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Nice J, keep 'em coming!

Khalid didn’t want to tell her, he did not want her to know the kind of man he was before, he did not want her to know he married her because he was not a real man. It would make her hate him; she would probably be disgusted by him but was that not what he needed right now? He wanted her to sign that paper right? This would make her run far away from him and that would be for the best…… right?
He cleared his throat and walked to where she was, he sat on the floor.
“My grandfather was a wealthy man; he owned a lot of properties and was quite famous among the people. He had two wives, my grandmother was his first wife and he took a widow with two daughters for his second wife. Grandmother was only able to give birth to mother before she died and fortunately for grandfather, his second wife was not able to birth him any child. Naturally, mother was pampered because she was an only child….you could say she was over pampered even, she had everything she wanted. Mother and grandfather started to quarrel when she met and insisted she would marry father. Father was only a poor orphan from nowhere; grandfather wanted someone better for his daughter but mother did not want any other man. She disobeyed grandfather because he started to treat her stepsiblings equally with her; mother believed she was superior to her sisters because she was his only child.
Grandfather was angry and cut ties with mother for a while but he could not bear seeing his daughter suffer for long. He started to provide for both his daughter and her husband, he even assist father in furthering his school and father didn’t disappoint, he got out with good grades and got a job. Everything went smoothly for years, mother had me shortly after father got employed and opened a supermarket for. I was taken great care of, loved as the only child I am. Mother was not able to give birth to any other children before father died. I think she later came to love father because she was devastated after his death, she never remarried. Grandfather was always with us then to console mother, one would believe he had completely forgot and forgiven mother. She could have never guessed he already took her off his will. We got to know this after his death and the day his will was read. He wrote it himself that it was for mother’s disobedience, mother was furious of course, she blamed her step sisters and accused them of brainwashing her father. Grandfather put a clause in his will, mother may not have his properties but his great-grandchild may inherit It all…. If I have one before I turn forty.“ He paused and chuckled, “he was a wise and vengeful man. He could have willed all his properties to me but he didn’t…. not that I deserve it, he probably watched the way I was living my life and decided I was not worthy.”
Ayisat nodded thoughtfully. “You didn’t have to marry me for that and mother did not have to frustrate my life to give birth quickly.”
“Grandfather was a cunning man, he must have thought of it all. He made it clear that the child has to be two years old at least and he has to be my legitimate child, all these before I clock forty. Mother looked for a way to bend the clause a little, she made it possible that our child might still get even though he was going to be few months late…. That was before the miscarriage of course.”
That was no longer possible; he only had a year and few months to go. Even if she got pregnant now, the child can’t turn two by the time he clocked forty.
“That still does not explain why you married me, you could have married any other woman….rich ladies like yourself, why marry me? Why didn’t you reject me, didn’t you have someone you wanted to be with?”
It’s confession time; he could not hide anything from her now, he had to tell her everything.
“There’s something you should have known before we got married but you are not the only who don’t know.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“I used to be a philanderer, I loved ladies…broke a lot of hearts. I used to drink a lot then and I smoked once in a while.”
Ayisat swallowed hard, she had heard similar things before their marriage but that had not bothered her. How was that her business? She was only to bear him children and in return, her family would be taken care of.
“Something happened seven years ago; I met a lady on the road side one day and took her to have…fun. She acted strange and I should have sensed something was not right but I was too entranced by her beauty, it turned out she was on a mission. She told me she was sent to take my prowess as a man; from then on I would not be able to take any woman to bed. I did not believe her of course, I thought it was a trick for me to offer her a large sum of money so I threw some money on the bed but she didn’t take any of it before she left. I was worried for a while but when nothing happened the second day, I called her a bluff.”
“But she was truly bluffing, right?” Ayisat asked, she looked shocked and confusion.
Khalid winced. “No, she was not. The process was slow at first but after months, I could not do anything at all. I went everywhere and anywhere for help but nothing worked, I avoid going for treatment in places my friends or acquaintance might see me and told none of them of my problem…I was ashamed.” He paused when he noticed that she wanted to ask him something.
She was still shocked. “I..I don’t understand, you were married b before and you were able to ‘do it’ with me.”
He smiled wryly. “I had resigned to fate and believed that I was to go to my grave that way, then grandfather died and his will was read. I could not tell mother, she would kill herself. Shortly after, l ran into Kodijah again or rather, she came looking for me. She was one of my many paramours, she told me she got pregnant for me after our last meeting and had given birth to a boy. I was happy; so happy I didn’t reason the boy might be mine….I was not going to my grave without a successorafter all but I was wrong. I got to know he was not mine when he fell sick, one of the tests showed that I could not have fathered him. Curiosity made me went for a DNA test behind my wife’s back and I was shocked to find out that there was little to zero chance of the boy been mine. I confronted Kodijah and she didn’t deny it, she threatened to tell everyone my secret if I didn’t accept the boy like that. I think I would have eventually accept him to have a child who bears my name at least and for Kodijah to keep shut but I was so furious that night I told her to pack out. She was on her way to tell my mother first when she had an accident and died.”
Ayisat closed her eyes, “what happened to her son?”
“He survived the accident and lives with his grandparents now. His father came to claim him shortly after but I did what I could to help him before then. Honestly Ayisat, I didn’t and still don’t know how I got healed but after years, I was able to feel again…with you. I married you to get mother off my back, I planned to wait till my two years runs out then I would annul our wedding but that night when you came to my room. I felt what I had thought I would no longer feel anymore, I wanted to take you then but I could not get the thought of how young you were off my head. Well, I could not resist you for long; I was jealous of your friend and angry. I went out in anger and.… “His voice trailed off.
She opened her eyes and held her breath. “You slept with a woman that night, right?”
“I am not going to lie to you Ayi, I wanted to…. I was about to but somewhere in my brain remember how I got into my problem in the first place.”
“So you didn’t? You didn’t cheat on me?”
“Although I didn’t think about the promises I made half-heartedly on that day, I did not Ayisat and I have never.”
She exhaled in relief and closed her eyes again, smiling.
“Now you know why, I wanted a lady I could reason with, someone I would offer money for her to keep lying to mother. I didn’t think she would bring a young girl as yourself, I should have rejected you… should have stop mother from controlling my affairs. It’s all too late, I know but you can still leave now Ayisat. You will enough money to continue to funding your brothers…”
“I don’t want your money! That’s not what I want from you!”
He was astounded at her reaction, “Ayisat, I am doing the best for you! Don’t you want to get far away from me after all I’ve told you?”
She shifted closer to him and rose on her knees; she looked at his face affectionately.
“Do you want me to leave? Tell me this yourself, don’t tell me what’s best for me. Say you want me to go and I will; do you want me out of your life?”
He gazed into her eyes, how could he want her to go? Didn’t she know what she did to him? How bad he needed her?
“It’s not about what I want; it is about what’s best for you.” He sounded out of breath.
She placed her forehead on his and whispered. “You don’t want me to go, tell me you don’t.”
He started to reach for her lips to kiss her but she won’t allow, he groaned. Damn him!
“I don’t want you to go but you need.…”
Ayisat smiled and kissed him on his right hair. “I want a number of things; will you do them for me?”
He was finding it hard to breath. Allah! He missed her.
“What do you want?” he managed to ask.
“I want to go school…” she kissed his neck.
“I want you to go too, that’s not a problem.”
“Good. I want the freedom to have friends; I want to be treated like a wife and finally, I want a proper wedding with lots of pictures.”
He smiled. “Where do I sign?”
She chuckled and kissed him lightly. “Worry not, I already have a lawyer to draft out the document, he’ll add the other things I want. Now it remains just one little thing.”
He was willing to do anything. “What little thing?”
She took the paper he gave her to sign and tore into pieces; she threw the torn pieces away and watched them scattered on the floor, she leaned closer and whispered into his eyes.
“I want to be on top.”
It took him a while to understand but when he did, he groaned and slammed his mouth on hers.
Ayisat took that as a yes and kissed him back just as hard as he did.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
On that note people, I scream. "C’est fini!”
I can see that there were many mistakes in my last two updates, abeg, no vex. I was too tired to prove read, also for this one too, so biko, take me as I am.
I wanted to write a short epilogue but decided against it since I didn’t start with a prologue and besides, laziness wan kill me!
Thank you so much guys[sorry, too tired to mention names] I really appreciate your views, shares, likes and most importantly comments.
Austinsamekpo, I didn’t forget my story oh. It is school wahala, thank you for always been here. For all of una peeping through a hole, come out now and say something.
Lemme quickly remind everyone that this is just a story oh! If this were real, I am slapping Ayisat real hard for choosing to stay with an old baba but we are only having fun sha.

