WITH STARS IN HER EYES
Blurb
Hajar was forced into a marriage of convenience in her prime,
To turn her family’s fortune around,
By a stroke of fate, everything fell apart,
Hajar never imagined she’d be starting over at twenty—divorced, disowned by her father, and rebuilding her life from scratch.
She lost the marriage,
Yet gained freedom, financial independence and confidence she never knew she had.
With everything to prove, she is determined to chase the dreams that once eluded her
But just as she begins to believe in second chances, her past resurfaces— And this time, it’s intent on destroying her for good.
…………..
one – moving on
Hajar stood on the veranda of her stepmum’s chalet, wiping her hands on her apron. The air was thick with the aroma of jollof rice and spicy grilled chicken, an order she had just completed. She was waiting for it to cool down before packing it and sending it off with Ibraheem. Since he started the long holidays, he had been acting as her delivery guy. She had decided to ‘employ’ I.B after enduring mischief and daylight robbery from so-called dispatch riders. Problems ranging from food stealing to outright disappearance were the order of the day.
Due to this issue, her stepmum, Mrs Adeoye, had abandoned food deliveries, instead focusing on the restaurant and private chef services. Mrs Adeoye had advised her to do the same, but Hajar wasn’t as established as her stepmum yet, and she needed every kobo she could get.
After more than enough refunds and apologies, no one taught her before she started delivering the meals herself. But preparing the food and delivering it was super stressful, so when the holidays started, she offered I.B the job and he accepted.
Hajar’s phone buzzed, revealing a message from I.B.:
“Be at yours in 10. Mummy says you should try calling Daddy again.”
Sighing, Hajar reacted to his message with a thumbs-up before going back inside. Obediently, she tried calling her father. As usual, he declined her call. She had sent numerous voice notes and text messages to no avail. He wouldn’t budge. Her heart tightened with pain, thinking about the events of the past six months.
Since the divorce, her father had refused to speak to her. In his opinion, she had brought shame to the family, leaving her marriage after just two years. Hajar had tried to explain that Siddiq, was controlling, that he had belittled her every step of the way, but her father wouldn’t hear it. For him, a woman leaving her husband was an unforgivable sin. Add to that the lawsuit Siddiq had filed against him. Her ex-husband made good on his promise and insisted on being refunded every dime he had paid her father for the marriage.
When Hajar found out she tried assisting. Again, her father had refused. He also declined to collect a dime from her stepmum, even though ‘Temi’s Hot Spot’ was launched using part of the money.
The doorbell rang, jolting Hajar out of her thoughts.
“It’s me! Can I come in?”
“Yep, I’m in the kitchen!” Hajar called back smiling. She liked that her brother would check if she was decent before letting himself in. He was becoming a gentleman, and she liked that for him.
I.B waltzed into the kitchen, motorcycle helmet in hand. “Assalamu alaykum, big sis. How far?” He went straight to the cooker, opening the pots sitting there one by one. A gave a whoop of delight when he saw something that satisfied him.
“I trust you, egbon.” He didn’t even wait for Hajar to say anything. He quickly pulled out a chair and started eating straight from the pot. At the first taste, he high-fived Hajar.
“Banger as always, big sis.”
“You no even ask whether I go chop?” Hajar asked with a look of mock annoyance.
“Ah ah, this small thing. Besides, you told me yourself you were sick of jollof rice yesterday. Abi no be so?
It was true. Currently, she was sick of the taste and smell of jollof rice. It made up the bulk of orders she had fulfilled all week.
Hajar rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you. I still have to cook jollof at the Dikes tomorrow and of course at the event, Mum and I are going to cover on Saturday.”
I.B lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “You see, I knew this was all for me.”
Hajar laughed. “Sha, do quick. I’ll send your money to your account. Will text the address too.”
“Did you call daddy?” Ibraheem asked in between mouthfuls.
Hajar nodded. “Same. See ehn, I’m tired.”
“Don’t worry. He’ll come around. I think the case will favour him, at least that’s what I inferred from his conversation with the lawyer.”
“You think he’ll win? That’s good news!”
“Yes, it is. I strongly believe he will mellow once that happens. Have faith, okay?” Ibraheem squeezed her hand.
Hajar felt a little bit more hopeful with this piece of news. If her father forgave her and rescinded his decision to disown her, it would mean the world to her.
“Come o, where did you tell him you were going?
“To do deliveries of course. He will think it’s for mummy.”
“You sure? I think he knows that you guys visit me frequently. He just doesn’t want to say anything.”
Ibraheem finished his meal and placed the pot in the sink. “Honestly, I don’t care. In fact, if he asks me outrightly, I won’t lie. He can’t expect us to cut ties with our sister now, can he?”
Hajar shook her head. She felt bad about her stepmum and siblings disobeying her dad on her account, but she could never bring herself to tell them to stay away. She missed them so much and relished their company. When her mother and siblings visited, they brought stories of her father’s cold silence and his refusal to mention her name. But they also brought laughter, tales of home, and news of her former friends, neighbours and happenings in the neighbourhood.
Hajar finished packing the order and put it all in a fancy bag with ‘Hajar’s Bites’, printed boldly in the middle. She placed the bag in I.B’s waiting hands.
“Thanks, big, big, egbon. See ya later.” With a salute, Ibraheem left.
Hajar cleaned up the kitchen and then went to the chalet’s tiny study. Settling herself in a chair, she chose a textbook from the stack on the desk and began to study. The UTME was in a few months, and she was determined to ace it.
******
Months later
Hajar slowly climbed the front steps leading into the chalet. Although exhausted, she felt fulfilled. Her post-UTME results had just been posted and Hajar had passed with flying colours. She had worked very hard in the months leading to this result. Attending ‘JAMB’ coaching classes, practising past questions, studying on YouTube, etc. With the help of Allah, she scored high in both her UTME and post-UTME.
‘University, here I come!’ Hajar thought.
She was beyond excited to be finally studying her dream course at her dream university. It had been far from easy, and she was proud of herself.
At the front door, Hajar placed the bag containing her shopping on the floor to search for her house keys. That was when she heard it. She strained her ears, sensing a presence—or maybe more than one. Movement and whispers were coming from inside the house. Her heart began to thump wildly, and her breath quickened. Was someone in the chalet?
“Hello?” she called out, trying to keep her voice steady, but it wavered slightly. She took a cautious step forward, then stopped.
What am I even doing? She thought.
If there really was an intruder in her house, then she definitely wouldn’t wait around for them to answer. Hajar surveyed the area, trying frantically to come up with an idea.
Nothing came. The only thought that came to mind was to run. When she was somewhere safe, she would think of a solution. Right now, the priority was to get far away. Decision made, Hajar quickly slung her handbag sideways across her body, then balanced the heavy shopping bag under her armpit. No use leaving her hard-earned money for thieves, right?
To be Continued.
