₦airaland Forum

Fahad held the picture.

I saw before my eyes my world crumble
I hear in my head the rumble
And I'm so flustered all I do is fumble
From a lion to an ant in the jungle
Can't walk straight and I stumble
My love is gone and the memory is like a fable
No current in my cable
Can't reach my best friend so we could sit at the table
See if I will be able
To think and be stable
Where is my Halima who made me nimble?
From a constant to a variable
It was condescending and unjustifiable
Making her feel rejected and insulted was unforgivable
Why make her so expendable?
Why is it so difficult to be retrievable
My Halima is profoundly irritable
Saying her mind is made up and irrevocable
Please come back and make life for me once more suitable
And durable
And adorable


He looked at her picture again for the umpteenth time and felt warm tears streaming down his cheeks. It's been eight months but it feels like yesterday. They had arrived Abuja, he had lodged them in a five-star hotel. Jalo had a room, Baffa and Halima shared because she had to be close to him.

He was diagnosed: diabetes and hypertension. They were not so astonished. He got a very expensive treatment and placed on high quality drugs and after two weeks in Abuja, Baffa felt much better..
He took Halima out during their stay in Abuja. It was her first time in the city and things looked strange. But she was quick-witted, smart and could easily adapt. There were some occasions where some of her acts were kind of embarrassing but he did not care. He took time to teach her. He wanted to build her. He did not believe she had to be ready-made. When you find a girl you love, and you feel she does not meet your standard, don't let her go, develop her, upgrade her to meet that standard you want. So he taught her how to eat at eateries .God! Getting Halima to eat in public was a job.

They visited Shoprite and Mr Biggs which he did on purpose.

" I guess this is Hande's Mr Beans and that was Choprice."

They had laughed. Oh God! As he looked at her magnolia soft lips, he fought the urge to grab her and explore that mouth, go into each cell, and feel each organelle. How would this body feel when she was in his arms? What would it feel like to grab this waist, cub his hands on her back and whisper into her ears, I love you ?

He wanted it, wanted her, and was getting impatient, eager and enthusiastic. How could he get this? He had to marry her, pronto!
They had fun, got her clothes from his sisters. The time was too short to give tailor clothes to sew. Most of her clothes were Fulani traditional attires. When she wore his sister’s clothes, she looked so transformed and attractive. She could adapt quickly and that made him happy. No one could believe she was a cattle rearer. He also had been taking her through private tuition. She could now add, subtract numbers using Hundred, Tens and Units.

She knew multiplication table up to seven. She could define noun, pronouns and verbs even give examples. She knew thirty-six states and Capital.
He was in love. He wished she was his already, going home after such wonderful outings, living together not for a day, weekend, but forever. So, he got home that night to talk to his mother first when the devil whispered to her to tell him about Sameera. Sameera was an epitome of beauty. She was a final year student in London. She was Alhaji Mukhtar Gwarzo's daughter. Her father was the former Governor of Kano State and now a senator. She was a man's dream girl but Fahad was not just any man any longer. He was a man made for Halima, his Fulani princess. If Halima was standing among a million girls and his eyes were closed, he would go straight to her because his soul saw hers. She would be the only sharp image while others will be blurry. She would be fragnant while other will stench. English users say beauty is an abstract noun: has no material existence, cannot be seen, or touched.

He used to believe that before he met Halima. She was not just beautiful, she was beauty. She was that chip that made him function, that spice that made him sweet, that girl that made him loyal and chaste. Islam permitted a man to marry more than one wife, but it was not made compulsory. If he married more than one, he would go to hell because with Halima, he knew no justice. He will give her a week and the other a minute. So, when his mother talked about Sameera, he felt angry but tactically told her he was in love.

She took time talking about the strong family tie between them, the love of having their daughter with them, the love Sameera had for him. Sameera had been his friend and they never dated. He was not in love with her. He could not be used as a tool for enhancing their friendship. They could organize a dinner, a clambake, a joint business or prayer session but not somebody's life. If they were in love, fine. So, he told her about Halima. She seemed to be happy. She wanted to meet her and Halima was invited to the house. When mother discovered her background, she took Halima inside her room and said only-God-knows-what to her.

Halima came out crying, walking out of the house without listening to anyone. Fahad ran after her, but she kept walking, even though she could not find her way back to the hotel. She refused to talk to him until he reminded her that she did not know her way back. She reluctantly let him drive her back. That was the last time she spoke to him.

When she told him to walk out of her life, forget they ever met, forget the workers he employed for her grandfather, and never step into their compound again, she said these amid tears, not giving him an idea of what his mother told her. Whatever it was, it destroyed thier relationship.
Fahad tried all he could to calm her down. She said it was not about him, it did not matter if she still loved him or not, but it was just impossible to be with him. Even when he went to Mambilla, her grandfather politely told him to forget about her and forbade him to see her. He apologised and thanked him for all Fahad had done for them but begged him to keep his money away from them. When Fahad became persistent, the emir was forced to forbid him from going there. Halima never left the village, so it was like seeing her for the last time.

He left for the States a month later to discover that Damon could not be reached on phone because he was nowhere to be found. He could not reach Alicia. Nothing was known about their whereabout. Life became a hell for him. He returned to Nigeria and lived a secluded life. He never went out, except when he went to mosque. He hardly spoke to anyone, always locked up in his room. He lost Halima, could not find his best friend and his wife.

It was at that point he heard a knock at his door. He reluctantly got up and opened the door. It was his mother.

" Well, since you are too obstinate to talk to any one, I hereby inform you that every arrangement for your wedding has been made and tomorrow insha Allah, the knot will be tied in Central mosque, Wuse."

TWO


2009

Captain Kamal Noor alighted from a dark green military jeep, holding a leather folder, checked the address again, and then nodded at himself. He was at the right place. He moved his heavy body with alacrity towards the big bronze gate. A gatekeeper peeped through a spy hole, and then opened the gate.

“You must be Captain Noor.” Said the gatekeeper as he extended his hand to shake Amar.

“Yes, I am.”

As they shook hands, the gatekeeper added unnecessary strength to his grip to impress the military officer. When he was told to expect a military officer, he had quickly wore is beret, almost covering his eyes, made sure his boots were glittering and his security uniform which was sawn like a military uniform was well worn.

“Identification, please,” he said trying to sound hard,

“you know how our work is. I mean we the security men. We all are security men, are we not? you, the police, the airforce, custom, immigration, we…..”

“ Sure, we all are.” Kamal cut in and showed an ID card.

“Come in comrade. My boss is waiting.”

“Thank you…..comrade.” Amar said and it was obvious that the security man was overwhelmed as the military man called him a comrade. He was led into the large compound with exotic cars parked at a spacious parking space, a two storied mansion was standing at the middle with a beautiful lawn and flowers. The house reeked of opulence, sophistication and style. But the expressions on the faces of the couple that welcomed him was an epitome of melancholy. The man was tall, chubby and light complexioned. Dressed in a simple caftan and flip flop. He was a little above fifty years old. His wife was of moderate height, slim and ravishingly beautiful. Her sulky eyes were behind a gold rimmed glasses. She wore no makeup but her green brocade must have cost a fortune.

“ I am khalid Idris. This is my wife, Aeesha. You must be Captain Kamal Noor.”

“Yes, I am. It’s a pleasure meeting you? Kamal said, shook his hands and then nodded at her.

“Please sit down.” Khalid said with a gesture. Amar made himself comfortable on a sofa as the couple sat opposite him.

“What would you like to drink, officer?”

“Thank you but I will have nothing.”

“You said it was to do with our daughter. Any news about her?”

Immediately Idris asked that question, Aeesha broke into tears. The daughter was their only surviving daughter. They had three sons. How beautiful and vivacious she had looked on that fateful day. Now they were hoping to find her dead body which they fear might have been shattered.

“I am afraid, no,” Amar replied, “ I am an Intelligence Officer with ATOF: Anti-terrorism Operation Force.
When there is a suspected terrorist attack, like the recent bomb blast at Fermy shopping complex perpetrated by miscreants, we move in. We made a discovery which made it imperative for me to trace and contact you. We don’t want to give you false hope but I feel your daughter may be alive…..”

“But it’s been three weeks since the bomb blast .” Idris cut in. “ How come she has not tried to contact us?”

“We are not saying she is alive. She is probably alive. We found this,” he removed an i-pad from the folder, “an eye witness said she saw her throw this into a trash can and then ran away as if been chased. When we scrutinised the pad, we found something interesting. She was recording and incidentally caught a man suspected to have detonated the bomb on camera. We have been using the data to facilitate our investigation. Let me show you.” He put on the pad, searched then played a video. She was seen recording herself, probably planning to post it on social media, then she started filming the vicinity until she caught the man in black coat. Immediately after the bomb blast, he had turned and seen her, grimaced so she had lowered the pad and began to walk away, filming the ground, then started running.

“Oh my God!” Aeesha whispered.

“She was been chased,” Kamal said, “by the suspected killer.”

“Hope he did not kill her.” Idris said lugubriously.

“We found his body,” said Kamal, “a few hundred meters from the trash can the pad was found. He was shot dead.”

Idris’s face crinkled. He moved forward then placed his palms on his knees. “Who killed him?” He asked.

“That is what we are trying to find out. There was a pandemonium so it was easy for the shooter. We believe the man in black coat caught up with her, discovers the pad is not with her, his accomplices feel he is a threat, and he is killed to cover their grubby track. We have identified the man in black coat but he is dead. Dead men don’t talk. We are faced with the task of digging into his clandestine activities.”

“What do you think happened to my daughter?” Aeesha asked, her eyes had a glimpse of hope. “We thought she was caught up in the blast.”

“I can’t say precisely,” Kamal replied, “They may have shot her too but her body was not found. If they had no time to dispose the body of their man, then they could not have taken away her body.” Kamal slightly touched his chin absentmindedly. “They may have taken her away. That is my intuition.”

“Please help us find her, Officer. She is all we got.” Aeesha said amid tears.

“I understand how you feel, Mrs Khalid. We will do all we can to get your daughter back. “Kamal said firmly.

2009

He perched precariously on a pew, sequestered from the shindig but watched with keen interest as people moved about, engaged in various activities .
The commercial complex was busy and he noticed an air of bliss as business seemed to boom. He grinned at himself. This was his favourite part, when it happened at an unexpected and happy time. He once heard someone call it schadenfreude.

He looked at his strap wristwatch. It was two minutes to 4:00pm. A sweet sensation crawled up his spine. Two more minutes! He looked round the big shopping complex with admiration.
The owner must have spent a fortune to build it. What a shame! From where he sat, he could see a girl that appeared suddenly covered in a black veil. She could not have been more than seven years old. Her movement was slow, looking unruffled and confident. He grinned at himself again.

It was all honky dory. There had to be no flunk. He got on his feet, stretched his six foot brawny body and put his left hand in the pocket of his long black coat. It was now just a few seconds to 4:00PM. With long strides, he made quick steps, climbed a few steps then paused. Yes, he was at the right spot. He brought out a small binocular and viewed. He could see the little girl in veil.
Her face was set in a calm expression and then excitement splashed on her face at once. He frowned. What was the excitement for? But there was no time for pondering and shilly-shallying.
It was 4:00PM.

He pushed his big thumb on a button of a small detonator he held in his right hand.
Boom!

It was a single blast and it was done. The little girl was first to shred into pieces then those around her and everything close-by.
The bomb blast was loud, frightening, causing an instantaneous destruction of the building, properties and lives. Building blocks scattered, the roof was reduced to sputtering particles flying in air, the atmosphere obfuscated by thick cloud of smoke and dust.
While some bodies were completely shattered, some were gruesomely disintegrated; bodies with no head, hands, legs could be seen loitered around. The scene was pathetic and sanguinary. Some were lucky to be alive with different degrees of injuries. Screams, moans, wailings filled the air.

The man in black coat grinned at himself as he saw the level of damage done. The operation was not a debacle. It was a success.
He turned his head then stiffened. There was a girl, probably twenty or twenty-one years old staring at him. She was tall, slim and statuesque, her large eyes set in a startled and befuddled expression. Even in that state of agitation, her ravishing beauty and elegance was palpable. She covered her dark long hair with a red scarf and wore long red gown. Her jewelleries were golden and sparkled. She hung an expensive Italian handbag and an i-pad.

The man in black grimaced. He had seen her in retrospect taking selfies. How could he have been oblivious to such a threat? The excitement of detonating a bomb, which was his hobby, got him overwhelmed and careless. There was no doubt, she had seen him. The pad! Oh no! She may have had his picture or a video perhaps!
Well, it was his luck to have spotted her and thanks to her foolishness for letting him know that she saw him.

His phone chimed. “Peace.” He said with his cadaverous eyes glaring at the girl.

“What the hell are you waiting for?” Someone demanded harshly from the other end. “Let’s get the hell out of here”

“ I am afraid there is a witness.” The man in black said coldly. The girl had turned and began to walk away hurriedly. The vicinity was now higgledy-piggledy and he knew the law men were on their way.

“Forget the witness. There is no evidence. The police are on their way”

Still pressing the phone to his ear and his grim eyes on the girl, he began to walk after her.

“ She has an i-pad. I suspect that she has my picture. I can’t take chances,” he said in a low tone, “ I have to clean the mess. I will clean it, pronto.”

“Damn! You goofed, bro!”

“I said I will clean the mess” He said impatiently, ended the call and accelerated with his deadly eyes still on the girl. The girl was now on the busy Burno Road. She kept moving as fast as she could, turning back her head frequently to see the giant coming after her. “ Oh no, he is coming after me!” She thought. Her heart was now beating violently, feeling a bitter taste in her mouth with a topsy-turvy mind. He began to run after her. His façade was now a bugaboo. She knew the monster coming after her was a mass killer. She began to scream for help. But the hotchpotch vicinity was already full of yelling, cries and hysteric agitations. No one really paid attention to her. She took a turn, ran down a long ambulatory lane with shops on both sides. The jittery shop owners were closing their shops and running for their lives. She turned and saw him. He was getting closer to her and she knew it was only a matter of time before he caught up with her. Panting and gasping, she retarded due lack of stamina. She stumbled and fell to the ground. The pain was excruciating and she let out a loud scream, but when she saw the killer standing over her, she forgot the pain. She was at the jaws of death. His eyes was now a thin vicious line, bulgy and mean.

“Where is the pad?” He demanded.

“I don’t know.” She replied with a shaky voice, “I may have lost it while running.”

He growled then kicked her on her ribs. She yelled.

“Where is it? I swear I will kill you”

She was now crying, aware that her side ached. Her heart banged as she saw him pointing a pistol at her. The sound of sirens emerged. The police! The man twitched his lips. He had to be fast.

“I will ask you for the last time, where is…………” but he could not finish his sentence. There was a gunshot, not from his gun but from behind him. The bullet hit his back head and blood splashed coupled with a crashing sound of broken skull. Another bullet hit his back .
He stood still for a fraction of second. Who had shot him and why? He sagged, made a futile attempt to stop blood from spilling. His gun fell off, then dropped on the ground to stare blankly at her.

Out of nowhere, a young man appeared. He could not have been more than twenty nine years old. He was a little above average height, sturdy and athletic. He wore a pacific expression with handsome features. His swarthy skin looked smooth, his lips slightly red and firm with a thin nose and curved eyebrow, swaggering moustache and chin beard. Dressed in blue denim top over black jeans, he stared at her inquisitively.

“Come on,” he said calmly, “ they will come for you and it’s going to be bad. Follow me.”

Flustered and feeling extricated, she got on her feet and followed him. He led her quickly to a waiting Toyota Hilux. There was a balding man behind the wheel and another lanky man at the passenger’s side. He asked her to take a back seat while he sat beside her.

“So?” Asked the balding man.

“Debacle factor obliterated” replied the young man.

“Very good” the balding man said, turned the ignition to start the car engine before sliding through gears to set the car in motion. Ten minutes later, the car was racing down a windy road that led to Kabari forest.

The girl became suspicious.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“ Home.” Replied the young man.

“Home?” She frowned.

The driver pulled up the car, turned his flat face and said, “blindfold her.”