Thank you and thank you for this wonderful piece! I am glad for Fe, she put her shattered spirit together and fortunately for her, jordan came back to claim his responsibility! If only the guys that got girls into situation like that would copy jordan, those girls would feel less shame and their parents would not have to shoulder all the work. God bless you, Penshalom

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
She walked into his study room quietly and watched him for a while; he was reading a piece of paper.
He looked up and gave her a small smile. “You are awake, did you sleep well?”
Ayisat nodded. “I slept like a baby.”
“I saw that, I did not want to wake you when I returned….you seemed tired.”
She smiled and moved nearer to him, she tried to look at his face and not his desk. The last she entered here, they made out on the desk and lost their baby the same day.
He had lost weight, she noticed. He looked thin and worn out, those were too much change considering she was only gone for a couple of days, more than a week perhaps but certainly not up to a month.
“I would say you are not looking bad but I’d be lying, you’ve lost so much weight my love!” she exclaimed and touched his face.
Khalid was surprised and he did not hide it, she had never called him that. Was this truly Ayisat?
“I am fine Ayi….”
“No, you are not! Were you eating at all? You were not like this before.” She pouted.
Before you left, no but after you did, I became miserable. He thought and sighed, he should tell her now.
He removed her hand from his face and looked into her eyes. “There is something you need to read and sign Ayisat.”
She watched him place the paper he was reading when she entered in front of her; she looked at him in confusion.
“Read it Ayisat,”he urged with a nod.
She took the paper and read what it entailed, she took his read while reading and when she finished reading, she read the paper all over again.
“You want us to separate?”
He swallowed hard. “If you read it well, you will see that I … “
“You want us to separate?” she asked again.
He looked at her and wondered why she looked shocked, was this not what she wanted?
“Yes and if you…”
“You want to separate with me? You want to toss me out?” she asked, raising her voice.
Khalid hate that she would not let him finish what he was saying.
“Ayisat, I am not tossing you out. I am doing this for your own good and if you just let me land with what I am saying…”
“This is for the good of me? How?! “
“I want you to go back home and be with your family like it should have been!” he shouted in frustration.
Silence scrawled in as they both stared at each other. Khalid figured he should use this opportunity to explain now before she started pouring out her mind.
“Please understand that I am not chasing you away Ayisat. You are going back to your aunt like you have always wanted but you don’t have to worry about money anymore. I have arranged everything with my lawyer; you will never have to….”
“You have planned and arranged everything right?”
He nodded, wondering what she had in mind. Had she thought about it and ready to sign just now?
Ayisat took the pen on the desk and walked out of the room. He watched her walk in confusion, why could she not sign here? Perhaps she wanted space to think of others things she’d like to request. He could not think of what else she might want; he already arranged a large sum of money to be given once they separate. He even opened a separate account for her to further her education so what else could she want?
When he waited for her to come back but she didn’t, he stood up and went to look for her. He found her in his room, the room that would have become theirs if they had not lost their baby. She sat on the floor, staring at the paper.
“We never took any pictures on that day, it felt more like a funeral than wedding,” she paused and looked at him, ”I wish we took pictures…. Even if it is one, I love pictures.”
He looked at her like she’d grown a horn or many horns, why was she telling him this?
“Have you signed it, Ayisat?” he asked.
“Why did you marry me Khalid? You wanted nothing to do with a teenager but you married me, why?” she asked instead.
He was startled by her question and it showed on his face.
“That does not matter anymore, have you signed?”
“It matters to me. You know why I agreed to marry you but I don’t know your reason, why did you marry me Khalid?” she repeated, still staring at him.

