hmmmm, speechless. kudos

Nadia gave her friend a hug and quickly whispered, “ I told you, didn’t I?”

“ What?”

“ You are in love.”

“ Yes, you did.” Naairah replied with a smile. “ And I fell deeper than you would anticipate.”

Nadia laughed.

Adnan came out of the car and joined them.

“ Amarya.” Adnan said with a grin.

Nadia’s husband, Lawal saw Adnan and came out of the car. He had seen Adnan kissing his wife so he pretended to be using his phone not to embarrass Naairah. He walked and joined them, exchanging pleasantries with Adnan and Naairah.

“ Thank you for taking care of Nadia.” Adnan said. “ Like totally taking care of her.Well, that is what we do, take care of them.”

Naairah pouted.

“ What do you mean, Mr Hubby?” She said. “ You make it sound so one sided.”

“Of course it is.” Adnan said. “ We take care of you…is that not what we do?”

Lawal was just smiling.

“We do that.” He concurred.

“ And we don’t’ care of you?” Naairah asked him.

Adnan acted as if he was not sure if they did, trying to see if he had a reason to say they did.

“ Okay,” Naairah said, “we don’t take care of you, no problem. I accept that.’

“ Honey you are trying to intimidate me.” Adnan said. “ I am not scared of you, or what you will do but I only want to say it was a joke. You know I call you Care sometimes ,on Sundays and Saturdays I call you welfare. I am even angry with myself that you take care of me and I don’t take care of you. I am not rational.”

They laughed at the way he was saying it.

“Haba Ya Hayat. Nadia said. “Do not disgrace men, why are you so scared? Are you not a man?”

“ Mallama Nadia, do not instigate me.” He said. “ I am not man enough for that. What would happen if she takes that smile away, or refuses to soothe my heart with that voice? I repeat, I was only joking. You take care of me.”

They laughed at him.

“ I have heard men complain about their wives going taciturn and they ask, honey what is wrong? And she is like’ nothing’. That is the worse type of ‘nothing’. When it is nothing and you know there is something and you don’t know what it is. You start acting like a fool, cracking dry jokes.”

“ I prefer her telling me what my crime is.” Lawal said. “And one of such nothings could be that she called you and you missed the call.” Lawal said.

“You get the point….”

It was at that point a Hummer jeep drove in. The car came to a halt and Addy alighted. He was elegantly dressed in white caftan, and his wristwatch glittered with his air of vain-gloriousness . Lori alighted, dressed in a skinny dress, and a look at her showed that she was a model.
Naairah wondered. Addy rarely attended family functions. He felt so big ,and looked condescendingly at people.
Now as she looked at him, she exchanged a quick glance with Adnan. She now knew better. Addy was rolling on top of the world with her husband’s money, All those while he was hustling for food, working in heat just to survive, someone else was living his life, spending his money and making him feel homeless, and lonely.

“ Dr Hayat.” Addy came and shook Adnan, with a smile and ignored Lawal, Nadia and gave his cousin just a slight nod. They were not on the same level with him. Hayat was a doctor, and a big boy and he knew that from the States.

He felt Naairah and her siblings were his father’s parasites and he did not really like to relate with them on equal terms. Addy only related with people he felt were of his class or close.

“ Addy boy, hope you are good.” Adnan said.

“ We are good.” He said, placing his hand on Lori’s waist. Lori said hello to everyone there and Naairah had to put an effort to tell Addy that he nothing but a jerk, the son of a cleaner who stole somebody’s life. She did not care if her father was part of it. It was just not fair and the fact that he felt more important than everyone in the world made it more gut-wrenching.
She felt more irritated that they tried to kill Adnan, take him away from her and leave her in melancholy. Nadia was not surprised at Addy’s rudeness but Lawal was.

They went inside the building. Lawal simply recoiled, held his wife’s hand and slowed his steps. Let them move ahead, while Adnan and Addy talked. Addy had Lori’s hand in his.



The dinner was to be held at the open yard behind the mansion where a very long table was arranged. Abba loved such things, and the varieties of food they saw was alarming. Gaddafi and Abdul-Rahman were with their spouses and children. Abdul-Rasheed, Sadiq, and Habeeb were now married and they all came with their wives. Sadiq and Muhammad were not married yet. They were about to settle down when Zayyad came in with his wife, he raised his shoulders knowing Naairah was there. They settled on the table and it seemed it was a serve-yourself dinner. Hajiya Fatima had been keenly observing Naairah and her husband. It seemed she had finally capitulated and moved on. Masha Allah.

But she never forgot Adnan. She pretended to have done so but she sometimes cried for him. She was a mother, and had children so she felt what he was going through. She really wanted Adnan to get married to her daughter but fate did not allow that.
She knew Naairah only agreed to marry Hayat just to please her and when she realized that Naairah was not happy with him, she felt guilty but seeing them tonight lifted her spirit.

Abba looked so happy. He could see his family growing larger and that feeling gave him a sweet sensation.
They prayed, and the ladies began to serve their husbands and themselves.

“ What are you ladies doing?” Abba asked. “ Who would serve Sa’eed and Muhammad?”

They laughed.

“I don’t even want anyone to serve me.” Muhammad said. “ I will help myself best.”