It was then she saw the butt of a gun in the young man’s pocket. A subcutaneous chilling feeling crawled up her spine and her teeth began to chatter. It now became clear that it was the young man who had shot the man in black coat. Who were these men? She was now shivering, her teeth chattering in trepidation. She was blindfolded. The car resumed its inglorious journey and kept roaring into the deep forest for another two hours before they finally arrived their destination. She could not see but from what she heard, there seemed to be a lot of people there.

She guessed it was a camp. Immediately they alighted, the young man grabbed her forcefully and dragged her along. She heard someone say, “won’t you wait for the Lion to examine her?”

“She is mine.” The young man replied firmly and forced her into a chalet and locked the door. He slapped her, she screamed before he flung her on the bed and pressed her neck. She screamed louder while those outside laughed.

This was the day Leena met the insurgent. The saga of north-western part of Nigeria was in full motion. Western education is banned and a new national order is inchoated.

Leena let out a loud scream.

ONE

2010

Adam paid for the confectioneries, produced a wide grin which was apparently for the cashier who grinned back. Unknown to her, that grin was a subconscious manifestation of the feelings of thinking about the lady waiting for him in the car.
He felt having her with him was surreal, after five months of melancholy, anxiety and painstaking search. He was not going to waste a single second; not even a nanosecond. It had to be done soon.

He stepped out with the confectionery with nimble steps, gave the security man by the door a nod and smile, before dropping a note of money in his hand. The man had smiled, saluted and thanked him.

Adam walked to his parked car, opened the car door and slid in. He cringed.
He was so hyper he did not take note before he sat down. Where was she? Did she go for a recharge card? But she could have simply waited for him and they could get that along the way.
He glanced round but he could not catch a glimpse of her. He laid his head on the headrest, puffed air and then closed his eyes.
Just a three more weeks!
He opened his eyes. She was not back. He brought out his phone and dialed her number. It connected and rang. She did not pick it.
This was not funny.

He got out of the car. There was a tag at the parking lot that read, cars parked at owner’s risk. That meant there was no one assigned to watch over anything there but he had to ask a security man, “please did you see the lady that was sitting in that car go out?”

“ Yes. I saw her go down there.” He pointed a finger.

“ When was that?”

“ About ten minutes ago.”

Adam grimaced. That was about three minutes after he left her.

“ Thank you very much.”

He walked towards the direction abruptly, aware that a wave of paranoia was sweeping through him. This was a commercial area, with lots of people moving around, and it was just a few minutes after noon. There seemed to be no cause for alarm but after thinking of what happened a few months ago, he felt jittery.

“Hey, did you see a lady dressed in a green gown pass through here, please?” He asked a man who sat before a bike.

“Yes, they just walked passed here.”

They?

“How many of them?”

“Two. She was with a man.”

Adam frowned. A man? Who was the man? Why was she with him or leave with him when he just went in to get her confectioneries?
It was not pertinent to ask more questions. From what the man had said, they were close-by. He went down the street, walking so fast. He looked left and saw a man looking shocked.

The man was fat, wearing shabby clothes. Instinct made Adam cross over the road and asked the man if he had seen her.

“Did you say she was wearing a green gown?” The fat man asked and Adam could feel that creepy sensation again.

“Yes.”

“I saw a man pointing a gun at her and they took her away inside a car! This kidnapping is so prevalent.”

Adam felt the earth spinning at an incredible speed, and seemed to be losing friction because he suddenly felt like he was going to slip and fall.
Again? She just returned one month ago for crying out loud.

He became confused.

“Which way did they go? When? How come nobody did anything? Why didn’t you shout?”

“The man seemed to be hiding the gun. People did not take note. I was too scared to shout because a similar incidence occurred and my friend raised an alarm only to be shot dead.”

Adam was so confused he did not notice when the man left him and walked away. He wanted description, he wanted the police to talk to the man, get clues.
He ran back to his car, trying to reach her on her phone, It kept ringing but nobody picked.

Why?

He called her father, and broke the bad news. He got into his car, started the car engine and headed to the nearest police station.




Adam stood in a katzenjammer, subconsciously squeezing the phone he held, trying to convince himself he was not hallucinating. The phone call he just received was one of the most shocking and annihilating conversation he had ever had.
The call lasted thirty minutes, until the person at the other end ended the call. He could feel every word spoken resonating with him, padded with sputtering sounds and magnified echoes that threatened his ear drum. He knew this was not in a nightmare. He should have seen it coming. The quiddity was not so esoteric but he was blinded. Now, he began to add things up. He had been a fool not have detected the quirks and subliminals.

Now everything made sense to him. He felt niggling, and a part of his head ached.
He stood still, trying to calm his nerves, and tumultuous brain.
He walked groggily to the bed, dropped his balk and closed his eyes. He had to talk to someone. The police needed to know this, and that should extend to her family members. This was a secret too hot to handle.
What was the use? There was no evidence, or clue to exact location.
He hesitated. He could not make a decision now. He was flummoxed, dejected and mentally lassitude. He switched off the light, and closed his eyes again but he knew he was not going to sleep. He remembered the first time he met Leena three years ago but the shocking phone call would not let him think straight.

He picked his phone, checked the time and hesitated. It was a few minutes after 11:00 PM. He scrolled down the call log then dialled a number.

“ Hello, Adam.” A ladies voice emerged.

“ Haneefa.”

“ I am surprised you are calling me this late.”

“ I am sorry about that. I could not wait till morning.”

“ What is it?’

“ I just received a phone call. It is about Leena. I got a very bad news.”

“ Oh my God! I hope she is not dead? I was told there has not been any demand for a ransom.”

Adam took in a deep breath.

“ I don’t know how to start explaining this. Okay, let me just go straight to the point……..” He began to talk.

Naairah did not have breakfast that morning and she felt the need for something to eat. She saw a restaurant just close to the skyscraper in which they were located but chose to go for something lighter. She came out of the building, looked round and not sure of where to find a snack bar.
She thought of using her car but hesitated then changed her mind. She would take a stroll, and find any grocery where she could get some soft drinks and snacks.
She walked along the highway, hearing the whipping sounds of cars that passed her, she shifted on the sidewalk, feeling the warmer. She was astonished the rain had not started falling but the sky was still warning. She increased her pace.
She was lucky to find a caravan where light food was sold. She went there and saw a young girl with an apron.

“Good morning, you are welcome. We have noodles, omelette, tea, toasted bread, oats…..”

“ Oats and milk.” She said.

“Do you want potato chips to go with it?”

Naairah shook her head.

“No, thanks.”

There were about three other customers having breakfast or brunch rather. It was a few minutes after ten o’clock in the morning.
She was served in a ceramic bowl, and given some cubes of sugar, and milk. She has barely started when Hayat walked in with an umbrella and small bag.
What the hell was he doing here?
He saw her, smiled then walked to her.

“ May I?” He asked as he sat down.

“ But you should have waited for my response.”

“ I am so sorry. I am famished and usually come here for my brunch.” He said and leaned the umbrella on the table and then dropped his bag.

The girl came to him.

“ Good morning, what do you want sir, we have oats, omelette and noodles, potato…..”

“Why don’t you just drop a menu?” he interrupted.

“ It is on it’s way…..potato chips, plantain chips, noodles, tea, bread and cornflakes.”

“ Let me have oats but with chips.” He said. “ That would add more weight to the food.”

The girl smiled and left.

“ Why are you carrying this big umbrella? The weather has been like this since morning.”

“It is going to rain before we leave here insha Allah.” He said assertively.

“ Now you have become a weather forecaster. How do you know that?”

“ I saw a red sky some minutes ago, I took a deep breath and smelt earth and compost, the flowers at the office smelt stronger, the sky is void of birds, and I saw goats running.”

She smirked.

“Crap! Why do you have to take note of all of these.”

“I fear rain more than goats.” He said. “ I am allergic to water.”

“What?”

“That is why I don’t take bath.”

Her face narrowed,

“Just kidding.” He smiled. That smile. “ I have problems with rain water falling on me so I am very proactive and I got skills at forecasting rain.”

“ Just a random guess.”

His meal was brought. Naairah loved the chips at sight and regretted not ordering. They began to eat and she remembered Adnan. She always did and would always do.

It began to rain.
She gave him a sharp glance.

“ Now I guess you are so proud of yourself.”

He smiled.

“ It is nothing.” He said. “ I do it a lot.”

“ Now boasting.”

“Trying to impress you.”

“ I am not impressed .”

“ Then take back the looks you gave me.”

“ So, what is your discipline?”

“ Sociology.” He said. “ The truth is I am not very good academically. I know I am trying to impress you, be that perfect guy, and if I knew I was going to meet you today, I would have worn my sallah cloth, have some Umar Borkan swags in me, some Robert Pattinson personality, fix my Hritik Roshan façade, and give some Mario Cimarro impressive walk.”

She chuckled. She could not tell him that he was very impressive and gorgeous the way he was. She did not want him to have ideas.
The intensity of the rain increased.

“ I hate calculations, so I avoided anything to do with mathematics. But I know a few maths. I can find the LCM of 4 and 5 but I hate HCF.”

“I used to hate maths too but I developed love for it later and became good at the topics that were relevant to me though.Where did you school?”

“I had my primary school at Demonstration Comprehensive school, Port-Harcourt, then FGC Port-Harcourt then proceeded to Pennsylvania State University and managed to graduate. Thank God, they accepted me here.”

“ Do you have a younger brother?”

“No. Why? I am the only son with two elder sisters and one younger sister. You are interrogating me, isn’t that sweet?”

“ Do not get me wrong.” She said. “ You remind me of someone and I was just wondering…or curious but it seems I am just been hyper curious. One more thing did you ever have a missing brother…like missing at birth?”

Hayat raised his eye brow.

“No..my mother only gave birth four times and we are all alive and around. Strange. Do you want to share?”

“No.”

“ I guess you only talk to me because I remind you of someone and you want to know if I am related to the person or not. Now that you are sure I am not, it seems you are done with me.”

“ I don’t know what you want from me.”

“ Your friendship.” He said. “ I am not going to prevaricate. I felt something for you from the first day I saw you and I never forgot you for a second. I did not know where you live or have your contact I would have stormed your place…..”

“Thank God you did not.” She cut in. “It is imperative I let you know that I do not want anything personal to do with you. I am here to work and we should remain as colleagues. I think the rain is not reducing and I am already getting late.”

Hayat tried to hide his pain.

“ I know that. They don’t joke with time there and it would not be good for a first day worker to be found wanting.”

“But it is raining.”

“That was why they provided a restaurant close-by.” He said. “ But we would have to leave now.”

“That umbrella cannot stop us from getting wet. It may be extra-large but there is wind.”

“ I told you I am skilled when it came to rain-protection. I got my paraphernalia intact.”

He opened the bag and brought out two long rain-coats, with two rain boots.

“One for you-one for me” He said.

She frowned.

“You don’t come here with these. You were stalking me. You said you always have your brunch here which is a lie. This is your first time here. Now you bring out two raincoats and two boots….isn’t that sticky?”

“Yes, it is. I actually saw you coming here and I knew it was going to rain so I decided to make your first day void of negative memory.”

Their eyes met and she took it off. He wore his glasses back.
Without a word, she accepted the raincoat, removed her shoes and he picked it and put it in the bag.
She was not liking this. This guy was doing something to her.
She wore the raincoat and boots and covered her head with the hood. He did the same, carried the bag and called the girl.

“Our bill?”

“No….”She wanted to protest .

“ A bowl of oat is five hundred naira then the chips is also five hundred. One thousand five hundred naira ”

He paid her.

“Get a menu.”

“Okay, sir. Thank you for your patronage. I hope you enjoyed our meals?”

“Yes, We did.”He replied.

She eyed him.

“You don’t know how I feel.”

“ There you fail.”

“What?”

“Come on, we are going to be late.” He spread the umbrella. “Here we go.”

Ramat was standing by the window upstairs watching them come back with identical raincoats, under the same umbrella even though there was no body contact. There was something she noticed between these two that shot a pain through her systems.
Was Hayat serious? He was very jovial and friendly but there was something strange about him and the new girl.
Ramat could not see her properly but her face looked pretty. Damn her! She was also pretty. More pretty than the girl.

“Is that her?” A voice said from behind her. It was Aisha.

Ramat nodded, her eyes boring into them.

“ We can handle her.” Aisha said. “ She is playing with fire.”

Ramat smirked.

“ She can’t just come and take him from me.”

“ No, she can’t. Let us see if Hayat is serious. We must not jump into conclusion.”

“Tooh (Okay).”

Hayat and Naairah got into the building after she they pulled off the raincoats and boots. He dropped them with a security man then got into the lift with her.
Naairah felt so uncomfortable. She had never felt anything like this since Adnan left but she was not going to let the feelings deceive her. She had to put an end to this now. She did not want to make a great mistake.
They came out at the fourth floor.

“ Thank you.” She said and walked away without turning back.

“ You are welcome.” He replied after her, smiled then went towards his office.

“Hayat.” Someone called. It was Kamal, his friend and colleague.

“Maza.” Hayat said.

“I saw you with the new chic.”

“I know what chic means but it sounds too unfitting for her. I am not saying it is an insult.”

“Damn! What do you want me to call her?”

“ Girl or lady … I am in love.”

“What? Do you want Ramat to roast you.”

“ I said I am in love. I want to marry this girl.”

“Go ahead then.”

“Is it that easy?”

“How?”

“ She is not responding positively. I think there is something in her mind…..or someone else who seems not to be there now.”

“You just met her today, so you can’t conclude.”

He shook his head.

“No. She is the girl I told you I met at Ummi’s graduation.” He said. “And I think about her every minute of my life. Now fates brings her close….I am going to fight for her….and win her heart, and get married to her.”






















Mason Studied the debris, and the close environment. Don, Maya, Roberto, the pilot, and three other henchmen were there.

“ Abbas did not die.” Mason said. “ He is alive. We will pick it from here.”

Maya moved forward. She had an idea as she always does. What could Mason do without this smart lady?

“ When did the crash happen?” She asked.

ELEVEN

"That is what I want to explain." Dr Abbas said. " I was working in a laboratory when Adnan was born. Two weeks after, a psychologist noticed the child. She said he could recognize his mother and no one believed and a test was made.
Ten women were brought and each would be placed in front of him. Each time his mother was brought, he would cry, and he began to show some level of intelligence that got scientist curious. We were all working in the lab.

His IQ was tested. Stephen Hawking is among the men with the greatest IQ. A professor and renowned theoretical physicist. He has an IQ of 160. Albert Einstein had about 160-190. A Nigerian known as Philip Emeagwali recorded 190. Christopher Hirata had 225 and Williams James Sidis had 250-300. At age 5, he could use the typewriter, speak Latin,Greek,Russian.French and Hebrew. At age 6, he was denied admission into Harvard because he was too young and they felt he was emotionally immature.He got into Harvard University at the age of eleven. Adnan recorded 350."

"What?"

" And he was brought to the attention of an organisation called BOE. He was to be specially trained and set for a great task ahead. He was marked a world figure and subjected to monthly allowance of one million dollars until he is twenty five when he will start the job he is trained for. There are a lot of secrets behind that. He was to be trained in sixteen countries from all the continents. He was given the mark.
Some people were against this because they foresaw a problem in the future. Sir Mason was one of them and the main opposition. He set up another plan, and tricked the whole organization. I won't go into details but you were exchanged for Adnan and given a fake mark.
I am supposed to keep the boy since his identity is to be kept a secret. He was to be taken far away from America. Nigeria was chosen. He was made to look like a child who was picked from the trash site. We changed him for you......you are my real son and his father was Dr Abbas. I am not a doctor and I only changed my name to Abbas.

I was a cleaner in the lab. His father was the real doctor. He had a PhD in theoretical physics and a Masters degree in Mathematics. He was a genius like his wife, Aadila. They were killed in Bolivia and I impersonated him.
The money we have belongs to Adnan. You make billions which are his. That is why we used to send his DNA as yours while you were a kid. Now you see why you were so stupid to have killed him? You don't have his brain. If you are asked to become the Global Technical Head today, how would you do it?

We have been looking for him since he ran away. We had a plan to use him for an operation. Sir Mason had sponsored a successful research which has made it possible to use his DNA to enhance your IQ. We could have used him to make you fit. Now we are in trouble. But Sir Mason has a plan. He is looking for the list. We must wipe out the Core Bastions so he could take over or else.....we are in deep shit. You are my real son. Now you know your real parents. I never chose you over my son. I chose my son over him."




