Three: Coronation

She turned on her bed and she felt as if all that happened was a dream. Her face scrunched up when she reminisced what happened to her in the police station and she slowly began to open her eyes. She stared directly at the wall clock in her room and it was only a few minutes to 4pm. She quickly got down from the bed, she knew wherever Ammi was, she was on her way to the house. She walked to the bathroom and bathed, she still felt the stink of the police station on her body.

She was sitted on her vanity stool and was getting ready when Ammi barged into her room, Fatima Zarah stood up and rushed to where Ammi was and she embraced her. “Dr. Sumayyah, have you stopped loving me?” She whined and broke into tears, what Al-mustapha did to her was something that got itself engraved in her memories.

Ammi smiled and patted Fatima Zarah’s back. Whenever she called her Dr. Sumayyah, she knew she did something wrong to her. “Dr. Sumayyah is so sorry, Fatima Zarah. Will you forgive your Ammi?” She asked and broke their hug, and Fatima Zarah pouted her lips before she nodded.

“I thought you were going to come and bail me out, Ammi. What happened? And you didn’t even come to the station in the morning. How can you do that to me? That Acp is surely crazy, I did nothing wrong, Ammi!” She was crying, and all that happened in the station came back to her in a rush. She wished she can see him again and make him pay for what he did to her, because she can never forgive him.

“I know you’d be fine, Fatima Zarah. I inquired about the police officer that held you hostage and also the station they took you, I know you’d be safe. Even though I was hurt seeing how he held you in the station while you did nothing wrong that called for that, I have no more choice than to let things slide. Dr. Sumayyah Kamal Tambuwal is sorry.

She began clearing Fatima Zarah’s tears and she chuckled before she hugged Ammi to her chest and nodded her head. “Ammi you said we’re going out today, where are you taking me?” She asked, when Ammi pulled her back into the vanity stood and she began applying a light makeup on her face.

“I was invited for the coronation of Zubair Muhammad Sa’ad. I can’t remember the title, but the traditional coronation happened today and there would be a small party in the evening. I don’t want to go alone, I need to show the world the kind of beautiful daughter I’ve got.

Fatima Zarah smiled happily before she flipped back her hair and fluttered her eyelashes. “Who has the most beautiful daughter other than Dr. Sumayyah Kamal Tambuwal?

Hugging her from behind, Ammi laughed and lovingly pecked her cheeks, “No one other than her. And that daughter is no one but Fatima Zarah Tambuwal. My very own Esq.” She finished helping her to get ready and they went over to Fatima Zarah’s closet and she choosed a black dress for her.

“This will look great on your body, Fatima Zarah. I truly love the dress, but you’ve never worn it, not even for once since I bought it for you.” Ammi said as she laid the dress on the bed and she looked at Fatima Zarah after taking her handbag into her hand.

“I’ll wear it today and look more beautiful than ever, Ammi. You should get ready too, I’ll prepare something for you to eat. Between, I missed school and court sitting today. That guy spoiled everything for me.” She made a face, and Ammi laughed as she made her way out of the room.

“The first person you’re going to handle his or her case when you’re certified, I think you should put that into consideration and consider his or her feelings. Because you know what it feels to be in a cell.” Ammi laughed and she was out of the room while Fatima Zarah got into her dress. As she expected, she looked more beautiful than she had ever imagined, and she smiled brightly to herself. Ammi really know what suit her skin.

With her hair uncovered, she walked past their lavishly decorated living room and into the kitchen that could fit more than ten people. She began making a snappy food that would be so easy for Ammi to consume. That woman being a doctor didn’t help a bit, she was so much careful with whatever she did in her life. Even the food she ate.

She was done and was watching the television when Ammi came out of the room, all decked up. She was no more smelling like the hospital, and they smiled at each other. “You’re more beautiful without labcoat, Ammi. Even though the labcoat tell who truly Dr. Sumayyah is.

Ammi smiled and muttered a soft thank you as Fatima Zarah presented the food to her before she sat down and began munching on the food. Fatima Zarah went into her room and she covered her hair, took her handbag before she walked out of the room and she met Ammi all ready to go.

“Can we go, Young lady?” Fatima Zarah scrunched up her face at the name Ammi called her with. “That idiot called me Young Lady, I dont’t want to hate this beautiful woman, but if she keeps calling me that, I can’t save it.” She said sarcastically and walked out of the house, and she waited as Ammi locked the house and they hopped into the car before Ammi replied her with laughter filled in her voice.