“ Boy, get married.” Zayyad said proudly, then gave Naairah a sharp glance. He was trying to show her that he also had a wife and to hell with her but he could not do it successfully. He was told that she did not love Hayat but what he was seeing tonight was contrary to that . He saw the way she looked at him, talked to him, and even dare to whisper into his ears in front of everybody. She could not control her love.
That was disappointing! He still wanted her and thought she was going to seek for divorce and he would come for her. He could divorce his wife for her. He was just so in love with her and she was growing more beautiful.

“ You don’t know how happy I am to be here with you kids…oops! How dare I call married men and women kids.” Abba said and they laughed.

“I thought you were referring to Sa’eed and Muhammad.” Abdul- Rasheed said and they laughed again.

“ Before next dinner insha Allah.” Muhammad said. “ She would be serving me food.”

“Who?” Sadiq asked. “ Which among your wives? Pilo’atu, Bargo’atu or katifatu (pillow-atu, blanket-atu or mattress-atu)?”

“Savage!” Zayyad exclaimed and they laughed.

“Alhamdulillah.” Abba went on. “ We used to have this dinner inside but now, the dining-table can no longer contain us and this is just the beginning of the expansion. You are all my children and part of the family. When your child gets married to someone, you have an additional child.
That is why I was careful to know who was coming in. I have rejected some people in the past, I was misconceived, but today, they understand better.”

Naairah and her mother exchanged glances.

“This is our first dinner after a long time and we have new members here. “ we would introduce ourselves, get to know each other better and get united. We must have a strong bond. I value family. I love family and family is important.”

Adnan remembered that night when he was humiliated for not having a family.

The introduction started, and it was obvious that they all belonged to the high class or middle class. Lawal was from a rich family and he was doing okay. He studied in the same school with Naairah and Nadia and that was not a school for the poor.

Addy swaggered as he talked about his alma mater.

“ I am Hayat Anas, married to the most precious lady on the Earth. I think that is my greatest achievement. It encapsulates all of my successes.”

“Awwnnnn.” Gaddafi’s wife said with a smile.

“But I will also like to add to that by saying, I am the son of Professor Anas , and Professor Hafsat. I had my first degree in computer science from Harvard, where I also bagged my Masters and PhD.”

Abba gave Naairah a proud smile and glance.
The smile read, ‘now you see what I did for you? You would have been married to a primary school dropout, one with no trace of paternity and maternity. A boy who was a security man and bread seller.’

Zayyad felt intimidated. He was going for his masters soon and he would not rest until he got that so-called PhD.

They ate and talked leisurely and laughed.
It was amid this laughter they heard Sallama and an elderly man came in: Aminu. With Gajere behind him and another big looking man behind him: Alhaji Tofa, Zayyad’s father.

Alhaji Mukhtar saw the expression on his brother’s face and knew it was not all well. He rarely visited him.

Adnan felt a little bang in his heart. Only if they who he was! What was going on here?

Alhaji Mukhtar got on his feet immediately, producing a smile to hide is surprise. Everyone got on their feet to greet them. Here was a former governor following Aminu at his back and the expressions on their faces did not look good.
Aminu replied to their greetings, then said to Alhaji Mukhtar, “ Where do we talk?”

“ Let us go inside Yaya.” He said and led them inside. Adnan did not miss anything they did. Addy was also curious. What was going on?
The men disappeared with Gajere walking behind them.

After they left, Hajiya Fatima excused herself and left. She suspected that something was wrong. she never really liked this elder brother of his who passed his haughty mature to his children. He may have been helpful financially but there was something she did not like about him.
The couples kept enjoying themselves. After the meal, they stood in groups talking.

Adnan moved closer to Zayyad.

“ I guess we met once.” Adnan said.

“ Yes, we did on your…wedding day.” He said. “ I am like her big brother.”

“I can see.” Adnan said. “ Are you based here?”

“Yes, I am. That was my father, Alhaji Tofa, former….”

“Governor.” Adnan completed. “ I recognize him.”

“ I guess you are enjoying the marital life.”

“Yes, I am.” Adnan replied. “Especially when you are married to a lady who loves you so much.”

Zayyad felt a pain.

“ That is true. You see, I like you and I will be frank with you.” He went on. “ I have known your wife since we were kids. Her father and my father have been together since they were young men. I will tell you that she is a nice girl . I just advise you to be watchful.”

“Watchful?”

“Yes. She is obsessed with one low life.”

“Oh my God!”

“ A thief and one who had no origin.”

“How is that possible?”

“ We had a dinner like this once and he was asked to introduce himself. He could not tell where he was from, or who his parents were.”

“Damn!”

“ He dropped out of primary three, worked as a bread seller and security man and later as my messenger before I sacked him.”

“Your messenger?”

“Yes, my father bought the place for me. I mean the bakery where he worked so I demoted him to a messenger.”

“It seems you disliked him.”

“ He was going to destroy my sister’s life.”

“Hmmmm…She must have loved him and that get’s me jealous.”

“She still l does. I am scared if he shows up today, you will face problems.”

“ I pray he does not. What happened to him?”

“Who knows? Maybe in one prison or grave. You know how these criminals end up.”

“Yeah, I know how idiots end up. So how is the confectionary going?”

“I am facing a lot of challenges. I never had experience in the business and it is not moving well. I m thinking of something else.”

“Why did you go into it?”

“ I just wanted it badly. I spend a lot and the money from the business cannot keep me.”

“ I have an offer.” Adnan said. “ How much is the confectionary worth?”

“ About one hundred and fifty million naira.”