PRESENT
She walked into the restaurant and as expected, he was there already waiting for her. She walked to his table and sat opposite to him.
“Ayisat, I am glad you came. Faishat told me not to bother that you would not come, did something happened between the two of you? She seemed angry.”
She shrugged and replied nonchalantly. “She called me a slave, we fought.”
Ibraheem looked confused. “Why would she call you…..”
“I can’t Ibraheem,” she suddenly said.
There was silence for a while; they both stared at each other.
“Can’t? What’s so hard that you can’t do?”
She shook her head. “I can’t do what you are asking me to do.”
“What I am asking you to do….. I am asking you to free yourself from him Ayisat.” He looked at her like she had suddenly grown horns.
“You are asking me to lie against him, to accuse a man of what he didn’t do. I can’t do that.”
“Well, it’s not a lie really! He got engaged to you before you turned eighteen, you only have say that he touched you…”
Ayisat frowned. “Raped me you mean? I told you already, he did not touch me at all! He was not even there when his mother brought the gift, I only met him a day before our wedding and he ignored me then. You want me to lie against him but I can’t!”
Ibraheem reached her hands on the table. “It might not have to come to that, hopefully if we table your story right with the help of the lawyer I told you about, you might not have to lie at all.”
“You don’t get it Ibraheem, I have thought about it and made up my mind that I don’t want to be in any part of you and your lawyer friend’s plan at all!” she said and snatched her hands from his.
He was angry now. “I am trying to help you Ayisat! With this plan, you will not only be free of him but get enough money to take care of you and your brothers! Don’t you want out of that awful marriage? I know you have a kind heart but you don’t have to worry, he would definitely let you go and pay whatever we demand to keep quiet. It might not even get to court before he settles you, don’t you want that?!”
“I don’t why you keep using the word free; I am not in any bondage. I am married and my husband is good to me….he has always been good to me, I told you that.”
He folded his arms and shook his head. “I see now. It’s not that you can’t, you don’t want to!”
“No, I don’t want to!”
“Faishat is right after all, tell me? Have you fallen in love with him? Is that it?” he asked, clearly disgusted.
She shrugged again. “That wouldn’t be so bad now, would it? He is my husband, he deserves my love and respect and not me going behind him, plotting to do evil to him.”
“Wow, this is so romantic. Do you wish worship him now also? Are you his little slave?”
“You were once my good friend Ibraheem so I’ll let that pass, I also know you want to help me but I am fine…”
Ibraheem’s expression softened. “I thought you wanted to be free of him, what changed Ayisat? You had big dreams you used to share with me, you wanted to so important in life that guys would beg you to marry them. Do you remember telling all this?”
“I still have big dreams and I plan to achieve them all with Allah’s and my husband’s help, I have not given up on them. You want to know what changed. I realised that everything that happened to me happened because that is how my creator wants it. I have a good husband who treats me, who wants to help! Do you have any ideas of what girls like me go through in the hands of their husbands? Girls far younger than I am and they are treated far worse but I got lucky, I got married to a good man and I am staying with. So he’s older, yes but I stopped seeing him as someone who could father me and he adores like a wife.” She stopped and took in a deep breath.
“What happens when he gets tired of you and chases you out? What if he finds a better younger girl and throws you once you’ve served your purpose…..or his mother decides you have over stayed in his house and toss you out, what happens then? Do you even know why he married you? Someone as big as he is, what if he’s a ritualist?”
She nodded as if she agreed with him. “You are right; I don’t know and have never given much thought to it. Thank you Ibraheem, I am going to ask the moment I get back home…”
“And you think what? That he will smile and nod in confirmation that he is truly a ritualist? You are so naïve Ayisat” he shook his head.
“Well I have been living with him for a couple of months now….close to a year and I am perfectly fine, I am not dead yet and have not seen anything odd in the whole house so I am ruling that out,” she shift back the chair and stood up, “don’t worry about me because I am fine and even though you probably hate me now, I still consider you my friend. Good bye Ibraheem.” She gave him a little smile him before walking out of the restaurant

Austinsamekpo:
good good good...nyz update ooooo....but why de delay..AryEmber?

I usually stand up and type at night since that's when our friends bring light but today, I was too tired jare. Thanks for asking, I really appreciate it. Hopefully, I'll wrap everything up tommorow, hopefully!

Let temptations start kicking in!

