Small things
By now I had stopped feeling like a guest.
Not entirely.
There were still moments when I caught myself asking permission before taking something from the refrigerator, or walking quietly past the sitting room because I did not want to interrupt a conversation.
But the Turaki household had its own rhythm, and I was slowly becoming familiar with it.
Mummy woke early and so did Hanan
Jalal somehow managed to be awake whenever there was food.
Amrah slept as though the world owed her another three hours.
And Ya Ridhwan—
Ridhwan appeared whenever he pleased.
Sometimes at breakfast,Sometimes in the afternoon, other times not at all.
His absence was almost as noticeable as his presence.
I told myself I only noticed because he was Mummy's son.
That was all. Nothing more.
At least, that was what I believed.
---
The morning after my English examination, I was sitting on the veranda with a textbook resting on my lap when Amrah dropped herself onto the chair beside me.
She had a bowl of sliced watermelon in one hand and her phone in the other.
“You're studying?”
“Yes.” “Why?” I looked at her.
“Because I have another paper.”
She frowned.
“Didn't you just write one yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“And you're still alive?”
I laughed.
“Unfortunately.”
She picked up a piece of watermelon.
“WAEC is stressful.”
“You're not writing it.”
“Exactly. That's why I'm enjoying my life.”
I shook my head and returned to my book.
For a while, she was unusually quiet.
Then—
“You like my brother.”
My eyes lifted so quickly that the textbook nearly fell from my lap.
“What?” She calmly ate another piece of watermelon.
“Ya Ridhwan.” I stared at her.“What's wrong with you?”
She laughed.“I asked a question.”
“No.”the wirds came out almost instantly
She gave me a confused look “No.”she asked
“You don't like him?”“Of course I don't.”
She raised an eyebrow.“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do you always look at him?”
“I don't.”
“You do.”
“I don't.” I said that a bid louder trying to convince her or myself that I didn’t
“You do.” she said backI closed my book.
“Amrah.”
“Hmm?”
“You're annoying.”She grinned.“I know.”
I tried to return to my studying, She remained beside me.
After a few seconds, she whispered,
“You're blushing.” “I am not.”
“You are.”
“It's hot.”I said my face staring at the book in mt hands
She looked around the veranda.
“There is a fan directly above you.”
I glared at her. She burst into laughter.
“Relax! I won't tell anybody.”
“There is nothing to tell.”
“Okay.”
She smiled.
Then, surprisingly, she let it go.
That was the last time she mentioned it.
For a while.
---
That afternoon, Mummy sent me and Amrah to the market with one of the drivers.The Lagos heat was relentless, and by the time we returned, I was exhausted.
We carried several shopping bags into the house.
Mummy immediately started inspecting everything.
“This lace is beautiful.”
“I told you,” Amrah said.
Mummy looked at me.
“Se’ad, come and see this one.”
I walked over.The fabric was a deep emerald green with delicate gold embroidery.“It's beautiful.”“Very.”
“You should buy it.” I said
Mummy smiled.
“I already did.”
“Then why did you ask me?”
“Because I wanted you to admire it.”
“You're funny.”
“Of course.”
She handed the fabric to me.
“Keep it upstairs.” she said handing it to me As I turned toward the staircase, I nearly walked into someone.
I stopped abruptly.
A hand reached out and caught the edge of the fabric before it fell.
“Careful.”I didn’t even have to look uo to know eho it was, Ridhwan.
He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark trousers, his hair slightly dishevelled as though he'd only just left his room.
“Sorry.”
“It's fine.”
He handed the fabric back.
“Thank you.”
He nodded and walked past.That was it.
Nothing happened.No dramatic conversation. No lingering stare.Yet, halfway up the stairs, I caught myself smiling.Why was I smiling? asking myself
I looked down at the fabric in my hands.
Then shook my head.“Se’ad, you're becoming silly.”
From behind me came a quiet laugh.My body instantly turned back. There she was,
Amrah was standing at the bottom of the stairs.She had seen everything.
She simply raised her eyebrows.
My legs quickly ran up before she could say anything else
---
Days passed.
The examinations contAnd slowly, I became accustomed to the strange little routine that had developed around me.
Ridhwan remained a small part of it.
Sometimes he took me to school. Sometimes one of the drivers did. Sometimes he picked me up and other times he was nowhere to be found.
I didn't ask because it wasn’t my business
---
One evening, I was sitting with Mummy in the kitchen while she prepared dinner.