“ I will buy it for two hundred million and then give you an offer. We have a construction firm based in Germany. We are the only ones who use DIR machines so there is high demand of our services. I can make you a subcontractor. You will oversee the affairs of Nigeria and we have monopoly over the knowledge. Government deal with us because we are cheaper and got no contest.”

“What is the name of the company?”

“Nanad.”

Zayyad did a quick thinking. This was a cool way of making money. He had tried to sell the confectionary for hundred million naira but had no buyer. This was a golden chance. Things were not a rosy as they used to be. He did not need to think twice about this.

“I did not intend to sell the confectionary. “He lied. “But you are my sister’s husband. I will do you the favour.”

“Thank you.”

“And for the offer, I will not turn it down. What are the requisite factors?”

“You will write an application letter to my company for approval, and terms and conditions stated. You will have thirty per cent of each contract
but you must be around for at least two hours daily at the sites.”

“Okay. I think I need……”

“You will have to visit the office for more details.”

Addy and his wife joined them .

“ How are you, Zayyad?” Addy said to Zayyad as if he was talking to his younger brother and Zayyad was older.

“I am fine, Addy.” Zayyad said. “ I will see you, Hayat. I have to join my wife.”

“Thank you for the advice.” Adnan said and Zayyad left. He did not like being at the same place with Addy. “ Addy was intimidating and uncouth. They knew he was more powerful, pulling international power and stupendously rich.

Lori excused herself to join the other ladies.

“ I can see it worked out for you.” Addy said.

“It did.”

“So how did it go?”

“What?”

“The first time. I mean how you got her .”

“Tell you how I made love to my wife?”

“Now you are acting like these antiquated niggaz. What the fuc* is there? I can tell you what Lori…..”

“It was good Addy and it ends there.” Adnan said feeling disgusted. “But she keeps mentioning Adnan. What do you know about this Adnan?”

There was a grave silence as the three men awaited Aminu to start talking. They sat on chairs at the top balcony.

Aminu cleared his throat.

“ I know you are all wondering why I summoned this meeting. It is an emergency.” Aminu began. “ There are things that came up which compelled me to get you together. I have been keeping some details from you for years. Over twenty five years.You all remember what you were before I got you up. Tofa, you were a primary school teacher while My brother was also teaching . I set you up until you all got to the places you never expected. Things did not just happen like that. There were driving forces.
I am going to open up to you today. I am in a fix and that means you are all in a fix. There is something about to happen. If it fails, and it is going to fail, I will have to pay back the sum of seven hundred and twenty billion naira.”

“ Kai!” Alhaji Mukhtar exclaimed, and he felt something running in his stomach.

“Yes and from what I see, Tofa will have to pay back eighty billion naira and Mukhtar will pay back Ninety.”

“Excuse me, please.” Mukhtar said suddenly and got up, took quick steps and ran inside. He rushed into the restroom and relieved himself. He was jittery, feeling his liver shaking. He did not know the details but it did not sound good. He went back.

“I am sorry, I was not feeling too well.”

“ We all feel the same way.” Aminu said. “ I belong to a system which awarded those contracts and got Addy employed. There is a reason for the gestures. It is a long story but the things did not belong to us.”

Alhaji Mukhtar felt his stomach rumbling.

“ Mukhtar, I know you wondered why I changed my name and became a doctor all of a sudden.”

Mukhtar did wonder but when he was making money, he shoved such thoughts aside.

“Yes, Sir.”

“ I assumed another person’s position.”

“Toh fa (Haaa)!” Alhaji Mukhtar exclaimed.

“ Do you remember the time I came back from Bolivia and sent for you?”

He remembered. He was sitting in his living room that day, thinking of what to tell the landlord the next day when he received a message that his brother was back and wanted to see him. Hajiya Fatima sold her new stove to get him transport money.

“I remember.”

“Remember the infant I asked you to hold and snap with, and then claim to have found on the dump site?”

Alhaji Mukhtar nodded in affirmative.

“ That boy was a child I brought from Bolivia using a fake mother.” Aminu confessed. “ I knew his parents. His father is the real Doctor Abbas Haliru Babangida, a rich academic and his mother was a medical doctor from Yemen.”

News! Alhaji Mukhtar wondered what he got himself into.

“The contracts belong to the boy’s father. The money Addy has belongs to the boy. He is the reason I named Addy, Adnan. You may not get the details now. Some of these things are highly confidential. I am not part of the main organization but I work for a wing.
Now this is where the problem lies. The boy was with me before he ran away and that was one of the greatest mistakes I made in my life. He was important to me, to us but he was not treated well. I was power drunk.
I made national and international friends. I had political protégés. I made you a governor and you were a minister. That is how powerful we could get. Now the time has come …..a time we never thought will come. My boss could not get the enemies before now. Addy was trained for a reason. That is why he had a very special education.
The elders are demanding to see him and go through series of intellectual capability tests to see if he is ready for the task ahead. We thought we could get the system out before it came to this level. Unfortunately, the head of the organization is my boss’s father and he is not on the same side as my boss.
The date has been fixed to present Addy in USA, in presence of two hundred experts in different fields. Addy cannot pass that test. He is going to fail and he would be tested. The original boy had an IQ of 350 if I have not forgotten. Out of school, he still gathered knowledge that baffled the world. Addy is not that intelligent. He is just a normal boy.

They will check and find out that Addy is fake and I am fake. And that means returning every dime before I face the penalty.”
Alhaji Mukhtar felt that sound again in his stomach.

