C1 Aliya

Kaduna, Nigeria.

Present day.

...

In all my years at Hajiya Faridah's house, I had never been deprived anything except things that are not good for me. She was a very nice woman and had treated me like her very own. Actually, she didn't have any children. She was the first wife of Honorable Kabir Fawad, so beautiful and was a successful business woman. She had a jewelry store here in Zaria, and another one in Kano. Her husband, however was a high official of the Nigerian Embassy at France. He hardly return back home, hence Hajiya used to pay him visits. Same applies to his second wife, Hajiya Halima who gave him a son, Fawad. She lived just few kilometres away from our house. The third wife on the other hand was a French woman with the name Nadia, I had only seen her picture. She was also childless like Hajiya.

Hajiya was a mix of Kanuri and Fulani but could speak both Hausa and English fluently. The only time she speak Kanuri or Fulani is when she's with her relatives. Our first meeting was the day she found me crying by the roadside which was 13 years ago. She pulled over and asked me what was going on and where my parents were but all I did was to cry even more. It took her a lot of courage to make me speak, thus I narrated all that I knew to her - starting from the evening I last saw my mother to the moment I was lured into a car and brought to where I was. She was touched by my story, hence she promised to help me find my mother but only if I come with her to her house and rest for the night since it was already getting dark. I agreed, after all I had no other choice. I was also hungry like crazy.

After driving me to her house, she fed me up and then bathed me by herself. I didn't have any spare cloth so she made me wore the old one and promised to buy me new cloths the following day. Her house was very big, there were many rooms in it. I was expecting to see children or many people around but there was only a young lady, Balaraba whom I later learnt was the cook and also the cleaner of the house. Hajiya took me to a room upstairs which appeared to be hers, and thence we retired for the night. The following day, she took me straight to the police station and reported my case to them. The DPO expressed sadness, and after consoling me he promised to help me search for my mother against all odds!

The search only lasted for few weeks, hence the police called and told us they'd received some information about my mother and that she had been dead for long. The news broke my heart, thus I cried incessantly with Hajiya consoling me. That was how I ended up living with Hajiya, and ever since I started living in her house I had only saw her husband thrice. Like I said earlier, he was hardly seen. Every four months, Hajiya would visit him and stay for a month or so before returning back. She would leave me under the care of Balaraba, but not anymore because I had now become a grown up. Yes, and was now a graduate of Sociology from the prestigious ABU, Zaria.

*******

Today was a special day, I woke up happy and I didn't really know why I was happy. Perhaps because Fawad was coming but Fawad? Do I even care much about him? He was too funny to be with, and he loved poking fun at people. Sometimes I used to feel like punching him so hard in his nose. He was two months younger than me but always act as if he was the eldest. Well I guess I used to give him too much face, maybe I should start confronting him as well.

Fawad graduated from a university at France, he studied Nursing and was now working in ABU Teaching Hospital but guess what? He was still single! You know, he was the shy type when it comes to love. I had severally tried to hook him up with some of my friends but all he did was to give me silly excuses, that he's not into them or they are too big or too small for him, bla bla bla. At the end I got fed up and let him be. I believed one day he would fall in love no matter what, and with a very beautiful lady.

Whenever Fawad comes to our house, don't expect him to go in time. He usually comes when he's off duty and would likely stay till dusk. Poking fun at me was all he does, and also making me laugh so hard with his crazy jokes. But today, I would make sure he didn't stay long because I would be going out for a job interview at BLD Construction Company, here in Zaira. "If Fawad comes, greet him for me. And if you are going out, make sure he goes out as well. Don't leave him here..." Hajiya had warned me before driving off to her store, she usually takes care of it while uncle Amir, her junior brother takes care of that of Kano for her. The stores were so big.

*******

While standing in front of my table mirror, I couldn't help but to smile at the woman I had become. I was fair, chubby, and also beautiful. Many people loved me because of my beauty, but I loved myself because I was able to bury my past behind me. It wasn't easy but I had to try in order to live peacefully. The memory of my mother, however would forever linger in my fragile mind. As for my father, I didn't know much about him. He died when I was three years, but I knew he was Igbo and some of his relatives used to pressurize my mother.

Phurrrrrrn!

A horn echoed, I didn't need anybody to tell me it was Fawad. After all, he was the only person I was expecting. Hence, I put on my veil and then took my phone from the table before heading downstairs with a cheerful smile. I was already laughing at his jokes in advance deep inside me. Only Allah knows the jokes he had for me in his store today, if they ain't silly then I might just reward him with one of my best jewelries, a golden ring. But wait a minute, wouldn't it sound like a proposal if I do that? Hmm, well I guess it would. Perhaps I should give him a bracelet instead. Yes, that makes more sense anyway.

After welcoming him into the living room, I called on Balaraba to get him something to drink but he protested. "I am fine, Aliya. By the way, you look horrible today!" He said.

"Really?" I smirked because I knew I looked beautiful. "Is like you need medicated glass"

"Yes, please get me one" He uttered feigning blindness. "Oh God, I really need glasses..."

