GIRLS ARE GOLDEN

 GIRLS ARE GOLDEN

A STORY BY LATEEFAH ADEWUNMI JUMAH:LAJFINGERS

EPISODE SIXTY-FOUR

The lunch break gradually approached. Abidah was still racking her head for a lie to tell Adam in order to escape the lunch date he proposed.

"How long will you tell a lie? Remember you'll be here together for a long time. Just tell him the truth," Aneen said to Abidah.

"What's the truth?" Abidah asked, staring blankly at her.

"The truth is that you're not interested in him," Aneen replied.

"This guy has the support of my sister so I need wisdom. I want to tell him with my attitude and not words. I want to continue avoiding him till he's able to read the handwriting on the wall," Abidah stated.

"What if he's not wise enough to read the handwriting on the wall?"

"Don't worry, he'll read it by fire by fire."

"It's 10 minutes before 12, he'll soon be here, what will you do now?" Aneen asked.

"Okay, let me just go to the back of the building. Tell him I have a runny stomach and that I won't be able to make it to the lunch date," Abidah asked Aneen to lie on her behalf.

Aneen hissed.

"I still feel you should tell him a straight no. For how long will you lie?"

"Just do as I say."

"No, I won't do as you say. Am I your puppet?"

"Please, now," Abidah pleaded.

"Okay. Today will be the first and the last time I'll aid and abet your lies. Tell him a straight no. Will he kill you?"

"You of all people should understand why I need to be careful….,"

"I don't understand anything. Tell him you're not interested, no one will flog you. No one will force you either…..,"

"Wait Aneen, how can you change sides all of a sudden? Were you not the one that was telling me not long ago to forget about the other guy and give this Adam a chance? How can you change your words all of a sudden?" Abidah marvelled.

"I had to change sides when I discovered that this Adam is rude. My friend won't get involved with a rude guy that wouldn't respect her friends," Aneen replied sharply.

Abidah laughed.

"Aneen, you'll not cease to make me laugh. Is it really polite for you to request to tag along? Who does that? Is three not a crowd, really?"

"Are you people not going for lunch? Do you want to be alone with him? When a man and a woman are alone together, Shaytan is their third, remember?" Aneen remarked sharply, while Abidah laughed.

"Is it possible for us to be alone inside a cafeteria where other people will be present as well? Just say you want to come along because of aproko, stop quoting Hadith to back your aproko ministry."

"Me? Aproko?" Aneen touched her chest, offended. "Wallahi, I'll not help you to tell a lie. That lunch date that you want to avoid, you'll go by fire by force, I promise you," Aneen replied, upset.

Abidah quickly apologized to her.

"I'm sorry. Fine girl. You're not aproko. You're just a beautiful sweet girl who loves to be in the company of her friend at all times. You didn't request to tag along because of aproko, you just love to be by my side. Oya sorry now. Omo Iya Aneen," Abidah appeased her with a flatter.

"You better stop flattering me. I'm not going to help you and that's my final answer," Aneen refused obstinately.

"Please now. Don't do this to your friend," Abidah pleaded.

"Okay. I'll help you but on one condition," Aneen demanded.

"Ohhhhh, why should there be a condition?"

"If you don't want my condition then forget about my help."

"Okay, what's your condition?"

"My condition is for you to answer the following question."

"Okay. Let's hear the question,"

"Ermmm, I need you to give me a sincere and straightforward answer. Do you still love Nasir?"

"Of course," Abidah replied on impulse but quickly covered her mouth. "That was a slip of tongue. I don't want to talk about him, please!"

"It wasn't a slip of tongue, girlfriend. You said what is in the deepest part of your heart. You're just trying so hard to deny it. I've found answers to my question. I'll help you. You can't be involved with a man when you have another in your heart. It's 3 minutes before 12, you can go to the back of the building, I'll help you tell Dr Adam that you have a runny stomach…,"

"No, I think I'll go on the lunch date, you're beginning to annoy me," Abidah replied while Aneen shook her head.

"Don't force it, girlfriend. You want to force yourself to the lunch date just to prove a point that you've forgotten about Nasir. If you lie to me, you can't lie to yourself. You don't have to go to the lunch date. Nasir is still …..,"

"Aneen! Please stop mentioning that name to my ears. You really want to see the other side of me, don't you? Abidah snapped at her friend.

Aneen whispered to her.

"Abidah, Dr Adam is coming."

"It's a lie!" 

"I'm not lying. He's coming this way. Go fast before he meets you here," Aneen said in a whisper.

Abidah raced outside like a thief.

Moments later, Adam was at their desk. He greeted Aneen and stretched his neck to check if Abidah was there. Aneen shrugged. Adam turned to Aneen when he didn't see Abidah.

"Where's Abidah Alabi?"

"Who, sir?" Aneen pretended not to hear him.

"Abidah Alabi, your partner," Adam repeated.

Aneen turned her mouth to the other side and mumbled to herself. 

