She piled all her clothes from her wardrobe onto the bed, packing them into a large black bag as if she was planning to move. She stuffed in as much as she could and left the rest. She picked up an iron suitcase, the type used by people in the old days, and started filling it with her clothes for going out, her new atamfa fabrics. She kept packing with a smile on her face, feeling immense joy in her heart.

"Tonight, I'm going to the city," Inna Azimi said while trying to zip up her bag. She saw her prayer mat and stopped to pick it up, saying, "I can't go there and ask for a prayer mat because I don't like praying on anything but my own mat. Besides, it's embarrassing to ask for something you can bring yourself."

She pushed her prayer mat into the bag with difficulty because it was already full.

She went to take a bath quickly and, upon coming out, glanced at her co-wife's room, frowning as she thought, "Hmph, I won't tell you that my granddaughter is in labor. I'll just let you see me leaving for the city with my bags and let jealousy eat you up, especially since you have no relatives in the city." She made a childish face and went back to her room.

She applied lotion thoroughly and put on eyeliner, looking at herself in a small mirror, adjusting her face like a young girl. When she was done, she picked up her batik atamfa, neatly folded on the bed, set aside specifically for this trip.

She put it on, wrapped her shiny headscarf the way older women do, tying it neatly at the front of her head. She bent down under the bed to get her Madina sandals, which she reserved for special occasions, like weddings. She placed them by the door and took off her old slippers, worn out and broken. She hid them under the bed and applied some perfume, then put the perfume bottle in a small pocket in her bag, saying, "I'll save this for the naming ceremony so I won't smell bad and embarrass myself, looking like I just came from the village."

She picked up the remaining groundnuts, munching on a few and putting the rest in a small pos bag that her granddaughter Sadiya gave her.

"Alright, I've finished everything. Let me go ask Malam, just so he hears it from me because, wallahi, there's no way I'm not going." She said this as she headed towards her husband's quarters at the far end of the house.

She went straight into Malam's quarters, saying, "Excuse me."

"May Allah forgive us," Malam replied, looking at her with surprise. He knew she only wore her special atamfa for close family weddings, which meant she was going to a wedding, and she hadn't even mentioned it to him.

Inna Azumi noticed Tasalla sitting in the room, remembering she was the one cooking. She glanced at Tasalla and said, "Umm, so the toothache patient is here." She found a place to sit. Malam was still looking at her with surprise, and she said, "Greetings, Malam."

He looked at her, his expression serious, and said, "Where are you going? I know this isn't just about idle talk since you're dressed to go out."

"Oh, Malam, I wanted to discuss something with you." She said, glancing at Tasalla, hoping Malam would ask her to leave because she didn't want Tasalla to know about her trip. She wanted to surprise her with the sight of her packed bags.

"Just say what you came to say," Malam replied, still looking at he

r with a serious expression.