Life Of Laila

Chapter 3: Chapter 2– Laila and Lila.



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"As the shadows deepen, the truth begins to unravel, revealing the hidden paths we must take to find our way back to the light."

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Chapter two____>>>>>>

Laila and Lila

 

Laila stood before the half-broken mirror, its surface marred by cracks that seemed to reflect not only her image but also the struggles and heartaches of her life.

The dim light filtering through the small window of their cramped room cast soft shadows that danced across her features, illuminating the delicate contours of her face. Her heart ached as she gazed into her own deep light brown eyes, which mirrored her mother's gaze—full of warmth yet tinged with an unspoken sorrow.

 Beside the mirror hung a faded photograph of her mother, a silent guardian that captured a moment of joy in their otherwise tumultuous existence. Hauwa's smile radiated warmth, a beacon of hope that Laila clung to during her darkest moments.

She could almost hear her mother's laughter echoing in her mind, a sound that brought both comfort and a deep, lingering pain. Laila's skin, a soft shade of fair, glowed gently in the fading light, accentuating her large, cat-like eyes that seemed to hold stories of their own. Her lips, naturally pink, curved into a faint smile as she reminisced about her mother's gentle touch.

 She had alot of resemblance to her Fulani mother, most especially her eyes. They were deep brown.

Her dad says always told them that was the first feature that attracted him to her mother,Hauwa.

Laila had a short height and a matured figure, which she also inherited from Hauwa.

The only facial feature of her that separated her from Lila is the black iris Lila had.

 Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as Lila, her older sister, burst into the room like a tempest, her presence both commanding and overwhelming. With a dramatic flourish, she flopped onto the wide mattress they shared, the mattress moulding in protest under her weight.

 "Where have you been?" Laila's voice sliced through the air, sharp and demanding.

 Laila felt the familiar knot of tension tighten in her chest. Lila had always been the more social one of the two, her fiery spirit often overshadowing Laila's quieter disposition. While Laila worked tirelessly to provide for their small family, Lila's demands were insatiable, her appetite for both food and attention seemingly never satisfied. The contrast between them was stark—Laila's gentle nature and Lila's fierce determination often clashed like thunder and lightning, creating an atmosphere fraught with unspoken resentment.

 "Me ya shafeki (How is that your business)" Lila said to her sister.

"Well, you made father worried" Laila said to Lila.

"tsohon nan, he stopped me when I entered too (this old man)" said Lila.

"Well..that's because he cares for you...for us" Laila said.

"Go and bath, you stink" Lila retorted as she used her hand to cover her nose.

"You didn't even bath too and for your information, I was going to do just that" said Laila as she carries her bathing wrapper.

"Who says I didn't bath! I bathed in Fatima's house, they have a cool shower and it even brings out hot water, hahh I enjoyed that bath" Lila said dreamingly as she closed her eyes.

"So you went to people's house to bath" Laila said.

"Fatima is my friend... oh wait, are you jealous you don't have a rich friend to bath in their house with cool bathroom! Hah! That must be it!" Lila said to Laila.

"Me, jealous of you..? you must be going nuts" Laila said as she carried the traditional bathing soap and left the room.

"Haka zaki ce ai! (that's what you'll say)" Lila said raising her voice loud enough for Laila to hear her.

 

Laila opened the light broken wooden door to the bathroom not before bringing in some potion of water from the one she fetched from the tap.

She started scrubbing her body clean as she processed whatever is happening to her... to her life.

Lila has always been aggressive but she became even more aggressive when Hauwa died 13 years later when they were just 8yrs.

 That same year was the year Jamil lost his sight due to a war and had to quit serving the country as an army.

At a point of time, the government started providing for them because Jamil was a retired soldier, but they gradually stopped.

Lila was always out of the house to her rich friends' house while Laila is always out struggling to find little money to feed their old father.

'I'll talk to father about allowing me to work abroad when Hajiya Raliya arrives this year' Laila thought as she opened the door to the bathroom and exited not before putting over her long hijab back.

 With a heavy sigh she wondered how she would manage to find money for food tomorrow, She made a mental note to herself to check if they have the remaining rice from Hajiya Raliya.

 Perhaps Hajiya Raliya, the wealthy woman from Bakwai, would be kind enough to share some foodstuffs again when she returns. Hajiya Raliya was known for her generosity, often extending a helping hand to those in need, she helps recruit young people especially girls to work abroad in order to earn profit, but Laila felt a pang of guilt at the thought of depending on others.

 Their fence is very short and has start to fall, if they were not being careful, the neighbors would have completely been viewing them.

Although they still view them but they still have a little barrier between them.

Laila entered thier room and drop the bathing soap near the window before turning her attention back to Lila.

"Hmmmm" Lila hummed as she dabbed a generous amount of powder on to her face.

Laila ignored her and decided to dress up but stopped in her tracks when she realized the clothes Lila was wearing.

It's their mother's clothes, that's the only expensive commodity that Hauwa owned and Laila was sure to nourish it.

"Wallahi karyan ki! I won't allow you to wear mother's clothes just because she's no more" Laila dragged down the gown that Lila was wearing as she struggles to get it off her sister's body.

 She was not going to allow her wear something that held of value to their late mother.

 In that moment, as the shadows deepened around them while they argued, Laila made a silent vow to herself: she would find a way to bring light back into their lives, to honor her mother's memory, and to stand strong against the storms that threatened to tear them apart but before that she needed to get their mother's clothings off Lila.

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Creation is hard!

Total words count- 1114 words.


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