"Are you marking a school register? Why call her full name?" Aneen mumbled.

"You say what?" Adam asked her.

"Nothing, sir. Abidah has a runny stomach. I'm sure she'll spend the whole of today in the toilet,"

"What? That's not cool! Where's she now?" Adam asked.

"She should be in a toilet somewhere," Aneen replied.

"I see. Let me get her some drugs. She shouldn't be sick when I'm here," Adam said and walked away.

"Wow! Mr. Doctor. Doctor of love. Doctor of medicine. Doctor of care. Doctor of cluelessness. 'She shouldn't be sick when I'm here.' Overconfidence kee you there! You need a drug for yourself. A drug to detect when a woman is not interested in you, nonsense," Aneen said and continued her work. 

A few minutes later, Adam was back at their desk with some drugs.

"She's still not back from the toilet?" Adam marvelled when he didn't see Abidah.

"She's not back, o. I told you that she's going to spend the whole of today in the toilet," Aneen replied.

"That's serious. Please give her this drug when she gets back. I have written the prescription on the pack. I'll come back to check on her, " Adam said and walked away.

Thirty minutes later, Abidah wasn't back. Nabeelah passed by their desk and asked for her. Aneen scratched her head. She didn't know if she should tell Nabeelah the same lie she told Adam.

"Where's Abidah?" Nabeelah repeated.

"She stepped out just now," Aneen replied.

"Where exactly?" Nabeelah perstered.

"She didn't tell me where she was going, ma."

"What's that? How can she leave her duty post without a word? She shouldn't abuse the privilege she has as my sister to neglect her job. I won't take that," Nabeelah said sternly and walked away.

"Trouble is knocking! Abidah should just tell Doctor care that she isn't interested instead of this hide and seek game. I don't want trouble, o."

"Who's giving you trouble?" Abidah replied to her friend from nowhere.

"You're here. Your sister just left here. She wasn't pleased that your seat was vacant. I didn't know what lie to tell her so I just told her that you stepped out. She was angry. I told Dr Adam that you had a runny stomach, he brought this drug," Aneen reported, handing the drug to Abidah.

"Eeya, he even brought drugs, Dr foolish!" Abidah insulted Adam. Aneen laughed.

"Abidah, you're not nice."

"Abegii! Abidah replied insolently while they both laughed.

"He's super-confident of winning your heart, I tell you."

"Why won't he be confident since he has the support of my sister? Nonsense!"

"He said you can't be sick when he's here. That's the funniest part to me," Aneen reported.

Abidah laughed.

"Eyaaa, Dr of cluelessness, I pity him," Abidah replied while Aneen laughed.

"I said the same thing, o. I think you should come out straight and tell him you're not interested. For how long are you going to lie? If you continue to leave your duty post, he'll get suspicious and you'll also get into trouble with your sister. Your sister doesn't want to mix business with pleasure. She wouldn't hesitate to issue you a query for negligence of duty, regardless of your relationship. I think you should tell Adam the truth. This will rectify a lot of things," Aneen advised.

"No, I won't tell him the truth. He'll continue to waste his time and emotions till he's wise enough to decode my attitude. As for my sister, her business is going to bear the brunt of her imposition. Shebi I told her that I'm not interested, she continued to play games with me, then let her also face the consequences."

"Abidah, you're mean. Please, don't do this. How many people will you bleed on before you heal?"

"Am I bleeding?"

"Yes, you are? You're bleeding. You're bleeding on innocent people. If you can't tell the doctor that you're not interested, maybe I should help you out," Aneen suggested but Abidah snapped at her.

"You'll do no such thing! Don't start again! I won't take it lightly with you this time around," Abidah warned her friend sternly.

Aneen shook her head and faced her work.

                             *****

Later that day, the ladies closed for the day. They joined the Arowolos in the car. Nasir asked the ladies how their day went.

"Our day was fine," Abidah replied.

"Good! Hope the work wasn't stressful?" Nasir asked again.

"Not at all, sir," Aneen replied.

"That's good to hear. You'll find the job very interesting. Just give in your best," Nasir advised them.

"Thank you, sir," They chorused.

"Abidah, you didn't tell me you were sick," Nabeelah cut in.

"Sick? I am not sick," Abidah replied.

"Really? Adam said he proposed a lunch date but you couldn't make it because you had a runny stomach," Nabeelah stated.

"Oh, that's true," Abidah replied sharply, having remembered her lies.

Nabeelah shook her head.

"Why do I think you are lying? You weren't at your desk for about an hour, you purposely dodged the date and even neglected your work, is that not so?" Nabeelah put it to her.

She was silent. Nabeelah continued.

"You left your work because you wanted to avoid a date? That's negligence of duty. You shouldn't repeat that next time. If you keep avoiding Adam, how will you get to know him better?" Nabeelah asked.

"I'm not interested in knowing him better," Abidah broke her silence.

