2009

Maryam opened her eyes and saw Ameer sitting and watching her. She saw intense care, love, affection in his eyes. She was still finding it hard to believe.
On the day she had the attack, she was barely conscious. She could sense the things happening around her, see but could not talk or move. She could see the fear and agitation on Ameer’s face, the way he held her and something in her felt she needed to be strong for him.
Miraculously, she found the strength to utter one sentence : take me home.

It was a dicey decision to make. One part told him that she did not know what she was saying. How could someone who was dying be taken home instead of a hospital? Her parents were both lawyers and not medical doctors.
Another part of him told him she may know why she said so and maybe taking her to the hospital may waste time and jeopardise her life. He prayed then found himself saying , “ take a left turn. We are going to Ungwan rimi.”

That was what saved her life that day. When they got to the house, the parents were expecting them because Ameer called. The dad was not around but had to rush back home. They had rushed her, with Ameer carrying her, to a room as directed by the mother.
Ameer was amazed as he saw the room. There was a hospital bed, then a sophisticated and complicatedly built machine he had no idea what it was all about. She was rushed on the bed, the mum crying, while the doctor who was waiting got to work.They were asked to excuse the doctor, after he fixed the machine into her. What was wrong with her? Whatever it was, this was not the first time.

She spent three days without a word or movement. Ameer never left her except when he went to have a quick bath or use the restroom or went to masjid. Not even after he was advised by her parents to take a break. He would sit watching over her, knowing she could not move or talk but fixed to the strange machine.

This was the third day ,she opened her eyes fully.

“ Ameer..” She whispered.

“Shhh..let me call the nurse.”He said, excited that she talked.

“ No. The machine takes care of it. I need Rayyan.”

He looked at her for a few seconds then he went to the machine and unplugged the wires fixed to her. He then moved to her and carefully raised her, carrying her gently.

“What are you doing?”she said lightly, feeling embarrassed.

“ Watch me.”

He moved and opened the door to the restroom and took her in. Carefully placed her on the WC and said, “ Call me when you are ready.” He went out and closed the door.
How did he know she needed to pee? Was this guy for real? She had been hearing his movement for three days, knowing he was there but she could not talk to him. She wished she could tell him to go and rest, have some fresh air but she could not. Not even a movement.
Tears filled her eyes as she sat there. What life was this?

When she was done, she wondered how she would let him come carry her. Rayyan was her younger brother and he used to help her. The nurse was a lady and could not handle that. She only felt the need to pee when she was fully awake and able to talk.
She tried and stood up after cleansing, flushed then wore her pants, redressed her clothes but could not sum up courage to call him. He was seeing her in her worst condition.

“Anybody home?” He knocked.

Crazy! She could not handle this guy. She let go.

“ Come in.” she said.

He came in, a smile planted on his face. A smile just to pacify her but he was deep down in pain, knowing she was going through a difficult time.
He carried her, she held him by the neck.

“ Don’t be scared.” He said as he placed her gently on the bed, “ Allah sees through our heart.The angel on the left won’t write anything insha Allah.”

She smiled.
She watched him fix the wires back.

“How did you learn this?”

“I was here when they were fixing it. it was important to your life so I found it important to know how to do it. After the doc, I saw Rayyan do it once.”

“ Thank you.”

“Thank me? Hey, I don’t care that you are sick, we will fight if you thank me again. This is my responsibility. Let me call the nurse and tell mum you are fully awake.”He stayed by her for another six days and she was glad he did. He kept her company, and gave her strength.

“ This is a condition I had since I was in secondary school but it was not as worse as this. It is a combination of unconventional diseases. A strange hormone precipitates a certain chemical in me that increases my metabolic kinetic energy and produce massive heat which triggers a kind of muscular dystrophy that causes my muscles to be very weak. Then dysarthria comes in which makes it impossible for me to talk. This has been my fate for years. It may not happen always, but it is getting worse.
This machine is custom made and cost about sixty thousand dollars to build. I have wanted to tell you this but failed……Before Liman, there was Tahir. And history always repeats itself in my relationships. He was my first fiancé . We met in London. He was into drugs and got into trouble. I helped him, ran helter-skelter round the embassy and he was extricated.

His father was tired of him. He abandoned him and he was about to drop out. I stopped him, I was working at the same time schooling. I used my money to keep him going , got him into rehabilitation and he came out clean .Somehow, we got closer and a relationship started.
Our parents got to know and he became very normal and responsible. He proposed and we got engaged. Then, I had an attack. He was there like you were there. When he got to learn about my condition….he tactically withdrew.

I only heard of his wedding a week before. He broke my heart. After a while, Liman showed up. I never wanted another relationship. Liman was jailed in London for an offence he did not commit but he was unfortunate to be at the crime scene.
I got to know as a law student then. I got him a lawyer, went around to get him help and he was released. We got into a relationship. He proposed. Mum advised me to give it a try. I told him about my condition. He said there was no problem, he could handle it. When he saw how I was when I got an attack, he acted in a manner that got me disgruntled.

He did not want to come close to me or see me. I called the engagement off and he was going to do it anyway. Then you came. You were in trouble and Allah used me to help you. When you proposed, I became scared. It was the third. Similar story.
So I got paranoid, and began to avoid you. I just wanted us to remain as friends or brother and sister. By that, there won’t be disappointment, heartbreak. But you got me at last. I could not resist you. Mum asked me to tell you but I couldn’t.
I knew I was wrong. All I could do was try to avoid you but once we started I realised I did not want to lose you…….” She was in tears.

“ Shhhhh…..” Ameer made a futile attempt to stop tears from his eyes. “ Now, listen to me. I will never forgive you if for once, in your heart, you feel I am here because I feel indebted to you. Don’t you ever think I am here because of what you did for me. Physical qualities, character are factors that spice it up, increase the bond and affection but the reason for love is unknown.

A girl could be bad and you love her. But because of her habits, you decide not to marry her but that does not kill the love. A girl could be nice , cute but you don’t love ,yet you marry her and live in peace but the love cannot be built. Love is a mystery. It is difficult to differentiate between affection, infatuation, indebtedness, compassion and love. I know love is when I still feel for a girl without all her good habits and beauty, when I can’t find a reason for having feelings for her.