“Why can’t we find the boy?” Alhaji Mukhtar asked. “The original boy.”

“ We found him. We were not sure at first but we confirmed through some kids who hacked for us and another mistake was done. I told Addy the truth and he felt the boy was a threat. He sent some thugs to shoot him.”

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un!” Tofa said.

Alhaji Mukhtar began to feel dizzy. Why would they shoot such a golden boy? A boy that was the source of their wealth.

“That was over four years ago.” Aminu said. “ But we believe he is not dead. We suspected he was alive and watched his girlfriend for years. He finally popped out after she got married to someone else and the day our man saw him, he left and was said to be involved in a car accident.”

“Oh my God!” Alhaji Mukhtar said.

“But I do not believe he died in that car.” Aminu said. “ I just don’t believe. I think he is still hiding. So we have only one option…find him before Addy goes to US or face the consequences.”

“How do we find him?”

Aminu looked at his brother.

“ We will talk to his girl, though now married to another man.” He said. “ We have a plan and you , Mukhtar, must make her oblige. If Adnan is alive, he will surely pop out.”

“Talk to her? How do I see her?”

“She is in this house. She is none other than Naairah and the boy is Adnan, the boy you know!”

The rumbling sound now exploded in Alhaji Mukhtar’s head.

Wow wow wow wow

hmmmm, now is the time to eat their poos. I hope they don't find out hayat is adnan o.

teebee22:
hmmmm, now is the time to eat their poos. I hope they don't find out hayat is adnan o.

They already know “ the girl is your daughter and the boys is adnan

SokoDobo, how do we sleep this night with this kind of suspense? Wow, I hope they don't discover Hayat. What a story!!

[quote author=BOSSkesh post=71699038]

They already know “ the girl is your daughter and the boys is adnan[/quote

U are right, but they don't know that Adnan is Hayat.

Born2Breed:
Click here to vote SokoDobo for October 5k winner.

https://www.nairaland.com/4762830/nomination-october-5k-awards

Voted.

excelmerry:
SokoDobo, how do we sleep this night with this kind of suspense? Wow, I hope they don't discover Hayat. What a story!!

Worry not. More updates coming

SokoDobo:


Worry not. More updates coming

Yes!! Thank u brother..

This piece is the bomb, perhaps all your works are. From Married to a fink, Root of cynosure and the Last insurgents. Wah more can I say, they are bombs, coz they've blown me away. Nice work. Keep it up!!!

rayvelez:

Voted.

Thanks

@sokodobo,I really love your writings.keep up the good work.

SEVENTEEN

Alhaji Mukhtar walked into the bedroom with a heavy mind. His wife was lying on the bed but he seemed not to take note of her. He walked to the wardrobe, not knowing what he was looking for.

“ Abban Abdul.” Hajiya Fatima called.

“Allahu akhbar (God is Great)!” Alhaji Mukhtar said, almost startled.

“What is wrong? Look at you.”

“Nothing,” he said with the fakest grin she had ever seen. “ I am fine. I just want to perform nawafil (voluntary prayers).”

A new one. When did he start performing nawafil at night ?

“ I saw the expression on the faces of your brother and Alhaji Tofa. I have never seen you so jittery but if you feel it’s not something I should know…” she shrugged, “ when it stinks, the odour would be perceived and then we would know what stinks.”

Alhaji Mukhtar picked his phone, and rummaged through the contacts before dialing a number.

“My princess.” He said with a fake smile and soothing voice. “ I am sorry for calling at this time of the day. Hope you arrived home safely?”

“Alhamdulillah. “ Naairah said from the other end. She was laying her head on Adnan’s chest while his fingers combed her hair.

“ I love you, princess.”

“I love you too Abba.”

“May Allah bless you, grant you blessed children, grant you aljanna. You are a child who knows the value of parents, a daddy’s girl.”

Strange.

“May Allah grant you and Ummi aljanna.”

“Ameen. I also want you to forgive me for my past mistakes.”

“I am the one to beg for forgiveness, Abba.”

“No! Noooo! I offended you. I was too blind to see. Emm….If you are not happy with your present marriage, please let me know. You see, I just realized that boy was a good boy. I have been dreaming of him so a Mallam interpreted the dream to me. He said the boy is a good boy and would have made a good husband.”

“Which boy, Abba?”

“Allahu akhbar! Adnan dan albarka (Adnan the blessed boy). The gentle, honest boy you brought some years ago. He was diligently working as security man, do you know what the world would have been without security men? That is one of the most important jobs in the world. A place without security worths nothing. And that was the humble and important profession he was into.
He was also producing bread. Imagine a world without bread. My darling princess, if I see Adnan today, I will marry you off to him.”

“But Abba I am married already.”

“ You are not in love with your husband. We forced you.”

“So you knew Abba.”

“That is why I am asking for forgiveness.”

“ I don’t hold anything against you. It turned out to be a blessing, Abba because I have fall……I have come to …I have come to like him now.”

“Don’t be shy. You have fallen in love with him? It is not love, it is capitulation to inexorable condition. I Want you to be happy. Look for Adnan, let him come and ‘I will talk to Hayat to divorce you.”

“What? Besides I feel Adnan is dead. He did not die the first time he was shot but he died in an accident.”

“He did not die in Nnaemeka.”

“How did you know that? You knew he was in Nnaemeka?”

“Emm…emmm I told you I kept dreaming of him and after I discovered that he a nice boy, I organized a search for him. He was supposedly killed in an auto crash but we think it is not true. He is alive somewhere.”

