Destiny

Chapter two

"Madam!! Madam!! We don reach o."

The sound of the driver's voice jolted me back to reality.

"Are you sure it's the same address I gave you?" I asked as I stared at the magnificent mansion in front of me.

"Yes madam na the same address wey you give." he replied .

Demi's father is late and she and her mom live with her uncle here in Victoria island.

You could always tell she is from a well off family. But this right here has 'crazy rich' written all over it.

I asked the driver to hold on a second more and I sent her a text that I was outside her house.

In less than three minutes she came out of the gate and boy, was I happy to see her? It felt like ages since I had seen her. I quickly paid the taxi driver and ran to my friend.

" I missed you Meenu." She said giving me a bone crushing hug.

"Damilola don't you dare call me that again." I said trying to fake anger.

"Truce, don't call me that either." she added.

A servant hurriedly came and took my luggage.

"The dress! ameena I want to see it." You refused to send it's picture to me even though I am the one to wear it. Hasn't it ever occur to you that I may not like it?" she playfully
added

"Now am already tensed as it is, don't make it worse." I said with a frown

"Jeez! chill...that was a joke. I promise you I 'll wear anything as long as you are the one who made it. Come on, relax."

"How can I? It's your day. I just pray to Allah that I don't ruin it by making you wear a silly dress."

" Ameena Jafar Mahmud...I 've seen your designs and believe me you are one helluva designer, so drop the modesty act." she said with finality in her tone.

We walked into the large compound. There was commotion as kids ran about the house while some lady was trying to put them in place

"Hey Abdul, don't give that to the baby!!"

"Mom! zayd is pulling out my beads." Cried a young girl of not more than four.

We walked into a small parlour with a  single sofa and a  coffee table with fresh tulips on it. It looked like a waiting room.

A connecting door led us to a grand living room. The interior has an almost Gothic feel to it, with black brocade curtains, black leather chairs with golden throw pillows, a large black and gold antique grandfather clock and jaw dropping pieces of artworks. Even the tile was black and the wall was painted in a pale golden color.

Demi led me upstairs to her room where my suitcase has been taken to.

I went into the toilet to perform my wudu and prayed zuhr afterwards, immediately I said the salam, I noticed Demi watching me rather curiously.

"What?"

And she rolled her eyes and shrugged "I don't know...am thinking, is it my eyes or have you added weight?"

I smiled and remained silent because I knew she was right.
After graduating I noticed I gained a few pounds, even though I have been planning to be on diet but have been putting it off for sometime now.

"It's suits you though", she added

"Now you sound like my mom," I laughed.

Mama thinks I look like a broom stick, "some weight will do you good, trust me."she always said.

Mama is always after me to do what other girls do especially my cousins.

"MashaAllah! She will say, Fadila looks so graceful and ladylike kalli kwalliyanta (look at her make-up)."

In reality I think the make-up makes her look ten years more than she actually is.

Mama is always after me to dress up and be like other girls. maybe I might finally score myself a decent husband but much to her dismay am still single.

I even cut half the length of my hair without her ever knowing as I always kept the remaining length tucked away.

She would have had a heart attack if she knew, because she thinks hair is a woman's crowning glory.

I am definitely not a tomboy, but I have grown such aversion to romance that I despised anything associated with it. I am more of a free spirit.

When my friends were reading mills and boons in secondary school, I was busy with James hardly chase, Robert Ludlum and their likes.

I don't believe in love. I have seen first hand what pain it caused. No human has the right to cause such agony to another human being.

Mama can make all her secret plans but I have vowed long ago to remain single all my life, come what may.

"Hello!" Demi waved a hand across my face.
"You totally zoned me out, is there something you are not telling me? Maybe someone?" She teased.

"Don't go there."

"Sorry...just joking." she said meekly.

Demi knows everything about me. A year before we graduated, she moved to my house after my sister Deejah got married because it just left me and mama. Afterwards she became not just my friend but also my sister and confidante.

"Am sorry too." I said

But demi being as she is, brushed it off with a wave of hand.

"wait till you meet the girls, you will love them. They have gone shopping and won't be back till God knows when." She added

In my heart, I welcomed their absence as it will give me some alone time with my friend.

"Tomorrow morning, we will go to the spa and I will show you around Lagos. Thats all the fun you get, because the next day is the traditional wedding and the next is..."

"Chill, I know."

And we both laughed like old times. After the 'how he proposed story' which I have heard more than ten times over the phone, but have to pretend I still like it when she recanted it, we went down stairs to greet her mom and aunties.

The house seem to be full of women with no men around, which suits me just fine.

After all the greetings, I felt grateful that the Yoruba (Demi's tribe) greetings is not as tedious as mine (fulani), where you take eternity in greetings. (they ask of every single individual in your family down to your cows and chickens).

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