I felt it once, and I felt it again. I can’t find the main reason I want you but I am lucky, you have all I want in a woman. So, bury the history. I am here for you and I am not leaving you.”
She was still crying. She believed him but he did not know all of it. None of them ever treated her like he did. He saw her in her worst moment and he never found her repulsive.

“ I believe you.”

He smiled and that smile was a therapy to her.

“ I told you. I am dangerous. You are my target. All of your tricks will not deter me from abducting you. And I am taking this super computer with me,” he pointed at the big machine. “ We are going to get a big room for it. Damn! So all your running away from me was a storm in a tea cup. I thought you got a serious reason. This is no big deal. The big deal is that I love you and not for what you are. Case dismissed.”

“ There is something else. Where the main problem lies.”

“ What is it?”

“ The truth is……..I can’t have a child. If I do, they may get infected. It could be inherited. I don’t want to have offspring that will suffer.”

“ Who said I needed a child. Babies cry, the pee, they pooh…I am okay with no child….”

“Ameer….”

“Okay. Yes, I love them and I want to have them but if you can’t ,would that make me leave you? Will that make us live in melancholy? This world is temporary and everything we love will either leave us or we leave them. Al-jannah is the main abode. I am not saying we should not seek for worldly things but we got to think ahead. I am okay once I am with you and let me tell you something…Ameer Adam believes in miracle, in Allah’s will and I never lose hope….my sitting here is a miracle. I was condemned to death.
Damn! I got a stubborn victim. All your talks won’t make me change my mind. You are getting abducted and it is stamped…insha Allah. Do you have any more flimsy excuse?”

She looked at him and smiled.

“ I guess you are not human.” She said. “ That is all I feared.”

“Please never change your mind. I think we should get married ASAP.”

Someone said the sallama and came in. It was their house help who just came back from the village.

“ Eyaaah, aunty, are you sick again?”

“No, “ Ameer said, “ does she look sick?”

“ Yaya kenan. She is sick now.”

“Kumatu what is it?” Maryam asked knowing she was a weirdo.

“ Your boy wants to come and greet you.”

“ My boy?”

“Yes, that one that used to come and go.”

“ Kumatu anyone who does not live in this house comes and goes.”

“ Toh de! That one now, remember…”

“Send him in.”

Ameer laughed as she went out.

“You have seen nothing of her.” She said.

“Assalamu alikum.” Mr Farouq said and walked in and was shocked to find Ameer.

Ameer and Maryam exchanged glances.“ I knew it was strange.” He said. “ It was you all along.”

WHOcarex:
Weldon.

But it seem the story lies mostly in the past. I'm more interested in the present though.

Thank you for the complement.

We aren't halfway through the story yet. The book has 40 chapters, and we just reached 14. THE PRESENT starts from chapter 19, and of course, I guess you will find it much more interested than what you've read so far.

tijehi:
Hello Sokodobo.

Your books are a bit expensive, a lot of people may not be able to afford it. Please consider reducing the price for each of them.


Great updates by the way.

Thank you for your complement and concern.

Reducing the price is actually beyond our control. The book contains over 500 pages, DI printed, cream bond paper. Cover is laminated/foil printing.

With this, I think 3k is fear enough.

soft copy please
Ready to make a transfer
But soft copy should be cheaper than hard copy

Please can we get the soft copy, now that some of us are ready to make payments.

Pls who is Mr Farouq again?

excelmerry:
Pls who is Mr Farouq again?

The man that gave Ameer the Foreman Job. Remember?

2011

Ameer had finished serving successfully. He graduated with a second class upper with only one student graduating with a first class in their department. 2-1. That was great.

" No be moi-moi" A course mate, Stanley, had said. " O'boy, you lucky you bag upper , me the lower I carry na raise shoulder I dey o. How many guys them rusticate? How many dem shift from chemical go fishery? How many kpai, as in, them no dey alive to even fail.
You na mallam nah. You know say mallams, anything wey happen dem go say, Allah yakawo (It is from God). This one na better Allah yakawo o. Me, I dey go shack. As in, celebrate my lower with chilled bottles of beer and siga, them come use Irene top the celebration. You dey go masalaci (Mosque) nah."

Ameer had laughed but the guy had a point. Fateemah was not alive to witness this. And there were many more. Alhamdulillah.
Maryam had offered him partnership in the block industry. He would run it and they spilt the profit.
He was posted to Kano where he served in a food processing factory. He made sure he came back to Kaduna every weekend to be with his heartthrob.

When he was free, he accompanied her to court and how proud he was of her. She got about three more attacks within two years and he was always by her. Her mother was completely satisfied with Ameer.
There was no more secrets, nothing to hide from him, nothing to be scared of. It did not happen too frequently and never exceeded two weeks.
So the marriage arrangement was started. Formal introduction was done with kudin gaisuwa. Then another time was fixed for payment of dowry then the date was fixed.

The wedding was three months, six days away.

Amaar was done with Service since 2008 but yet to get a job. When Ameer asked him what he wanted to do, he said he would be open a roadside construction company, where he would start making gates, and grinding machines.
Ameer raised some amount from him and he started. But he was always travelling to Bauchi, saying he was looking for a contract there. They were not making too much money but they could take care of Hajiya and themselves.

Unknown to Ameer, Amaar was already a family man with responsibilities. Ameena was in her final year in ABU zaria, Sa'adat was in SS3, while Aisha was JSS 1. All on Amaar. Ameena was twenty -one now and they were not yet married.

Amaar was planning on telling Ameer and Hajiya that he had found a wife when the two weeks trip came up. He decided to wait until they came back. Two weeks was nothing and he knew Ameena's family would accept his proposal even if it was three days to the wedding.

The trip.

The issue of the trip started while Ameer and Maryam were sitting on their favourite pew in the garden, enjoying ice-cream.

" I wanted to tell you something but......" she now hesitated, pouting and making a face like a baby.

" Talk to me, baby."

" I want us to travel before the wedding."

"Which wedding?"

She eyed him.

" Okay, our wedding."

"Ko ke fa! I like the sound of 'our' and not, 'the'."

