<p> </p><p> </p><p>—</p><p>Haka and Lawisa arrived at the market. As always, people bought their food quickly, and some even asked for more. After the woman washing dishes finished, she packed up her things and followed them as they entered the market to shop.</p><p>They bought everything they needed, and a porter helped carry their goods to the roadside. Everywhere they passed, they greeted the men around, as they were well-known in the area. Just as they were about to leave the market, Maimuna suddenly felt someone bump into her, knocking the bag she was holding out of her hands.</p><p>All the beauty products she had just bought spilled onto the ground. She quickly turned around and, to her surprise, locked eyes with a tall, handsome man with fair skin. He appeared to be older.</p><p>He quickly bent down, apologizing, “Please forgive me, I was on a call and didn’t see you.”</p><p>Maimuna was too captivated to respond, simply staring at him. Lawisa laughed, nudging her to help pick up the scattered items.</p><p>Maimuna quickly bent down, saying, “Oh, please don’t worry, I’ll pick them up myself.”</p><p>After they gathered everything, the man apologized again, and Maimuna assured him it was fine. Lawisa took Maimuna’s hand and said, “Let’s go before the boy waiting for us gets tired.”</p><p>As they walked away, the man watched Maimuna intently.</p><p>While waiting for transportation, Maimuna sighed, “Oh, Lawisa, do you know how much he captured my heart? And you just dragged me away! We didn’t even get to properly greet him. How do you know he wouldn’t have asked for my number?”</p><p>Before Lawisa could respond, they heard a voice behind them, “You still haven’t found a ride?”</p><p>They quickly turned around, and Lawisa replied, “Not at all.”</p><p>He smiled. “Then let me give you a ride.”</p><p>They loaded their things into his car. Lawisa sat in the back while Maimuna sat in the front passenger seat. As they directed him to their house, he asked, “So this is where you live?”</p><p>Lawisa responded, “Yes, this is our house. We just rent here.”</p><p>He nodded, “But I see the house is locked. Are you the only ones living here?”</p><p>“Yes, just the two of us,” Lawisa answered. “We just came from our shop at the market. We sell food there.”</p><p>Looking at them with sympathy, he said, “May God bless you.”</p><p>“I’m in a hurry now,” he continued, “but if you don’t mind, I’d love to come back and hear more about your story.”</p><p>Lawisa eagerly responded, “Of course! But if you do come, it should be in the evening or at night because we aren’t home during the day.”</p><p>“Understood,” he said. “By the way, my name is Alhaji Lamido Saraki. What are your names?”</p><p>“I’m Lawisa, and she’s Maimuna.”</p><p>Smiling, he said, “Maimuna, you’re so quiet. You don’t seem like a talkative person.”</p><p>Maimuna shyly looked down without responding.</p><p>Lawisa opened the door, saying, “Alright, thanks again for the ride.”</p><p>Maimuna also thanked him as she stepped out.</p><p>He smiled. “It’s nothing, but I wouldn’t want to come looking for you and not know how to reach you.”</p><p>After Maimuna gave him her number, they bid him farewell and went inside.</p><p>As soon as they entered, they burst into laughter and hugged each other.</p><p>Lawisa teased, “Oh, my dear friend! Didn’t I tell you? One day, we would finally taste luxury! Did you see how that Alhaji was staring at you?”</p><p>Maimuna blushed. “He’s really handsome! I was actually annoyed when you pulled me away.”</p><p>Lawisa grinned. “I knew he would come after us, which is why I pulled you away.”</p><p>Maimuna sat down, resting her chin on her hands. “I just hope he’s not married.”</p><p>Lawisa laughed. “Why are you worried? Even if he is, his wife will have to leave. This is us we’re talking about! If I let you stay with a co-wife, then my skills mean nothing.”</p><p>“We’ve seen yesterday, we’re seeing today, and by God’s will, we will see tomorrow. Just wait until we get him hooked.”</p><p>Maimuna hesitated. “But we aren’t planning to marry him, are we?”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
