Embraced (#2 Natives series) #ProjectNigeria

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

             THE NEXT FEW DAYS FELT like a vacation of sort to Fatiha. Right after leaving Nasarawa with her auntie, all they'd done was go round Abuja —but of course that was only after they'd freshened up in the hotel room auntie Halimah had booked for their one week stay. 

When they'd first gotten to the hotel, Fatiha had been puzzled and before she'd even had the chance to ask, her auntie had confided something to her about not being able to share the same space with the family of the girl who'd snatched her niece's fiancé. The thoughtfulness had made Fatiha tear up but when she'd soaked herself in the hotel's bathtub, she'd sighed in content.

On their second day, Fatiha was beginning to ponder over why her auntie had decided to take the sudden trip. She'd asked later that night after they'd returned from another full day of sightseeing and shopping, and all auntie Halimah had told her was, "Ramadan is close, let me enjoy a little before then. Besides, having new abayas to rock for taraweeh doesn't sound so bad, if you ask me."

It didn't, Fatiha had silently agreed. But if she died from exhaustion what use would the dresses be?

They'd tasted almost a hundred food and desserts from a dozen restaurants, watched the most recent films in cinemas, bought an excess amount of dresses and shoes, gone to the zoo, and as crazy as it sounded, they'd gone mountain climbing on their third day even though they knew they wouldn't reach the top.

Exhausted didn't even count as a word in Fatiha's dictionary at the moment. It was the evening of their third day in Abuja and she felt like she'd been wrung dry and left to wither.

Fatiha was lounging on a long high-backed plush couch when auntie Halimah stepped out of her room. She began to object to any more outings when she noticed how her auntie was dressed.

"Oya," she hyped with a laugh as she moved to seat on the couch. "Who's this beautiful lady?"

Auntie Halimah eyed her playfully. "Keep quiet. I'm the one you're mocking abi?" She laughed.

Fatiha shook her head in disagreement. "No na. You look gorgeous. Takeaway." She said genuinely then held her thumb and fore finger together in the 'okay' sign.

"Are you sure?" her auntie asked as she smoothed a nervous hand over the blue sequin gown she had on.

Fatiha nodded. "Yes," she said. Then after a moment, she added, "Let's add a little color to your face."

"Okay."

Fatiha tossed the novel she'd just began reading aside and stood up from her seat. As she got closer to her auntie, her brows began to wrinkle in concern. "Are you sure you're okay, auntie Halimah? You're looking a little pale."

The older woman looked up from tugging her hijab to the right place. "Really?" she asked as she placed a hand on her sunken cheeks. "Nothing a little rest won't handle."

"Then rest," Fatiha tried persuading. "Stay here with me. We can read a novel or watch a movie or eat something sweet. Hmm?"

Auntie Halimah shook her head as she began walking to her room. "I can't," she said.

"Why?" Fatiha asked.

Looking over her shoulder, the older woman gave her niece a shy smile before saying, "I have a date."

"What?! A date?" Fatiha gasped in surprise. She didn't feel the envy she thought the little info would conjure, instead she felt concern.

She slapped a hand on the door of her auntie's room before it swung close in her face and followed the woman inside. "A date with who?" she interrogated.