" Must you scrutinize every word in a sentence?"

" Saboda tsaro. Now, keep talking."

"I want us to travel."

" That sounds cool. Where? Kankia? "

" No."

" Hmmm..."

" London."

" What?"

" Just for two weeks."

" Did you say before our wedding?"

"Yes, my ......"

"Husband." He quickly cut in

" Not yet, dude."

" But I have bought you already and paid for it."

"You paid bride price dai." She chuckled, " but you did not buy me."

"What is the difference?"

" An biya sadaki(dowry has been paid) and not ansaye Maryam(Maryam has been bought) . Take note."

" Okay. But why before marriage? I mean it will be more fun, a kind of honeymoon but...you know I can't afford a trip to London. Why not Lagos? They both start with letter L and both have beaches."

"I am serious. And it has to be before marriage."

" But you know...."

"We will be in different rooms and I am taking Sanam with me. She will be in the room with us as the third party when we are not sleeping.
Then you go back to your room when it is time to sleep. About the money for the trip, I will lend you."

" How do I pay back?"

" You will figure a way."

"Why are we going to London now?"

" Trust me. I want it to be a surprise and please don't spoil the fun. Just say yes, and don't act stubborn, please....honey."

" Okay then. I will follow you but it makes me...."

"Thank you. We would start the paper works, pronto! Guess you have not renewed your travel documents for a while."

"The last time I went abroad was in my SS1. That was eighty years ago."

" Ha'an! You were in school over fifty years before you were born."

They both laughed.

Two weeks later, they were on their way to London. And really it turned out to be a surprise.

Apologies for short updates this morning. My PC charger is faulty. Will try get it fixed today.

nice one

Following

Nice bro

2007

Ameena was asked to sit down. She wanted to sit on the floor when a man said, "no. sit on the chair."
She obeyed and wondered what was going on?
The room was very large, with a big wooden chair with lots of carvings and designs.
Then an old man appeared. He was around seventy years old, and for a moment Ameena wondered if he was Lado's father.
He wore embroidered gown over white babariga with a turban.

" Lafiya mai zaki!" He was hailed as he came in. Ameena remembered him as the king when she was small and they visited with her parents.The palace servants, chiefs all kept hailing him and afterwards, they left him alone with her. What was going on?

" Aminatu."the old man said. " You came to the village and you did not bother to come and say hello to me."

She bowed her head.

" No, Baba."

"No, don't call me that! We are alone here. You can call me Baba gwaz."

'Na'am?"

"When we are alone, not in public, call me Baba gwaz. That used to be my sobriquet when I was young. You know how I got the name?"

He redressed his turban, all the sarauta(royal) act gone.

"One day, I was with my friends and a woman was passing by, she had a beautiful daughter and they pulling their ass."

" Na'am?'

"Ass. It is the English name for jaki or you call it donkey but I am used to calling it ass."

" Yeah...sorry, yes..."

" No, don't worry. I am social fa. It is the responsibility on me that make us act as if we don't laugh, move with a stiff body, hardly talking. If you like say yo, wachap!"

" Okay. I think ass is kind out obsolete so we the younger generation see the word from a different angle."

" Yes. But it is good to see it from all angles."

What was wrong with this old man?

" So, as they were pulling their ass, her load fell down and I ran and picked it up for them. When the woman thanked me and saw me looking at her daughter, she asked, what was my name and I said Baba gwaz."He now broke into a hysterical laughter, shaking his head and hitting the arm of the chair, tears in his eyes.

That was when Ameena realized that he felt the story was funny and meant to make someone laugh.

" You see, as you know, I am the king. And you are my subject. So, I want to elevate you. I called you because I want to marry you. You are lucky because many girls want me to make them queens but Allah says it is you that is why you came back."

"Na'am?"

" I want to marry you."

" Me?"

" A'a. You mana. I have told all the chiefs that you are now a royal property. No body must talk to you. You now belong to Baba gwaz."

" But I am still in school. I will be resuming school soon. I am just in my first year."

" No problem. I will marry you and you will continue."

" Allah shi taimake sarki, I have someone I want to marry."

The old man grimaced, astonished and fought the urge to go ballistics. How could she say that to his face? Did she know who he was? Was it easy to become a queen?

" You are talking to the king."

"Let Sarkin Gombe hear you, dakaci. You are not even a district head. Because you find yourself surrounded by fools in a remote village and give the impression that you are a king does not move me an inch." She thought.

" I am sorry, baba. I cannot marry you."

" You cannot marry me? What do you want me to tell my subjects. We were already planning the marriage."

" Toh, Baba, tell them that you don't find me qualified to marry you so you changed your mind."

" Hmmmm....okay. Thank you. Go. Ba komai(no problem). Go."

"Thank you Baba."

She got up and walked out. He stared after her back, observing the movement and vibration that could not completely hide under the veil and he swore. Bakomai!

After she left, he called one of the servants to get Mallam Danasabe.
Mallam Danasabe was a small looking man with a mouth that looked instagram pouting. And he knew how to use that long mouth. If there was anything like the chief gossip of the village, then he was the one.

" I said nobody should talk to her. How come she said she had someone."

Danasabe's mouth pointed up, showing the king how concerned he was.

" There is a boy. He is not from this village. He came with one boy who worship the soil..."

" Subahanallah! pegan?"

" Dan boko menene(what else is a western education scholar) ?"

"No. I disagree. I am one of them. I attended primary seven."

" You are blessed from the womb. Your father recited Alamtara kaifa for you. But them, it is bye-bye they recite for them."

" Worshiping the soil?"

" Allah shi taimake sarki. They have uniform for worshiping the soil. They were cap, munafikai, and some of the women use hijab saboda munafirci."

" Wait...are you talking about NYSC?"

"Yauwa...masu bautan kasa ba."

" Danasabe! Why are you so backward? It does not mean that they literarily worship the soil."

" Toh Yallabai."

"Tell me more."

" He used to come with the NRC boy."

" NYSC."

"Toh. He started coming about two years ago. He put Mallam Bala's grandchildren in school, buy them clothes, food, kayan Sallah, so when this girl came back, I started seeing him with her. He is the one. They would talk and laugh, talk and laugh. How can a woman laugh in the presence of a man? Rashin kunya(shamelessness)!