"Really? Do you want to continue to brood over a fool that left you without a word?"

"I am not brooding over anybody. If I refused to give Adam a chance, does that mean I'm brooding? Is Adam the last option I have?" Abidah asked. Nasir came in at this juncture

"No, dear, you have plenty of options," Nasir said. Nabeelah was angry.

"Nasir, I don't like it. Stop misleading this girl," Nabeelah said with a frown.

Nasir shrugged.

"How am I misleading her? By telling her she has plenty of options? Come on, sweetheart, don't limit my girl to one option. She indeed has plenty of options," Nasir said.

"Please name the plenty of options that she has. I don't expect you to support her blindly like this, Nasir. She's my sister, I know her better than others. I know what's best for her. Adam is a good man, an extremely gentle man, if she can just give him a chance, she'll get to experience his awesomeness. I'm not forcing her, I'm just trying to let her see reasons why she shouldn't brood over a lost love," Nabeelah replied to her husband.

Nasir nodded her head.

"You're right my darling. It's not good to brood over a lost love. Abidah, please listen to your sister. Don't brood over a lost love, okay!" Nasir said while Nabeelah rolled her eyes at him.

"Why do I perceive sarcasm in your statement?" Nabeelah said, staring hard at her husband.

Nasir burst into laughter.

"How do one please a woman? You said I shouldn't support your sister, now I'm supporting you, you said I'm being sarcastic. Haaa, women!!!!," Nasir laughed.

"You're not genuine. You've always supported Abidah from day 1. Don't pretend as if you're on my side," Nabeelah replied.

"Actually, I'm not against or in support of any of you. I want to be as neutral as possible. You said Abidah shouldn't brood over a lost love which I agree with. She'll be harming herself and people around her if she continues to be touchy or wallow in dejection. You're very right, my darling wife. That's your message which I have reiterated to Abidah. I also want to deliver Abidah's message to you. Abidah wants to explore other options, you should allow her. She shouldn't be tied to Adam. Adam is not the only man after Nasir. Have I been fair enough?" Nasir asked.

"Yes, you have," Abidah replied.

"No, you have not," Nabeelah said.

"Alright, I'll listen to where I'm lacking. Please tell me Nabeelah, what do I need to do to be fair to both of you?" Nasir asked.

"Good question," Nabeelah replied and continued. "Tell Abidah not to reject Adam outrightly. In Islam, it's not so wise to reject a suitor just because your heart says so. We don't follow our heart in Islam but the guidance of Allah. 'It could be that you dislike something, when it is good for you; and it could be that you like something when it is bad for you. Allah knows, while you know not.' Al-Baqara verse 216. Rejecting a suitor on the basis of 'my heart does not want him' is foolishness according to the above verse because we may like something which is not good for us and we may dislike something which will be the perfect will of God for us. Nasir, darling, tell your sister to get to know him and seek the guidance of Allah before dismissing him. Dear husband, tell your sister not to be a slave of her own desires but submit her affairs in the hands of Allah. He knows what's best for her," Nabeelah explained sagely.

"Wow! My wife is a genius. I think I need to visit Father again to pay another bride price. I couldn't agree more, sweetheart. You have said nothing but the truth. We don't dismiss suitors in Islam on basis of heart desires. We seek the guidance of Allah instead. Someone you dislike so much might be the perfect match for you, while someone you adore so much might be your worst nightmare. We have to put God first. Abidah, let's act on my wife's advice. Even though we know that she's subtly advocating for her friend's nephew, we can't trash this beautiful argument from her……," Nasir was talking when Nabeelah interrupted him sharply.

"You know you're annoying me, Nasir. You've put a dent on my intentions. What do you mean by, 'Even though we know that she's subtly advocating for her friend's nephew, we can't trash this beautiful argument from her?' I don't like it. If you want to praise me, praise me, if you want to abuse me, abuse me, stop being hypocritical," Nabeelah said with a frown.

"Ma binu, Ajoke. I was just trying to say that you love your friend so much, to the point of wanting to become a family for real, at all cost, even if it means quoting all relevant verses of the Quran to back it up," Nasir teased his wife and laughed.

"Wallahi, there's no food for you tonight," Nabeelah replied and got out of the car as they'd reached home.

She went inside the house swiftly. Abidah and Aneen were laughing inwardly. They dared not laugh out loud. They got out of the car and were heading in when Nasir called Abidah back.

"Abidah, darling, let's do as your sister has advised. Her suggestion is very beautiful. Forget about her intentions. We don't really know her intentions, anyway, but I'm sure my wife has a noble intention. No one will force you to marry Adam but like my wife has rightly said, it's not wise to reject a suitor because your heart says so, okay!"

"Yes, sir. Thank you so much, sir. I really appreciate your concern, sir,"

"You're welcome," Nasir replied.

They walked into the house.

LATEEFAH ADEWUNMI JUMAH:LAJFINGERS