Misfortunate

      "So, when is she giving you the money?" Abdul's question stops me in my tracks. I was pulling off my hijab just after praying Zuhr prayers. I let the orange stretchy material drop back unto my body before slow "What money?" He sighs and looks everywhere but at me. "The recommendation money fa. You're supposed to have collected it by now." I make a face at him and he points at me, shaking his index finger from his seat. "And don't give me that face. You're too slow." I shake my head. It's been two days since Ali's insistent pushing and Abdul told me of his trip to Kano and a single moment of peace has not been my own since then. He talks about money at any available time. Money! Money all the time. 

                          The door opens as I pull off the old threadbare navy blue hijab I used to pray Isha¹ and wear my scarf. My aunt comes in holding my favorite large mug with my face on it, I giggle as I climb the bed, leaving space for my aunt to climb in.  She hands me the mug and the scent of Lipton tea, Milo and three crowns milk and a little sugar tickles my senses. I lift the cover and stir it with the spoon in it to take a dainty sip. I smile at my aunt thankfully, safely keep the mug on my bedside table and lean on the wooden headboard.  "Labibi? How are you?" I shut my eyes and exhale. "Nothing Ma. I'm fine." I call her Ma and she calls me Labibi because when my parents just died, many things reminded me off them, I tried not to let myself forget their memories, so I made new

"I have some free time between ten and twelve later, so please get ready to go to the bank." As I spoke, a ping came on both our phones, I know because I saw him walk to his and open his message.   I took a leisurely stroll to where my phone was and tapped on it, heart literally falling into my stomach when I saw it was from the bank. "Abdul? Another five hundred thousand? Why?" He just hisses and walks to the room we once shared, my whole self is trembling as i follow him at a more sedate pace.   "Why would you withdraw another five hundred thousand naira? Zuwaiya isn't getting married ba? It's you? You're using my money to fund your marriage. How cruel can you be? That you'll take an orphan's money to fund a frivolous thing. I didn't say don't get married, I didn't ask you a single question. Why then are you punishing me?" I furiously wipe tears that gathered on my lower lids.   "What your money? Last time I checked, i

"Was that all he said?" I hummed to my aunt as I prepared my own mixed cocktail using a fizzy non alcoholic drink. I pick the two cups and a beautiful wooden tray I use for my advertisement pictures and do the difficult to my room with my phone balanced on my ear. "What do you suggest Ma?" My aunt sighs. "I'm short of words. If your uncle heard this, he'd ask you to move back home, I can condone anything but fetish things. That one is too much." I set down the tray on my filming table and sit in the brown leather chair. "I do not know what to do Ma. Tired is an understatement for how I feel. He keeps showing me sides to him everyday, I'm scared for my own life." I sigh. Putting down the cocktail cup cover I was holding. "Just be careful. Since you said you use camera in your room, keep using it till you find another apartment." I shut my eyes in tiredness. "But Ma, I paid for this house, with my mone

"Why didn't you refill the gas cylinder? What kind of human being are you?" I shift the chinese food package in my left hand to my right, while I went out to get food, Abdul and his new wife came home. "I didn't even know it finished." He looks at me murdereously, making me smirk, I didn't even know that anything of that sort was happening. "Well, you can call the all night service, they'll bring gas as long as you have money." The amarya comes out of her room, scratch that; mine and Abdul's former room. I click a glance in her direction, just saying the salam. She gives me a look that immediately makes me wish I had kept quiet and walked away at the same time. "Ab darling, is this her? The Uwargida?" She wrinkles her little nose and walks to Abdul's side, putting an arm around him and I watch Abdul do the same. "Yes my dear, that's her. She's Labeebah Sheriff." Amarya sniffs and wrinkles her lips. "