This pesbu has spoilt our children.."

"What?"

"Pesbu."

"What?" the old man moved his head forward .

"Pesbu. Sashamidiya."

The king laughed.

" Facebook. Social media. Okay, thank you Lado. Does he still come?"

The long mouth extended.

" I saw him in front of the house waiting for her. I saw her walking hurriedly back to meet him. That was how her father was. He left all the schools in this village and went to Gombe to school saboda rashin kishi(because of lack of patriotism) ! Then..." "Thank you very much Danasabe. Go to Kasimu and collect two mudu of gero(two bowls of guinea corn) ."

The long mouth split and a wide grin was produced.

" Allah ja zamani sarki mai talkalmin qarfe."

After he left, The King called one of the dogaris and began to whisper to him.

Meanwhile, Ameena was in a hurry to meet Amaar who texted her that he was around. She could not wait to see him. It was then she saw three girls block her way.
The one in the front was slim, and very tall. Her face was brown with heavy powder application. Then two long lines drawn adjacent to the eyebrows. Some shiny particles adorned the whole face, then fully painted lips.

Her friends wore similar make ups and they all looked very scary. They all held Hausa novels which Ameena had since learnt was a fashion trend which was in vogue among the village girls.
If you were not reading a Hausa novel, then you were not in vogue. Even if you could not read it, hold it.

" Gatanan, the girl is come from city." Said the tall one. " I am Kuluwa yar gidan goshi , a candy, a hot chicken, so no girl is come and show me iskanci. Leave am for my boprend. Leave am for my boprend." She said, rolling her eyes, swaying her thin waist, and pouting.

" What is you?" Kuluwa said. " Nosin. You are nosin, baskat!"

" Excuse me, who is your boyfriend?" Ameena asked.

" Lado Auxiliary."she said proudly.

"E mana." Her friends said and they clapped.

" Lado Amerika." Kuluwa added. " That roba-roba is for me no be you. Ip I see you he is carry you in that roba roba ko,...."

" Sai mun ci ubanki!" One of the friends warned.

Ameena was speechless. What had she done to herself?

They left her after much insults. She shrugged and kept walking.


The king had reached a decision. He knew what to do.

Waiting earnestly for another update.receive more grace and be hpy

Waoh, OP nice work..

Gat here finally.


Jah bless ya hand work

Sokodobo

2011

They arrived London city and Ameer wondered what the surprise package was. A package that had to make them fly all the way to this place. He would be patient but whatever it was, he knew it was not a small deal.
He was right. It was a big deal. This was London

FIFTEEN

2011

They arrived Bloomsbury and she drove straight to Great Russell Street, London. Alighting the car, Ameer held Sanam’s hand while Maryam locked the car doors.They were at the British Museum.
Sanam was eleven years old and the last child in the Kankia family. Maryam knew it was not proper for her and Ameer to be alone in a room which was inexorable even though they lodged in different rooms.
So her parents obliged when she said she was coming with her. This was their sixth day and everything was moving as planned. She went to her doctor the next day and could scarcely believe when she was told that she could give birth to children without infecting them.

But she had to resort to some certain drugs. She almost hugged Ameer who was beaming with ear-to-ear smile. They had also discovered a drug for her which she could use when attacked. The drug could keep her safe for one week before she is fixed to the machine.
The machine was the only known remedy for now. This was good news. If a woman could move about with make-up kit, what about a lifesaving drug? But no cure has been found yet. She did not bother about that. With this development, she could live happily.

They spent a lot of time touring. Ameer had never been to London. He had only visited USA and Dubai and that was a long time ago. They visited so many resorts and monumental sites.There were over eight million permanent collections there, making it among the largest and comprehensive in existence. It was established in 1753.
After touring the museum, they went for lunch. They have had enough of Sunday roast and Yorkshire pudding, Eton mess, pie and mash, cockles, etcetera. She took them to Gida dadi restaurant at Flamingo lane, WC2.

It was owned by Hajiya Nafisat Adam. She started the business when she was doing her degree program and her husband supported her. It was a place where you could enjoy Hausa traditional cuisines.
They went in and sat at a table. There were a lot of Africans in there, including white people.
A chubby white man came in with his girlfriend and sat down. A white waitress came and smiled at them.

“ I need a plate of danwake and beetroot-rutabaga sauce spiced with zucchini.” He said. It was obvious he is a habitué here. The way he pronounced the danwake nearly made Ameer laugh.

The man was served well prepared danwake, and not just with mai da yaji but a sauce with vegetables and squash. Danwake a hotel!
The lady was served masa and taushe sauce, mutton soup, tsimi juice and small plate of dambun nama.
Most of the waitresses were trained white girls but most of the cooks were Hausas.

“ Moulded maize flour and baobab soup…” Ameer began and he saw the confusion on the waitress’ face then he got it at once. He had used Nigerian term.
Most Nigerians refer to tomato sauce as stew. But stew was a food that was taken alone and not used on rice or any other food. A sauce is believed to be smashed tomato, pepper, onions fried with egg or any other thing.
Most of them knew the words were been used wrongly but it had become prevalently used terms, so they accepted it.

Taushe, miyan kubewa, jan miya, kuka were all sauces and not soup because they were not eaten alone but used to eat other food. A soup was a light food taken alone. Pate was a soup. The use of these three words; stew, soup and sauce were grossly mixed up.

“ Moulded maize flour and baobab sauce, mutton soup and tiger nut juice.”

The waitress smiled.

“ Are you a Nigerian, sir? I hope you don’t mind me asking?”

“ I don’t mind. I am a Nigerian.” He replied.

“ You could have said tuwon masara, miyan kuka, naman akuya and kunun aya. I was trained in Kano, and had a waina course in Bauchi. Bauchi and waina, phew!”

She left and Maryam chuckled.

“ Baobab sauce.” She said and laughed.

“ Ta samo ni fa.” Ameer laughed.

Maryam ordered for sinasir, and kuli-kulied powdered sauce with dambun naman kaza.

