Chapter Two

Sufyan frowned his face and folded his arms around his chest when he saw her coming, he was trying to fake anger.

"I'm so sorry." She said in her tiny voice before stretching to kiss his cheek. He almost smiled, even on heels, she had to stretch to reach him... Short girls were the cutest just that his sister wasn't among, she was as annoying as every little sister.

"Haba Maryam, for one hour, a whole hour. Do you know what I could've done with my time?"

"I know and I'm sorry Brother Sufyan, but guess what?" She asked excitedly.

"What?" He asked in a bored voice, he'd been waiting for her outside the mall and now he just wanted to go hangout with his friend and his family, most especially his little cute twins.

"Don't freak out but I just met Halima from our former neighborhood, she's making her payments, I told her you were waiting for me outside and she's so excited to see you."

His face went pale. "I don't remember this Halima but no, no, no. I'm not going to let you set me up with one of your friends again."

He made move to get into his car but Maryam pulled him back and held him tight close to her.

"She's totally your spec, you'll like her, I promise... Now there she is."

A smallish dark girl on abaya walked towards them smiling brightly, she was really beautiful he had to admit.

"Assalamualaikum." She greeted shyly in her small voice.

"Walaykumsalam. How are you?" He asked before clearing his throat hoping he hadn't sounded like a dying hyena.

Her smile broadened, he wondered how that was even possible.

"Ya Sufyan, you probably don't remember me right?"

"No, of course I do, I mean why wouldn't I? You have barely changed, you've always been this beautiful." God knows he couldn't remember ever seeing this girl.

She smiled again, blushing. "Really?" She asked shyly.

"Of course, although you haven't gotten taller, still as cute as ever MashAllah."

She covered her face with her hands laughing.

"I'm still here." Maryam said with a small laugh sending him a warning glance, he shrugged.

"I'll be on my way now, I and Maryam would be going out for lunch tomorrow, you don't mind joining us right?" She asked him.

"Of course not, Sundays are for hanging out with special ladies." He smiled at her.

She blushed before waving them bye and headed towards a car.

"Oh you guys really clicked, you didn't even like her that much when we were kids, I remember you used to pull her hair and that one time you and Zubayr hid her doll." Maryam said as they got into his car.

He stopped short. "That's in no way Halima Adewale, braces girl?"

Maryam laughed and shook her head at him. "I thought you said you remembered her and she hadn't changed much."

"Wow, what happened to her glasses? She's changed so so much, wow!"

"She uses contact lenses now, are you interested in her? She seemed to like you and your honey tongue."

He nudged his sister, "who wouldn't?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"You'll meet your match one day but for now please say you like her, I'm tired of all my friends crushing on you, even the married ones Astagfirullah."

"It won't change because I'm no longer single, I heard some ladies even like the taken ones more."

"You're dodging the question." His sister pointed out.

"Do you want to go with me to Aliyu's house? Or should I just take you home?" He asked stopping in front of a traffic light.

"Let's just go to Aliyu's so now answer, do you like Halima Shagari or the search continues for your miss perfect?"

He turned and gave her a toothy grin, "even though she's the kind of girl I find myself more attracted to, the type that's exactly whom I'll call my spec..."

"You're becoming creative with the art of saying no." His sister cut him off with a roll of eyes. His deep laughter filled the car.

"I don't know Meryamu, I just want someone whom I'll see and say damn! Ya Allah please, that's the woman I want to spend my life with."

"Firstly, don't call me Meryamu again, you aren't grandma. Secondly, if you keep looking for love at first sight, you'll die an old, single man. And I saw the way you looked at Halima, you thought she was beautiful."

"Well she is beautiful, physically I was attracted to her but I wasn't just digging the whole blushing and smiling part Meryamu."

"SubhanAllah!" Maryam exclaimed. "you were also smiling too and she was blushing because you purposefully made her."

"So you want this whole car ride to be about a girl?"

"Well I'm tired of Ummi asking me to hook you up with someone, how can a thirty years old man never been in a relationship?"

"I beg to differ, I was in a relationship with Tahira Usman in secondary school."

"You were fifteen and that relationship included following her around the whole school like a creep till she reported you, and then you progressed to dropping letters in her locker until she left the school months later when her family moved."

"Well there you have it, I was in an unrequited love situation-ship and had my heart broken, now I can't love again."

"Ugh! I really want to strangle you, I'm going to call my husband now to please join me in his father-daughter Saturdays. I hate spending my Saturdays with you."

"You love me, don't deny babe, you can't hide love."

"I hope you know you aren't going to be tall, dark and handsome forever if that's what you're letting get into your head."

"Let me enjoy it while it last."

"I pray it wouldn't last, give it two more years and see."

Sufyan stuck his tongue at her and she pointed out at his childishness. He smiled as he honked the gate to his best friend's house.

Sufyan Khalid was the first child out of five, his immediate younger brother Aamir was a doctor working in Oyo state, their state of origin. Maryam was next, she was a cook married to a busy business man and they had a daughter. Omolara was the writer who recently just got married and the last born, Faridah was in her final year in the university.

With two married sisters and an engaged brother, it wasn't surprising that his parents were worried about his marital status.

Sufyan was a great guy who deserved the best, throw in his extra love for kids and it left his friends and family wondering if something was wrong somewhere.

His singleness didn't bother him the way it bothered the people around him, he owned an advertising agency and he was happy with his life so he didn't get the problem. He lived with his parent still, worried that they'll be lonely without him but they were both hell bent on getting him with any girl, an effort that had so far proved futile... He didn't know why they couldn't just be satisfied with how things were.

"I'm here for free food and to see my favorite twins in the world." He announced as soon as he stepped into the sitting room.

"Walaykumsalam Sufyan, it's so nice to see you too." Aliyu's wife, Hamidah answered saucily.

He smiled at her, "you look good, what's today's secret?"

She threw a pillow at him and he dodged with ease laughing heartily.

"That must be Sufyan." Aliyu said coming out of the kitchen with Salma wrapped around his shoulder.

"Who else brings out the worst in an angel like myself?" She asked eyeing Sufyan.

"Uncle Sufyan!" Salma screamed scrambling to get off her father and when she did, Sufyan picked her up twirling her, her laughter filling the house.

"My turn, my turn." Her twin Salim chanted repeatedly as he pulled on Sufyan's trouser. He picked him up and tickled them both on his arms.

"Go and get married and have kids you will not listen." Maryam muttered.

"They're more of my kids than Aliyu's." Sufyan answered distracted by Salma who was pulling at his hair.

"You can take them away for a week and I wouldn't mind. God! Kids are so stressful." Aliyu said settling down next to his wife who smacked him.

"Leaving the kids with Sufyan is setting them up to get spoilt rotten."

Sufyan scrunched up his nose at her before turning back to listening to Salim's story. Maryam stared at her brother with a small smile on, she had an idea.