The air had a low temperature and relative humidity, making the morning frosty, with a chilly howling wind, which sent shivers into livers, and the sky above was tumultuous, having ominous black cloud which was prone to releasing a sudden shower.
Naairah was forced out of her thick, fluffy blanket, grimacing to herself, and wondering if it was the alarm from her phone that pissed her off or herself who had set the alarm. She wished she could remain culled up under that warmth, and enjoy a morning sleep after fajr, while the sound of the rains hit the roof, and mixed with her sweet dreams to give a synchronised sweet sensation.

“Ya Allah!” She exclaimed. She was going to be late if she did not make it snappy and it was not good for a first day. She rushed into her bathroom, brushed her mouth, and then had a hot bath. She left the bathroom after drying her body and dressed up.
She wore a thick winter jacket over her gown, checked her makeup, satisfied, she carried her bag and car keys and dashed out of the room.
She went and greeted her parents .

“ Darling, drive slowly and carefully.” Hajiya Fatima cautioned as she noticed her daughter’s hurry. “ Won’t you have breakfast?”

“ No, Ummi. I’m going to be late.” She said as she walked out, her sweet voice receding. “I love you with all of my heart.”

Naairah was driving on the highway a few minutes later. She forgot what her mother told her and kept pressing her foot on the gas pedal. It took no time to get her car well parked and walked into the headquarters of Naanan Global Services.
She was led to the Administrative manager’s office. He was an impressive elderly man, calm and obviously avuncular.

“Good morning, sir.” She greeted.

“ Good morning, dear. Please sit down.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I am Zailani Abubakar.” He said. “ I received your letter. I hope we are going to have a sound working relationship.”

“Insha Allah.”

“Your father is so concerned about you. He wants you to serve here when your call up letter comes out.” He smiled. “ He said you are his only daughter and would only let you go when you will be leaving for your home.”

“Excuse me, sir? I live in my home.”

“You live in your father’s house, your mother’s home.”

“Ohhh….”She bowed in shame but a sharp pain in her head followed .

Home!
Would there be home?
Was Adnan coming back?

That was where home was and the only one she wanted to share a home with. Why the pain? Was he not coming back, was she going to get married to someone else? Then home had to wait. She was still going to wait.

“ You studied Business Administration and have an impressive result. If you prove to be good, we could retain you after your Service but that depends on where your home is going to be.”

“ I don’t think I am getting married anytime soon, sir.”

“That is not for you to decide. Allah makes things happen. Just pray for the best. Do you know you could get married before your service, you can’t tell.”

No!
No!
Except if Adnan shows up today, and then she would not mind getting married tomorrow morning. And what did she want more than getting married to the love of her life.

“It depends, sir.”

“Depends?”

“ Emmm, it’s nothing.”

“ Okay, my daughter. You have graduated so marriage should be on your mind.”

Damn!
She was sick of this topic. Her parents would not let her be, even her friends and now her new boss!

“Thank you, sir.”

“You are going to be in the marketing department. Your expertise is needed and I hope you will gain experience, bring new ideas so do not feel like a rookie. The marketing manager is on leave but there are marketing officers to put you through.”

“Thank you very much, sir.”

“You are welcome. When you get out, take the left ambulatory corridor to the end, you will find the marketing department there. You may ask someone in case you miss it.”

“ Thank you, sir.”

She got up, and left the office, closing the door gently behind her.
Immediately she stepped on the corridor, she saw him coming out of an office and her heart went pit-a-pat.
This time he was dressed in a white caftan and black cap. He wore brown glasses, and his legs were slipped inside a Batozzi sandals.
And his cologne diffused, and a battle of fragrance was lunched between his cologne and her expensive Baccarat Les Larmes perfume.
To her dismay, the battle turned out to be a fusion of two fragrances which merged to give a sweet smelling air. She found her heart beating rapidly and it dawned on her that she never forgot this guy. That thought was painful; she felt she was betraying Adnan. How could she think of another man when he was not confirmed dead?
But thinking of him did not mean she was in love with him. She only thought of him because he reminded her of Adnan even though they looked different physically.

He produced a smile, and that smile pierced into her heart. She quickly checked his teeth. Okay, he had different teeth with Adnan. His teeth were larger than Adnan’s.

“ Miss Sunshine! What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to MY company?” Hayat said.

She frowned.

“ First, I told you not ever call me that again. And what do you mean your company?”

“ I own this place.” He said with a serious expression, then smiled. “ Just kidding. I work here.”

“Oh my God! That is my bad.”

“Why?”

“ I have just been employed, not permanently though.”

“ Whoa! You mean I am going to be seeing more of you? Time for introduction; I am Lucky. Goodluck Lucky and you are……”

“Don’t even think about it. I am here to work.”

“But I wished we had met in another fashion.”

“Meaning?”

“ Like bumping into each other and you spill cappuccino on my clothes, or flinging off my papers on the floor, and you are like’ oh. I am so sorry!” He chuckled. “ You know that movie and novel cliché right?”

“ How is your sister?”

The smile on his face vanished at once, a serious expression took place, he looked left to right, as if he was going to tell her the greatest secret of his life.

“ Worse.” He said in a lower tone. “ She reduced taking so much chocolates. Now, she is addicted to ballakwabo. Do you know it? I don’t know the English word for it. Peanut sweetened cookies? It is too sweet and she has a box for it. She loads it, has a special customer in Kuje, then she lies in her bed, reading a novel which she holds with the left hand, and the right hand does the flipping of pages and transfer of ballakwabo from the tray to her mouth. She needs a therapy.”

“ Ballakwabo is peanut and sugar.” She said.

“But she takes it in excess.” He said. “Well, I know you will do something. When are you coming to see her?”

“ Now I know you are crazy. I am going to resume. I was on my way to Sales Department. That is my place.”

“ Oh no, why? You should have been brought to my zone. I am in the admin department. I am an admin manager….oh…I guess you saw him. Okay, I am an admin officer….wait! You are the new girl? Miss Naairah Mukhtar? Your papers came to my desk. Now, you need to thank me.
There was a serious debate about your appointment. Most of them were of the opinion that you would not get employed. There was a board meeting so I was there. So, it was agreed upon to make a vote. It was a 50-50 count and I was the last person. So, I cast my vote in your favour and you got the job.”

“Hmmmmm…that was so nice of you, Prince Charming.” She said sarcastically. “ The part I don’t get is when administrative officers became part of the Board of Directors. Find another way of impressing me. Have a nice day and tell your sister to be careful with ballakwabo. Apart from the sugary content, oil is there to give her face pimples.”

She left him and walked away.

He walked back into his office which he shared with his colleagues with an ear to ear smile.

“What is wrong with you, Hayat?” Nneka asked .

“ I am in love.” He said. “ Like I have never been.”

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Who is more okay than the one who found a soul mate who does not seem to like him? But I will not relent. I am going to pass a circular round this company. The new girl is my target so she is off the list of single ladies. That goes to all these fine boys we have in this company.”

“Don’t you have confidence?” Aisha asked with a smirk.” Why are you so scared of competition?”

“I am scared, yes.” He confessed. “ If you guys don’t want a national strike action, then warn all these guys to stay off her.”

“Strike action?”

“ Don't mind me.” He giggled. “But seriously, I am in love. I just found her. For those of you who have been asking me to get married, very soon, insha Allah.”

Ramat who was sitting quietly behind her computer smugly grimaced. Hayat looked serious even though he said it like a joke. Who was that girl who wanted to take what she had been nursing? Hayat was for her and there was no shegiya (bastard) that was going to have him.

2009


Ameer could scarcely believe what Mr Farouq told him that morning.“ I really appreciate your diligence, and ambidexterity. I am sad that you will be leaving but happy that you are going back to school. I have a proposal for you. Zaria is just close-by. If it won’t be a bother, I suggest you should be coming in every weekend to see what is doing on. I can’t run it alone. Your wages would be paid as if you work daily.”

“What? That is too much. I can’t accept that offer.”

“You should accept it, please. If you think it would affect the factory, no. This is two hundred thousand naira. It is my gift to you. Happy studying.”

Ameer like he was dreaming. Who was this man? First he had made him a foreman from a labourer. Then he treated him with respect and frequent ex gratia.
He bought enough food for Hajiya and gave her a substantial amount to keep her comfortable. He also sent Amaar some amount then went to school. He was able to rent a one room self-contained apartment, and gave it a fair furnishing.

But this time, he was more reserved. Unlike the happy-slappy bloke he used to be in UJ. He could not help think of Fateema. When he saw guys walking with their girls, he remembered her. He never forgot to pray for her after every salat.
But Maryam had reduced the pain. What was left was memories and prayers. Maryam visited him at least once in a week. She would come in the morning and leave in the evening get home before crepuscular. When he went home for weekend, she would be with him at the factory, and they will go to the garden.

By this, there bond was intensified and the love proliferated. Ameer told her about the kindness of Mr Farouq and she had thanked him immensely.

They were sitting in his small office, waiting for him to close So they could go to the garden. Her veil clung to her body without her notice and the outline of her curves and edges was accentuated, then the beautiful design on her hands sent an electric impulse through his system.
Ya Allah! Would this girl agree to marry him now? He had a job which could sustain them but if she insisted on waiting until he graduated, he would then increase his rate of fasting. Yes, he needed that fasting as advised by the Holy prophet SAW

He had noticed her lackadaisical approach when the issue of marriage was brought. She loved him but she seemed not to be interested in marriage. Was he not good enough for her? Was there anything like marriage phobia?
Had she ever been married? Irin sakin wawa? Did she go through an experience that left her traumatized? What was it ?

“ Tell me that the devils are back in your head.” She said, “ you are out of here.”

Her voice brought him out of he is thoughts.

“ I want them to know.” He said. “ That is what the devil in my head tells me.”

“ Who are they and what do they need to know?”

“ Parents. They should know I plan to abduct you and take you away for life, from your house but as a kind abductor, I will allow you pay visits.”

She chuckled.

“ How will they let you abduct their daughter? It is not possible.”

“That is the irony. It will be in cahoots with them.”

“They love me so much they would not oblige to the devil in your head.”

“ Funny as it will sound, they will aid and abet me. Yes, they love you, and care for you but they would support me in abducting you. They will grant me permission, and dad would even spend money. He would invite his friends and family members to witness the abduction of his daughter.
He would were special clothes, smiling and be congratulated. ‘Oh, your daughter is gone for life’, he will be like, ‘ yes, thank you very much,. Your mum will be happier, even though she would cry when my gang members are taking you away, she would be waving you goodbye and pray for the car not to develop fault.”

“ God! That is my home and I am not leaving!”

“Who said so? Let me abduct you and see. Now, if you Dad comes back from Maghrib and does not see you, he would be like, why hasn’t she COME BACK? But then, if he comes back and sees you, he would be like, why hasn’t she GONE BACK? You become nothing but a visitor in their home….”

“ My home, dude.”

“ Their home. Your home lies with me. Where you are in control of the kitchen and not a cook under your mum.”

“You are savage!”

“ Home is your place that is permanent. A girl has no permanent space in her parents’ house. She has an expiry date of stay where yan baruwana give her notice. She is still at home? Home is where we go to after the garden or where you spend the night with me when you come to visit me in Zaria. Home is where we have the liberty to be together and that veil is not obstructing my sight. Home is where the barrier is broken between us and we turn breeders.

Home is where you and I will be, I would never give you up for any ransom. Home is where Ameer Adam intends to live with Barrister Maryam Kankia. I won’t mind if you still bear your maiden name. That Kankia may spice up your law job. Your father and former landlord has built a name in the law world.”

She was mesmerized by his words, touched and he sparked the love for marriage in her again but that thing was still holding her back. It scared her and felt it would repeat itself. She did not want to go through it again and it seemed it was going to be worst this time because she never felt bonded to a man like she was to him.

“ The Prophet’s (SAW) wives never bore his name. Why do we do it? Is it not bidi’a? Is not haram to bear someone else’s name?”

“ I heard some fatwah about that but the problem with a dalib who just began to understand Arabic is when he reads something, he concludes and establish a theory and promulgate. Fiqh is esoteric, and needs the intensive scrutiny by the mu’alims (Scholars).
The issue of bearing a name apart of your father been haram is misconceived. The case of Zayd and the Prophet SAW was different. A child can inherit his father’s properties but not a child who you take as a child and now feel he has all those rights. You cannot marry the wife your son has married but don’t say it is the same with a child that is not yours biologically. It is based on rules and the name does not matter.
Salman RLA was known as Salman Pharees. That was the name of his hometown. Abu Huraira RLA was called the father of cat and the Holy One named him that himself because he was always carrying a certain cat.

The Arab use the word ibn or bintu. You hear Turai Yar’adu and not Turai bintu Yar’adua. Maryam Ameer and not Maryam bintu Ameer. It is not mandatory to use your husband’s name but it not haram because it is just a name and that does not mean you take him as a father. Remember, you share the same bed…”

“Kai! Stop it there.”

They laughed.

“ The day I will catch you…..”

“ I am as slippery as ice. You won’t catch me.”

“I will trick you.”

“ Now that I know you have an ace up your sleeve, I will be on guard.”

“ I hope you will be like Afnan.’

“Who is Afnan?” Maryam asked.

“My cousin. When she got married and was about to be taken to her REAL home…..”Ameer began before she cut in.

“ Dude, what is your problem? Must you keep reminding us that YOUR home is where we belong?”

He giggled.

“ She began to cry, saying she would not leave her home. There was a lot of drama before she was forced into the car. There were a lot of women in the car. Friends, aunties, gogos, da sauransu. She kept crying in the car, not speaking to anyone, then they got to the area where the house was located
But they missed the description. They asked, and searched but they could not find it. Afnan was still crying. Then Gogo Kumatu said they should go back since it was getting late and there were a lot of married women there.
When the driver reversed, Afnan wipped off her tears and said, ‘ it is the next street. The house with a blue gate! And Gogo Talatu said’yar tusa, ashe kina so(naughty girl, so you are interested) !”

“ Damn!”

They both laughed and she felt tears in her eyes.

It was at that point it happened. She stopped laughing as a sudden heat erupted in her. Oh no! She began to sweat, and shook in pains.
Ameer frowned. What was wrong? She tried to stand up but fell on the ground. She was shaking and her eyes were rolling back, her teeth chattering .

“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un!” Ameer rushed and grabbed her. He almost released her as he felt the temperature of her body. He had never seen a human’s body get that hot.

“ Maryam! Maryam!!”

She could not answer. She was dying on him. He had been through this before. Not again. He carried her at once, forgetting the strange heat of her body.
She was shaking vigorously and it took an effort to keep holding her. As he ran out of the office with her in his arms, the labours stopped working and ran to him.

“Please get her car keys!” Ameer shouted! “ Hospital !Hospital!! Please help me, pray for her, pray for her, pray for me!!”

He was trying to stay calm but he could not. He was also shivering, jittery and confused. The car keys was brought and she was rushed into the back seat.
He asked Zakari, the truck driver to drive. He wanted to hold her, he wanted to be by her, he could not stay away.
She was looking worse. Almost dead and he was now crying and praying. She was trying to tell him something but she could not.

“Please stay strong Maryam. Please don’t do this. Please, stay with me, by me, I will do whatever you want. Please.”

Tears now escaped through her eyes as he hugged her tightly feeling that could make her stay. Who could stop the angels?
Zakari put on the headlights and pushed his finger on the horn button constantly as he whipped the car mercilessly on the highway.

2006

Ameena was preparing for WAEC and NECO after one year in the school. She was fed up of living in the house just because of Yusha'u. At first, he had offered to assist her with tutorials. But she became skeptical when Fareeda showed how surprised she was. Yaya yusha'u never bothered to teach them anything.
When they asked him to help them in their assignments, he always complained and grumbled. How come he was inviting Ameena for tutorials and after a second thought invited Fareeda?

"You two are friends so you won't be serious if you learn together, "he had said, "I will start with you, Fareeda then Ameena."

So, Fareeda would get a thirty minute rushed tutorial and Ameena would get two hours because 'she needed to catch up as a new comer. Sometimes he will feign to be making a call to Amaar and say something like, " Haba Amaar, stop deceiving the small girl. That was what you did to Aisha, and Khadijat. Kaji tsoron Allah(fear Allah) ." He made such calls knowing Ameena would hear but he would pretend to be oblivious.
Then he started buying her things: ice-cream, cup-cake, cookies, snacks, then it moved to shoes, clothes.
She would always tell Amaar and he would thank him.