“ Ever tried this?” she asked him, “ Sinasir and kuli- kuli mixed with dambu, and spice? The sauce is sprinkled with a little mai.”

“ I go with soup…sauce sorry.”

“ Try that for a change and you would thank me.”

Sanam said she was not eating there.

“ Tuwo agida, tuwo a London (Tuwo at home, Tuwo in London)? Never!” she had said. “ Get me pizza, London broil, carne pizzaiola, lobster Newberg amma tuwo, waina da sinasir, kuma?”

They had laughed.

“ She is always like that when we come. You know dad can not do without tuwo for two days but she….”

“What about you?” Ameer asked.

“ I love tuwo…..sometimes.”

“ Zaki fada gaskiya ai (you will confess) . Many girls have issues with tuwo. Only very few love it. they also don’t like koko or kunu. Me, I love kosai and kunun tsamiya. Favourite iftar dish.”

“ I get the message. I do know how to fry cowpea cake.”

“ Please don’t make it sound less delicious with that name. kosai, kawai.”

She giggled.

They enjoyed their meal. After which Sanam was taken to another restaurant where she had lunch.

Ameer received a call.

“ Hey, boy, hope you are good.”

“ Who is your boy?” Amaar said from the other end. “ I hope you have not forgotten all the things I taught you, and respect is one.”

“ Guy go and look for a girl to marry. We are not mates and the reminds me, I was suggesting to Maryam that she should set aside a plate for you in my house. It is my responsibility to feed you, bachelor.”

Amaar chuckled.

“ We are getting married the same day.”

“ Maryam cannot afford to share her day with a spirit.”

Amaar giggled from the other end. His brother was in for a surprise. They were getting married the same day. But he would keep the truth until he came back. “ If not for the sake of Maryam, I would have deported you. So, hope London is cool.”

“ Super cool, bro. I just ate tuwo masara and miyan kuka.”

“ Like seriously?”

“ E mana.”

“ What the hell are you guys doing there?’

“ We are just good….and Maryam got to see her doctor.” He said and his mind went to the ‘surprise’. What was it? Be patient, he cautioned himself. “ I talked to Mama this morning. I told her to get Sumayya to stay with her. I don’t like the idea of her being alone there. You are always travelling.”

“ Yeah. I am at home now but will be travelling soon. I got a contract.”

“ Seriously?”

“ Yeah. A school needs two thousand desks.”

“Wao! Where?”

“ Gombe. I would take twenty samples there. They even gave me an advance payment.”

“ It is called motivation, science boy.”

“Whatever, it is still money and that is most important.”

“ Congratulations!”

“Thank you. Akwai labari (I have a gist), bro.”

“What is it?”

“Till you come back.” He said and smiled. He could not believe he was getting married to Ameena at last. It was time to let the cat out of the bag.

“ Insha Allah. We got a month visa but we only plan to stay two weeks so we should be back soon.”

“ Cool. Please take care of her. I love that girl.”

“ kai! You like her dai.”

Amaar laughed and Maryam blushed. She could hear them.

“ Whatever, take care of her…she is a jewel, a rare one, and one in a zillion.”

“ If you have such romantics words, why not get a girl to shower her with them? My bro is romantic.”

Amaar smiled. His brother never knew he had been in the system for six years, and saddled with responsibilities.

“ I will surprise you.”

After the call ended, and through with lunch, they left.

“ After Sanam is done with lunch, we would go to. Time for the surprise package.”

“ I can’t wait for the package to be unveiled.”

“You are a patient man, You never asked me even though it has been boiling in you.”

“That is what happens when you have a lawyer as a wife. She sees through your heart.”

“When it comes to that, then all women were lawyers. We observe every details, change of feelings but…we could pretend not to.”

“Hmmm…..good that I know. Let’s take the princess for lunch. Tuwo agida, tuwo a London? Never!”

They laughed.

Forty minutes later, they were on their way to Central London.

“ You know your way around here.” He observed.

“ Nine years of my life here. Do I have an option?”

“ I wish Amaar could call me when I am back and tell me he has gotten a girl and was ready to get married on the same day with us.”

“That would have been splendid. Anything could happen.”

“ But the interest has to be there. I have never seen him with a girl.”

“ He is not a misogynist, so don’t get perturbed. Maybe all he needs is just someone to spark his interest.”

“That is if no one has done that.”

“ How?”

“ The way he talked to me today. Sounds like he has been there. And he receives some calls which he would start babbling before sequestering himself. I suspect there is someone but maybe he feels she is not good enough to present and he is stuck to her. Just a wild guess.”

“ He is your brother. Confront him.”

“Yeah. That is the job of an elder brother.”

“ Let him hear you.”

“ I will talk to him like a son….”

“Innalillahi !”

She suddenly pushed her leg on the brake pedal and the tyres screeched before the car was brought to a halt.

A blind woman jaywalked on the road and she nearly hit her. She could have at least looked for a guide.

Maryam was breathing hard, trying to get over the shock.

“It’s okay.” Ameer said. “ You did not hit her.”

She nodded. Sanam was nervous, her eyes wide opened. But she realized that there was no accident, she relaxed.
Then someone tapped the window glass of the passenger’s side door. It was a young man with deep set dark eyes. His aggressive jaw was square with a thin mouth. He wore a red hooded top and a flat top haircut.

He was saying something, but it was not audible. The only thing Ameer heard was blind woman. Ameer wound down the window glass.

“What?”

“ The blind woman is safe. It’s okay.” He said in a husky voice.

Did he think they did not know?

“Thank you.” Ameer said curtly and wound up the glasses. “ Come on, let’s go.”

No response.

He turned at her and jolted. Was he dreaming?

Her seat was empty! Where was she? He had only looked away for a about a minute.

He turned right. The man in hood was missing. Completely out of sight. What the hell was going on? He turned back, “ Sanam, where is Maryam?”

“ I don’t know. I was looking at the man in the red hood.”

Ameer opened the car door and checked, his heart skipping beats but he kept telling himself it was some sort of joke. A few cars were behind him now, and the drivers complaint , so he went round, and pulled the car to the side. He had to hurry because he had no driving license there.
He looked round the road, back, front, sides and there was no sign of her.

