Architect and Mrs Dantata

13: ZAYD

April, 2015

My phone beeps with a new notification as I ring the doorbell. The custom tone tells me it's Amal. Whatever fatigue weighed down on my shoulders a minute earlier disappears as I unlock my phone, already knowing what her text is going to say.

Amal: Zayd Sa'ed Dantata. Exactly an hour ago, I tweeted that I was craving iced chocolate-mint latte with extra syrup. Care to tell me how that same order just got delivered with my name written cutely on the cup? They even added a red heart!

The door opens as I type a reply and send, a smile on my face.

Me: Maybe someone named Sa'ed placed an order. You should know how he operates by now. Enjoy the latte, Amal. Also, you have class in about ten minutes so let's talk later, okay?

I raise my head when a throat is cleared. My smile widens at the woman standing on the other side of the threshold. Mama has her arms folded across her chest, a brow raised and a knowing smile on her face.

"Zayd."

I step forward and hug her, stealing a peck on her cheek. "Assalam Alaykum, Mama." I pull back. "I stayed long at the office today koh? Ya hakuri. You must have been busy."

"All this buttering up that you're doing this night. Don't think that it'll turn me away from the fact that I met you smiling like the whipped man you are. It was Amal koh?"

"Why do you even bother to ask when you know the answer?" I walk in when she steps aside with a roll of her eyes. "It was Amal. She tweeted that she was craving iced chocolate mint latte earlier so I may have called this café she frequents to have it delivered to her."

Mama shakes her head as she walks past me. I follow her. "At this point someone would not believe that you're in Nigeria and not in Stanford with her."

I grin. We go to the kitchen. "I'm still wooing her, mama. I can't slack now that I've come this far."

Christopher welcomes me back from work when we walk into the kitchen and I thank him before turning back to Mama who goes straight to the cooker. She's making sauce and judging from the aroma, it's chicken. I'd bet on everything I own that Baba said that was what he wanted to eat. And people wonder why I love the way I do.

"Dan Allah do and ask her out officially." Mama says. She stirs a bit and then faces me. "It's been two months already. We're waiting!"

"It's been nearly two months, Mama. It hasn't been two exact months yet. We'll get there In Shaa Allah." I'm dying to ask Amal out officially too. "Let's just get Aliyah out of the way."

As if she's summoned, Aliyah walks into the kitchen. "Ya Zayd!"

I face her, smiling back when I see the smile on her face. "Hey, bride-to-be. How are you doing today?"

"Tired." She sighs dramatically and I can't help but chuckle. "We've agreed on a new date. It'll start after Eid and end on the 21st. Since Eid might be on the 16th or 17th, we want to have the Sa Lalle on the 18th, Kamu on the 19th and then the Daurin Aure on the 20th. The Kai Amarya will fall on the 21st In Shaa Allah. Is that fine with you?"

I nod slowly, mentally checking my calendar. "Yeah, it is." Amal's graduation has been tentatively fixed for the 31st. "It's perfect."

"You sure?"

I nod. It's easy to step forward and hug her. "I'm sure. You should get some rest, Aliyah. You've been stressed out."

She sighs against my chest. "I know. I'll relax, I promise. I just need to get this anko mix up out of the way and then deal with the carpenter who has refused to finish the medicine cabinet in the master bedroom at mine and Faisal's home." She sighs again. "It'll be alright In Shaa Allah."