"You don't have to tell him. It is not everything you tell him. I am doing this for the sake of Allah. Don't even let my sisters or mother know. In short, if I want to get something for you, I prefer we go together but secretly. I will call you and tell you where to meet me."

"I am sorry I can't hide anything from him. Since you are not the one saying it out, it does not affect your ikhlas. And about going out secretly, I don't go out without permission and I have enough of everything I need. Uncle Amaar provides for me and I don't want you to bother yourself. I am not rapacious. Did he tell you?"

" Tell me what?"

" He is the one I will get married to, insha Allah."

" Are you sure?"

" Yes, insha Allah."

"Hmmm..I see you like a sister and would protect you like I would protect Fareeda. Don't ever trust a man. Not him, not me, not any man."

She had smiled.

" If you say you and any other man, I heed to that advise but Uncle Amaar, he is out of the league of people I cannot trust. If you tell me not to trust him, then you don't know him after all the years you spent together. Thank you for always warning me with the PHONE CALLS you make reminding him of how he deceived Aisha and who...ko Jamila ne ko Khadija ne oho. But I don't need to be warned because if he is deceiving me, then I will heed to no warning because I will not believe even if he tells me that he is deceiving me.
I trust him with all of my heart and love him. Insha Allah, he will be the first man I will date and marry."

That was the day he began to hate her. He was surprised at her response. He had forgotten that the sixteen year old of this generation were not nippers. It was a digital world. He could not lure her like a toddler.
She knew his guiles, his baits which he called gifts, his boring tutorials. Amaar used to teach when he was around and he always came for weekends every fortnight. She had given him enough respite, respect but he chose to disgorge the respect into the drain.

Now she was about to write her final exams and in two years, they could get married. She was now sixteen years old. Ameer was about getting married. The introduction had been made and arrangement was been made. But Amaar will not get married to her then. He wanted her to finish her secondary school, and probably start university.

They were twins but that did not mean that they shared destiny. Maybe they were not destined to marry at the same time.
Amaar came back home that day and he came to see her. She noticed his mood. He had not told her what happened when Mallama Saudat called him inside her living-room.

" You said her Uncle is studying in Sudan, right?" she said.

"Na'am (Yes)."

" But he had never called her or heard you talk about him. And someone told me that it is a lie. They said she ran away from home because they would not let her date you. Now you brought her here, lodge her and take her out from school. I am well respected here and would not want to taint my reputation.
I also have daughters. I would not be happy if another woman keep my daughter for a man to be taking out. I want to talk to that uncle of hers. If I can't, then I will be forced to ask her to leave. I am a parent and you understand."

" I understand Mama and I will forever be grateful for all the time she spent here and the kindness you showed to her. I am aware that someone had come to say things which are not true and Allah is my witness over this girl. I have never taken her to a place that is not proper and if that was what I wanted, I would never have brought her to a responsible family like this.
However, her uncle cannot be reached now and based on what you said, she would leave at this very moment. May Allah reward you for the help you rendered."

" Ameen. But I did not say it has to be today."

" It will be convenient today ma."

He left and called Ameena and told her what Mallama Saudat said.

" It is no one else but Yaya Yusha'u." She said.

"What do you mean?"

She told him what had been happening.

" I never told you because I did not want to cause a rift between you two and I thought I could handle him until I left. But I was forced to tell him that when it was getting out of hand."

He did not want to believe her even when he knew she had no reason to lie. Then facts started agglomerating. Yusha'u once told him to watch her because it seemed she like company of boys.

"Do you see her with boys?" Amaar had asked.

" Small boys. Her school mates but you know, anything can happen." Yusha'u had said.

Amaar forgot the issue because he trusted her and that was most important. You could never watch over a girl, or stop her from cheating on you if she wanted to. She could make you accompany her to her lover without your knowledge if she wished. Fidelity was a thing of choice, loyalty and self- discipline. Trust was the key word in a relationship and he trusted her.

" Go get your things and we are leaving."

She felt tears in her eyes. Why was this happening? She went and packed her things while Fareeda cried. Ameena went and thanked Mallama Saudat who was acting as if she regretted her actions but was forced to do it because she was skeptical.

Yusha'u guessed Ameena would have told Amaar what happened so he decided to avoid him. What a voluptuous girl! He wanted her, like he never wanted any girl. Even if she was not going marry him, she should have at least given him her body before she left.
It was better he stopped seeing her, tickling his fancy, stirring his libido, and making him fantasize.

Amaar got a cab and put the luggage in the booth. They took the back seat.

" Where are we going?" she asked, suddenly wishing they could get married sooner and have their home. He had been in touch with her younger siblings. And the plan was working out. They were in school, a private school and he made sure their welfare was improved.

" I know a woman. She runs an orphanage and less privileged home. She is called Aunty Hauwa. The proprietor of Al- Hisan orphanage home. I love the name. I used to say I would establish a company with that name one day if I make it. She will take care of you."

" There is something else wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"It is not just about this. Please tell me. I know when you are not happy."

He hesitated, then closed his eyes.

La ilaha ilallah!

Tears? What was wrong?

Before she could speak, she felt tears in her eyes. She did not know what it was, but her feelings was merged with his. His pain, her pain. His joy, her join.

"Uncle Amaar! What is it?"

" Do you remember the girl you saw with my brother?"

"Aunty Fateema."

He felt his head so heavy.

" She was killed today. She and her entire family and Ameer has been arrested."

" Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un!"

She broke down.

This was the beginning of a new phase of life for them. The saga escalated!

rayvelez:
How do I get a copy

hard copy?

akanji44:
Beautiful piece. Well constructed and good job. Please how do I get the soft copy

I will let you all know soon

excelmerry:
What about soft copy SokoDobo?

Will be made available soon

THIRTEEN


2009

Ameer did not see Maryam for three months. She made sure he never did. When she was not having a case, she travelled out of the country, mostly to London. She stopped picking his calls at a point and begged him to stop seeing her.
He was forced to oblige. He had tried all he could in the past, gone to their house, office and she would not let him see her. Why? What went wrong? At least he deserved an explanation. All she said was she could not marry him and they had to stop seeing each other.
Ameer kept on with his foreman job which was just enough to keep them going after saving for school. He was about to resume school.
Then he saw her.

He had gone to the garden to relax and meditate as she called it. Then she appeared, unaware that he was there until it was too late. She came and sat next to him.

" Assalamu alaikum." She greeted as she sat down. Damn! How could she have guessed he would be here?

" Ameen Alaikum salam." He replied without looking at her.

Silence.

" When I was kid," Ameer began, still not looking at her, " my father would by a big ram, and make sure it was well fed, well secured, and show it love, and on a day when we wear our new clothes, and go to the vast field and perform salat, he will come back and ask for his sharp knife, and he will slaughter the ram.
I used to marvel. With all the love, protection and care, only to slaughter it? Then I realised, some things are nurtured to be slayed."

"Your father had a lot to gain by slaughtering it." She replied, without looking at him too. " And he did not slaughter it because he wanted to destroy it. But you failed to ask the reason for his actions."

" What if I had asked him and he decided to shut the door at me?"

" There may also be a reason behind it."

" Just letting me know the crime I committed, or the reason for shutting me out of your life would have helped. Just when you removed the constant image of Teetee from my head, and made me felt there was still air left to breath, and had an obligation to live and pray for her, you left me with the an aching heart."

" It was not about you, Ameer. It was for the best. I can't tell you why but all I was doing is not about any wrong you did. I loved our relationship when it was platonic. When we got closer, and you mentioned marriage, I freaked out."

" Why?"

" I don't want to hurt you."

"Has it crossed your mind that anyone who avoids you because he does not want to hurt you will never hurt you on purpose? And what hurts more than what you did to me? You showed me light and took it away. We could have remained friends at least."

" I am sorry I hurt you so much but we crossed the line of friendship. With that feeling, things would never be normal."

" The feeling was not mutual. I was the one who fell in love with you. You were only helping a depressed young man who just came out of prison."

" Yes, I was doing it to help you get your life back....at first."

At first?

" Then.......?"

" Ameer, you have been through a lot. I don't want to exacerbate things .And I also have a heart to protect."

" Mystery. Did you ever feel anything for me apart from the need to help me?"

She hesitated.

" Yes. I felt something for you so take the idea of the not-mutual thing out of your head. It was not easy staying away from you."

Really?

" Then why can't we make it work? Are you still in love with Ladan? Oops! Liman, sorry. Both names have a lot to do with the masjid."

" No. I actually called the engagement off."

He did not ask her why.

" I guess you think it was for the best."

" I am sure it was for the best."

" But never tell me avoiding me is for the best."

" Are you sure about that?"

" I am, insha Allah."

" When are you going back to school?"

" Until my lawyer gets back into my life."

" Then you are so blind. Can't you see that she is there already?"

He smiled and she opened her heart for him. She was done trying to avoid him. She could not even do it any longer though she was supposed to. She owed him an explanation but she could not. She had tried to do that so many times but failed.

" Jezebel has been sentenced at last." She said.

" Really? I heard there was a serious exchange of fire before she was arrested."

" Yes. And many arrests have been made in connection to that file. Mallam Uthman was a hero. She has been condemned to death by hanging."

"Subahanallah!"

" How many souls did she sentence to death? Life meant nothing to her."

" I hope she realizes her mistakes before she faces justifiable homicide."

" They are going for an appeal. Lawyers must eat. With the pellucid, and undeniable evidence against her, they still cajoled her for an appeal after what she said to the judge."

"What did she say?"

"After the sentence, she showed him her middle finger pointed upwards and said, " we would meet in hell murderfucck**. There are many ways to hell and been a judge is one."

"What?"

"No remorse. But......my dad called me that day after hearing what she said and advised me. He said judges will be subjected to severe divine scrutiny, tied and only truth and justice would set them free. The ethics of judges today is alarming. Even the sharia judges who use fiqh to judge are derailing from the right part. Money and women.
When a woman is pretty and has a case with her husband, he annuls the marriage, gets married to her and send him to jail. Bribery is prevalent and unjustified verdict is given in inheritance cases. Jezebel may have been crazy but a judge is not careful, hell is his abode."

" I will always be around to remind you of what papa said then."

She chuckled.

" Now, let us talk about your school....."

"Today is going to be all about us. Promise never to shut me out of your life again......."

They started a relationship that blossomed, and it was good until it happened that day..........

THIRTEEN

Damon sat on a chair while the Police chief gave him a look that made him felt like a schmuck deep in senescence. He knew that look. The type Alicia gave him when he told her about her real parents. There was pity and disbelieve in it.
It was not a doddle getting him here to talk to him. He had looked for Detective Jack Linderhum, the guy who tried to re-open the case and went to question Mr Grant or Maria before the case was closed again finally. It took one month trying to reach him and not getting arrested. When he finally met him, which was a dicey step, he told him what he knew about Richard and his wife. He told him they had Alicia in captivity if she was alive.

God! The last seven months had been hell. He recuperated fully after four months and at once hit the town looking for Alicia. He had no resources, no friends to help, no link, nothing. All he had was determination and zeal. He could not reach their mansion; neither could he reach her friends. So, he had to think of the law, the same law that wanted him. But for Alicia, he would take any risk.

Jack seemed to believe him but he noticed a lackadaisical approach. Then he confessed to Damon that he was forced to shut the case. He never suspected the Grants, never anticipated their involvement but he just felt something was wrong and he had nothing to lay his hands on. He loved challenges, loved unsolved mysteries and confessed envying Damon for doing what was his dream. But he had no capacity to re-open the case. There was something clandestine going on. Mr Grant was an international figure, a billionaire, a top politician and nailing such men who in the past had built an empire with many top men as his protégés, flunkies inclined to avoiding the most exiguous peccadillo which was prone to getting them ostracised or given a cagey coup de grace by the almighty Grant. He was among the global oligarchs in clandestine faustian pact, stirring world upheavals, yet top the list when it came to charity works and ostensible gregariousness. Pulling such men down was not about just having a badge. It was about miracle and divine intervention.

So he got in touch with Kennedy. Kennedy was an incorruptible officer, diligent and dedicated. Jack put in a lot of effort to arrange this meeting. Kennedy had the power to give a go ahead but his reaction now made it look like a debacle. Why was he giving Damon such a look?

" Do you know what you are talking about?" Kennedy said. " You are talking about Mr Grant."

" I do, sir"

" Are you into drugs?"


Damon frowned.

" No, sir"

"So, how did it start? Are you aware of your issues?"

" I don't understand."

" When I first heard about your accusations, I made a check on you." He said. " I'm sorry but you have got issues. We may confine you to a mental asylum if you keep talking about this or anything related to this. This is a serious allegation but considering your health status, we understand that it is not deliberate. But if you keep talking about this, we will have to put you way. "

" What health issues? What business do I have with mental sanatorium?"

Kennedy looked at Jack.

" Get the doctor."

" Yes, sir."

Damon could not figure out what was going on. Ten minutes later, Jack came in with a serious looking doctor who they introduced as a psychiatrist, They called him Doctor Sam.

" You know him, don't you?" Kennedy asked, waving his fat hands at Sam.

Damon shook his head.

" Never met him before."

Sam gave a smirk, shook his head and said, " it's crisis. It happens to him like that."

" What the fuc*k are you guys talking about? I never met you and if there is any crisis going on, then it is in your head." He pointed at Sam.

"It's alright, Damon. I have been treating you since you were twelve. I did most of it on my own, without any fee before the government began to pay me. Remember your mother had issues with the social workers and they almost took you away from her? Your father was a brutal soldier who only did military, women and beer. No one was there to take responsibility...."

"That is a cockamamie! My mum was always there! She had to work all day to take care of us."

" The records are there."

" I know the social workers tried to take us away."

"Thank God you admit that." Sam said . " You had serious mental defects. You always tried to hurt yourself."

Damon was shocked when Dr Sam began to show videos which was stored in his i-pad. It showed Damon doing stunts which of course were very dangerous moves not every sane child would attempt. He also had videos of him kicking and raking at his bike for stopping. Damn!

" We have enough reports by your neighbours who claimed you used to imagine you had a wife and would knock at your door for hours. And here are the records of your treatments for ten years."

He had a pile of authentic looking documents that substantiated his claims.

" Your former teachers also helped in given reports about you. They are still alive. There are records of payments by government to our sanatorium for your treatment. I thought you were fully recovered until this popped up. I brought you some medications."

Damon did not protest but stopped listening to him. He now got it. Richard! He was dealing with the mafia. He had Damon fixed. No one was going to take him serious. No one would start any investigation. He was just a barmy, a crazy guy who imagined things. There was no point of arguing, he was not going to win. This was now in his profile, sent to all agencies. Richard said it, and it was not a bluff. They ruled the world.

" Thank you Doctor Whatever but I don't need your medication. This is buried. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

" It's okay but I advise you take the drugs." Sam said.

" You know this is all a set-up so drop the acts. Now, may I leave?"

Ten minutes later, Jack was driving Damon back. They drove in silence.

" Do you know why you were not arrested?"

" No."

" You were accused of murder, conspiracy and hacking, right?"

" And you acted as if you never knew."

" The CIA agent handling it has absconded. A dirty agent called Harrison. He stole vital documents, withdrew over twenty million dollars which was sent to him from an undisclosed person, for an undisclosed reason and absconded. Your case seemed to be a set up. It was discredited."

Yes! Because he was now a toothless bull. The frame-up was dropped.

" Are you sure he escaped?"

"There are records at the airport. He and his cronies were on board. "

Richard! Damon saw them got killed. He cleaned the mess. Never leaving tracks. He did not bluff when he said they ruled the world.
Damon shrunk each time he watched Richard’s campaigns, the smiles, the sound speeches, the love he received from the crowds, the ladies crying that they were going to have the first female president. He saw the real him, yet he could not talk. Now that he was a certified barmy, it became worse.

" I am glad to hear that." Damon said. " I think I would alight here."

Jack swung the police car out of the way and pulled up. He sighed.

" Kennedy was doing his job. I don't blame him." He said.

" Why do you say this?"