Ya Salam!

He picked his phone, dialled her London number but realised the phone was in the car. It was then he saw a note on the driver’s seat. With shaky hands, he sprawled it opened:

Welcome to London, the Queen’s City. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay.

JeeZ!

Well done

What kind of surprise is this one na

Good job bro.

Nominate SokoDobo for October 5K Award.


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

Like this ehh,
O.p you bam die

Thank you all for the nomination. I really do appreciate.

2011

Ann Lann alighted her car, locked the car doors, and took long strides towards the entrance of the big building. Her solferino-red hair sprawled with an amazing grace. Her rapture-blue eyes was endowed with velvety eyelashes below slender eyebrows.
A sway of her hair accentuated her delicate ears which framed a button nose. When she split her syrup-sweet lips into a smile, her set of dazzling angel-white teeth gleamed.

A glossy skin with a burnished complexion covered her twine-thin body which was hidden in gothic clothes she wore in a rebellious way.
Her joyous personality was vivid but not without perlocution. She stepped into the big building and walked jauntily, nodding and exchanging pleasantries with people without stopping. She got into the lift, smiled at a man who kept gawking at her, mesmerized by her beauty and he felt embarrassed.

Stopping at the fifth floor, she walked down the ambulatory passage and passed through a common room ,down a corridor before she stopped before a door with a tag: Director.
She opened the door to find his secretary behind her desk.

“ Miss Lann, he has been waiting for you.” Said the secretary. “ He said you are two minutes late.”

“ I was summoned fifteen minutes ago.” Ann said in a sugary voice. “ good morning.”

“ I hope the morning is good. He does not look good.”

Ann went to the door and knocked. She opened the door and saw him behind his large desk.
The man was smallish, with child-like innocent looking eyes. His nose was long and hooked, looking as if his face had trouble carrying it. His hand-made Italian suit looked immaculate. He was sipping coffee, a pile of files in front of him while a cigar waited to be burnt after the coffee.
The smallish fifty three year old man was the MI6 director, British intelligence agency.

“ I have been waiting for you.”

She knew he just summoned her a few minutes ago but there was no point of any explanation. She said she was sorry. It was traffic jam.

“ Something came up. A girl was abducted yesterday, here in London. I want you to look into it and I want result.”

He noticed her astonished expression.
He sipped coffee, relaxed then locked his small fingers and rested his chin on them.

“ I know where you are going to, Agent Ann. This should be the MI5’s call. Yes, we deal with foreign stuff, terrorism…I think I know. The MI5 dropped it on us because she is a Nigerian. Came into the country a week ago and got abducted yesterday.
We don’t want to Take chances, thinking it is all domestic and an international sinister precipitates. When we are sure it is domestic, then we let them handle it but don’t you think it will be nice if we just clean the mess and they thank us?”

“Yes ,sir.”

“I was in touch with the Nigerian embassy. This lady was here for nine years, attending law school. It could be domestic but we should give it a shot.”

“Yes, sir.”

He pushed a file to her.

“ You got my backing. Just let me know what the desideratum is.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Semper occultus.”

“Semper occultus.”

She opened the door and slipped out.

“ Okay,” said the secretary, “ I guess the morning is good. I did not hear banging of desk or high voice.”

Ann smiled.

“ Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

Ann left the office and the smile vanished. Her long legs moved nimbly and her mind already set. This was the director personally putting her on this. She went into an office where a man sat behind computers.
He was tall and slim with sun tanned skin and clean shaved face.

“ Ray, I need you to work on this.” She passed him a chip.

Ray grinned.

“ And how about a lunch date?”

She sat next to him, opened the file and brought out some papers and began to go through as Ray fixed the chip.

“I talked about a date.” Ray said as he operated the computer.

“Has it occurred to you that you have asked me out twenty three times, and I said no twelve times, shook my head seven times and ignored you four times. This is the twenty fourth and I am doing a recap. I guess and hope it would be the last time. Twenty five is a special number and I don’t want to disrespect the number.”

“ Why? You are so dedicated and don’t want to give yourself a life? Prince William is already married. What price do you need from the Queen for your dedication?”

“The price I need from her is to have a pesky, gut-wrenching bloke like you get off my back. And now back to work. There is a display already.”

It was the footage of a CCTV camera.
The door opened and a man in his early thirties came in. This was agent Greg Thomas.

“ Sit down Greg. I got you on this.”

“ I got your call.” Greg said. “ Are we doing the MI5 thing?”

“ Shut up and sit down. We obey and ponder in secret. This was laid on the boss himself.”

“Damn! She must be high profile.”

“Who knows?”

They could see Maryam’s car stop abruptly as the blind woman jaywalked and then a man in a red hooded top could be seen come out of a car and walks towards Maryam’s car.

“Zoom that guy in red.” She said.

Ray did that.

“Hmmm…okay, play on.”

The guy in red went to the passenger’s side door and began talking to the girl’s boyfriend. It had happened so fast. A man had appeared from the back, out of camera focus, and opened the car, door, used a hanky to cover her nose and it seemed she passed out at once. Carried her out and a van appeared, pulled up by the side of her car and they carried her away.

“Phew! That took just thirty three seconds. ”She observed. “ Swift bastards. They are all white guys.”

“ They got it planned.”

“ Greg, deduce details from the footage. I got to scrutinize the file. It won’t take an hour.”

After an hour, she was through.

“I need to talk to her boyfriend now.”

“Now?” Greg asked.

“Now. Kimmon.”

Forty minutes later, she was knocking at door of Ameer’s hotel room. He was lugubriously sitting with Sanam, waiting for the arrival of the Kankias.

“ I am agent Ann Lann and this is my partner, Agent Greg Thomas. MI6.” She showed him her badge.

“ Glad you came. Please come in.”

“ I am sorry about your girlfriend.”

“Thank you.” Ameer said, “Please sit down.”

They sat down on a couch.

“ I have gone through your statements and it’s quite comprehensive but I need to clarify somethings.”

Ameer nodded.

“ Where were you when she said you were heading to Central London for the surprise package?”

“In the car.”

They must have been followed and the car may have been bugged. She also reminded herself that Ameer was naturally a suspect until he is proven innocent.