“Fatima Zarah may be I should take you to anger management class, what do you think? You’re just so spicy.” She laughed and looked out through the window, enjoying the hotness of Sokoto. How the wind swooshed her skin and burned her, it was a beautiful sensation.

“Take that idiot police officer that doesn’t know his work first, Ammi. I’ll sue him first, the moment I graduate from Law school.” Ammi could only smile as she fixed her eyes on the road. But there was something hidden in those eyes which Fatima Zarah couldn’t point out. That’s something about Dr. Sumayyah Kamal Tambuwal, if she wished to hide a secret to the world, it would forever be hidden. Because she knew how to play with emotions and she was a painter when it came to facial expressions. Fatima Zarah Tambuwal wondered how she did that.

He was in his house, sipping a mocktail as though what Umma was talking about wasn’t important. Not to even talk about the way her voice was at the verge of breaking and she was minutes away from crying her grief out. “You need not to worry, Umma. From the way your voice sound, you’re close to crying, right? If I’m not mistaken.

Umma wished she could strangle him to death, but that was something she could never to do, not to her own flesh and blood. “This is something that has your life on stake, Al-mustapha. Why don’t you understand what I mean and consider my feelings? Can’t you for once be human?!” At th end, her voice came out in thunder but the worst thing was that, they both knew he didn’t know what she was feeling.

He knew when she spoke with that voice, he needed to apologize as fast as he can, and so he dropped down his mocktail and focused on the phone. “Look, I don’t mean to sound that way, Umma. I’m so sorry please. Now, what do you want me to do?” He asked, because he knew there was surely something she wanted him to do that she was acting this way.

“I want you to come over this evening, I know you weren’t here today because you’re at work, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all understand, Al-mustapha. You hardly participate in these royal gatherings and all, and you can see what’s happening because of that. I want you here today, okay?

He gulped down a lump in his throat and nodded his head as if she could see him, “I’ll be there, Umma. But I’m sorry, I won’t act like you want me to. Whoever mess with me will sleep in cell, that’s it.” He ended the call even before she got to reply him, and Umma didn’t bother to call back, because she knew he wouldn’t pick.

Al-mustapha got up from the pool side and he entered the house, his mood had got spoilt, not that he had any. He smiled at himself for trying to act human and went directly to his room. She didn’t tell him, but his instincts told him that he was expected to wear his royal attire, and he choose one among the thousands that had never seen the light of the day.

He got ready in less than thirty minutes and he was already in his car, driving to the royal palace as he listened to music. At school, he learnt that people listen to music when they’re bored, sad or angry, and he would love to imagine that he was sad. Even though he didn’t know the sweetness of music or how to enjoy it, he listened to the words said. He entered the palace and there were throng of cars, something he hated the most. He thought Umma said it was a ‘small party’?

He rubbed his hands together, parked his car and got down. Ignoring all the greetings he was getting. Al-mustapha got directly into the hall and there was so much people that he felt he was going to have them all locked up into a cell. He walked silently, not even looking up to the fingers pointing at him or his name that was being called in hushed tones. His aim was to find Umma and he was walking to the table that held the royal family.

“Umma, I’m here.” He whispered into her ear, and all her friends that circled her turned to look at him even though they couldn’t get a grasp of his face, they knew he was the always spoken about; Acp. Al-mustapha Muhammad Maccido.

“You need to greet them with a smile, Al-mustapha, please?” She whispered back, and when she looked back at her friends, her smile grew even more brighter.

He looked at them and greeted them in unison, “Good evening to you all.” He said, with a smile that was forced, but they couldn’t see the force behind that smile. They all smiled back and answered his greeting. Some referred to him as Prince, while some as Acp.

He excused himself, and he hadn’t taken more than five steps when his phone beeped and he viewed the message, it was from Umma. ‘You should go and congratulate Zubair, All eyes are on you, Al-mustapha. Don’t forget to smile and look genuine, okay?’ He looked back at her after reading the message and she squinted her eyes at him with an expression that spoke her plea, and he nodded his head silently before he walked over to where Zubair was seated. All adorned in a beautiful royal attire.

He smiled and shook his hand, “Congratulations, brother. I pray you’ll be able to do something better with this position. But don’t forget, I won’t hesitate to nag you if you’re caught in a crime scene.” He laughed, the kind of laughter that always unnerved Zubair, but no more. Because he had gotten on the path to having what he had been dreaming of, and he was sure that there was no one that could stop him from doing so. Him, Zubair Muhammad Sa’ad would surely have The Seat Of The Caliphate. And no one can stop him, not even Al-mustapha Muhammad Maccido. He smiled to himself and squeezed Al-mustapha's hand even more.

Next chapter