" Because it's not everything you told us. You may not have killed, or stolen but there are some elements of truth. I get it. You don't want to incriminate yourself. " He looked straight into Damon’s eyes. " You are not crazy and the Sam documents were fake. I know this but can't do shit about it. I also believe you. This is a game played by world players. I hate it when we are taken for fools. I will keep in contact. I think I want to work with you. I know what is at stake. My job is one, my freedom is another. But it hurts to see America going into the hands of a devil like Grant. This is our little secret. Even if it means the last thing I will do, so be it. They got me down the last time I tried, he used nepotism to make me a fiasco, but this time, with what you have got, I will make it my greatest priority to get him."

Damon extended his hand and they shook.

" For America." Jack said.

" For Alicia. For America." Damon said.

Jack laughed.

" I love your sincerity."

Damon went into a restaurant and had lunch. He was just eating to stay strong, to have the energy to find his wife but nothing had taste. He wondered what she was doing, where she was and how she felt. Did she even know he was alive? Did they know he was alive?
With his new gained experience, it was safer to assume Richard knew he was alive. The Doctor Sam charade confirmed that. They had eyes, ears, hands everywhere .

" See who is here." A female voice said and Damon felt a bang in his head. " It's been a while since you jilted me."

Damon raised his head to see Kim standing over him. He did not know how to react. A part him said it was a big leap closer to Alicia. Another said the leap was closer to Richard and that meant keeping Alicia away from him.

" Kim. "He said. " How are you?"

" Broken." She sat opposite him." Oh my God! Look at what she turned you into. I mean you look troubled. But.....wait a minute. You were said to be dead."

"Who said so?"

"Steve. Shot by robbers."

"Yeah I got shot but I survived."

" Oh."

" So you forgot that, right?"

" Who would not want to forget? You love a guy and he ends marrying your best friend, and you are left brooding. Yes, I was glad you were dead. Was that not better than her having you?"

" I'm sorry if you feel that way. Still the blunt blond" He said . " But it was her from the scratch."

"Why didn't you guys say so? Why did she give me the impression that she was trying to make it work between us? "

" Because she tried to avoid me. She wanted you to have me so she could move on with Steve. It was not deliberate."

" You still defend her even when.......she has forgotten you."

" Where is she?"

She shrugged.

" I don't know. I can never forgive her so we don't hang out no more. She is not good for anyone. Being close to her is tantamount to getting hurt. She hurt all those close to her. I ,Steve, you , and ..."

" She never hurt me. She loved me. She loves me."

She smirked.

" That is how deceitful she could be. You made that goof like Steve and he is still making the same goof again."

"How ?"

" The last time I checked....." she looked at him with a smile, " they are back together and she is heavily pregnant for him. She is going to be his baby mama. Isn't that crazy? Steve sent this picture to me."

Damon could not find words to describe what he felt next as she showed him the picture of Alicia, vividly pregnant with Steve passing a cup of juice to her. A picture that showed a caring husband taking care of his pregnant wife. How could she have forgotten him so soon? Why couldn't she wait longer?

So that was it? He closed his eyes as an excruciating pain swam through his head. Why didn't he die?

David pushed his foot on the brake pedal of his pick-up and switched off the engine. He alighted the car, and Dex, their seven year old Dalmatian dog came jumping on him.

" Come on, Big Dex, hope you are good. " He played with it for a fraction of minute, then went into the big cabin. He built it himself twelve years ago and a day never passed without him appreciating the beauty of his handwork. It was a six bedroom personage, built in style and to comfort. The sequestered nature of the building which was situated in a serene environment gave him the quiet he needed after thirty five years of service. He and Sarah loved this place.

He carried the pack of groceries and walked in, saw Sarah, his wife of forty years sitting comfortably on an arm chair outside. Sometime he found it hard to believe she was sixty-three. She still looked beautiful and energetic.

" You look wonderful." He said. " Still the girl I met in a cobler's shop in 1977."

She chuckled.

" You are still the dashing young man who helped me pick up my shoes that fell down. But you never told me the centre of the part of your hair will go." He chuckled.

He gave her a peck.

" I missed you."

"I missed you too." She said .

" So?"

" Better than we anticipated." She said.

" Let me go see myself."

He went inside and met him sitting at the dinning, enjoying his meal.

" Hey, ready for a boxing match?" David said.

" Don't want to kill an old man." Damon, the boy he picked up almost dead months ago said. " I rather fight Anthony Joshua."

It was three months since it happened. It was a month since she became a breathing corpse. Damon was taken away from Alicia.
Her only regret is why only him? Why leave her in this abyss of despair? Well, it was only a matter of time. She was done with this world. What else? What was life without Damon? She was left with a world memories of him. The first time they met, how he shivered, and tried to get her attention.

Why did she not accept him then? That could have added to the time they spent together. Why didn't she know him since she was ten ,or eight, or one? Why did it have to be so short? She felt as if they only spent one day together, or less, maybe seconds. The best time of her life was with him, the best thing in her life was with him, the best of everything was Damon. He was the only person she trusted, the only one she was sure could die for her, and would love her no matter what happened.
He suffered all of those things because of her.

She imagined how he must have felt the day he went to buy cappuccino for her only to come back and find her gone. If his friends were there, they would have laughed at him. She knew how boys did that. Then he kept searching for her for months, saw and chased her only to be harassed by the cops. How dare she? But she was happy she had lunch with him. Stupid, you still hurt him that day. You refused to give him your number. Why were you not perfect? She remembered the first time they made love, the wedding night, the night she gave him her most precious possession: her body and soul. She smiled amid tears. It was a day she became a full woman, plunged into the land of honey from her little castle of innocence. All the times they spent in Nigeria, the remarkable honeymoon. Together they laughed and cried. Just a short time with him and her life was encapsulated in them.

He made her discover who she was, discovered the most hidden secrets and paid dearly for it.
Now she sat in her bedecked pool, all the flowers now looked dull, ugly, and repulsive. Damon left the world and the word illumination disappeared from her dictionary. He left and took all the sweetness with him, now Ice-cream was bitter, cupcake was sour, water was glutinous, foam was rock, and and joy was null and void. That was the life she was living. She knew a guard was by the door, when he spent six hours, another took over . What was that for? What did she need to go out for? He was gone and nothing else mattered. Were they scared she was going to expose them? Did she have any evidence? This couple were not ordinary. Who would believe her? Would that bring Damon back? All she wanted was to go where he was. She did not have his address but she was sure their souls would reconnect.

" Hello, Alicia."

She was so deep in her psyche she did not hear him come in. She raised her face, knowing she looked like hell and did not give a damn. Why should she look beautiful? Damon was not there to see it, to tell her all those beautiful lines of his, words that she would never hear again. Who could say them like Damon? His was not just words, but words with magical touch. Not just words, but words with passion. Not just words, but words with sincerity.

" Hello, Steve." She said in a little just above whisper. She had not seen him since the engagement night and rarely thought of him. That was what Damon did to her, he got into her heart and occupied all of it, taking it all for himself.

" I'm sorry about Damon." He said.

What was he trying to do? Act nice after all that happened?

" Thank you." She said.

" I have been seeking permission from your parents to come and see you. They felt you were not ready then,"

" Will I ever be ready for anything?"

" I know how you feel and I understand." He said in a cool manner. " I just want to say if you need someone to talk to, anything Alicia, I will be
there for you. I have always been there and I will never stop."

"Why are you still been nice to me? "

" Because I have no option. I can't never bring myself to despise you. We have been together for like forever."

Forever is a big word, dude. It was Damon that qualified for such a word.

" Thank you. You are such a nice person."

" I'm elated. I was thinking of getting you a keyboard. You loved playing , right?"

"Thank you but I don't need one now."

" But you have to move on, Alicia. You can't be like this forever."

" I'm sorry for what I did to you. I swear I never planned it"

" I know. It's okay"

" I loved him. I don't think I can move on." She shook her head. " I saw him get shot."

"Who? What is going on?"

"Em...I think they were robbers or something." She lied. " It does not matter who or what they were. They killed him." She broke into tears. He took time trying to console her. He was very patient. She just couldn't understand why.

" Kim and Samantha, hope they are good." She asked after she calmed down.

" Yeah. But we don't see like it used to be. After ...the incident, I kinda withdrew myself. I mean, you know how it is."

" Oh, I am such a horrible person. I must have caused you a lot."

" Don't go there. It was not your fault."

" So, did you move on? Any girl in your life?"

He chuckled.

" I tried but...I just couldn't do it."

"Why? You think all girls will do what I did to you?"

" No. But which girl will I love like I loved you? I waited for you all my life. I just could not get you out of my mind."

What?

" But I was married. I wasn't coming back."

" I know, I wanted to take time to heal if I would ever heal."

" Heal." She said. " I don't know if I can ever heal. I don't know if it's okay to tell you this but I can never forget Damon. I don't think I can heal."

" Time will tell. We all heal over a period of time, especially when we meet someone as caring or more caring than the former."

" Yeah. Thank you for your kind words. You are such a big hearted bloke."

" I want to have a bigger heart by taking care of you and it. How old is it?"

She smiled, ran her hands over her baby bump.

" It's four months old. That's the only thing keeping me alive." She said. " I can’t wait to have Damon's child."

He smiled.

" He will never lack fatherly love."

Talking about the baby in her was the best thing that happened to her since the incidence. Having Damon's blood in her, a soul that they both contributed twenty-three chromosomes each for.

She smiled.

" Thank you for coming."

He had barely gone when Kawu Jalo came, holding a sack . He was one of her uncles and the most notorious. He had been pestering her life, swearing that she must marry Hande . He glared at her, then spat on the ground.

" Come here!" He ordered.

Not here please. This is a market.

" I saw you with Hande. That is good. You have come to your senses." He smiled, showing the gap in his mouth where his two front teeth used to be. She heard he lost them in a fight. " His father is a chief, they have a big ranch, can't you see they a good family?"

By your definition and myopic point of view, yes. She thought

" Yes." She said, trying to avoid any argument that will turn vituperative.

"Good." He said. " They are angry but I was there five times to beg on your behalf." He said proudly. " They have forgiven us but Hande is said be angry. I'm glad you guys worked things out." He showed his teeth again.

" You young kids sure do know how to work things out. The father gave me a cow yesterday. A pregnant one. Can't you see that you have a great future there? All of these are for your good. The boy deceiving you, Fahad, is a thief."
Was this guy talking to a two-year old?

" A thief?" She asked.

" Yes. They don't even have a single cow. What do you stand to gain with him?"

It was at that moment the roaring sound of a chopper caught every body's attention. The big bird landed on a field near the market square. Every one was fascinated because cars could not even come up to the village but here was an helicopter. Fahad alighted, flanked by two armed military men fully dressed in camouflage, holding AK-47. Halima could sense adoration from onlookers. The market was brought to a standstill.

" Who is this?" Kawu Jalo asked

" That's my fiancé." She said. Under normal circumstances, he would have taken it as an act of disrespect and shamelessness to use the phrase my fiancé but he seemed to be absorbed in thoughts. Fahad walked to them, his guards fiercely looking round, giving a warning expression.

" Asalamu alaikum." He said in his sweet voice with a smile that got her melting.

" Ameen wa alaikum salam." Kawu Jalo replied before she could say a word. A wide grin fixed on his face.

" You are welcome ." Jalo offered his hand and they shook hands.

" I am her father ." He said. " Her father and I have the same parents. When he died, I took her under my custody."

" That is nice of you, sir."

Kawu Jalo laughed.

" Thank you. Why don't you come home. You must be tired and need a fresh fura da nono."

" Thank you, sir, but we need to pick Baffa to hospital and it would be hard for him to go in a car. The time, stress and all that. So we have come to pick him."

" Thank you very much. This is the result of my prayers. Baffa is my father. He married my mother, my mother is the same with Ardo. So when he married my mother, they gave birth to me.”

What was wrong with this uncle of mine? Halima pondered.

" And I have been praying for him. I have been dead worried for him. Allah brought you. You said you are transporting him in this jet?"

Jet?

Fahad nodded.

" I think I need to go with you. I hate to be away from him when he is sick. He will be definitely asking after me."

What? When did Kawu Jalo start caring for Baffa? He turned at Halima.

" Halimatu Sadiya." He called.

" Na'am."

" I must not see you with another man. This boy is a good Muslim. He will teach you Qur'an, hadith and fiqh. That is all I want. I'm not after worldly things."

" I know kawu."

" I am your baba not kawu. In our tradition, it is a mother's brother that is an uncle but a father's brother is a father."

So he knew that.

" Toh baba."

The villagers had gathered round the chopper, making different comments. Some even said it could travel to moon. And Halima was now the talk of the village. A girl with a guy in chopper. The military men would have to go back in a car due to limited space.
As they got into the chopper, the villagers hailed, clapped and wove. That was what happens when a chopper lands in a village where cars don't land. Kawu Jalo kept waving at his friends, like Baba Buhari during his campaign. He wanted everybody to see him. He asked someone to keep snapping him. He was happy. Very happy. As Fahad started the engine, the villagers clapped.
Halima was beginning to get smugly irritated.

She sat beside Fahad while Kawu Jalo was behind. Fahad helped with the seatbelts. Gradually, the big bird left the ground, increasing altitude and she felt uncomfortable, holding the edge of the seat. As they moved up, the crowd became smaller but she caught sight of Hande hiding behind a hill. Their eyes met, he quickly took off his eyes and feigned not to see them.

They were now up in the sky, everything looked small from that point. Whoa! She could see the vast stretch of the hummocks, the beauty of the land and nature. She had prepared her luggage which was at Baffa's house. But deep down, she was scared. They were going to Abuja for Baffa's treatment and definitely going to meet Fahad’s parents. What if they were going to reject her? What if Fahad was going to be taken away from her? She closed her eyes.

" Are you scared" Fahad asked, thinking it was height phobia.

She looked at him and then nodded.

" Yes. I have never been more scared in my life."

TWELVE

The market square was chock-a-block with gaggles of natives, tourists, buyers and sellers. The notoriously fickle weather was now felicitous as thick cloud made the scorching sun rays mild and warm. Halima sat on a trunk, obliged, faut de mieux, to watch the dreaded shadi.
She just could not understand the benefit of the game. She recalled Baffa telling her about some Fulani tribes that when a man was about to get married, he would be severely whipped. If he cries, then he would be denied marriage but if he doesn't, then he meets the requisite factor for having a wife.

Baffa was seriously ill and the herbalist kept mixing medicines which proved impotent. She believed in herbal medicines but felt diagnosing the patient was imperative. Baffa needed a proper check and her gut-wrenching uncles never cared. What kind of people where they? She just wanted to leave this place. She never used to think of leaving until she met Fahad.

She was not worried about Salim anymore. He was only still hanging around for her sake. He got a lot of money from Fahad and his white friends. He secretly went to the city and bought a big house with plenty shops. He said when renovation was complete, he would rent it out and have a steady income even when he got back to school. He used almost all the money he had to buy the house: twenty three million naira
Now he felt bad because Baffa needed medication. But Fahad was there. He was not the type of guy that you scratched your head trying to tell your problems. He was always watching, trying to know what was going on around you, reminding you of the things you needed, creating needs even when there was none, he was just that sweet guy, that dream husband, that guy you never got tired of, the type that was elusive. He brought the suggestion of taking him to Abuja.

Abuja!

She had never been out of Taraba. She was kind of agoraphobic, and the intensity of stares and attention she got made her sick.
Her uncles had the effrontery to ask her not to see Fahad even when Baffa approved it. Salim was even threatened for saving Fahad from Hande. They said they would stop feeding him, stop buying Sallah-clothes for him. He told them to go jump into the sea for all he cared and if anyone dared try to touch him, he was going to give him a dose of his accumulated madness. Feeding? Salim was a big boy and all thanks to Fahad.

" Wasap bek." Hande's voice brought her out of her thoughts. It was a market day and Hande never seized to use the opportunity to try and impress the caboodle with his dressing. Today, he wore a singlet, displaying his tattoos which was drawn with black ink. He had the picture of a badly drawn gun on his biceps, then a smoky wrap of weed on his neck. Fulanis had a lot of hair and in the past, most young men used to plait their hair. He had a comb stuck to his plenty hair. He had a plaster on his forehead which was part of fashion. She didn't blame him, Nelly was there.