CHAPTER IO
LAST FLASHBACK
Ayisat glanced at the wall clock again, 2’o clock and he was not yet back? Was he coming home at all? A yawn escaped her, she contemplated going to bed but each time she stood up to go to her room, a voice asked her.
“What if he returns the second she fell asleep?”
No, she would wait no matter her sleepy she felt. He was pissed at her already; she needed to show him that she was worried about him.
She jumped up from the staircase the moment she heard his car honked, he was finally back at ten minutes after two. She went to the window and watched, it took a while for him to drive in because their gatekeeper was already asleep.
Ayisat watched him barked at Saliu and winced; he was definitely in a foul mood. The sleepy man apologised but he ignored him and started walking towards the front door. She walked back to the staircase and waited for him.
Khalid unlocked the door and on entering inside, he saw a figure standing. He closed the door and locked it before switching on the light.
“Good morning,” she greeted softly.
He was surprised and it showed on his face. “What are you doing up Ayisat? What aren’t you sleeping?”
She wanted to roll her sleepy eyes at the ridiculous question, what did he think she was doing?
“I was waiting for you…. I was worried about you Khalid,” she replied.
He looked at her and scoffed, “worried about me? You sound like my mother Ayisat.”
She ignored his attitude and moved nearer. “You have never been out this late; I did not know where you were and was worried something might….”
“Well I’m back now, aren’t I? And as you can see, I am perfectly okay.” He said curtly.
She did not know what to say or do pacify him, she looked down and muttered. “I am sorry.”
That irked him and he said loudly. “What exactly are you sorry for? What are you apologising for?!”
She moved back a little. “For whatever I did to annoy you.”
“Did I tell you that I’m annoyed at you?”
She wanted to reply him when she realised his breath smelt of alcohol.
“Did you drink?” Her worried expression was back on.
“I am not drunk if that’s what you are implying….”
“But you never drink! Y… you told me that was you are keeping to Allah’s rule of no alcohol…”
“For his sake, let me be Ayisat! What is to you if I drink anyway?” he barked.
“Of course I care! I…I am y…your w..wife and I…”
He was the one who moved close to her this time. “My wife? You think you act like a wife to me? You behave like I am your brother or uncle a lot of times and that is when you are free around me and not acting scared….”
“You are the one who treats me like a daughter! You look at me and see a helpless girl who needs help; I came to your room and begged you to take me but you…”
“Is that why you invited your boyfriend to my house? You know I could have you punished for that?”
“See? You make me scared of you and you blame me! And Ibraheem is my friend not my boyfriend, he visited me and i was too shocked to….”
“So you don’t wish he’s your husband instead?”
“Allah forbids! He is just my friend! We were the best of friends back in school and I might have ….”
She did not get to finish her statement before he covered her mouth with his; she was so shocked at first that she froze for a second. She later closed her eyes and kissed him back but she could not catch up with him.
Khalid had stopped listening the moment she forbade his accusation, he just couldn’t help himself. He only stopped when it seemed like he was suffocating her and to catch his breath. She opened her eyes and they both stared at each other, no one said a word.
The air around them was thick with passion; Khalid saw it in her hazy eyes, she wanted him just as much as he did but he was battling with himself inwardly.
“Love me Khalid, make me your wife.” She pled softly.
He wanted to, badly but he kept telling himself this was wrong….too wrong.
“Don’t think, just love me please.” She said and stood on her feet to kiss his neck, still pleading in between her kisses.
He stopped thinking and kissed her with everything he felt, he carried her and she wrapped her legs around him immediately, he continued to kiss her as he made his way up to his room.
May be he would regret this when the sun rose but for now, he didn’t care.

See this girl oh! Someone wants to set you on fire and all you do is pour petrol on yourself, I don't pity you at all Abomeli. Thanks for the update.

Thanks for the mention, loving this more!

She looked down; she did not want to see her face.
“Are you tired of me and want me out aunty?”
The woman frowned. “How could you think of such Ayisat? You are my child; I would never chase you out!”
“Then it is Khalid, he’s been on your neck to send back to me to him, right?” She asked, looking back at him.
She shook her head. “Ever since you walked into this house, he’s done nothing but call every day to ask about how you are faring. He even begged me to take good care of you, sending money all the. I tried to stop him on the third day because the money he has with me for yours and your brothers’ up keeping is more than enough but he refused to stop, he said I should use the rest to take care of your cousins then. I am surprised you think he is pressure and not his mother…. Not that l have heard from that witch.”
Ayisat could not help it, she burst into tears.
“I am so confused aunty,” she cried out.
