Aisha Kabiru

I don’t want to deceive myself, but my instincts are never wrong. I know it. I can feel it. Alhaji mai Sujjada has fallen in love with me.

Since our first outing last week, he has been sending his driver to me every day to accompany him somewhere. And when I’m not accompanying him, like three days ago when he had to rush to Kaduna for an emergency business, his driver is still available to take me wherever I want to go.

Today, however, I plan to spend a lazy day at home, as it’s Thursday. But mama will be going to the market so the driver still has work to do.

“Toh, na wuce,” Mama calls from outside my room.

I sit up and keep my phone beside me on the bed, “Okay, Isa is waiting outside. Sai kin dawo.”

“Toh,” she replies, but doesn’t move.

I frown, watching her through the lace curtain on the open door. “Lafiya?”

“It’s you I should be asking.” She says, raising the curtain, “your father was asking questions yesterday.”

I roll my eyes and plop back on the bed. Since he accidentally met Alhaji and I outside our house, and Alhaji insisted on introducing himself, making baba fifty thousand naira richer that evening, he has been treating me like a person. No more insulting looks and remarks. I’m also sure Anna Sabuwa has not heard from him.

“I don’t care.” I say, my eyes on the TikTok app as it installs into my phone. I have been hesitating to join because I couldn’t afford the right data subscription, but now…Masha Allah.

“Toh, nothing much. But I know he’s trying to find out if Alhaji wants to marry you or not.”

I hiss. “He should ask him himself na.”

“Indo!” She says sharply. I know I’ve crossed the line.

I twist my mouth and reply, “I’m also waiting.”

“But has he mentioned it before? Even with joke or by accident?”

I try to think. Yes, Alhaji jokes a lot, but never about marriage, or at least, on me becoming his wife. But he has been saying things he’s missing me or he has been thinking about me. That’s how I know he has fallen in love with me. “Not yet. But I know he wants me.”

“And you?” Mama asks.

I smile, “A shirye nake, ke ma kin sani. You know I’m already prepared.”

She laughs in reply.

I sit up and turn, “Won’t you be going? The sun will soon get hot.”

“Ah ah, will I trek?” She laughs. “Na tafi.”

“Sai anjima.” I say and lie back, releasing a sigh. Just like I told mama, I’m ready. And speaking of ready, I haven’t done my homework on Alhaji’s wife yet.

I nod. Only one person can give me answers: Adda Rabi. But she’s too sneaky for my liking, and stupid too. Still, there’s no one to ask.

Also, I need to find out about that witch too, clearly, she’s part of Alhaji’s family. I go to Instagram and type in her name. Thankfully, there’re only five Aisha Ummis so I enter each profile and look through the posts. Only two are private accounts. So I follow them.

As I try to type in another variation of her name, my eyes land on a photo. It’s of three girls beaming at the camera. I immediately recognize the twins. Quickly, I open the post and fish out their usernames. Once I follow their page, I scout through their posts like a madwoman. This is much more easier than I thought.

This time, I see a photo of the witch, looking regal in a tight fitting black and gold gown with a strange looking crown on her head. Even her makeup was dark with some black designs around her eyes. She looks like all those masquerades. But a pretty one.

I look down at the post: Happy birthday sissy of life “queenishaummi”.

“Got you,” I say, opening her page and following her. So she’s a makeup artist and model? No surprise there.

As I scroll though her posts, | try not to gawk at the various locations of her photos and videos: Abu Dhabi, Taiwan, Mexico, Edinburgh, Fiji. What a life she must be living.

I finally see a picture of her and Alhaji mai Sujjada. She’s wearing a matriculation gown. Then there’s another of she and those twins and one other lady that looks just like her. But she’s darker and prettier. Curious, I check the caption: With ma fave gals “luxplush, “Saeeda Aliyu Manga Official.”

That name rings a bell. So I follow her. And the minute her page opens, the first picture I see is of Alhaji mai Sujjada and a petite woman beaming at the camera.

 This has to be the wife.

The caption reads: Happy ten years anniversary to my favorite couple in the world “jiddahsalehmanga and hubby.

I smile, recalling Alhaji mai Sujjada saying that he doesn’t have an Instagram account yet.

I quickly follow the wife and look through her posts. Although she’s not as beautiful as Sa’eeda and Aisha Ummi, she has a warm smile and sparkly eyes, like Walida.

I sigh. So this is my rival. I shake my head. Truthfully, she’s more beautiful than I am, curvier and maybe she has a fancy degree and an even fancier job. Although I don’t see any mention of a career in her profile. Nevertheless, I know she’s better than me. But I don’t mind at all. Alhaji mai Sujjada looks like a man who will appreciate varieties. So I’ll need what she doesn’t have and make Alhaji mine only.