His skinny tattered jeans sagged, showing his red boxers, then wore big black boots looking like what was inherited from a Nigerian civil war soldier. Looking like a cast for comedy, he held an android phone, playing Craig David's songs. He was chewing bubble gum. She hated to see guys chew like that but he said it gave him a funky look. Why should a man be chewing gum like a dame?
Puke!

"Crem Debis !" A girl hawking fura da nono hailed him. As usual, he raised his fingers in the air, wiggled slightly then said, " eyo, bek. You looking senatorial district."

What?

Halima came to realise that he had the habit of listening to news or watch movies and cram any word he felt was big, then use it at the slightest opportunity. The meaning of the word? Your business, not his.

" Kai Hande, kada katurance ni ( hey ,Hande, dont speak advanced English to me)"

He laughed hysterically. He loved such reactions.

" I sorry bek. I poget this is no Lagos. Kai, shit, wara men!" He smiled, " No eben those who learn am English from housegirl work," he was trying to insult Halima, " they can't fit spoke the thug nigga bitches English, arado."

" Byai-byai (bye-bye), Crem Debis." The girl said.

" Xenophobia, xenophobia! " He said proudly . " I promise you ass-cream and shawara (shawarma)"

Damn!

" Eben them don know the meaning of xenophobia. Eben me I go to South-aprica to get am that English. "

He now turned at Halima.

" I want you to inbestigate ( check out ) this pictorial (pictures)."

He gave some pictures to her. She reluctantly collected them and looked. The first one was the picture of a girl, wearing a big shirt which reached her knees, unbuttoned to show her singlet and big chains with a skull. She wore oversized face cap, baggy pants and flip-flops. She held out her finger with the peace sign and her legs wide apart.

"Hehehe ! That is Patara Biacch." He said proudly.

" She is lib in Jos! She come for summer, hehehe, you know summer? No. Only holiday. We meet am and fall in lob. Look the second pictorial."

The second picture showed them holding each other, with Hande holding a bottle of coke like P-diddy holding a thirty thousand dollar champagne.

" Hehehe, she is west side bek. You is lucky to have me amma you is pak up." He smirked. " Patara is no bilage baby like you. She is rheumatism (romantic). I go to her house," he said, gesticulating like he was rapping, swaggering and puffing, " I put rosemary (rose flowers)in my back and tell am to close her eyes, she is close it and I tell open, she is open and she is see it. She is collected it and waooo! She is snuff it and breath hardly and say this is delicious."

Did he just say delicious?

" Then she come and kiss me. Hmmm, she is taste like mangoron binta suga, but you is no kiss, eberything is muslim, muslim, muslim. Haba! Are you a Sahabiya (companion of the Prophet)? This is twenty-first centimetre (Century) but you is liking (lagging) behind. Patara get a butuful lamtom (beautiful laptop), she is brassing (browsing) but you is billage. You don't know lamtom, you don't pesbook ( Facebook). Do you know selfish (selfie)? Arado me is trying to strangulate marriage with you so me can show you things of city, not rearing of cow in the jungle, and holding stick. Patara is Fulani amma she is no rearing and she is no hacking (hawking) fura da nono. She is city Fulani, arado. So me is no lob you again. Patara is a west side slot."

Oh my God! This guy, try to know what words mean. Slot? Just because you hear it in movies?

" I'm sorry Hande....."

He quickly turned dramatically, how he saw it in a movie, like he was angry and she would go after him, begging, he put his hands in his pocket, and go like you hurt me and all that. She only wanted to say, “I'm sorry you feel bad but I never loved you.”

" Don't apologetic me. Shit! Warra shit, men. " He said, kicking the air. This was market but he never gave a hoot. " I'm no coming back. I'm sorry, bek, but you is late. Another lady is taken my heart. I tell you but you is no hear. "

" Hande..."

He raised his hand.

" Don't measure (mention) my name." He said melodramatically, then turned at her, making his face hard. " in the pass (past) I tell you, you is my one and no one that one like you is one."

How could she forget that poem? Hande thought he was the best poet in Taraba.

" I say you say climb tree like a monkey
I follow you like alkaki
I lob you like zaki
If you are honey land
Me is timberland
Every time I sleep I have nightmare of you
I lob you I lob you I lob you I lob you
I will carry you go America and New York
Took you to Dubai, india and Asia"

He smiled, '' but now this poetic is for Patara."

" Crem Debis !" One guy hailed him, after his normal reply and you look delicious stuff, the guy said ," won't you participate in shadi?"

" Shadi? In this twenty first centimetre ?" he shook his head. " If you like tell eberybody that Crem Debis is no manhood, I don gib a pak! Just like that somebody is bulala me and break my skin? For what? Me am Fulani amma am butter. You know butter? Ajebutter! "

"Sai Crem Debis!"

" Yo yo yo yo. West side biacch!"

He turned at Halima, then said, " I am going to Gaude. Patara is waiting. Kiss, kiss, and rheumatism today, arado. You tell me you is muslim. Me is no muslim? Ebery Friday I go to mosque and pray. So paking what? Pak. Gib me my pictorials."

He snatched the pictures, saluted then bounced away in triumph. She was sure he felt fulfilled, feeling he got a revenge, broke her heart, and got the last laugh.

She smiled. She was going to miss his comedy....Crem Debis.

Walter waited inside the cab before Angela came out of the building and joined him. She uttered no word as the cabby drove them to her residence.
They arrived a few minutes later, went in and she locked the door.

" So?"

" You had booked a plane for Nigeria." She said. " And the name was Dr Abbas H Babangida. An American, at least your papers show that."

Nigeria? Dr Abbas H Babangida!
The name Nigeria rang a bell but he could not get pictures.
Nigeria!
Words!
No pictures !
But he could see pictures when America was mentioned. He could picture a younger man, a teenager in a school, a college coming out a class and he saw her.......she had the darkest hair he ever saw, with very dark eyes. The lips formed a thin line, pink and full. The face was round and squashy.
A little below average height, and slightly chubby, he smiled at her. She smiled back and he walked up to her.

" Fresher?" He asked.

She nodded, noticing her shyness.

" Yes."

" Welcome to Cantoham." He said. " I am Abbas Babangida."

" Baba-what?" She said and he noticed a slight Arabian accent .

He smiled.

" Ba-ban-gi-da."

"Hmmm....what country are you from."

" I am a American. I was born here but....okay, an American born Nigerian. My father is a Nigerian and shamefully, I have never been to Nigeria. My mother is Asian. Korean but it seems my father's genes are so strong I am not even looking like a mulatto." " I am Aadila Ghadi, I am from the Republic of Yemen, came to United states five years ago, because my father works here now and we just moved to Illinois. We were living in Georgia. I like it there though."

" Kayfa halik (Arabic - how are you )?"

She chuckled.

" Alhamdulillah ( Praise be to Allah)."

" Ahlan wa sahlan (welcome)"

"Whoa! Shukran jazeelan (thanks a lot)" she smiled, feeling more at ease with him. "Where did you learn this?"

"I am a Muslim and I attend an Islamic school in my neighbourhood." He extended his hand. " I am glad to meet you."

She declined from shaking him.

"I am sorry, I don't shake hands with men."

" Ohh...I am sorry." He said feeling embarrassed. Then a young white guy came out of a class and smiled at Abbas.

"Meet my friend, Mason Ford....Mason, this is Aadila, my future wife."

" Future what?" Aadila said with a pout.

Then the images began to blur, and stopped making sense until the memory vanished.

He tried to remember further but he could not.

This face was a younger version of the lady that fell into the ocean.

" I was married." He said. " Aadila is my wife. We met in college but I don't know how we got married. I can't even remember my discipline or hers. Why did they want my son? And they also wanted her dead!"

Angela paced up and down, thinking, then decided.

" I have seen your surname somewhere." She said. " I remembered it because of the Baba. Come with me but.....never let this out. I think I am beginning to know why my father was in hiding. Come.'

He followed into her room, she opened another door then pressed a secret button and a door opened. There was a basement. They went down and she put on the lights.
Walter who now knew he was Abbas was amazed to see how big the basement was. No one could have suspected that the small bungalow had such a big basement under.

" This was my father's hiding place." She said. Abbas saw pictures hung on the wall, mostly military pictures, with soldiers. There was a part with piles of books on a long book shelf. There was a chess board on a cupboard, a wheelchair close by it, and a set of old sofa. The TV had a Video player beneath it, with piles of video cassettes neatly arranged. From the posters, there were a lot of war films there.

" I told you I knew some secrets." She said, walked to a wall and opened a secret safe. She brought an old diary . " I think my father died keeping this book from some people and I think David Vasitto was one of them. He called it The List and your father's name is there."

The list!
Abbas frowned.

" We must find The List." Abbas remembered he once heard. " Diego Sancho has the list and he is vanished...."

Angela opened her eyes.

"I knew it. That was my father!"

But that was all Abbas could remember.

" Let me see the list."

She handed him a the diary and he opened it. It was written in 1945. It was a list of names and they numbered about fifty. Abbas saw some of the names with asterisks. Haliru Babangida was numbered 27. That was his father. David Vasitto was number 36. Diego Sancho was number 15.

Below the list, the man wrote: We had good intentions but not all of us are good. The world should be a better place.

" My father's name is part of those with asterisks." She said. Just like your father's. These are the names of the men who formed BOE and someone wants the list to wipe some out some of them and their descendants because there is a new plan on ground. The members are incognito for checks and balance. Papa never revealed much. He did not want me involved. These men were war veterans and all fought world war two.

We must find out what really happened. And what happened to your father....and hope you get full recovery of your memory."

Abbas closed his eyes.

He had to find his son. What did they need him for? Why? He could not remember but he knew he was against it. He knew Mason had other plans.

Mason!

He felt a bang in his head.

" Mason Ford!" Abbas said. " Oh no! I must get my son and find Aadila."

"She fell into the ocean, remember?"

"Yes, but she was alive." He said. " I need to confirm.'

The Cadillac came to a halt amid exotic cars in juxtaposition. Mason, Maya, the huge man with a pony tail who was called Roberto, and the driver alighted.
Mason looked round the country house with admiration. The garden was bedecked with varieties of flowers and flamboyant trees, with an Olympic sized swimming pool which sat in front of magnificent box type duplex with modern Asian exterior design.
Palm trees surrounded it, with luxury water works displaying a scintillating sight. There were about six girls in bikini swimming in the pool, champagne and fruits arranged by the pool side.

On an expensive poolside bed lay a fat man with rattle snake eyes and Saddam Hussein Moustache. He wore boxers, exposing his pot belly, with a Cuban cigar between his fat fingers. A tray was by his side, stashed with expensive wines, devil's powder, cigar, fruits and bubble gum.
A golden necklace adorned his thick neck, with a water-proved Rolex wristwatch round his wrist.

The forty year old man was the current head of the Vasitto family which was a large family and there were whispers that it was a mafia family. But Don had portrayed himself to be a gregarious, patriotic and benevolent man. He had a foundation which awarded scholarships for the less privileged, vocational training and relief provision projects.

He had protégés in the government circles, both local and international. He was married to Adriana Sergio, a former Olympic star and model who bore him two children to add up to his eight children before marriage.
He was known to organize lavish parties, with lots of girls, and top men. He said this was important to ease tension, and concentrate on helping people.

" Mason Ford ." He said in his falsetto voice and thick Spanish accent. " Here you are in Bolivia. What a pleasant visit."

Mason shook the thick hands and sat on the chairs provided.

" Good to see you Don." Mason said as he settled his butt on the chair.

" Señorita Maya, bienvenido a Bolivia (Miss Maya, welcome to Bolivia)." Don said to stern faced Maya who took the second chair.

Don Flicked his finger and the two girls massaging him left. Mason starred after one of them from the corner of his eyes.

"Thank you, Mr Don." Maya replied.

" I don't know, you two, are you girlfriend and boyfriend, bed mates, partners, which one?" Don said and laughed but it seems he was the only one who took it for a joke.

" Traer mas Champan ( bring more champagne)" Don said with a loud voice and a personal waiter nodded at once.

The drinks were served and they began to drink." So what happened?" Mason began. " How did it go?"

Don inhaled smoked, coughed then puffed out, took a deep sip of wine then flicked ash off his cigar.

" Abbas was obstinate and refused to capitulate. He threatened to opt out and would not let us have his son." Don said, " and we all agreed that he and Aadila should go. My engineer set the engine to a timer to make it fail after fifteen minutes of flying, Haz was the pilot and he was ordered to snatch the child and fly out."

"I know all of these." Mason said. "What I am saying is he is alive and that is very dangerous. The matter of his disappearance has been upstairs and there are words that a team were here to investigate what happened to him."

"That is why I made it look like an accident." Don said proudly. " But they did not question me."

"They won't. They will go behind doors. They are masters of stealth. They give the impression that they feel he absconded but those old men could be foxy. We have come a long way to allow this goof from you slide us down..."

"Mason, my father was part of the original Bastions and the first to realize that their ideas were a result of delusion, and aftermath of war trauma. They were mostly lassitude soldiers who could not stand the test of time. He was the first to see the light and make part for a new world so do not tell me about sliding us down."

" What has that got to do with you not been able to kill Abbas and Aadila?" Mason said, " Mind you, my father was part of the originals, including Abbas's father. And my father did not see things the same way with your father but I did. I think I deserve more respect for standing against my father, and for the records, I am the leader of this new movement after the first generation. You were here, probably chilling with your damsels when the decision was made in Roundhouse. The elders made it and set the blueprint. Abbas did not argue, and he feigned to have obliged. I was the one who initiated the divergence because I know who Abbas is. He is like his father.
I could not let that happen. If Abbas had such a chance, he was going to stand against the new world plan and we could not afford that. I made Tiger 606 a double, and he was not known to the house. Now the House thinks Abbas has obliged and the plan is in motion.
I feel they are not fully convinced. The Grandpappe's assistant brought up a suggestion that got me on edge. He demanded for yearly sample of the child's blood for DNA scrutiny and same goes to Abbas. I was privileged to be there so I manoeuvred my way and was made in charge of collection. So, I got that place fixed.

I made the house understand that Abbas is still on board but has decided to quit himself. This will go on well once Abbas is not alive. I was shocked when Gwen discovered the beeping of the EBM. Abbas went with the code and the secrecy of his attitudes made the elders believe he had quit but it seems they are more concerned about the kid.
I had to silence her and come over at once. Abbas being alive is our greatest problem and it was your fault that it could not be perfectly executed. Now we are not here for credits and blames. I must remind you that your father could not get the list before he died and we don't know if Captain is dead or alive.
That is a topic for another day. Now, we must get it from the scratch. Where is the debris of the plane?"

Don sipped wine, feeling some of his carelessness hitting him on the face.

" I don't know." He said. " Haz was sure it crashed and he got the child."

Mason ran his dry palm over his face.

" We must find it, fast. That is our starting point." Mason said. " How do we do that? We don't have much time."

" Did you say the plane was set to crash after fifteen minutes of flight?" Maya asked.

" Yes, senorita." Don replied.

" We must find the coordinates, then calculate the possible distance travelled...."

"Okay. I think simple physics can do that ."

" We must get Haz." Mason said. " He will make it easier for us."

" I will get him." Don said.

" Remember we are not only making a new world, there is a lot of money involved."

" I know." Don said, fixed the cigar between his teeth and grinded absentmindedly. " I fu*ked up!"

"We will find him." Mason said. "And we would kill him!"

Naairah walked briskly, seeing nothing except the guy who walked confidently ahead of her. She was almost running. She felt her heart pulsating rapidly, fighting the urge to scream his name. The gap between them reduced, then she called out, “ Hayati (My life)”
The guy turned swiftly with a reaction that showed that he knew the name. He saw her and paused abruptly.
He raised his eye brows.
She stopped abruptly.

No! It was not him. But why did she feel like that? Why did she feel his presence? Why was her heart dancing to a tune of love?
Adnan had brown eyes but this guy had black eyes. He was fairer in complexion than Adnan. He was brawny, broad shouldered with an aggressive jaw. His eye brow was thicker and he seemed to be taller than Adnan.
His face was bearded and his hair was more curly than Adnan’s.
She saw a guy with class and cuteness, dressed in suit.

His Emporio Armani satin-lapel textured dinner jacket was white, worn corporately over black Loro Piana straight, slim chinos. His black bow tie was Lanvin double-layered satin which gave him a swaggering, gentlemanly appearance.
His shoes was Guiseppe Zanotti shoes which should have cost about five hundred thousand Naira. The black manly eyes were behind plane Versace VE3218 eyeglasses which matched his Gucci Dive XL watch.