"Keep acting that way, you will end up blind and no one will treat you" I laughed at him.

"No one?" He wrinkled a brow. "Hmm, have you forgotten I am a well qualified doctor?"

"Point of correction, NURSE!" I said as I kept laughing at him scornfully like a crazy lady. And just as he was about opening his mouth for a protest like he always used to do when we are in a debate, his phone began ringing. "One of your admirers, right?" I teased him.

"Yes!" He pouted ending the call. "Too bad I am... (clears throat) in love with... someone else - a very beautiful and chubby girl with lots of ingredients in her chest, back, and..."

"Hey, baby brother!" I shushed him. "Is this what you are learning from your friends? I really think you should get married soon!"

"Me?" He laughed out loud. "Remember the fact that I am a guy, I still have time to keep searching. However, you are the one who I think needs to get married, or should I just marry you? We can start having kids soon"

Marry me?

Hmm, he must be joking!

"You're joking, right?" I said glaring at him.

"I guess so!" He giggled.

"Well, it better be a joke" I said with a huff.

"Oh yes, ugly girl" He said sarcastically.

He was nuts to bring marriage to my table, even if I meet the person I love wallahi the person has to wait for me to get a job first. I cannot come and be suffering in his house!

"I'm not ugly, you know that" I said smiling.

"You are, Miss!" He pouted.

"Okay, but at least I am more beautiful than your girls!" I said and that made him to hiss.

That was how we kept on debating until the time for my interview arrived, thus I asked him to drop me at the place which he did. I didn't know how to drive, you know? If not, there were two extra cars in the parking lot.

*******

"Wow!" I expressed while staring at the tall building in front of me. "This is so amazing"

BLD Construction Company.

"Yar kauye (Peasant)!" Fawad said giggling.

"Mtsww" I rolled my eyes at him and began walking towards the gate of the building. If only I had his time, I would have throb him.

"Keep dancing with your yansh!" He teased me, but I didn't say anything to him. I only kept walking and that made him to ask for forgiveness. "I am sorry, Aliya" He said but didn't get a word from me. "Hmm, I will try and make it up to you next time. Goodbye!"

Useless boy, I murmured as he drove away.

And while hugging my documents, I walked directly to the security by the gate and told him I was called for an interview. He smiled and directed me to his partner, who in turn told me to follow him. I was happy with how nice they treated me. Well, men were mostly kind to me. Was it because of my beauty?

As soon as we were inside the tall building, the security directed me to the elevator and then asked me to meet a receptionist in the last floor - the floors were 25 in number, I could see their buttons well arranged at the elevator's panel. Well, I thanked the security that escorted me and then pressed the last button. The door shut itself off, and before I knew it I was already taken to the last floor.

The floor was as quiet as it was, and just as I turned to my right I spotted the receptionist. She smiled cheerfully at me as I approached her and then asked how may she help me. "I am here for a job interview" I amicably said.

"Are you Aliya Bello?" She asked, looking at the Apple desktop computer in front of her.

"Yes, I am" I beamed.

"Okay, wait a minute" She beamed back and then placed a call through the intercom. And after talking to God knows who, she walked me to a conference room and told me to wait.

"Thank you" I said to her.

"You're welcome" She said and left the room.

And after minutes of waiting, two men came into the room. One holding a laptop and the other was holding a paper. I stood up to my feet and greeted them amicably as every job seeker would. Thus, they responded and sat down respectively in the available chairs. I, however, kept standing because they didn't ask me to sit plus I wanted to be a good girl.

"Aliya Bello" One of them called me.

"Yes, sir!" I responded.

"You applied for the post of P.R.O, right?" He said looking through the laptop in his front.

"Yes, sir!" I nodded my head.

Thus he started throwing me questions and hopefully, I was able to answer them except the ones related to my parents which I didn't know. "Can you tell us your story?" He said.

"Why?" I wrinkled my brows.

Thus, he surprisingly glanced at his partner who in turn scoffed at me. "Young lady, you are answering our question with question!" He uttered and I could see the anger in him.

"I don't like talking about my parents" I said.

"Why?" He queried.

"Because..." I paused knowing the fact that I would end in tears if I continued. "Forget it"

"Well..." He cleared his throat. "If you cannot answer our question you should just leave!"

Wait a second,

Did he just threatened me?

"Sir, does my story even matters?" I asked.

"Yes, it does. We don't employ people anyhow because our company has a history" He said.

Now what? I asked myself.

If I don't give them my story, no job for me.

But God knows I can't tell my story without getting emotional. I would rather quit than narrate my story to them in tears. "I can't" I said, thus they told me to leave which I did.

What they did to me was painful but despite that, I composed myself. And while heading towards the elevator with my head down, I pumped into a suit guy hence my documents fell down. "Bitch, are you..." The person said and then paused as soon as our eyes met. It was all my fault, so I told him I was so sorry. And after packing my documents, I left him there standing perhaps perplexed. He was very handsome but his unfavorable temper would likely chase women away from him!