked to marry her cousin, this broke her to pieces.
Her brother is set to marry one of their cousins, the only consolation is that they had fallen in love before they were matched.
***
'Zarah my darlin' Anty Julie said giving Zarah the familiar warm hug.
' it's good to see you, Auntie Julie' Zarah said beneath the hug.
' we're all in the garden, we're all in the garden, pick up plates and join us' Auntie Julie said

The garden was decorated beautifully. She could see familiar faces. Auntie Julie has always loved gardening and her garden was adorned with beautiful flowers blossoms. Zarah loved spending time in the garden.
By evening, the party was in full swing. there was food, slow music playing in the background and lots of laughter and chattering.
Zarah was talking to a group of female students from school while sipping a drink from a cup she was holding when Zarah looked to her side, she aught a young man, staring at her, she looked away and when she turned to look at his side, he was still looking at her. She took two steps back and stood behind one of the girls she was standing with to get away from his gaze.
She noticed him but this time she was the one looking while he spoke to Auntie Julie. They seemed very familiar with each other but she had lived for almost a year in Auntie Julie's house and had never met him before.
In an instance, he turned and their eyes met Zarah quickly looked away and walked into the house. Why did she care who he was, Yes he was dashingly handsome but she had no business caring about that or him.
A moment hadn't passed, when she saw Auntie Julie, walking in with the same guy to the kitchen calling her
'Zarah come meet Jamil, his my godson I told you about that is also half Nigerian. He has been in Singapore' she said with enthusiasm.

'Salaam' he said in a soft deep voice.
'Waalaika salaam' Zarah replied not meeting his gaze. When she finally looked up, Jamil's gaze pierced into her and made her conscious of herself. She wanted to exit his presence and that is what she did. Zarah excused herself and made her way back to the garden joining the dwindling crowd.

At about 9 pm, Zarah was ready to go and catch the last train. She put on her coat and took her purse. When she walked to tell Auntie Julie goodbye. She saw him with her. What was it they were talking about, she thought, how close were they? Well as much as she had avoided him this evening she had to say her goodbye to Anutie Julie.
'Auntie Julie I have to be on my way to catch the last train.'
' oh my darling I was just telling Jamil that he would give you a ride back to Aston'
' No Auntie Julie I don't want to impose. I'll just..'
'I don't mind' he said cutting her off 'I don't mind at all'
'See, so that's settled' Anty Julie said.

It is a 30-minute drive from Solihull to Aston and it was going to be an awkward drive Zarah thought.