Naairah recognized the fragrance of the very expensive Dolce and Gabbana Velvet desert uod cologne. This guy was in his own class of handsomeness and uniqueness and she was not only disappointed that it was not Adnan, but she was embarrassed, and angry for letting his gorgeousness take a toll on her. She almost melted at his sight but she was quick to compose herself.

“ Hayat.” A girl called and walked towards them. The girl was a pretty slim damsel who was also expensively dressed but Naairah had enough of the guy to pay more attention to her.

Hayat? And she called him Hayati. Was that reason for his swift turn?

“ Have we met somewhere, Miss pretty?” He said and she noticed the difference in voice with Adnan’s. His voice was lighter than Adnan’s and he had a more polished accent.

Naairah shook her head in embarrassment.

“ I am sorry, I mistook you for someone else.”

He smiled and the smile was like been blown with cool air after running out of an oven. That smile you want to keep seeing, and knowing it was meant for you. A smile that reminded of her Adnan. Who the hell was this guy, that raised her blood and temperature?

“ Oh,,but you called my name…the possessive version though.”

“ I did not call your name"

“ Now I guess it was a title and I feel honoured that my name was used.” He said and the girl came and joined them. Naairah felt uncomfortable, hoping the girl was not going to act all stupid.

“This is my sister, Aaliyah." He introduced. “ Aaliyah, meet, meet…. Miss…oh she is so bright…Miss Sunshine.”

Naairah did not know when she gave him a sharp glance. What did he just call her?

“Excuse me?”

“I am sorry, I don’t know your name but that name suits you. You are an epitome of brightness.” He smiled.

Aaliyah smiled and moved forward. It seemed her brother was making a move and she knew when to give space.

Naairah suddenly felt stuffy, as if the oxygen was been drained out of the air.

“That is not my name and please don’t ever call me that again.”

He noticed that the name meant something to her. Did he trigger a memory?

“I am sorry, I am Hayat Anas. May I know the princess’s name?”

She shook her head.

“I came after you because I mistook you for someone and that’s it. I do not tell strangers my name.”

“I was a stranger a few minutes ago. Now you know my name and my sister’s. Okay, I am based here in Abuja, though still living with my parents and work somewhere as an Admin officer. Now you know me better…..Oh I guess someone came in search of you.” He said as he caught sight of Nadia. “ I don’t have vampire fangs, just tell her you are safe. ”Naairah turned and saw Nadia behind them.

“ I still insist, you don’t need to know my name. Have a good day….”

“Okay, that is my sister, please tell her your name and give her your phone number. I want you to be friends with her. She needs inspiration. Please I want you to be admonishing her. She takes too much chocolates and it is not good for her. Just do it for her…”

Naairah chuckled.

“The graduation gown I am wearing is not a transition gown to from nursery class to primary one.”

“ Who said you can trick nursery kids these days? Even a nursery student would know that my trick is so lame.” He said. “ Okay, no tricks. Can I have your number, please. I do send duas (prayers) to loved ones on Fridays.”

“ May Allah reward you for your intentions but no.”

“ I guess you are really angry I am not your Hayati. But since I am not Hayati, manage me please. It is just the i that is missing.”

“Did I say I was planning to change him?”

“ I just observed that you were using a lot of past tense. I used to call him Hayati and only I called him so. Hayat was not his real name.”

She felt a sharp pain going through her heart. No one could replace Adnan. No one!

“ Yes, I may have used past tense but he will never be a past thing in my heart.”

“Ohhhh, now I get it, He was your ……..I don’t want to say it. I am already jealous. Okay, let me have your number and I will fix things up. Did I tell you that my mum calls me Mr fix it, and dad calls me, Mr mend it?”

“Congratulations! I have to leave.”

“ You graduated today. I am really proud of you, miss .”

Again, the way he said that made her jolt out of complacency. There was a feeling of satisfaction and assertiveness as he said it which sent her heart pit-a-pat. She looked into his eyes and carried off hers. The black eyes pierced into her and she felt it deep into her soul.

“Thank you.” She said, finding the weakness in her voice and she turned, walking away from him.

Nadia gave her a smile.

“ What a guy! And he was all on you, did you see the chemistry between you two?”
Naaairah.

“No. I only saw Geography between us.”

They were walking away.

“Don’t tell me you will let this guy go.”

“I don’t even know him. I thought it was Adnan.”

“ Adnan looks nothing like this guy, I just did not want to discourage you but I think Allah just pushed you to him. Hope you gave him your number?”

“No name no number.”

“What? Why?”

Naairah turned and saw the guy standing and watching her. He wove at her then joined his sister and they walked away.

“ I am waiting for Adnan.” Naairah said. “ I don’t want to give him a false hope. What if Adnan shows up?”

“I can see the this is the closest to Adnan. Do not miss it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have never seen you close to succumbing like this since he left.”

“ I think you are wrong. He is handsome and attractive, masha Allah but Adnan is still in his position.”

Nadia shrugged.

“I hope we won’t build castle in air.”

“Insha Allah.”

“Has it crossed your mind that you may never see him again. You don’t even know who he came for, no contact, nothing. You could have giving him your number, that is not tantamount to collecting bride price.”

Something hit her heart at that moment. What was wrong? Why did he make her feel something…something she had not felt for a long time. He made her felt she was cheating on Adnan and that got her into a fit of pique.

Damn him!

TEN


The environment was a seethed cauldron of exhilaration, fulfilments, hope, and celebration. The official ceremony was over, and parents rejoiced as the day they dreamt of was around: Graduation day.
The graduates wore smiles, bliss conspicuously splashed on their faces, as they hugged each other, taking snapshots.
They deserved to be happy. Years of stress, academic vicissitudes, some gut-wrenching lecturers who loved suffering students, sleepless nights, money spending, marriage postponements by some parents, and fear had come to end.
They were graduates.

A group of girls were taking shots, amid jokes and persiflage, after some shots, one of them walked silently, sequestered herself, sat on a culvert and buried her face in her palms. It has been three years since Adnan left her. Three years of unimaginable pains. She had tried to move on but she could not get him out of her mind.
Her mother had helped to organize a search party, and the riverside were searched, asking the locals if they saw any dead body or survivor. No one saw anything. The search went on for long until they gave up.

She now understood why Adnan was keeping details from her. A group of people came and interrogated her, with the consent of her father, and used a lie detector machine, along with some experts.
If Adnan had told her the details, she would not have been able to hide the truth. They wanted to know what she knew about the waves, and the source, and micro-chip era.

Life was never the same since then. She only pretended to move on but she could not spend ten minutes without thinking of him.
She remembered his words,” I have no one to pray for me except you. Please do pray for me.”
And she never performed salat without doing that.
Today was her graduation day. He had promised to be there. But our lives were not in our hands. She wished he was here. He had inspired her, changed her educational orientation. He amazed her. The guy only collected her hand-outs and textbooks and studied only to teach her in a manner she had never being taught.

She hated mathematics and some of her courses had mathematical applications, especially Economics related courses. He made her believe mathematics was simple, ignited mathematical love and interest in her, taught her basic foundations and took her through an intensive tutorials. A guy who stopped at primary three.
The few months they spent together changed her life forever. It was like they spent all their lives together and he left her with a vacuum which no one has been able to fill up. And she did not help matters too because she never gave anyone chance to come close to her.
She was twenty one and not thinking about marriage. That was something Adnan made her want three years ago and the zeal died down after he left.

Her friends talked to her several times, even her mother told her to move on and accept qadr. She accepted qadr but deep inside of her , she felt he was still alive.
She was still waiting for him. She did not know where he was, and not even sure he was alive, but she felt as if his heartbeat was close by, or far but so powerful she could feel it. She was not sure if she was only being delusional, or living on false hopes but she was ready to take the risk.

She was not sure if she could love another man the way she loved him. She was not even ready to fall in love again.

“ Naairah.” Nadia called softly. “ You are crying.” She moved and sat close to her and held her hand.

“ I am not crying.’

“You are darling. Today is not a day for crying. We should suspend all pains and rejoice.”

“ I have been doing that. I just wish he was here. He was instrumental to my success. He was a driving force behind me.”

“ You did this for four years and he was just there for a few months. You can’t ruin yourself.”

“ Those few months changed everything. They made the remaining years more productive. I don’t expect you to understand how I feel.”

“I do but you must move on. Why can’t you give Sadiq a chance?” She said. “He has all a woman needs.”

“Only Adnan has all I need and please do not go there. No one ever sparked up that light in me like he did. I want to give myself more time. I will wait.”

“ I wish you would think about it. It has been three years. If he is alive, he would have come to look for you and if he is alive and refuses to look for you, then he does not deserve the wait and loyalty.”

“ I am not sure if he is alive or dead but my heart keeps telling my Adnan is alive and there must be a sort of explanation for his absence.”

Nadia shrugged. Naairah was obstinate. Sadiq was her fiancé’s friend and he had been dying to have her. Naairah now had a phobia for men. She could be friendly but once the issue of a relationship came in, she cringed.

“ Nadia!” She called suddenly, her heart beating rapidly. “ Nadia!”

“What? I am here.”

She pointed a finger.

“Is that not Adnan?”

“Adnan?”

“Look, he is wearing a suit. He promised to wear a suit on my graduation day. Look!”

She pointed at a young man who was walking towards a block.

“ I don’t think that could be him.”

“It is!” She said and sprang up. “Give me a moment.”

She said and went after him.

2005

Amaar and Ameena arrived Kaduna around ten o’clock in the morning. It was her first time in the crocodile city. The trip had been unplanned, and preparations short but one had to be ready to make a way when there seemed to be no way.
He kept racking his brain in the car before an idea dropped into his head. He remembered Mallama Saudat, Yusha’u’s mother.
He called Yusha’u and told him to meet them at Kawo garage. He also called Ameer and told him he would stay out that day and the next. He felt guilty keeping secrets from his brother but knowing some things could be harmful.
It was better kept secret until the right time.

Yusha’u was Amaar’s polo teammate and they had been friends for years. Amaar told him about Ameena. He edited the story: She was an orphan who was being maltreated by her aunt and was sent into prostitution so she ran away.
He told him that she needed to stay hidden for a while before her uncle comes back from Sudan. And she was eighteen years old. Not fifteen but eighteen.
Mallama Saudat felt bad when she was told about Ameena. Being a mother, with daughters, she felt she had to do all she could to protect the girl. Amaar made it clear that reporting to police was not a panacea, because the racket was armed with nepotism.
He said her uncle was studying in Sudan and would finish in two years. Amaar hoped to have graduated and …..and what? What was his plans? That thought seemed to have come from his subconscious mind.

Mallama Saudat had six children. Yusha’u was the only son and he had three elder sisters who were all married. Ameena was accepted with love and joy. Fareeda, the last child, who was in SS2 was most enthusiastic. She loved Ameena from sight and she was glad she would have a new friend at home.
Ameena was to share a room with Fareeda and Amaar told her that he had limited time so she was going to enroll into school the next day.
Fareeda ran after Amaar and begged, “ Uncle Amaar, please enrol her into our school, pleassssse.”
Amaar smiled and asked the name of their school.

“ Future Killers Academy.”

“ What?”

“Just kidding. Best Future Academy.”

Amaar passed the night in a friend’s room. He could not go home since that was tantamount to letting Ameer know he was in Kaduna. The next morning, he took her to the school. When Ameena heard that the Registration fees was one hundred and fifty thousand, she lost hope of attending the school which she fell in love with from the moment she stepped in there.

They demanded for her last term report sheet and entrance test. She passed the entrance test but had no report sheet. Amaar was desperate so he bent the law. He went to a friend who worked in a school and forged a fake report sheet.
Unknown to Ameena and members of his family, Amaar called a man who had been begging him to sell a plot of land he inherited to get the money ready.

The man was exhilarated. He asked Amaar to come for the money at once. One point nine million naira. He was accompanied by Ameena who did not know what was going on. She only knew about the fake result but did not know about the sale of land.
She was registered and they went to market to buy things. The school provided all learning paraphernalia which was paid for as part of registration fees.

But she needed other things like school shoes. He bought three pairs, and two school bags, extra stationeries, and clothes . She had only a few which he bought for her in Jos. The last time anyone took her to shop for school was when her mother was still alive.
She remembered the thrill of such outings and never knew there was anyone left to do this for her again. When he bought a box for her and began buying clothes, shoes, bags ,cosmetics, fairly expensive jewelries, she became speechless.

Was she dreaming?

The shopping was fun, and he would always ask her, “is there anything else you want?”

“No.” she would say. How dare she say yes.

“But you need …..” He would think of a woman’s need and go for it.

Uncle Amaar, you must be an answer to my mother’s prayer, she thought.

When Mallama Saudat saw the things he bought for her, she marvelled. Then Ameena did something that shocked Amaar.
She took some of the items he bought for her and gave it to Fareeda saying Uncle Amaar asked her to give into her.
That was a splendid idea he never thought of. This girl was wise!

The next day, he enrolled her into Darul Tauheed Islamic School where Fareeda and Hameeda attended.
She settled. She was pleased with her new home, new schools, new family and new…..brother? or…..no, don’t go there.
Amaar went to see her in the evening because he had to go back to school the next day. They were sitting in the compound.

“ I am very happy, Uncle Amaar. They are so nice. I thought people like these were no more in existence.”

“Na Allah basuqarewa ai (Godly people would always exist) .” He smiled, “they might be few, hard to find but they would always be there.”

“ Like you.”

“ What about me?”

“ Your type is hard to find. A man who will spend the night with a girl and ……”she bowed her face in shame, “and chose to perform salat instead.”

“ There is an hadith that says if you get a chance to acquire something through haram (illegal means) and you leave it for the sake of Allah….you will acquire it through halal (legal means).”

Did she understand him? Okay, he was just explaining an hadith. It had nothing to do with them.

“You are right.”

“ If we go on break insha Allah, I will go to Gombe and see your siblings. I got another idea. There is a friend of mine who is going to serve there. I will use him and claim community service by a youth corpse member.”

“ Thank you. May Allah reward you.”

“ Ameen.”

“ Take this. It is ten thousand naira. You might need something when I am not around. You will need money for brunch break, and just anything.”

She could not say thank you. It was too much. She had never owned a thousand naira if hers. She never even attended a school as expensive as this when her parents were alive.

“ Insha Allah, when you get married, you will have the power to openly take your siblings away from the village.”

Married? She bowed her head.

“ I will be going back to school tomorrow insha Allah.”

She felt her heart sinking. She did not want to stop seeing him. He made her felt safe, and comfortable. She knew he had to go back but the reality was touchy. She had only known him a few months , and only got closer few days ago but he seemed to have always been there and part of her life.
She could not tell him not to go or ask him to take her along. She had to be strong but nothing would make her not miss him.

“ You sound cold about my leaving.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“ What would you do the day I will collect your dowry and marry you off…you will be gone forever.”

He had intended it to be a joke but the words hit her in an unexpected manner. The idea of having a time when she would have to part with him was disheartening and he said it with all pleasure. He did not care?

She broke into tears, shedding tears profusely.

“Subahallah! What is wrong?”

She cried for more than ten minutes before he succeeded in pacifying her.

“ So you don’t like me. You want to send me away. You want to part with me…”

“Shhhhh…” was she serious? He was in no doubt in love with her…what? Okay, he admitted it to himself today. Yes, it was love. From the first day he saw her but he kept denying it. He did not want to take advantage of her, or make it look as if he was helping her just because he wanted to marry her.
But it seems the feelings was reciprocal or mutual. Whichever word, he was having problem with words now.

“ I am sorry I said that. I thought you would want to go one day, when you are okay to go…”

“ I don’t want to stop seeing you.”

“ You are only a young girl now. You might get tired of seeing me.”

“ I am young but old enough to know what I want. I will not get tired of seeing you.”

“But there is only one way we can do this. I don’t want to stop seeing you too. The thought of you leaving me breaks my heart. But we can’t be together except….if you and I live together and that means we must be permitted by Allah to do that through an institution called…you see….”

She chuckled and used her palms to cover her face.

“ Meena…..would you like to live with me as my wife.”

She still had her face buried in hands.

She nodded without a word.

“ Are you sure you want this?”

