BRIDAL CONTEST

THE CONCUBINE

The King and his concubine were in a deep conservation which was the main reason Sarauniya Zaituna was there, to interrupt the scuttlebutt of the two lovers.

  It twisted her heart that the concubine was not respectful enough to leave the place when she arrived and Takawa doesn't seem to care either.

Me ya hado biri da kada idan ba raini ba?

So, she made a mission to frustrate the girl till she becomes tired and walk out of the place and out of their lives entirely.

Hakanta ya cimma ruwa, the girl's mind seems to travel away far from them.

"Excuse me your highness", Nanaji stood on her feet and the queen was happy that finally she has won over her in this round of their battle.

"I'll like to go and see the progress of the building".

"dawo ki zauna" he dragged her gently to his side "I promised to take you there", he smiled at her.

  "I guessed right about the new bride".

"not really. I'm erecting a new concubine's quarters and expanding the children's quarters to accommodate their children".

  "I can't believe this" she spat outrageously, changing her sitting position and going back to the first "How can you let those illegitimates near your children".

"Don't get me started woman", Nanaji saw Takawa flare for the first time. "Those illegitimates are my children like the others", he ended massaging his temple.

"and the slaves you're building for?" she dares further.

"They have a relationship with your husband, if you don't respect them because of that then do so because they share bloodline with your children".

  Nanaji took it as a cue to take over from there, she has seen enough and is in no mood for any negative energy. So she fakes a cough and got his attention as planned. He pats her back lightly and pour some water into the Stainless Cup made from silver and put it to her lips.

She part her lips giving a passageway for the liquid of life and raise her eye level to the queen's.

Sarauniya Zaituna gave her a stink eye and she smirks in response.

"Galadima seeks for your presence Mai martaba", a guard announces and Takawa stood up majestically, tired of his wife's rant and left the place. Then Nanaji made a move to do the same.

  "Follow him to the throne room if you've an idea about politics".

"I don't. But I know how to make slaves have maids to attend to them. And children treated equally irrespective of their mother's status. Tsaya kallon ruwa kwado yayi miki kafa", she exclaim and rushes to her room before the queen pounce on her.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
  
    The cold December air twirls around Barewa bringing with it peace of body, mind and soul to some people and taunting others.
 
To Nanaji it was doing the second. She has been battling with her veil for a while now trying to keep it stuck to her shoulders but the happy wind was in a play mood refusing to just let her be.

If only it knows how tired her bones are coming from the market from a neighboring village. Sourcing her incense and perfume (humrah) ingredients. The struggle of trying to get the authentic ingredients and not the ones mixed with all sort of things just to make it heavier on scale and of course means more money.

  The ways of merchants baffles her. Selling quality products buys customers loyalty but that's the business rule they are blinded by greed to ever know.

Making incense was Kaka's business and they have been doing it together since she grew to know herself. She made it for the brothel and men came in troops to while away time there. Relieving their stress, anxiety. Soothing their nerves and serving as a means of soul purification, it's an aromatherapy to them.

Many of which just come there to get entertained by the dancers and music and fill their tummies with sumptuous meals away from their wives' fight for dominance, nagging and being judged by society.

The serenity the fragrance comes with became a bonus. They usually go out happier and merrier than they come in.

But most of them who come in sinless leave sinful, magajiya knows their weakness and she fights them with it. For the love of money, that woman can do anything.

She sees everybody in the brothel as money and play games with the lives of people to get the cowries into her safe. Nanaji always wonders where she's taking all that money to.

Her two maids carries the ingredients neatly tucked in 3 rafia baskets covered with a neatly crocheted napkin out of the cart and walk slowly behind her to her self contain apartment in the new quarters.

She dismissed them to rest since they've eaten snacks on their way to and from the market. She needs to rest her bones but then she remembers she's running out of stock of sandal flakes incense so she opens the crochet napkin and brought out sandal wood flakes. She poured it into a container and soaked it with a perfume before closing the air tight container with its lid.

She insert farce in an open container with water to soak. She could feel her bones resenting what she's doing but man must survive. Doing this whole thing takes her mind off Takawa. He's a busy man and when he's not busy with politics, court hearing, wars or royal ceremonies he has wives and other concubines to attend to.

She's just so happy a concubine's movement is not as restricted as that of the queen and she had to stand her ground before they allowed her to continue her hobby as business.

"The Royal family will provide for all your basic and social needs", the jakadiya pointed out to her. And Uwar Soro had to add more spit to the fire "Iyayin banza" .

What she wouldn't accept is her request having to pass through jakadiya to the eldest queen for approval, who will deliberatly decline it.

She does not want to wait for approval from anybody. That will be plain torture so she chose to be independent to avoid being humiliated for a small request.

Whatever is not given to them in group, she purchase her own. And that's how she is able to withhold her dignity in the eyes of the Royals. The queens' will have no way to make her succumb to their pressure, they should do that another way. Because this, has been taken care of.

One important politics that was played in the brothel is to never let out your weakness,  your enemy will have no hold on you.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY ON OKADA BOOKS
https://okadabooks.com/book/about/detail/43387