“ I don’t think I still want to marry him. Hayat is good.”

“ That is not love. Okay, I need to see him and apologize to him and compensate him. I want him as part of this family.”

“Well, since you organized a search for him once and found him, I guess you can repeat the same process, Abba. I do not know where I can find him and I am now a married woman ."

“Who knows better than me? I have a way of finding him but I need your cooperation.”

“ Toh.”

“ When can I see you?”

“ I will talk to Hayat to let him allow me come on Saturday.”

“That is too far.” He said snappily. “ Tomorrow.”

“ I will tell him.”

Damn!
So his daughter whom he trained and brought up had to seek permission from another man before she could answer to his call. Why? Then he recalled that her mother was behind him and she also needed his permission to go to her father.

Okay. He understood.

“Okay my love. Please talk to him or do I talk to him myself?”

“No, Abba.” She said. “ I will do that.”

“May Allah reward you.”

“Ameen Abba.”

“Good night. Emmm if you are not yet pregnant be careful because Adnan may coma back.”

What?

She did not reply.

“ Good night sir.”

She ended the call.

“ You guessed right.” She said to Adnan who heard the conversation. “ They suspect you are alive. Did you hear him? Something big must have come up. I never heard him sound like this. He is flummoxed and jittery. He was even saying things he would not have said in his normal state.”

“It is almost time for the test.”

“Test?”

“ Yes. The chosen one must undergo series of intellectual ability tests in various fields of study.He would be facing high profile academics and experts. If Addy fails to meet up expectation, they would investigate and discover that he is not me. They have the record of my DNA. That is big trouble. They would have to refund every dime of mine that was stolen to the organization and the contracts awarded to your uncle would have to recalled even though he has executed them. That was his call and not theirs. They are in a dilemma.”

“Oh my God! And that includes my father.”

“ I just got information that he used them without telling them the real thing going on. I guess they just found out.”

“ I saw you discussing with Zayyad.”

“Bottom line, I had the dream of acquiring two places in my life. The confectionary and the estate at which I was a security guard. I acquired the estate about five months ago and I just sealed a deal with Zayyad. I offered exuberant prices for both properties though.”

“ Did Zayyad agree?”

“He has no option. Nobody will but it at that amount and he cannot handle the place.”

“That will be cool.”

“Yes and I made him an offer. He does not know that by accepting that offer, which is mouth-watering, he would become my employee and where would he get such an offer? I am not doing this to hurt him but to teach him a lesson maybe he would learn that life was dynamic. That messanger now owns the confectionary and now his boss.”

She smiled.

“I wonder how he will feel when he finds out…if he will ever find out.I guess he does not know you own the construction firm.’

“He doesn’t. He is still in love with you and still hopes to …..”

“Oh, Hayati, I don’t want to hear that now. His tales disgust me. What did Abba get himself into?”

“What did his brother get him into?”

“Do not take the blame off him. He did not ask questions. Some of the things were sticky. He just did them without asking.”

“ Yes, only a few primary school teachers having house rent issues would ask questions.”

“ Now they are in trouble.”

“Yes, but the one in real trouble is your uncle. Your father would only have to return money.”

“That is real trouble.” She said. She knew her father .

Meanwhile , Alhaji Mukhtar took in a deep breath. He hoped the plan would work. They were going to manipulates journalists, and make a story that a certain lady with undisclosed identity plans to commit suicide if she does not see the dead body of her boyfriend who boarded a car and was said to be involved in an accident.
There would be a fictitious interview with her, and the media houses would spread the news. All she wanted was to see his dead body or she would kill herself. They hoped if Adnan hears this, he would find a way to meet her and then, they would switch into action.
He only hoped she would cooperate. He was feeling a sharp pain in his chest and his breathing laboured sometimes.

“ There is a big problem.” He said, lurched on the bed and took in another deep breath. His heart was pounding. “ All the money and contract Yaya and his son have been getting belongs to someone else.”

“SubahanAllah!”

“ Yaya is not a doctor.”

“I knew that.” She said. “ We are not fools but I just did not know why he changed his name.”

“He took the real doctor’s name. He used us without telling us the truth. We did not seek for the truth because we were so hungry and avaricious. You know we could barely feed when he came back. I was given only one space for scholarship while most of the kids were chased out of school. We were about being evicted from the house. I did not bother to ask why he wanted me to snap a picture with a white looking infant and claimed he was picked at a dump site.”

“You did that?”

“ Yes. I did it and came back home with six million naira and then our lives changed. I got a lot subcontracts and he sent me into government. I and Tofa. I did not know anything about the boy and never asked again. You know the kind of person he is.

They said the boy was brought from Bolivia though he was born in USA and both of his parents were doctors. The mother was a medical doctor. The money Addy has belongs to the boy. The contracts were meant for his father because of the boy’s prowess.
The boy is a rare genius. An incredible savant who is very normal socially and health wise. Now it is time to test him for what he was being prepared for. Whatever that is, we don’t know. All we care about is the main message.
Addy took his position and would have to face the test. This explains all the bizarre attitude of Addy, his power and wealth which was sticky. He had a global organization behind him. Addy cannot pass the test because he is not the real genius.
If this happens and he fails, Yaya would have to return over seven hundred billion naira, Tofa would return about eighty and I will spill ninety.”

He felt the sharp pain again, his breathing was becoming more laborious.

