All The Stars In The Sky

Sky 7

I look at him, I could feel my eyes burning, I was going to start crying any moment and I knew it, I always knew when it was coming.

"So? Why are you quiet?" he asks me.
I stood there looking at Kashim put his arms around the girl he just introduced to me as his girlfriend.

"What do you expect me to say?" I ask him.
He raises his eyebrows probably because he wasn't expecting what I just said.

"Anything but what you just said" he replied.
"Anything? Fine—When are you planning to grow up?"

He looks at me very confused.
"What is going on here? What did I do? Grow up?"

"When are you going to realize that you're 29, you're not getting any younger but you are always introducing me to new girls so I can assure them they mean something to you but I'm tired of playing these useless games. If you want to continue doing it then go ahead but I'm not going to be part of it"

"What? You care all of a sudden? You never did before so why now?"

"It doesn't matter, you should go you know Ya Faisal will flip if he sees you" I say walking back in.

When he called me and told me to come outside to show me something I really wasn't expecting a girl, he's really dense.

::

Hafiz's POV.

I thought be able to convince Abba but I guess not. Now I'm on my way to see the girl. I tried calling Kashim but he sounded sad and distraught which means I'll have to convince her myself and I'll have to drop by Kashim's place afterwards.

I sit in the gazebo outside waiting for her. If I do this right we'll come to an agreement and we wouldn't have to get married.

"Hafiz?"
I look up and see her standing across me. She sits looking a bit confused.
"Fatima is inside" she says.

I smile.
"So they haven't told you?" I ask.
"Tell me what?"

"That they want us to get married, you and I"
"I'm confused"

"They want us to get married, be a couple"
She looks at me surprised.
"No one told me that"

"I found out recently too".
"Telling me this and being here means you're not all that into it, so am I"

"Exactly! So I was thinking—" she cuts me off.
"But I can't disobey my parent's wish. It was never my choice anyway, they never let me choose anything for myself so why should this be different?"

"Because this is the rest of your life" I say sitting up when I feel my plan going sideways.

"I've already lived 25years of my life that way. I don't really care, the person you should convince is your dad not me" she stands.

"I know you don't like me but just talk to Kashim".
"Kashim? I doubt he cares" she walks away.

I'm definitely screwed.
My last hope is mama. I need to talk to her.

::

"Come in" Mama says when I knock for the 2nd time.

I enter and see her on her bed admiring her jewellery like she usually does.

"I came to talk to you"
"It's your father's decision, I can't do anything about it".

I guess she already knew what I am here for.
"But Mama I don't want to marry Rahama"
"But you also can't marry Fatima, everyone in Kaduna knows how much that girl loves clubbing and parties, she's not the ideal woman for you".