THE L-TURAJS

ONE

-Dinner at The Pier today? Babes please don't be a spoilsport.

Madina read the message from her boyfriend for the second time. She was sure a second one was coming in a few minutes if she didn't reply now, and the first one only came five minutes ago. Maheer was that impatient.

Habiba and Gwaggo were a few minutes away, heading to Abuja from Katsina. It would be perfect for her to hang out with Maheer for some hours to avoid them. They were a real pain in the neck!

But then she was in no mood for any outing. She could already imagine them in a brightly lit restaurant eating some overly expensive dishes that she wasn't even actually enjoying while Maheer was doing all the talking, her only nodding and throwing in some few words occasionally.

It was almost always like that. She hated those outings as much as she hated Habiba and Gwaggo being here.

But staying at home with them sounded more appealing, because she could lock herself upstairs in her bedroom or in the study room and pretend they weren't even in the house.

She was going to be the spoilsports Maheer didn't want. Madina decided. But before she even started typing, another message from him came through.

She rolled her eyes at how predictable he was.

-B????!

-You know Habiba and Gwaggo are coming, there's a lot of catching up to do. Maybe another day?

Madina snickered at that lie. Two seconds later, his call came through.

"Gwaggo is coming today? How could i have forgotten that? Oh Lord! Do i have to come?"

"If you wish to be murdered before your time, then of course no."

Maheer let out a defeated sigh, "I'm coming, then, probably with Nabil. And the sarcasm in your last message didn't go unnoticed, by the way. I will get you some Panadol on my way because we both know it's going to be hell."

"You can say that again!" Madina groaned then paused when she heard the sound of the gates opening, she swallowed, "Oh gosh! I think they're here."

"That means I gotta run out of here real fast. Bye, love you."

Madina was about to say it back when he disconnected the call. She gritted her teeth. She hated how he always ended their calls not bothering to hear her say back the words. Apart from being predictable, Maheer was also frustratingly uncaring. One of the reasons she always doubted his love for her.

But that was a smaller problem to the one coming into the house right now.

She nibbled her lower lip and began some breathing exercises until she heard her mother yelling her name from downstairs. She grabbed her turban cap and walked out, only to meet her halfway on the stairs.

"Mummy, they're here right?" Madina pouted.

"Yes, they are here." Hajiya Yasmin said with one of her warm motherly smiles, "And you know the drill. Don't let your grandmother's words get to you, remember she's old and most old people are grumpy..."

"I doubt if Gwaggo wasn't grumpy even as a child."

Hajiya Yasmin gave her a warning glare and she giggled.