“ If we sell all of our assets, we can’t pay that amount.”

“I always knew something was wrong…..”

“This is not the time for flashbacks. It is time for solution.”

“What has it got to do with Naairah . The things you said to her were far from normal ?”

“Yes.”

“How? What has that got to do with her?”

“ Because the genius who’s money we have been spending is Adnan. That was why Addy was named Adnan.”

“ Ya Rahman!” She exclaimed.

“ We have just one week to find him.” He burst into tears.

After waiting for about two hours in the reception, Zayyad was finally allowed to see the chairman. He had to wait that long because there were many people in queue to see him . Some came from abroad to see him and some stayed long inside.
He carried his file, still finding it hard to believe his luck, he went in hoping the chairman would give him an immediate approval. He was in need of money. His father, who had been acting strangely these days surprised him when he went to collect the papers of the confectionary.

“ How much is the person buying it?” The father had asked.

“Two hundred million.”

“What? That place is not worth that. Well ,that is our luck.”

Our luck?

“ Okay, collect the money and take ten million out of it. I will get Rufai to represent me in the transaction.”

Zayyad had frowned.

“I don’t understand Baba. I thought it was mine?”

“Yours? Did we make such an arrangement? I am still alive and you can’t inherit my properties now. You asked me to buy it and I did so you could run it and you did a shoddy job of it. I am very kind to give you ten million naira.
Okay, Rufai will collect the money and give you the ten million. It is all the same. Thank you very much. He will give you extra one million for a job well done.”

So the confectionary was sold to Hayat and he was left with no substantial job. His father had twenty eight children. So this offer came as a blessing.
He went into the large office and was shocked to see Hayat. Wait! Was he the chairman?

“ Sit down. Zayyad Tofa!”

Zayyad sat down.

“Are you the chairman?”

“Isn’t that obvious? You don’t get such offers after a dinner without asking if you had no one. I am married to your sister, remember and you are sure going to get an approval.”
Okay, this was good but the fact still remained that he was Naairah’s husband and that was condescending.

“ Yeah, but you did not tell me the conditions were like this.”

“I thought I was going to be a subcontractor and use my company.”

“No Zayyad.” Adnan relaxed on his chair majestically. “Your company only qualifies you to be employed but you are not just an ordinary employee. You get thirty per cent of a project profit but you must supervise it. the money would be split into the monthly allowance within the time of execution. You will receive nothing less than ten million a month. We don’t do it like that. We give ten per cent. I am only helping you because you need help.
You are working for us, and it is our duty to send you to the appropriate sites. You would do the follow ups, and logistics organization.”
Zayyad did not like this. What would Naairah feel? That he was working for her husband. Adnan could guess what was going on in his mind. What if knew it was Adnan, his messenger he was talking with?

“ But if you are not comfortable with it, You can drop the offer.”

Then reality hit Zayyad in the face. Drop it? Where would he get this kind of offer? This was the best thing for him. He was not involving his capital, and bared no risk of loss.

“ It is okay with me Hayat.”

“I am sorry but we are very formal here. You will not address me as Hayat in the office. That is acceptable at home. After all I am married to your younger sister.”

Must he emphasize being married to Naairah?

“ I understand, sir. Mr Hayat, right.”

“ Yes, but it is Mr Chairman. More official.”

“Okay, sir.” He would have to swallow his pride. He had a family and things were not as rosy as it was. After all it was only in the office.

“ I will approve your letter immediately and being my protégé here, you have a special advantage because I am sending you to Kaduna at once. You are already on job and by next month, you start earning.”

Zayyad smiled.

“Thank you, sir.”

“You are welcome.” He said. “ I will sign now and you meet the personnel manager for other formalities. I have a lot of people waiting to see me.”

“I can see.” Zayyad said. “It took me two hours waitng.”

“I am sorry about that. Truly sorry.” Adnan said and began to go through his letter.


Meanwhile, Addy just left his father’s room after a lengthy discussion. He felt lassitude , and the world seemed to be on his head.
He thought of Lori, his friends, his status and felt a bitter taste in his throat.
One more week to find Adnan! Seven days!

Alhaji Mukhtar received a call, said ‘ Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.” He took three steps and felt something rising up from his feet. It was like a tornado sweeping through him, and then the world seemed to go dark. He felt as if a mountain was dropped on his chest.
What did he just hear?
He dropped on the floor and began to wiggle, gasping for breath while foams escaped from his mouth.
Hajiya Fatima walked in and screamed aloud! His eyes were rolling upwards and becoming blank. He was dying.







Mason waited until the line connected.

“ Tiger.” He said. “ It failed.”

Aminu felt a drum in his head. That was the last resort in trying to avoid the test: Mason said he planned to execute his father but the octogenarian escaped. He was to be bombed in his car, but he did not go into the car but used another car and the plan failed.

“Oh my God!”

“ He must pass the test….or else. That is the result of your stupidity! How could you let such a specimen out of your sight?’

“Specimen?”

“What else is Adnan? We could have used him but I was scared he has his parents’ genes and could derail. You should have kept him. Now we are going to face the reprisal. I don’t care how he does it but he must pass.”

Mason cut the line.
He ran his palm over his grizzled bald head. He inhaled smoke, his eyes looking desolate.
Maya was sitting on the bed, now looking older in her early forties.

“If he fails, you know what would happen and we have not yet planned it.”

“What do you mean?”