Her aunt moved neared and placed her head on her laps. She felt sad for her and blamed herself for not doing anything to help her, she let her cried though. Ayisat had not shed tear since she heard of the pregnancy loss, she’d been trying to look strong, telling herself whenever she thought of the baby that she didn’t want it at the first place but she was just lying to herself.
“I want to hate him aunty, why can’t I hate him? He made me lose my baby; I should not want to see him!”
Her aunt replied sadly, “maybe it’s because you know deep down that is not totally true, you are just hurting.”
She sat up after a while and cleaned her face with the hem of her gown.
“I have to go eventually, don’t i?”
“Let me ask you this, has he ever behaved bad to you? Is there any time he hurt you, verbally or physically.”
Ayisat blinked, why was she asking the same questions too? Faishat did, she had been asking herself since her meeting with Ibraheem and now her aunt?
She shook her head slowly and answered with the truth. “No aunty, he has never.”
The woman sighed and looked round the house for a while before turning back to her.
“Your mother would curse me from her grave. Had she been alive, she would never agree to this. She hated early marriage for teenagers and never failed to let everyone know….”
“Mother would understand you did what you had to do to take care of me and my brothers, aunty,” Ayisat said, taking her hands.
The older woman shook her head. “And your father? Oh! He would bury me alive for even thinking of giving away his precious daughter at your age and to a man he was no more older than by a couple of years,” she shook her head again before adding, “I am a terrible person my child.”
“Aunty, that’s not true!”
“I never called when you were with him. It’s been up to a year and I never called to ask how he was treating you, I knew that if I did and you told me he was treating you bad, I would do nothing to help. What if he was abusing you? What kind of mother is that? It’s no wonder I have failed in been a good mother to my own children.” She was crying.
It was her niece doing the consoling now.
“He didn’t, you don’t have to imagine because he never raised his hands at him. Khalid was kind to me always, always aunty!”
Her aunt smiled with her tears, she touched Ayisat’s face. “And you my dear, you are the best daughter any one could wish for. You never called to complain, you did not hate me for….”
Ayisat hated interrupting her aunt but didn’t want her to keep blaming herself.
“I could never! Never could I aunty.”
Her aunt cleaned her tears. “Did you never wonder why I married you off? Why did I not give away my own child, your cousin?”
Ayisat shook her head, “you only know what was best of all of us.”
“I did not think of you at first. When I heard from my friends that Gimba was discretely searching for a girl to marry her son, I wanted to take Halima and my daughter even wanted this,” her aunt paused when she saw that Ayisat had a question.
“Did mother in law reject Halima?”
“We never got to her doorstep. I heard she would ask for a test so I took your cousin to the clinic first. Halima started her menstruation late; she was going to sixteen when she first did, I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong her but when I got the results, plenty was wrong with her!”
“She might not see her menses for a long time?”
“Was that even a problem? Your cousin, my own daughter, had gonorrhoea!”
Ayisat did want to accept what was on her mind; there were other ways to get such disease right?
“Perhaps she….”
“She had two abortions before!”
That shocked and left Ayisat speechless.
“Under my own roof, my daughter got pregnant and got rid of it two times! She is not even through with her secondary school, what happens when she starts learning a trade? She had no idea herself that she had the infection. Had I taken her to Gimba without going to the clinic first, she would throw us out like rags.”
“D..did she say who got her pregnant?”
Her aunt looked sad. “Her boyfriend but a classmate of hers said one was for a teacher, I was devastated Ayisat.”
“You could not have known; you were working so hard to feed all of us. It’s not your fault.”
“It does not change the fact that I failed, your mother would have done a better job than I.”
Ayisat refused to consider “only ifs”, she would not look back and cry for her dead parent because that was what they were. Dead and gone.
“Well she’s not alive; mother is gone so we would never know! Stop blaming yourself.”
The woman cleaned her face. “I have not been the best aunt or mother to you my dear and I know this but that is the past, I will be better this time around. Ayisat, I want to you to think deep and decide if you want to go back to your husband. I promise that no matter what your decision is, I will support you. It does not matter if I have to sell everything that I have to pay Gimba back if she demands it or beg to feed all of us, all I want for you now is to be happy.”
She smiled and hugged her aunt. “Thank you so much aunty.”
“Now I know she is your good friend but please, be careful of Faishat. I am saying this because she got pregnant and dropped out….my own daughter is worse but she….”
“We already fought and I won’t be seeing her in a long time aunty,” she said with great determination.
She knew just what do do.

