Fatima comes out of the plane and inhales the fresh Nigerian air, crispy, it is the only word that can describe it. How she misses her country. Her dear Naija.
She has been in the UAE trying to get her degrees in Medicine and Alhamdulillah {praise be to almighty Allah} she has now succeeded in doing so. Now she is back in her country for good.
She looks around then sees that some people have been waiting for her to move from the way so that they can pass. She chuckle then mutter a sorry before moving out of the way.
She goes through all the formalities then finally gets her luggages. She goes out then stands in the parking lot trying to get a peek of her best friend or brother.
Knowing that Halima, her best friend and cousin wouldn't be allowed to come outside as her wedding is in two weeks, she sighs then brings out her Samsung s20 and calls her brother, Sa'eed.
"Ya Sa'eed kana ina, Halli bata zo bah fah {Ya Sa'eed where are you, Halli hasn't come}, and I've been standing here for.." she checks her wristwatch "seven minutes. Bakusan kasan naku akwai rana bane? {don't you know that it's sunny in this your country?} ". One can sense a tint of Emirati accent in her speech.
Schooling in UAE and mingling with Emiratis has affected her a lot. Her dressing, speech basically everything has changed about her.
" toh. Eeh. Ai dole kimin gori. Ba anje Saudi anyi shekaru bah? Ai dole, wai kasar ku, to sai ki koma inda kika fito ai {yes. Of course you'd make me feel bad. After all you've spent years in Saudi. Of course, saying our country, then why don't you go back to where you came from}", Ya Sa'eed says from the other line.
One would think he's angry at her but in reality he's just teasing his baby sister. She shakes her head amused by her brother's come back.
"Amma {but} seriously Ya Sa'eed wallahi {i swear by Allah} it's sunny kuma {and} this flight was hectic, so who's coming to pick me?", Fatima says getting seated on one of the benches.
"uhmm, sorry baby sis amma {but} i didn't send anyone to pick you up. But i think Kalthum is around the area, she has gone to meet a supposed seamstress for her and your clothes. Let me call her, ai Adda Afrah's house is around the area koh", Ya Sa'eed replied and she can hear shuffling from the other end.
"kasan meye? {you know what?}, I'll just take an Uber, don't bother her she must be busy"
"no, I'll call her and she'll get back to you", she knows that if he uses that stern voice on her he's telling her that there's no room for ifs and buts.
She sighs then says okay before cutting the call. Knowing that it will take UmmuKalthum at least an hour to get here so she decides to think about her life, her past, what she has achieved among others.
After her senior secondary school she spent two years in a Rehabilitation Madrasah. It is a place where youngsters with Jinn issues are taken for treatment. There in the Madrasah, she memorised the holy Quran and learnt other holy books for two years.
She went further to study medicine for six years at Muhammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai health care city, United Arab Emirates. At the age of 22, she graduated with second class upper in medical science.
In her second year of schooling, she decided to start a business where she sells hand made beaded jewelries, hand made ankara bags, shoes, headbands and pompom carpets.
With the help of her friend, Khadijatul-Kubrah, and her Abba, her business was and still is blooming, Alhamdulillah.
When she couldn't handle the orders alone she started hiring people to help her out as she paid them and with time, her Abba bought a building in Abu Dhabi where she could fully let her business bloom.
She decided to stay in Abu Dhabi for two more years so that she could get her business together and find someone she can trust with it completely so that she can come back to Nigeria, her Fatherland.
Now here she is, planning on opening another branch of her business here in Nigeria so that she can stand on her two feet without anyone's help.
The ring of her phone brings her out of her reverie, she picks the call without checking the caller ID. "Oh Teemah meye duniya, you didn't even tell me you were coming back today, anyways I'm outside the arrivals international wing with Kalthum in a black audi be fast"
She swiftly adjusts her black medium pashmina viel then stands up, drapes her green satchel and drags her suitcase along with her. Her remaining things are in Dubai and Adda Afrah's sister in law, Na'ima said she'll come along with it in her private jet.
She walks for five minutes then sights a black Audi and Kalt all clad in a purple gown and black turban cap standing outside the car. She walks over and engulfs her in a bear hug, "O em gee Teemah kin rame, you no dey chop food for there ne koh meye? jiki fah kin koma kashi da rai {oh em gee Teemah you've slimmed down, don't you eat there or what? See how you've turned to skeleton}", Kalt says giving Teemah a once over.
Teemah shakes her head amused at her friend. She nudges her," ke abeg kin cika Surutu, mu shiga cikin motan{you talk too much, let's enter the car}. It's too hot out here".
They enter the car and Adda Afrah looks at Teemah, "yau ji yanda tayi wani fari tayi kyau! Chabdi, gaskiya bari Affaan yazo nima a Dubai zan Karasa karqtu na chabdi {see how she's turned fair and beautiful! Let Affaan cone, I'm also completing my studies in Dubai}".
"kedai bari ai sai kinji yanda accent dintq ya chanza ma tukunna. Gaba daya tabi ta koma balarabiya {you've not heard anything, it's wgen you hear her accent. She's totally become an Arabian}", Kalt says agreeing with Teemah's cousin.
"Toh nikam duk bah wannan bah, i need some rest wallahi the flight was tiring", Teemah says as she massages her temples. Kalt drives them to Adda Afrah's house where the seamstress is waiting for them to get measured.
After all the measurements have been taken Fatika takes a warm bath and retires to bed. It feels good to be home, that is Fatima's thought as she snuggles inside the brown duvet on Afrah's bed.