“ You don’t have the slightest idea what the package was all about.”

“No.” Ameer replied. “ But I talked to her brother on phone and he said something. He said she received a message via g-mail on the 5th of last month and she exclaimed in joy then said she was coming to London. He feels the message triggered the decision.”

“ This was not in the report.”

“The report was yesterday and the call was today.”

“ Yeah. Do you have her g-mail address?”

“Yes. Bar-mar 44 @g-mail.com.”

“I am afraid it is imperative we know what the message was all about and she is not around. Do you have her password? This is unethical but we must check it out for her safety but if you feel we shouldn’t do it, then fine.”

“I never tried to find her password. I respect privacy.”

“We all do. I will need to send a team to check this room, her room and the car. They may be listening to us right now. I got men outside there to keep watch before the team comes. I guess this is her sister.”
Ameer nodded. Sanam looked very sulky, her eyes bulging from crying.
When she left and got outside, she called someone.

“ We have no option other than to do this. I sent a g-mail address to you. Hack into it. Trace the messages that was received on twenty fifth of last month pronto. Then connect me to it. I need to scrutinize her activities. We might get a lead.”

“Yes. Ma’am.” The person said.

Twenty minutes later, the person called back.

“ A message was sent from a Barrister Joe Beckam.”

“Read the message.”

“ Hi, Miss Kankia. The expiry date is a month away. If you don’t come now, then it is over.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”“Okay, I think I will need more time to go through the other messages. Anything strange?”

“I can’t say for now. This is the only message I traced.”

“Thank you Mark.” She said, “ what do you have on the barrister?”

“ A London based senior attorney. Divorced, lives alone in Linton Lane and has an office in Duke avenue, Central London.”

“Central London?”

“Yes. 678 Trimpoli street.”

“Please send his picture to me. I need to identify him.”

Mark was one of the most dangerous white hacker in the house. A computer genius.

“Out of record, Mark.” She said. “ I went out of my way to do that. MI6 did not send me hacking.”

“ This is not the first time I am doing this for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

Ann looked at Greg.

“The surprise package was in Central London and the attorney who sent her the message has an office in Central London. And this lady is also a lawyer. Mysteries. I love them. We gotta see this barrister.” She said. “Now.”

She called an agent who was sitting in a car.

“Watch the hotel and the guy. I will put a call through. I need to check if they were bugged. We are on our way to Central London. Kimmon.”

They Traced the office but to their disappointment, they said it had been closed for almost a month. They could not find anyone to tell why so they traced his residence.
It was a portable, well-built bungalow. They rang the bell but got no response. Then she pushed the front door. To her surprise, it was opened. They found no one. They began to rummage through the house but found no one. Then they opened the door to his study, and found that everything had been turned and scattered. Someone or some people must have searched for something.
She removed her pistol, her eyes travelling round and her mind alert. What was going on?

Then Greg came out of a room in a rush, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

“ Agent Ann, I found something.”

He led her to a closet and tugged the door. There he sat and the odour from his decaying body was the worst she had ever come close to. She could barely recognise him. The advocate had been dead for weeks and there was something he had that was important to some people.

Ann’s phone rang.

She listened, then said, “ copy that.”

She looked at Greg.

“Their hotel rooms and car were bugged. We need to know more about this lady.” She said. “ I need to call headquarters. The head of a beast is popping up.”

Married to A Fink and The Root of A Cynosure is now available in ebook format (PDF).

The price is N1,500 for each or N2,000 if you are buying both books.

Send a mail to info.bellanbooks@gmail.com indicating your interest, we then take it from there.


Beneath My Heart and The Last Insurgent will also be made available soon.

Note: Beneath My Heart is a large book consisting of three distinct parts.

OP tanks a lot for the update

Does this mean u will stop posting now?

excelmerry:
Does this mean u will stop posting now?

Married to a fink, soon
Others, No.

Meanwhile, Does this mean you wont buy our ebooks?

SokoDobo:


Married to a fink, soon
Others, No.

Meanwhile, Does this mean you wont buy our ebooks?

I For One, Will Surely Buy



Thanks for the Update Bruh

SokoDobo:


Married to a fink, soon
Others, No.

Meanwhile, Does this mean you wont buy our ebooks?

Will buy definitely..u hv a fan here...

SIXTEEN

2011

The guy in red hood is Danny Bhurfer. He is twenty four, an ex-convict with no known job. Dropped out of college, and lives in Bay Dane Avenue. I got two men watching him.” Greg said.

“ He should be picked up.” Ann said, her placid façade turning red. “ I need to talk to him.”

Greg picked his phone and dialled a number.

“ Pick up target. I repeat, pick target and bring down to headquarters, pronto.” He ordered.

“ Her parents have arrived. I talked to them. Nothing reveals anything strange. She has no criminal record. Both here and her country home.

We got in touch with Nigerian security agency and nothing sticky was found. I got Tim on Joe. That is one hell of a job. But I want to know if he had anything to do with her officially.
He was called to bar before she came to London. They could not have been buddies in school. Let’s just hope Tim finds something. The small big-man wants miracles.”

“ What about the boyfriend?”

“ He is said to be clean. Once condemned to death for murder but was exonerated. She advocated for him and they fell in love. Nothing daints him…for now, but we are still watching.”

“We always watch everything and everyone.”

“Yeah. Like the small big-man says, watch everyone including me, the director.”

“ I wonder how you do it.”

“Do what?”“ The way you handle things. You cut the quintessence of omnipotence. You handle so many things at a time.”

“ I don’t think I am what you think I am.”

“ I have worked with you for three years. I used to try to compete with you. I wanted to beat you but….I realised you were just born to do this.”

“Oh, Greg, you making me blush. Thank you but could I have done this without you? I don’t do this alone. I got you guys at my back and I am just part of a whole.”

“ Organisation matters.”

She smiled. “ Thank you mentor.”

“I am not….”

He was cut short as his phone chimed.

“ We got Danny. One hell of a kid.”

“ Good job.”

He looked at her.

“We got a guest. Danny.”

“ Can’t wait to have him. Kimmon.”