“He is going to fail and they would investigate. You will be the first suspect and all other accomplices will be gotten. Do you know what that means? The organization is still very powerful. They can still get at us.”

“I know.”

“So we must find a way to wipe them off: Tiger 606, Adnan and Hamilton have to go and would be at the spot of test. They must be investigated.”

“We cannot attack them at the spot. The security is too tight.”

“ I have a plan.” She said, “ Come to me first. I have needs.”

“ Not now. I am worried.”

“How do we plan if we are agitated? Come and relax. I got it under control.”

He dropped the cigar and moved towards her.





Aminu held the phone, feeling an internal heat while outwardly, he felt cold. He knew what was at stake. They may not only refund money, but Mason may wipe them off.
He took in a deep breath.What could he do? Run away? Where would he run to? And how far would he go before they are gotten? Adnan! Where on Earth are you? How can I find you? I don’t believe you are dead!

“ What is wrong?” Addy who was watching him asked.

“Mason could not kill the Grandpappe. The test would hold.”

Damn!

“Your allowance has been stopped for three months now. That is the handwork of Mason. I have not gotten a contract for six months. Everything is on hold until this is cleared and we know it would hardly be cleared. We are doomed and you messed it up. You shot him in the first place.”

“He did not die then. He came back.”

“ But the attack got him scared. He was moving freely at first and he never knew we had found him out.”

“ We should think about a solution and blames.”

“Shut up! Get out! Get out of here now!”

Addy grimaced, feeling irritated because no one talked to him like that…in the past. He walked out of the room and went out and got into his Hummer. Aminu watched him drive out. From the balcony, Aminu saw a tinted-glassed SUV drive after him.
The car did not look good to him.

“ Gajere, an SUV just followed Addy now. Get at it. I hope he is not being trailed.”

“ Hmmmm.”

Gajere quickly called Matti and they got into a Space bus and followed.
As they drove past a car, a man under the wheel of the car said into a mouth piece. “ Watch out, they suspect you are following TCO. Abort the trail and watch his house. Abort the trail and watch the house, I repeat.”





Addy walked into the room and found Lori sitting on a chair and it was obvious she was waiting for him. She wore a body clinging dressed that made Addy forget his immediate problems and felt the need for her. That was what she did to him: He could not resist her.
He moved to her, bent over and sent his lips towards her but she shoved him off.

“What is wrong, honey?”

She gave him a stern glance.

“ Addy, it seems you can’t meet up with my needs anymore.” She said. “ I was modelling before we got married and you promised to keep me floating even without modelling. I accepted the fifty thousand dollar monthly allowance and stayed by you. Now you can’t afford it any longer….”

“I can. I am just going through a period….”

“Then keep going through. I am done with this. Thank God I never gave birth to a child. I still need my figure intact.”

“What are you talking about?”

She looked straight into his eyes.

“ I need a divorce!”

Addy almost fainted.

He did not even realize that his phone was ringing until she told him. He felt his hands shaking as he picked the call.

“Hello.” He said.

“ Addy, Mukhtar has just being rushed to hospital. He is dying.”

“ I have a bigger problem right now.”

“What? That is your uncle and he has about ninety billion with him if we are going to pay back. He must tell us some things before he dies.”

“Okay, sir.” He said then looked at Lori. Her pretty face was alluring, and he wished he could just grab her and kiss her.

He went on his knees. He dropped his haughtiness; this was the power of a woman in display. Who knew what Generals, kings, governors did behind closed doors with a woman? Those beings had some hidden powers and Addy was one of those men captured in a trance, as if hypnotized by a woman. He had seen women in their splendour, and used and dumped a lot but Lori got him stuck.

“Please don’t leave. I am travelling and be sure the issue would be cleared. I am coming back to get everything back to normal…even better.”

She gave him a vague smile.

“ I am getting bored. We used to travel round the world, five star hotels, and entertainment shows but we have been stuck to just watching the shoki dance boys for long.”

“Do not worry. I promise to bring Arianna Grande for your birthday.” He said. “ We are going to have a yacht party and be sure Justin Bieber
would be there. All I need is to talk to the head of entertainment wing of my people and it is done.”

He saw a glint in her eyes. She was a valley girl and so worldly.

“What are you? Why do you command so much power?.....in the past.”

“Not the past.” He said knowing he was at the verge of losing the power, money and her. He was making empty promises, hoping to buy more time. He could not afford to lose her. Oh no! Where was Adnan? If really he was alive, he could come to their aid!

“ I have a dying uncle. I need to be at the hospital.”

She nodded.

He picked the car keys and said, “ I love you, Lori.”

“Thank you.” She replied.

He expected her to say something else but it seemed she was done. He left and rushed outside. As he drove out to the hospital, the SUV resumed its trail. Gajere was not to be deceived easily. He had not gone back as they thought. He was now sure the car was following Addy.
They were around ! Sent from above.

Naairah was siting between Adnan’s legs as he used a sharp object to loosen her plaited hair’
They were sitting in their living room. She planned to go and plait her hair and he offered to help her loosen the plaited hair.

“ You are trying, Hayati.” She said as she saw that he had gone half way.

“ Yeah but there is something missing.” He said, put the object between a twine, and pulled the hair apart.

“What is missing?”

“We are not gossiping. Plaiting and gossiping move along well.”

She laughed.

“I am serious. When girls plait, it is then you will here, ‘ hmmmm, wonders shall never end..and it goes up.”

“ Are you saying guys don’t gossip?”

“God forbid!”