The aroma of fried onions and spices filled the room.
Mummy was wearing a loose brown kampala , her scarf tied casually around her head.
“Se’ad.” “Yes?”
“Your mother called earlier.”
“She did?”
“She said she wants to speak with you tonight.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
“You miss them.”
“Yes.”
Mummy nodded.
“You'll see them soon.”
“Insha Allah.”
She stirred the pot.Then smiled.
“You know, when your father and mother return, you won't remember us.”
I laughed.
“I will.” “You will forget us immediately.”
“Never.” I replied trying to assire that
She simply hummed then pointed the spoon at me.
“You say that now.” I laughed.
Then, after a moment, she said quietly,
“Your mother is lucky. “To have a daughter like you.”
“Now stop staring at me and cut those onions.”we noth laughed “Yes, Mummy.”
---
That night, Mama called.The video connected after several rings.
Her face appeared first,then Abba. predictably, three of my siblings appeared at once. “Move! “I can't see!”
“Bibi!”
I laughed.
“Labeeb!”
My little brother pushed himself directly in front of everyone.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“Did you bring me anything?”
I laughed.
“I'm the one who is supposed to receive something.”
“Did you bring me anything?”
“I'm in Lagos.”
“Oh.”
He looked disappointed.
I smiled.
“Bibi.”
“Hm?”
“Be a good boy.”
“I am.”
Abdullah shouted from somewhere behind him,
“He's lying!”
“Abdullah!”
Everyone started laughing.Then Abba appeared properly on the screen.
“Se’ad.”
“Abba.”
“How are your exams?”
“Good.”
For a moment, I simply watched them.The familiarity of their faces.The sound of their voices.The chaos.
Home.
No matter how beautiful the Turaki house was, no matter how kind Mummy was, no matter how comfortable I had become…
Nothing compared to this.
---
Later that night, I returned to my room.
The house had become quiet.
sat at my desk and opened my books.
But after several minutes, I found myself staring at the same page.My mind wandered.To the examination,home.
Then, annoyingly, to a certain boy who had barely spoken ten words to me that day.
I frowned.
This was ridiculous, I wasn't in love, I wasn't even close.
I simply thought he was handsome.
That was all.
And being seventeen , I was allowed to think someone was handsome.It didn't mean anything.At least, that's what I told myself.
---
The following week, something happened that I barely thought about at the time. Ridhwan came home late.It was almost ten at night.
we were all downstairs with Mummy when the sound of a car entering the compound reached us. Mummy glanced toward the window.
“ Finally.” she led out feeling relieved
A few minutes later, the front door opened.
He looked exhausted. Mummy immediately stood.
“You're just coming?”
“Yes.”
“Did you eat?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Outside.”
She stared at him.
“You ate outside?”
“Yes.”
Mummy's face changed.
“You know I cooked.”
“I know.”
“And you still ate outside?”
He sighed.
“Mummy…”
“No.”
She pointed toward the dining table.
“Sit down.”
“Mummy, I'm not hungry.”
“Sit.”
He looked at her.Then at the food. Then sighed again.
I tried not to laugh.
Mummy placed a plate before him.
“Eat.” He picked up his spoon. watching from the corner of my eye.
He took the smallest bite imaginable.
Mummy stared. “Ridhwan.”
He took another. A tiny one. “Eat properly.”she
“I am.”
“You're tasting it.”
Amrah, who had just entered the room, burst out laughing.
“He's scared.”
Ridhwan looked at her. “Go away.”
She laughed harder.
I covered my mouth.
He looked at me.
“You too?”
I shook my head quickly.
“No.”
“You're laughing.”
“No.”
For some reason, the whole thing was funny.
Not because of anything extraordinary.
Just because it was ordinary.
A son trying to avoid eating after his mother had already cooked. A mother refusing to let him escape.
A family being a family.
And perhaps that was the moment the Turaki house became a little less unfamiliar to me.
I wasn't watching them from outside anymore.
I was beginning to belong somewhere inside the noise.
The sudden realization came to me that one day, when I looked back at those evenings, I would remember the smallest details. The laughter. the arguments. The smell of food, The sound of Mummy's voice.
And the quiet boy who sat at the end of the table, completely unaware that a girl across from him had begun, very slowly and very innocently, to notice him. Not love.
Not yet.
And sometimes, that is how everything begins.