NIGERIAN SWEETHEARTS; An Arranged Marriage

CHAPTER 13 weddings are full of drama

This chapter is so not dedicated to Sundera

Cakes, chocolate, ice cream, cottoncandy, marshmallows. Prawns, snails, red wine, vodka.
Yes, it was going to be a day of extreme tummy ache, welcome tummy ache.
It was 5 days to Zahra's wedding and so we were having our last girl's night together before the older women would start the 3 days purification rites. We were all at my place. Our girls night was slated for 8 but Zahra wanted to start earlier around 4, it was her wedding so, yeah that's what we did.

Okay people, yeah I know. My friends were bad people for selling me out to Ali. Its cool, I took care of that. They were going to pay, big time. Trust me.

So we were talking guys. But nah, stop waiting, I'm not giving you details about that.

I was sitting on the bean bag in my room, eating ice cream from a huge tub I couldn't possibly finish. While my friends were lounging around taking up space on my queen sized bed and drowning themselves in wine.

"Do you hear that?"
"What?" Zahra sounded almost drunk.
"That, someone's knocking."
I began standing.
"Yes, I can hear my life wasting." Hauwa said.
I laughed, "Both your lives are wasted."
After ensuring I looked presentable, I opened the door.

It was another soldier, that first one who dropped chocolate the first time.
"Hello sergeant."
"Good evening ma'am "
"Just dropping off a package for my general."
"Sure, come in"
He moved in three baskets into the house, saluted and marched off. I locked the door before Hauwa came in, rushing to look through the stuff
"These from Ali?"
"Yeah"
"Wow , all Tiffany products, he knows you use their line. Bath salts, shower gels, sprays and perfumes, hand creams, sanitizers, softeners." Hauwa had already gone through a basket.

"And toiletries, detergents, soaps, air fresheners,. This is everything you need for your house." Zahra had ransacked a second basket.
And so I texted him
"Shopping for me now?"
Before long, he replied,
"I wish I was, sweetheart. I sent somebody."

"Its the thought that matters. Thanks, babe."

"We're together now. Get ready to be taken care of."

"You're smiling, must be lover boy." Hauwa was always on my matter.

"I want to ask you something, Jamillah"
I turned to Zahra.
"Have you and my brother started sleeping together?"
I turned quickly to Hauwa and back to Zahra.
"Its just been two weeks, tops."
"But do you plan to?"
"Of course, I do." I made a sound that was somewhere between a cough and a laugh.
"We're going to be married, why won't I?"

Zahra sounded frustrated,
"I mean before you get married, do you plan to?"

I didn't know what to say. Why was she asking? I didn't even want to think of that.

"That's against our tradition and our religion."
Hauwa quickly told her.

"I know that, of course. Yet I'm still asking."

"So why do you want to sleep with Khalil 4 days before your wedding?" Hauwa was sounding really strict to her. Zahra just slowly hung her head.

Ohh. So that's what this was about. Zahra and Khalil wanted to get hot and dirty and she was feeling guilty.

I sat close to her and nudged her.
" Do you want to?"
She just nodded.
"Hauwa, what do you think?"
" I have nothing against the action itself. Its not like I'm a virgin."
I giggled, "We all know, Hauwa."