“Please spare me. Even old men gossip and they will call it politics. When someone dies, it is better after burying him, Prophet SAW said do not stay long there. Just go, greet, pray and leave. But you see men, with canopies, and the next thing will be gossip and football talk. The issue of the deceased if forgotten. It will be gossip, politics, and football.”

“Miss Sunshine, by the time they are doing these, where are the women? They are inside like it is a wedding ceremony . Looking at each other’s style of clothes, what Dije did to Saude, how Kuluwa’s husband is treating her. It is the spirit of gossip that radiates from them that hit the men and hypnotize them to do 5% of what the women are doing.”

“ Men will beat women flat when it comes to gossiping.”

“ Sweetheart, the chairperson of Gossiping international Organization is a woman, same as the secretary and other key members. Read the History of gossiping by Fadila, the originator is a woman. The first 100 gossiping champions are women.”

“Now you just proved me right.” She said. “ You even know the names of the organizations and key offices, and books. That shows that men are more current when it comes to gossip. I have never heard of these. I am hearing of the detailed world of gossip from a man. Are you the information officer?”

He Laughed and grabbed her from behind then kissed her on the lips.
The chiming of her phone disengaged them. Adnan hissed jokingly. “ Who calls at the wrong time.”

“Someone who wants to save me.” She said. “Who knows what this would have led to?”

“ It may have led to ……”

“ I don’t want to hear….my innocent ears.” She said. “ It’s Ummi….Hello ……..inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un! Where ?When? How?.....toh..!”

She ended the call and tears began to cascade. “It is Abba! He is dying at the hospital.”

“SubahanAllah! What happened?”

“I don’t know. He is at Shukuran Hospital.” She rushed inside to get dressed.

Twenty minutes later, they were entering the hospital. They saw Addy, his father, her siblings except three who were out of town, all standing.
Was he dead? What was going on?
She rushed towards Hajiya Fatima who was tryng to calm her nerves.

“What happened?”

“ I just went into the room and found him gasping for breath. He is inside. The doctors would not allow us see him now”

Gajere walked in with his stealth attitude moved towards Aminu. He excused him and moved aside.

“ They are around.” He said in a low tune. “ BOE agents. They have come to take Addy away. They are making sure he does not get out of sight. They have about three cars.”

Aminu felt stuffy. Something seemed to be rising to his head. The dreaded time has come. He was impersonating Tiger 606 and that was a crime against the organization. Mason would do whatever he could to cover his tracks and that made them vulnerable and dispensable.
He looked at Addy and Alhaji Tofa and nodded at them. They joined him.

Hajiya Fatima was watching them , seeing the agitation on their faces. She was only concerned about her husband because of the bond, and being the father of her children but the treatment he meted on Adnan was bad.
He also got into this mess without checking his conscience, and integrity. He was so blind and hungry for money and power. Nemesis. Now it was the homeless, parentless, poor, uneducated Adnan that they were looking for. Where on Earth were they going to find him ?Where?

Tofa was just wearing a tight lip and his cheeks seemed to have inflated.
He just refunded twenty billions naira to the government as he was pressurized. Where was he going to get such an amount to pay back?
He was facing a straight way to being broke. He never knew all of these.
Now the people were around to take Addy to USA for the test.

Naairah and her siblings were perturbed. She knew her father was wrong in many ways but she wanted him alive.
The doctor had told them it was a heart attack triggered by high blood pressure and his condition seemed to be worsening.
Addy heard a notification in his phone. He quickly checked it and saw something that made him cringe :it was the picture of the cartoon he made when he was a kid, making fun of Adnan, as a super hero of dump site.
Was this real? Was he going barmy? He showed his father.

"Who sent this? "Aminu asked.

"I don't know. It is not on my contact list. "

Aminu sighed.

"Adnan is alive! " He said with a tinge of hope ." Call the number. We need Help "

Addy dialled but it was not available.

"Oh, please.... " Aminu started when he also received a message. He opened it:

Why? You deprived me of my parents and wealth, maltreated me and tried to kill me. Now there is trouble. I just called to say I have forgiven you. Good bye.

" No! Addy call him, I will send him a message..... "

They were seriously scared now. Adnan was alive but he was not going to help them. He just reminded them of what they did to him.
Only Naairah knew Adnan was there. Hajiya Fatima was watching them.

" I am closer than you think ." Addy heard someone say, turned and saw Hayat.

" I am Adnan Abbas. Baba Aminu Saminu, Tiger 606."

Aminu got the greatest shock of his life!

oh my God, i can't believe this is happening. I had to wait this late waiting for update. thanks for the update, waiting for more.

Sokodobo!!! This is the Bomb!

Blast

wow

Where was I when this story started?

This is damn interesting
Kudos OP

This is easily one of the best stories I've ever read on NL with super consistent updates too. Kudos Sokodobo

SOKODOBO u re the bomb,i m going over to do the right thing, u deserve to win dis month own

Yes o sokodobo deserves to win d consistent update is worth it ����

This story oo

I must confess, this is one of the most thrilling and interesting story I have read here. kudos bro.

Hmmmm


OP tanks a lot for the update.

U try


Don't like d way Adnan show himself ooo, it kinda risk ooo

hmmmmm. This story is the bomb. quite interesting. I also don't like the way Adnan revealed himself o..... I think it was too soon. He for let them suffer small, or even let them take Addy abroad so that the secret can be revealed while his parents would later present him as the real one.