Hearts On Fire

Eight: Tambuwal

Even after they finished changing the tyre and Al-mustapha got back into the car, she didn't even look his way. He ignited the car on and they got driving to Tambuwal. Until they arrived, she hadn't speak until she was showing him the direction to Hajjo's house. Al-mustapha parked in front of the house and if not because of Umma that asked him to enter the house and greet Hajjo, he would've turned back to Sokoto now. She got down from the car and walked to the trunk to pull out her trolley out. She did and got into the house without sparing him a glance.

Hajjo rushed to her when she saw her entering the house with her trolley in on ehand and the other holding her bag. "Oh ni Hajjo, Fadimatu what happened? I thought you were kidnapped or something. Summayyah told me that you've left Sokoto since after friday prayer, what happened?" She embraced her tighly and despite Fatima Zarah hating the name Hajjo used to call her and the exhaustion that was ripping each and every part of her body, she chuckled.

She broke their hug and looked at Hajjo with a beautiful smile on her lips, "Hajjo, I'm fine. Our tyre got punctured and we couldn't find help until now. How can I be kidnapped when I'm together with that idiot that calls himself an Assisstant commisioner of police?"

"Oh my god, Fadimatu, how are you like this? Summayyah told me I have alot factory resettings to do on your brain. Don't tell me you left him outside without ushering him inside?" Before Fatima Zarah complained about the name or how Ammi snitched on her, they heard his deep muscular voice behind them.

"Assalamu Alaikum," he said, as he walked directly into the courtyard of the house, and Fatima Zarah wondered what kind of a man he is. Who entered a woman's house without waiting to be ushered in? Al-mustapha knew Umma told him not to anything unusual, and she asked him not to enter the house unless it was Fatima Zarah herself that asked him to do so. But he couldn't just sit there in the car waiting for this girl.

Hajjo smiled brightly to hide the awkwardness she felt and she walked towards him. "Come in, Mustapha. How's the trip?" she laid out a woven mat on the floor for him and he sat down, ducking his head down just like Umma told him to.

"Ina yini, Hajjo? Mun iske ku lahiya? (Good evening, Hajjo. I hope we met you in good health?)" He greeted and Hajjo brought him refreshments before she sat down and answered his greetings.

"Fadimatu, bring him food, I'm sure you've prayed right?" He nodded his head at the question she asked him and they watched as Fatima Zarah came out from the kitchen with lips curved into a pout. Hajjo knew so much how to deal with her in ways even she herself didn't know were punishments.

She placed the food in front of him and wanted to turn back to the kitchen to serve herself when Hajjo called her back. "Fadimatu I'll go in, you can stay here and eat together with him. When he's done, take him to your uncles house, I asked them to prepare a room for him."

He quickly shook his head with a little smile as Umma said, he had acted up to Umma's words so far, "I'm driving back to Sokoto, Hajjo, there's truly no need for that."

Hajjo turned to look at him with her hands holding the ends of her wrapper, as the stubborn old woman she was, "Kai yaro baka tsayawa ka kwana? kaga hanya batta da kyawu. Bar ganin kana sa bakaken kaya. (Won't you stay and sleep here? The road isn't fine as you know. Don't think of yourself as an officer.) Fadimatu, when you two are done, make sure you take him to your Uncles house."Hajjo was an authoritative woman despite having a humour filled personality. Fatima Zarah knew she can nag forever if Al-mustapha didn't sleep in Tambuwal, they both knew it wasn't safe to drive back to Sokoto today.

She sat down on the mat and began serving him on the plate and she served herself, she was doing all tis because she knew Hajjo was watching her through the window and she would get an earfull if she didn't serve him herself. Not serving him wasn't an ethic of a good wife. She distanced herself from him and began eating her food, not giving a damn about the fact that he was seated inches away from her.