Ehn Ehn, berra now. Uncle Emma, sorry oh! I prefer Eva reject him now than a bad break up....but Eva is trying oh! I can't continue to love a dude that behaved badly to me oh!

Guys, please don't be angry. I am not totally at fault, it's our mutual friends oh! I had everything planned out, all it remained was for them to bring light but of course, they had to do their usual thing. Light come around midnight but I was in london in my dreams already. Forgiven your girl please, biko, pele!

Khalid took a glance at the lady again before painstakingly taking his eyes off her.
“That one likes you; she’s been staring at you since you entered.”
He shrugged. “Too bad for her, I can’t do anything about that.”
“What do you mean you can’t do anything about it? You can do plenty about it…..plenty to her. Come on my friend, this babe wants you.”
“I am married Bayo….”
His friend burst into laughter, making fun of him.
“I am married, maybe it’s not a normal kind of marriage but I made a vow to stay faithful to my….to her and until I am no longer married to her, I am not having any kind of affair with any lady,” he said firmly.
Bayo scoffed. “Let me hear word jo! A babe is giving you green light and you are here quoting the holy book, did she say she wants you to marry her? My friend, you own is to have fun! Why did you come to club when you know you only want to form innocent? Drink beer, you no drink. Have fun with woman, you no gree…..”
Khalid sighed. “I needed to be out of that house, I already told you that. Seriously, I just wish I can annul this marriage right now. I want to….”
“Don’t wish my friend, just have fun. Even if it is one time, this babe is willing nao and you don’t have to worry, what happens in club diva stays in club diva!” Bayo said, grinning. “Now wait here, I’m coming.”
He left Khalid before he could say anything, he sighed again.
“I should not be here,” he muttered to himself, looking at the lady again. Their eyes met this time and she smiled at him, the kind of smile that spelt I am available.
He was changed now, he made a promise to his creator and he planned to keep it especially as it seemed he was healed now. The old him would not be sitting, looking dull in a club like he was now. He would be on the bed with the lady gazing at him for a far, doing things far from holy with her. He would be drunk….definitely and probably thinking of inviting the lady’s friend to bed too….if she had one.
Khalid shook his head; he should not be having such thoughts. All those were his past and they should remain buried. So what was he doing here? Running away from her like a kid, coming to a club that he’d swear never to step into again. Bayo was right; he should not have come here only to form innocent.
He had been so angry, so pissed and….jealous! He had been jealous of the boy. He made her laugh; he was her age mate and good looking too! That boy had it all! Not that he was bad looking himself, no, he was handsome alright and where he lacked, his money made up for it but it could not helped him with Ayisat.
Sure she had married him for money but she definitely saw him as a father figure or a fond uncle…this was his fault though, he knew but what could he have done? She was way too younger than him, this still had not changed! How he wished she was older, in her early twenties at least. She would have been his idea woman, with her intelligence and good culinary skills. And if she was good in bed, that would be icing sugar on his cake….not that he would ever know now, he would never take her to bed. It was a promise he planned to keep, no matter how tempting she was.
A thought popped into his mind, he was not totally sure he was a complete man again. Yes, he had wanted Ayisat badly and felt himself moved but he did perform the act to see if he could. What if he could not last more than a minute? He had not lost everything instantly, first his performance in bed reduced drastically so much that he could not go two minutes without enhance drugs, then he found it hard to get aroused. It didn’t matter if a woman had nothing on, that part of his brain just could not function. He knew then that he was damaged; there was no kind of help he didn’t seek. He travelled everywhere and anywhere, he spent a whole lot of money, nearly getting broke. Nothing worked, if anything, it grew worse till he could no longer feel at all. He stopped searching for cure when his friends were getting to get suspicious of him and luckily….or rather unluckily for him actually, he ran into Kodijah again.
He sighed, if he could go a minute now, he should be thankful. Half a loaf is far better no bread, been a one minute man was far better than not been able to….
“Hey man, look who I brought with me,” Bayo shouted, the club was getting noisy now.
Khalidn looked at him and saw beside him the lady that has been giving him signs; his friend also had two bottles of beers in his hands.
“Good evening,” the lady greeting with a sexy voice.
“Evening,” Khalid said with her forced smile, cursing his friend inwardly.
“Meet my cool friend Khalid, Ayisat. Ore, this is Ayisat.” Bayo introduced, handling both of them the opened drinks.
“Your name is Ayisat?” Khalid asked, surprised. He collected the beer since the lady did and he did not want to embarrassed himself and Bayo.
The lady smiled sweetly. “Yes, that’s my name. Nice to meet you,” she offered him her hand
He took her soft hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you too, Ayisat.” He wondered if that was truly her name or Bayo put her up to this.
“Ayisat was sitting alone; I asked if she didn’t mind joining us. Lucky for us, she didn’t.” Bayo explained with a knowing smile.
“Hope you don’t mind Khalid?”
“Of course not, it’s a free we live in.” he replied, forcing another smile.
Bayo definitely expected him to say more, kick that a conversation so he could excuse them but he did not, he had to start one himself.
“What’s a pretty lady like you doing a club alone anyways?”
“Who said I was alone?” she said back, drinking her beer.
“Who are you with then? Not a man I hope, someone definitely need to teach such man not to leave a pretty damsel all alone in a club like this.”
She laughed. “I was with a friend; she just left with her man.”
“You are alone after all.” Khalid found himself saying.
“Luckily for us,” his friend quickly chipped in.
Ayisat asked, sipping her beer, she was the only one drinking.
“Are you guys alone too?”
“Not me, my babe just left for the restroom but my friend here could use a good company,”
Khalid raised his eye brow slightly. Which babe was he talking about? He met no one with him when he came in so who was he referring to as his babe…..
“Lucky for you, I know how to keep a good company,” Ayisat said seductively.
“I am actually leaving soon,” Khalid stated firmly.
“But why? The night is still young!”
“Oh! I have to leave now, my babe is out. See you old man and you too Ayisat,” Bayo said and rushed off before Khalid could complain.
He took a gulp of the beer in frustration. This was great, now they were alone.
Ayisat sat on one of the club stool; she patted the one beside her, telling to sit too.
“It’s too early to leave, don’t you think?”
He stared at her, once he loved women like her. He loved women persistence, getting what they wanted by all means. She was beautiful too, he noticed. Light skinned and blessed in the right places, maybe he should stay just for a while.
“I think you’re right, what’s there to do at home anyways?” he said and sat on the stool, smiling while gulping down his beer. He needed to test himself, didn’t he? Since the Ayisat in his house was too young, this Ayisat would do. His creator would understand, he was sure he would not even want him near the small girl.
PRESENT
“Weldone Ayisat,” her aunt greeted her with her smile.
She looked up from the beans she was separating. “Aunty! You are awake, did you sleep well?”
“Very well, my child.” She said and sat on a stool beside her, “why are you the only one in the kitchen?”
“Halima and Mariam are still sleeping; I didn’t want to wake them up, it’s still quite early.”
“But you are not sleeping,” the woman said, frowning.
Ayisat smiled. ”Khalid leaves for work early a lot of times, I am used to waking up before five to prepare his breakfast.”
Her aunt stood up and went back inside in anger, Ayisat called her and begged not to wake up her cousins but she did not answer her. She could later hear her waking up the girls and insulting them in their language.
She sighed; her aunt was like her mother in many ways, she never listened too.
“Here, look at your cousin! Especially you Halima, look at your age mate, she is already preparing breakfast while you sleep like an elephant!” her aunt shouting dragging them to the kitchen.
Ayisat greeted both of them but they didn’t reply, their eyes were still heavy with sleep.
“Get up Ayisat.”
“Aunty, don’t worry. I can…”
“Get up child! They are not handicapped.” She said, hissing at her children.
Ayi got up reluctantly and moved near her aunt. “Now, sit the both of you and start separating the beans. You are the one cooking today!” she turned to Ayisat, ignoring her children’s complains, “come with me, my dear.”
She threw an apologetic look at her cousins but they could careless, she followed her aunt to the living room.
“Sit down Ayisat,” her aunt said, taking her seat on the three sitter bed.
The woman wanted to have the discussion in her room but her drunk husband was still sleeping, her shouts at her children did nothing to wake him.
Ayisat sat beside her with a confused expression. “Is everything okay aunty?”
The woman took her hands and smiled at her. “I am so proud of you my dear.”
She smiled too, “thank you Aunty.”
Her aunt released her hands and heaved a sigh. “ I was not going to interfere, especially as you seemed so happy but your brothers are gone now.”
Ayisat’s smile disappeared; she knew where this was going.
“It’s been two weeks my child, when are you going back to your husband?”

oly0511:
AryEmber please come and update

Evening nao oly, be patient so that I can cook a satisfying meal

Grace, this is short nao! Give us plenty till we belle full please.

No celebrations? Congrats jare! You are doing great!