Danny was sitting on a chair in the interrogation room while some agents watched on screen, observing his eyes, mouth, and everything he said or did. These were human lie detectors.
Ann looked at him and gave him a smile.

“Thank you for coming. ”she said.

“ You abducted me. what the hell do you want from me?”

“ It won’t take much of your time. You witnessed a kidnap scene.”

“Nop.”

“ On Redcamp highway. Three days ago. You were by the window of a Ford car when it happened.”

Damn! He did not like this.

“ It was no kidnap. It was an accident.”

“Accident?”

“Okay, it was almost an accident. A poor blind woman was almost killed.”

“Mmhhhh?”

“ And I went to tell them it was all honky-dory. She seemed to be in a state of shock.”

“Hmmm?”

“So. I left.”

“ Did you know she was abducted at the very moment you were distracting the attention of the man?”

“No and don’t use the word distract. You want to incriminate me.”

“ That is what it seems like. You were facing them and you said you did not see the man who snatched her.”

“I did not witness that.”

She looked at Greg and nodded.

They played the video footage.

“ I was hoping you would be smart to make this easy for you. You got criminal records and this ocular prove seems not to be good for you. If you tell us what you know, we would appreciate it and give you a soft landing.”

Danny grinned.

“Lies! You fucking lie!”

“ I mean it.” She smiled again. “ Who sent you to distract them.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Can I talk to him for a second?” Greg asked and gave Danny a glare.

“I think he needs a talk like yours. He is all yours.” She said.

Ann turned as if leaving.

“Wait! He is not going to use his filthy hands on me! I know you. You want torture me!”

“ He just wants to talk to you and be sure that there is no way out of this.”

Danny bowed his head.

“ I don’t know her name.”

Ann came back, feeling an eruption of excitement.

“ Good boy. Who is she?”

“ She met me in a club and bought me beer. And we got talking. So she tells me she wants me to earn five hundred pounds. And she says she wants to play a trick on her boyfriend and his sister. She said it for a prank show.
So I agreed. We had sixteen plans because we were not sure which will be more pertinent. We kept following them. The plans to pick her from the museum failed, then the restaurant plan also failed. It was the eleventh plan that worked.
The one you got in your camera. I never knew it was an abduction until I saw it in news. They tricked me.”

“That is bad of them.” She said with a hidden sarcasm. She knew he was lying. He knew it was a kidnap,. “Tell me about this lady.”

“ She called herself Felicia. About twenty three. I know nothing much about her.”

“ I got a deal for you. You will be only released when we find her. I guess hiding her identity will not help you.”

“You can’t do that! I need my lawyer.”

“You are dealing with MI6. We suspect international conspiracy and you are a key player. We got evidence on you. Do yourself a favour and act smart.”

He sweating.

“ I need a cigarette.”

Greg removed a stick from his pack and gave it to him, then struck his lighter.
Danny inhaled smoke. He had tried acting stubborn in the past and it got him nowhere. He suffered and ended up in jail.

“ She is Isabella. I don’t know her second name. I don’t know where she lives . She was trying to hide her identity.”

Ann listened from the receiver in her ears.

“He is lying about not knowing about the kidnap.” Said one of the observers, “ He is telling the truth about her trying to hide her identity. He seems to be lying about the amount paid to him. Her name is not Felicia but Isabella.”

“ Get Moe.” She said.

Moe walked in a few minutes later. He was a young man affected with mild down syndrome. Danny wondered what this sick looking guy with mental defect was coming to do.
Moe held a paper and pencil, sat down and stared at Danny.

“ Describe her.” Ann said.

Fifteen minutes later, the best criminal sketch artist in London was done and a picture of Isabella was ready.

“Moe is a darling!” she said.

He smiled, blushing and shy. He nodded.

“ Be sure we would go for a lunch date one of these days.”

“My- my- girl is- is a jealous girl.” He said, smiled and left.

Ann looked at the picture then something nudged her brain.

“ Play that video again.”

It was played and she slowed apart, zoomed then nodded.“ The so called blind woman is Isabella.” She took a photo shot of the sketch and sent it to Dan. “ Get her identified”

“ You promised to get me a soft landing.” Danny said. “ And make sure you get them. I could get killed for this.”

“Tell me about Joe Beckam. Why was he killed?”

“ I don’t know anything about him. I was not involved with that and never heard anything about him.”

“ Do not jeopardise your soft landing.”

“ I don’t know, I swear. I only know they wanted to play a prank on some guy or something.”

“ Who else is involved in the prank show?”

“ Isabella is the main person I know. But she has guys. The guys in the van.”

Ann was told, “ he seems to be telling the truth.”

She nodded.

Her phone rang.

“ We got a match.” Dan, an operator said, “ She is Isabella Abel. She is……….”






Isabella walked confidently into a room where Maryam was sitting on the floor and smirked. Maryam saw her and recognized the auburn hair, large green eyes and tight lips on a round face. She had a stem-thin body, with a bosom that filled her chest.
She held a .33 police special pistol and a glass of beer.

“ Isabella?” Maryam wondered.

Isabella smiled.“ I guess you did not recognize the poor blind lady you nearly killed.”

Maryam sighed. There was something familiar about her, but she did not think it was her.

“Why?”

“Don’t take it personally. It is not about hating you. It is just an imperative situation. I wish it never got to this level. Damn! You are one smart little bitc*. We keep setting traps and you keep escaping until we got this chance. Heard you are about the tie the knot.”

“ Who told you that?”

“ An ear to the ground. We know much about our loved ones because we are always close by even thousands of kilometres away.”

“ What do you want? Why?”

Isabella took a sip of beer.

“ Are you sure you don’t want to give this liquid a try. It will ease you up. You look tensed up. Do you still fall and faint? I mean those no-talking, no-moving session of yours.”

“ I am still what God destined for me.”

“Hmm..Faith. I love that spirit but who is the unlucky guy?”

“ Can we skip my personal life and tell me what you want?”

“You know what we want Maryam Kankia.” A third voice emerged and a tall, slim man came in and Isabella went into his arms as the man held her by the waist. “ Surprise, surprise.”

Surprise was an understatement.
Maryam could not believe her eyes. Him?