02| The Aliyu Geidams

And they will say,"our Lord,indeed we obeyed our masters and our dignitaries,and they led us astray from the right way".
                            [Al-ahzab 33:67]

 My name is Zahra Aliyu Geidam, I am 22yrs of age turning 23 in some months.

Currently staying with my parents and two brothers in Old Government Residential Area(GRA) Maiduguri.

My father is a professor at the department of Biochemistry university of Maiduguri and our mother is well known business woman selling all kinds of women attires.

My elder brother Abdulkareem (Abdul) who is older than me with 6yrs who studied medicine and surgery is currently working at UMTH.

And my junior brother Usman (Aareef) who is 17yrs of age studying in Maiduguri Capital School, an SS3 science student who wants to become a computer programmer.

I forgot to mention that i studied Biochemistry, weird i guess, some of you will be thinking how comes you studied what your father studied.

Yeah some questions like "did he forced you to study this course"

"Was it your wish to study this course or were you forced to"

"Did you choose Biochemistry, because your father is lecturing there so that you can be favored"

My father never for once help me pass a single course because when i told him that I am choosing his field of study, the first question he ask was "was it because I am lecturing there or what"

My eyes literally bulge out of their socket coz that's not what i meant when I said I want to follow his footsteps.

It's my destiny to study the course which my father studied and currently lecturing there, because i grew up with the passion to study what my father studied.

Because I am a daddy's girl, I am more opened with my father than my mother. I graduated two years back.

You will be asking why didn't i mentioned where I  am working by now. My office is our kitchen,i prefer making snacks than waking early in the morning, I m not a morning person and I am not lazy.

Well, not lazy, because I prefer the saying 'lack of self participation'

I forgot to mention my two brothers are psycho not to mention Ya Abdul is the definition of trouble.

And I am a complete foodie because i can eat for the whole Africa

Our mother Hajiya Aisha, popularly known as Aunty Kwaise, is shuwa-arab from Sudan while our father is Kanuri from Geidam.

He met her during her cousins wedding which happen to be marrying one of his friend.

Our mom once told us by "us" i mean me and Ya Abdul, "when our dad asked her hand in marriage,she was like"for the first time i saw him i fought the urge to go and met him.

Luckily i caught him staring at me, and when he asked my number,you know the ego i have as of that time is too much,it's because I am beautiful, she winks, can you imagine a 50yr old woman winking.

She be like,i have being praying to Almighty Allah to meet him once again.

Luck is on my side, I can remember my mom sending me on an errand on a lucky Sunday and boom,we met again.

She be like when he asked my number,i didn't hesitate to give him.

Two months after we met i introduced him to my family and they accepted him, I was over the moon at that time.

And boom we got married,
it's after one and a half year that i gave birth to Abdul we named him after your paternal grandfather".

I was named after my paternal grandmother and Usman was named after our maternal grandfather.

I woke up early, when i say early i mean 9am, because by eleven me and my girls are having a girls day out.

I did my morning routines,. wore my black abaya put on a matching turban and a half cover matching shoe.

As i descend down the stairs i was met with my family in the parlour as today is  weekend so no work nor school.

I said my tasleem,greet my parents, then Ya Abdul, while Aareef greeted me.

"Mom..." i said

She turns to me and ask "what is it Zaru"

"Mom,where is my breakfast"

"Ahh, the foodie don wake up" that's ya Abdul

"Have you forgotten your way to the kitchen or have you gone blind" that's my mom for you. Ha'an, it's too early for this

The most annoying part is my two brothers burst out laughing.

"Dad" I  whine pouting

"Stop provoking my cupcake"
"Princess,your food is on the dinning table go eat, i have a surprise for you" says my dad,thats why i love this man ahswear.

"OMA!!dad, that's why i love you" I exclaim

"I know princess,now go and get your breakfast"  he said

"Ohk"

I almost ran to the kitchen, don't blame my childish attitude blame my father he spoils me a lot because I am the only girl.

I am so excited that i only ate a little amount of the food, drank black tea as it is a ritual in our household.

As i made my way to the parlour i heard my mom saying "Prof you are spoiling Zahra alot in this house"

"Look, Zahra is the only daughter i got, so let her enjoy her father's hard earn money"

"Please Prof, let her for once be independent, she finished her degree almost two and a half year ago, she said she won't work, saying her father's money is enough to last her lifetime......"

He cuts her mid sentence saying "yeah she ain't lying I am rich enough to fulfill her every demand"

"But whether you want it or not she ain't staying her whole life in this house"

"What do you mean" he asked

"Don't tell me she won't be getting married" she mocked.

Sometimes I wonder if Aunty is really the one who birth me