CHAPTER NINE
PRESENT
She scooped the boy up and watched as the baby laughed, that brought a smile to her.
“You both are getting along well,” Faishat said, coming back from the kitchen.
Ayisat laughed. “He grew up fast! He is so chubby and cute!”
Her friend laughed too. “This one, he feeds like a horse! He does not care if the whole is coming to an end or if you are starving, he wants his food when he wants it!”
“Leave him oh! Don’t mind mommy Toheeb, you’re a baby and you don’t have to care about anything.” She told the boy and he smiled like he understood.
“Enh ehn? Wait till you have one, then you would know what I’m talking about.”
Ayisat’s smile disappeared immediately and she put the boy down.
“I could have been expecting one right now,” she said sadly and touched her stomach.
Faishat mentally slapped herself; she should not have said that not after she had told her everything, it didn’t matter that she meant no harm. Her phone beeped and she read the message, she should convince her now.
"Husband?"
“No......let’s stroll out now Ayisat.”
“Not again, I don’t want to go out, I told you already.”
“But we are not doing anything. All your cousins are out, even young Rekia has gone out to play with her friends …..When was the last time you went out, did you even go out at all when you were in that prison called a house?”
“I do go out! I go to the market to buy food items everything week, I did not write my exams in the comfort of my room you know?”
She hissed, “That is what you call going out? You are not serious at all.” She carried her baby and backed him, “I am not staying in this quiet place anymore, I am going to walk and look around before I go back home. If you like, follow me.”
Ayisat watched her took her back and walk out, “okay, I’m coming! Just let me lock the door!” she shouted, shaking her head.
“Where are we going to now?” she asked the moment she caught up with her.
“We are looking round; we are going to go to the market, Motor Park, museum….and, we are meeting with a friend.”she said, smiling.
“You have money fa? Be daydreaming! As for me, I can’t stay out long oh! I have to get back home before my aunt comes back..... Did you mention a friend now?"
"Yes, we are meeting an old friend," she repeated.
"You have started oh Faishat! Which friend is that now?"
"You just follow me and you will see."
Ayisat wanted to go back but realised they had walked far from her aunt's house, she complained and warned her friend not to take her far but she ignored her. She began to regret that she followed her, Faishat could be naughty a lot of times and she didn't want trouble.
They took a taxi and Faishat gave the man the direction of where they were going. They dropped in front of a popular restaurant and her friend started walking towards the entrance of the restaurant, baby Toheeb giggled like he knew they were going to eat.
Ayisat pulled her friend back.
"Exactly where do you think you're going? Does this place look like a market to you? Or can you afford anything they sell in there?"
"You behave funny sometimes Ayisat, why would you even think that I want to buy food here? Did we not just finish eating at your aunt's place before coming out? I told you we are meeting a friend. Now let's go in already, we have delayed him enough."
"Him? Your friend is a he?"
Faishat ignored her again and head into the restaurant, Ayisat followed and started to warn her again but when they got in and she saw who they were meeting, her mouth opened in shock.
"Ibraheem?" she said in disbelief.
He stood up with a smile. "Hello again, Ayisat."
* * * * * *

She waited and waited for him to come down but he didn’t, he had not left the room since he came back and this worried her.
Ayisat had quickly warmed the soup and set his dinner on the table, with the hope that he would come down and eat like he normally did but he didn’t. He didn’t go his study room either like he does after his meal.
She wondered what he was doing up, why he had not come down for his food yet. Even if he was pissed at her, should that make him not come down for his food? Perhaps he was too tired to and was already sleeping.
Ayisat decided to go up and check, she left the dinning room and went up. She had not been to his room since he rejected her and since he travelled, not even to clean the place up.
“Come in,” he said before she could even knock.
She opened the door and walked in, closing the door after her. He was dressing up.
“Are you going out?” she asked clearly surprised.
“Hmm,” he hummed and nodded.
“Y… you just got back, are you not tired?”
“I won’t be going out if I am, don’t you think?”
She wanted to ask where he was going but decided against, she might anger him with the question.
“I prepared dinner and I have set the table, are you not hungry?” she asked.
“I will be fine Ayisat, go and eat if you are hungry.” He said and moved towards her, she was still at the door.
Ayisat looked into his eyes, she could not read any emotions in them and she hated this. Was he angry? She had no idea! She swallowed hard and moved away from the door.
He opened the door, “don’t wait up for me,” he said before walking out.
She was scared and confused; she was in trouble….definitely! He never reject her food, he always ate….always! She went to the window and watched as he drove out, she was screwed.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Khalid noticed the difference in the way his gatekeeper greeted him and wondered what was wrong with him. Saliu always asked how his trip was and tried to engage him in small talks but today, he hurriedly greeted him and him and went in.
He was glad though; he won’t have to stay back a bit and replied him, he was too tired anyways. Khalid thought he heard laughter when he got closer to the front door, he was convinced he heard right when the person laughed again.
Ayisat had her head thrown back in laughter when he opened the door but the moment he walked in, her laughter died.
He looked at her, from her to the person beside her. She brought a boy to his house? Did this girl know anything? No wonder Saliu behaved strange when he greeted him.
Ayisat stood up immediately and rushed to his side, the boy stood up too nervously.
“W…welcome back,” she managed to greet him.
“Good evening sir,” the boy bowed a little.
“Evening,” he hated the feeling rousing inside him.
“This is Ibraheem, we w…want to the same school together,” Ayisat stammered out an explanation.
School friend? Or boyfriend? He shook off his thought; it should not matter to him any ways. He was dissolving this marriage as soon as he had the time.
“How are you and your studies?” he extended his hand out for a handshake.
“F…fine, I’m doing fine sir.”
“It’s alright, you can call me Khalid,” he told him as they shook.
“Okay? Uhm, nice to meet you sir…. Khalid”
He forced a smile. “I hope Ayisat has welcomed you well?”
Ibraheem nodded. ”Yes Yes,” he repeated nervously.
“Well then, you will have to excuse me now. It is good to meet you,” he said but he didn’t wait to hear what the boy had to say or allow Ayisat to take his suitcase up.
Ibraheem scratched his head. “I have gotten you in trouble, haven’t I?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. Khalid isn’t like that; he is nice actually and does not mind.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “You like him?”
The question took her off guard. “I….I just told you he’s nice to me and besides, he is my husband. Am I supposed to hate him?”
He sighed. “I should go.”
“Yes….thanks for visiting.” She said nervously.
“I will see you again Ayisat, that’s a promise,” he said before walking out.
Ayisat rested her body on the door the moment she closed the door after him, she closed her eyes.
“Am I not in deep trouble?”

Haba! This is too short na, please try and make the updates longer. God bless!

Jadedgrace98:
KachiUgo, nice intro and beginning. I like the distinct realisation of affection, unlike the love @ first sight. I'll definitely be keeping an eye here.
EvaJael, favch, MZmitchelle, AryEmber

Thanks Grace, I'm guled here too. Good start KachiUgo, I hope this won't end tragically oh!

This is different but different in a good way,I'm guessing the author is not a Nigerian but he's wonderful and thank you so much for sharing The Forsaken. Lemme call my people; pearl05, cbella, oly0511, Gloryejims, Austinsamekpo, Chigold, purples25, Jadedgrace98. And to the readers, comment na!

And I was hoping the pregnacy test they did was wrong oh but it's not always like that in reality truly. You paint it so real Penshalom, I love it.

The tick-tock of the wall clock continued in her head even after the time teller stopped working, she was lost in her thoughts.
“Get grip Ayisat!” she shouted at herself and stood up.
Weariness was going to kill her first before her mother in law come to finish the job.
“I guess she can always throw out my corpse,” she murmured to herself.
Ayisat sighed and went to the drawer beside the home theatre; she brought out a new pack of batteries and removed one of it. She walked back to the wall clock, stood on a stool and changed the old and exhausted battery.
Just as she came down and disposed the old battery, the house telephone rang.
“Hello brother Saliu,” she said, no need to wonder who it was, it could only be the gate man calling.
“Aunty Ayisat, there is a boy here who wants to see you.”
The word aunty still sound strange coming from him. It probably must be hard for him to call her that, a girl who was no more than his own youngest sister. It was an awkward situation but she decided she would continue to call him brother too, as she would if she was an outsider and not his boss.
“Which man is that brother?” she could not guess who that could be.
She knew no one from here and her husband didn’t tell her anything about entertaining a visitor before his return; if that were the case, even brother Saliu would know the man…..did he say boy?
“It’s a boy oh and he said his name is Ibraheem.”
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest on hearing the name. Which Ibraheem? Stupid question, who else did she knew bear that name if not her friend of three years ago.
Perhaps she was wrong, may be it was someone else….. It had to be! Not her friend, the friend she crushed over for two good years! Her only …..
“What should I do with him? Let him in or send him away?” the man asked, sounding impatient.
“No! p.. please, let him in and…..thank you brother Saliu.”
She dropped the phone and waited anxiously for her visitor, hoping and praying it was not him but this was not entirely true. She was having conflicting thoughts in her; a part of her want the visitor to be someone else, the other wanted him to be her Ibraheem.
The doorbell finally rang; she ran to the door and opened it fast.
“Hello Ayisat,” it was him.
She was shocked, so much that she could only stare at him. How did he find out where she lived?
“Can I come in?” he asked when it seemed like she had no intention of inviting him in.
Ayisat wanted to talk but it felt like her tongue was tied, she nodded quickly and stepped aside for him to enter; she closed the door after he did.
“This place is nice,” he said, looking around.
She nodded again, not sure what to say to that this time.
“H….how did you find me? Was my aunt?”
He shook his head. “No help from there trust me, she didn’t tell me much. All she kept saying was that I should stop looking for you cause you are now in a better place.”
She watched as he kept looking round, so he was searching for her? For what?
“Faishat,” he turned back to her and said.
She was confused, what happened to her? She was about to ask when he explained.
“She told me you are here now……married,” he hesitated before adding the last word.
“Oh! I see,” she didn’t really see anything.
“She is right though…..your aunt, you are in a better place. You look well Ayisat, not as I feared.”
“What were your fears? Tell me Ibraheem, where did you think I would be now…. Did you even care?!” she was angry now, how dare he come out of the blue now and start to judge her?
“Of course I care! I thought of you always Ayi, always!” his voice was high too.
He should not call her that; another man was already fond of calling her that now.
“Did you? When? Why did you think of poor orphan Ayisat? Was it when you were amidst your new friends? Was it when you were about to eat? Did you wonder if I had eaten anything at all?!”
“Ayi….” She cut him off.
“Don’t call me that! You left Ibraheem! You got the admission you’ve always wanted and left without looking back at your dear friend, now you come back looking at me like I am a bad person because I got married!” she didn’t realise she was already crying.
“Ayisat, I’m not looking at you that! I’m just surprised! What did you want me to do; I had to go to school!”
“It’s been three years! Three horrible years….” She couldn’t stop the tears from falling, she burst into tears.
He closed the distance between and embraced her, she wept like a baby in his arms. All the tears she should have shed when told she would marry a man old enough to father her, when separated from her brothers. He shouldn’t have come back.
Ayisat cried hard, pouring out her pains with the tears. He didn’t not mind that she was messing up his shirt; he let her cried and consoled her as she did.
They stayed like that for a while till she stopped crying, she later disentangled from his embrace after she calmed down.
Ibraheem sighed. “I don’t know what to say Ayisat …….all I can really say is that I’m sorry.”
She cleaned her face and smiled weakly. “That was childish of me, blaming you when you’ve done nothing wrong really. You could not forfeit your admission just because my parent died; you did what you should have done. Thank you for thinking of me always and it is very thoughtful of you to visit me.”
He smiled. “Can I sit now? My feet are killing me.”
Ayisat burst into laughter; one could not guess she had been the one crying a moment ago.
“Silly me! Forgive my poor manners, please take a seat.”
He did and muttered “thank you” to her.
“Do you want me to get you anything?” she asked.
“No……let’s just talk Ayisat, I have a lot to tell you and I want to hear everything you have to tell me too.”
She sat beside him. “Okay then, let’s talk. Tell me about your school, how is school life? How is it different from our secondary school? Do you have new friends? How many are they? What does it…..”
“Slow down Ayisat, I forgot how curious you can be sometimes.”
They talked and talked like they used to, Ayisat soon lost the number of times she laughed. She totally forgot her worries and poured out everything to him…… all these before the door suddenly opened.

oly0511:
AryEmber thanks for the update even though you said you might not update but you still went a head and surprise us with an update thanks once again

You're welcome oly but I'm actually back and I owe you guys a long update or two. I'm trying to wrap the story up quick before I leave for school, I don't want to leave you guys high and dry which will be the case if I don't finish up before leaving. I heard registration takes all energy and can be disturbing, don't want to disappoint my beautiful and loyal fans!

Sorry Jade, I've been a little busy but that's not an excuse. You are doing great by the way, I like that Eva learnt from her mistake and is now focusing her energy on something positive. A love story is only complete for me when it's not all focus on the couples' love life, solidly behind you!