“ You tell me first. Are you sure you want it or you just feel …pity..”

“Shhhh…don’t ever think it’s pity. I love you with all my heart. Love could bring compassion, care, whatever but the feelings I have for you is beyond description. Yes, I want this more than anything else.”

“ I want it too. I ….” She chuckled shyly , “ I love you too.”If only she knew what those three words meant to him and what it also meant to

Yusha’u who was eavesdropping with his lips between his teeth.

“This is not love”, Yusha’u thought, “but appreciation. The love will be mine.”

TWELVE

Maryam was determined help Ameer get his life back and she sacrificed a lot for that. She made sure she picked him from work daily, and they would go the garden, talk, eat then get some snacks for Hajiya.
She knew he could be stubborn so she did not rush into telling him to quit his job. Sometimes, he offered to pay for the snacks. That could take up the whole money he earned for the whole day. Instead, she stood by him when he worked, sometimes she offered to help him. He would say no and thank her.

When they were not going to the garden, she took him home and dropped him, they would chat before she drove back. When she was busy and could not make it, she would call him to apologise and promise to make it up to him.
She never mentioned anything about Liman again, but sometimes she received calls from him. Ameer never made any comment.
She traveled for a week for an investigation into a case. When she came back, they met at the garden and before she knew it, Ameer had bought snacks and drinks.

“ Ameer, you are spending a two day wage.”

“ Who said so? “

“You know, you know, when I was in school……”

They both laughed.

What?

What just happened?

Ameer laughed!!!

He felt something different, strange and almost new. It was over two years since he laughed last. Not even a smile or a smirk. The last person he laughed with was Fateema, on the last day they were together, before he left for home, before receiving the inglorious call.
He could tell the date. And that was it. This was his fifth month after release and he laughed….she made him laugh.

She saw how he stiffened. The feeling was strange. He did not know when he did it. Please let it go, Ameer. This was the first time she saw him laugh and it was a remarkable sight. He looked more handsome, and vivacious. She wanted to see that part of him before she executed her plan.

“ This is celebration.” He said, “ who has more right to say that than me? You know, when I was a prefect in the polytechnic, our Vice councillor……’

“ Damn! He said that?”

They laughed again and this time, he let go. His heart felt lighter, and seemed to have more space.

“ He said more. He studied business studies accounting.”

“ What is wrong with that guy?”

“Megalomaniac syndrome and amour propre” He said ,“but he is my mentor. I want to be like him. I just got another job.”

“Really? Alhamdulillah! Tell me about it.”

“ A man met me and said he used to see me working in the block industry. He said he bought a block industry and needed a foreman…..he wanted me to be one. With my few months of experience, I told him I was not qualified but he refused. He said I just did not want to help him. So, when I checked the activities of Mr foreman, I realised it was all about organization.
I accepted and we employed experienced labours to add up to the ones he absorbed from the former owner. And now, I earn three thousand naira a day. And he gave me what he called start up allowance of twenty thousand naira.
I used fifteen thousand naira to buy food stuff and groceries. I am now a foreman. I think it is a stepping stone. To me it is a big leap. No more shovel and pains at night.”

“Pains at night?”

“ Yeah. I was not used to it so each time I got home, I felt pains . I used to take pain relievers but soon realized it may become part of me so I stopped. But most labourers take Tramol and other enhancing drugs. So you work and feel as if it’s not your body.”

“ Hmm..you just discovered a new phase of life.”

“ Yes…I respect people who earn by hard labour…and marvel that they are sometimes not paid.”

“ That is savage. I am happy for you…..now that you gave me the good news, I also have one for you.”

“ I can’t wait to hear it.”

“ You have to wait. I won’t tell you until next week.”

“ No, please…okay tell me and I will ask you to stay back at home so I will advocate on your behalf in court.”

“Case won already.”

They chuckled.

“ I am sorry I never told you about this…..I travelled not just for investigation but for you. I went to Jos and I have been doing that for the past
five months. You have been allowed to join them in the new session to complete your degree program….and when this was done, I also applied for a transcript for you so you can complete it at ABU.
I am sorry I took such a decision on your behalf without your consent. I am truly sorry. And if you don’t like it, we could start something about it.”

Ameer was silent for a while, and he stopped eating. After the silence, without looking at her, he said, “ I am dumbfounded and overwhelmed. Sometimes I feel you can see through my heart. You see through and know where my pains lie, and the potential joy lies. You know how to push the button which suppress my pain and trigger my bliss and fancy.
What idea could have been better? I thought my education was crashed, but you still risked your life ,expended your time and resources to go through the rigmarole of doing this for me. And the decision for a transcript was the best. Going back to that school would just trigger my pain, and everything would remind me of her.
I want a new environment…..:” he gave her a look, “and a new life. And that is what you just gave me. I can save two thousand Naira daily and would have saved enough to go back to school. I now know how to hustle, not the wait-and-collect-rent-fee guy.”

“You were a business man.”

“ The pharmacy, yes.” He now continued eating. “ After all these, after everything, you will leave me.”

She gave him a sharp glance.

“ How?”

“ I will graduate next year, insha Allah. You will get married next year and ….that is it.”

“ Getting married does not mean we can’t be brother and sister again.”

“ Yes, from a distance. The big line is drawn, the red one. No more garden, no more, no more.”

And she saw a little pain in his eyes. Did he feel anything for her? No. it was just compassion.

“ You will get over it. There will be a princess charming to comfort you.”

“ Euphoria.” He smiled. “ I wonder what will become of me when you are gone. You have become an integral part of me. You revivified me literary, and showed me how to smile again, how to laugh, how to walk , and how to live.
I thought life was over, until you showed me that it could be a start. You taught me how to live with the past, the present and the future. But you never taught me how to live without you. You never taught me how to forget you. I don’t know if I would be able to learn that, or have the percipient potential to catch-up.

But you had a life before me and have a life after me. You told me to embrace qadr. And one who may never find ever lasting happiness ought to accept melancholy as a pal…’

“No! You have the right to be happy.” Her eyes was now watery. “ You should never accept melancholy because no one told you that your qadr is pain and unhappiness. We all have problems, have issue burning but we just have to live on.
I know we can’t be together and that is not because of Liman or any man.”

“What do you mean?”

“ I and Liman broke up and the engagement has been cancelled. I am not dating anyone and ….don’t want to be with anyone. I am not getting married next year but somehow…..we have to stop seeing each other. I thought I could handle it, be there to the last but it is hard for me.”

She opened her bag and gave him an envelope.

“ Your letters and documents.” She said. “ I have to go.”

“No! What is wrong? Why are you crying? Why did you cancel your marriage? Okay, save the details but irrespective of what I have said, I want you to be happy and cancelling your engagement will hurt me.
Okay, I will learn to live happily ever after.”

“ You don’t seem to understand. I can’t be with him.”

“ Will you marry me? I know I don’t have money or….”

“Please don’t say that again. Never talk about money. I know you are not impecunious because you are lazy. You have a life ahead but…..I am sorry ,I can’t marry you. We can’t even be together, we can’t have a relationship. I am done with it. I am done with it. I just want to be left alone and let those who feel I don’t want to get married talk. I had been engaged twice and this is the last. I have made a decision.”

“ No. You must not take such a decision in a rash.”

She got on her feet, wiped off her tears and forced a smile.

“ Please forgive me…I need to be home. I cannot drop you off at home today.”

“ What is wrong? I can go home on my own but you are breaking my heart.”

“ I am sorry I did. Bye Ameer.”

She turned and walked away hurriedly. He fought the urge to follow. What was going on?

2008

Maryam bought meat pie, steak meat and soft drinks . They sat on the pew and ate.

“ I must have been in prison when this place was established.”

“ Yeah. I think it is just five months old. I used to come and sit here to meditate.” She said.

“ Alone?”

“Yeah, most times but sometimes with a friend.”

“ Friend.”

She chuckled.

“Yes, friend…..like you.”

“ Do you consider me a friend or client?”

“ A friend.”

“ I am glad to have you as a friend.” He said and he realised he talked more with her than he did with anyone else . “ I know your name is Maryam Kankiya. And you are a girl, a lawyer, nice and strong. That is it.”

“ Oh, there is nothing interesting about me to know.”

“ Okay I know where you schooled and all that but tell me, about you, or your plans.”

She could not believe she had got him talking. He had never talked to her freely like this. There was more life in him .Was it working?

“ My plans is to be dedicated to my profession and religion. Friends and family inclusive.”

“You know what I mean and don’t play law on me. When do you plan to get married?

“ Next year insha Allah.” She said.

“He is very lucky.”

“Liman is his name.”

“ A lawyer perhaps.”

“ No. Why do you think our life revolves round law.?”

“Just to make it complete. Your parents are both lawyers. Get married to a lawyer and your children will have both Parents as lawyers, grandparents also lawyers.”

She chuckled.

“What is wrong with you?”

“Excuse me?”

“You said I am your friend. I know something is up. I may have told you all about me because you are a lawyer but let us pretend I did that as a friend. Talk to me.”

“What makes you think something is wrong? I was laughing.”

“ I know. Tell me about Liman .”

Could he see through her? How could he see something like that?

“ I will do that some other time.” She said . “ I am sorry but I don’t want to talk about him now.”

“You are crying.”

“I am not….”

He saw tears in her eyes.

I am sorry to announce that our publishing partners requests that we pause posting updates on Married To A Fink. I will however try and make more postings so as to cover upto chapter 16.

As announced earlier, we've completed Married To A Fink, and it will be ready for distribution starting 4th October 2018. Those interested in getting the hard copy and reading the complete story can pre=order for it here now.

Beneath My Heart, The Root Of A cynosure and The Last Insurgent will also be available mid October 2018.

2005

Amaar quietly but nimbly parked Ameena’s belonging into a bag, then lightly tapped her, not wanting to startle her. But she was almost startled.

“Shhhhh” he whispered, “ stand up.”

“ What is wrong?” she asked, fear splashing on her face.

“ We must leave if the need arise. We must be alert. Just get up silently, and put on your shoes.”

“Are they here?”

“Just relax.”

“Please tell me?”

Amaar carried the bag, wore his shoes, made sure everything was set, then nodded.

“Yes. They are here.”

“Innalillahi wa ina ilaihi raji’un!”

“Shhhhhh….”

She was jittery, and shivering. She did not want to go back. Never!

“I need you to calm down. Just keep praying.”

She nodded, the sleep completely off her system. Ameer peeped, he saw them move to the next door. Who gave them the right? This was a hotel for crying out loud. Jib began to knock at the door .

“ Police check.” He said. Damn! They were impersonating. They have told the hotel management there were cops. Such criminals had fake IDs and other swindling documents. There was a wait before someone opened the door.

“ We are from the CID. We are looking for a dangerous criminal” Black said. “We are sorry for the disturbance. You can go back to sleep or…whatever you were doing.”

“Thank you officers.” The man said and gladly went back. They moved to the next door.

“ It is Jib and Black.” Ameena whispered. “ how did they find us?”

“You can never tell with these people.”

Amaar thought of a way out. If he tried to open the door, they would get them, if they waited, they would still get them. He checked the windows, they are burglary proved. What was he going to do? They had about seven doors to get round to them.
He went into the toilet and brought a small piece of metal. He then climbed the reading table and tore a part of the ceiling. He made a space then asked her to climb. He put on her phone flashlight and gave it to her.

“ We will have to use this part. We have no option .”

She nodded.

He grabbed her, lifted her until she grabbed two planks. He pushed her upwards and she slid into the ceiling. She coughed as dust rose.

She got into the ceiling.

“Wait. Don’t move.” He said almost aloud.

He carried the bag and lifted himself up and joined her in there. He also had his flashlight on.

“ You will follow me. Do not match the ceiling boards. You should step on the planks instead. If you step on the board, you will fall down.”

She nodded.

They began to move cautiously inside the ceiling. He would pause, turn and see if she was okay. The care he showed to her kept her strong. Now, she did not just want to be safe for herself, but for him. She knew if anything happened to her, he would be badly affected.
From his calculation, they were now at the back corridor. Using the metal, he tore out a part and jumped down. she could not jump down.

“ Just drop, I will grab you.”

She hesitated.

Then she heard a sound inside the ceiling.

“ It is them. Hurry! ” She heard Jib’s voice and a flashlight shone on her. She dropped at once. Amaar grabbed her but he almost missed her because she had jumped out of fear. They both fell to the ground.

“They are coming after us! ”she said. They got up and broke into a run. But the main gate was locked.

Damn!

Jib dropped from the ceiling and ran after them. But he did not find them. Amaar had ran back, to the back to see if they could vault over the fence. But she could not.

“ Come let me raise you.”

As she moved to him, someone smacked him. He blundered against the wall and hit his head badly. Ameena screamed and that must have terrified the hotel lodgers. It was Jib.

“ I told you!” He said bitterly, “ You claim to be holier than thou but you brought a small girl to hotel.”

Ameena was crying. Jib went for Amaar but that seemed to be a great mistake. Amaar sent a straight punch which hit him on his nose.

Pwak!

He thought his nose has been cut off.

“Ya cire min hanci(he has removed my nose)! He removed my nose!” Jib yelled.

Amaar took advantage and sent his knee into his ribs with a quick follow up with a smack on his jaw. Jib dropped like a mill sack. Amaar searched him and saw a pistol. He carried it and also took his phone.

“ Let’s go.” He held her hand and they ran out.

“ Stop!” Black appeared. It seemed Jib was the only one who followed them through ceiling and Black was left to guard the front door.
Amaar turned and pulled the trigger. Black ducked. Amaar then forced a shot at the gate and broke the lock. He shot at Black one more time before they ran out.

The hotel management had called the police. When Black realised this, he quickly told Jib who was still wriggling in pain that the police was still coming. Jib could not stand up. Black removed all the things in his pocket, put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He left Jib’s dead body there and escaped.

“ They escaped.” He said into the phone as he got to where they had parked their car. “ They hit Jib and he could not stand up. The police were on their way…”

“Why did you not kill him?” Jezebel said.

“ I removed everything in his pocket and shot him.”

“ Very good Black. You will have a massage session when you come back. Did you say they escaped?”

“ Yes…..”He explained to her .

Meanwhile, Amaar and Ameena were hiding on a hill top. Before climbing the hill, he saw the remains of fire made by a tea man, he packed some for making fire at the hill top. It was cold.
He spread some of the clothes for her, asked her to lie down while the fire warmed her. He then settled to watch over her against any harmful animal or person. At dawn, they descended from the hill and went took a cab to Farin Gada.

Before they boarded a car, Jezebel called him. “She is calling me.”

“ Who? Queen?”

“ Don’t call her that. Call her Jezebel.”

“Okay. Please don’t pick her call.”

“I must pick it. I got to talk to her.”

He picked it.

“You are dead, Amaar” she said. “You and the girl. I would get you.”

“ Do you think you are the only one who belongs?” Amaar said, “ Remember you asked me which confra I belong to?
I won’t tell you the name but we are all seeing. The Police will find Jib’s body and guess what? I have his phone. All your call log is in there. I did that before Black. So, the Teks stuff should die now and let me tell you, if anything happens to me or Ameena, the phone would be given out. For your own good, back off me for life.”

She could not risk taken it for a bluff. That was how Amaar escaped her troubles. But he did not know that she was after his brother and Fateemah. He thought he was done with her. Yes, she never disturbed him again but she had other ideas.
By 6:35 AM, they were in a car going to Kaduna. Amaar looked at her and smiled. They were alone at the back seat which was meant for four people but he paid for the whole seat.

“ Free at last.” He whispered.

She wished she could lay her head on him. What? Her head on him? What made her thought of that? She needed that comfort. But that was wrong. So she only smiled back.

“Alhamduliilah.

Thank you all for your prayers and concerns. Am doing very good now.
Enough updates comes later today.

Born2Breed:
SokoDobo, Updates are getting shorter.... don't let me get angry, and use my PDA to hack into your brain and read all the stories.

Sorry ooo. Being busy plus sick at the same time lately. More updates will come today though.

Her shrill cry filtered into the air and echoed, making her mother and almost everybody at home come out of their sleep abruptly. Hajiya Fatima made religious exclamations and found her husband also out of sleep looking befuddled.

"Did you here that?" He asked.

"Yes. That was Naairah." She said as she jumped off the bed with alacrity, and then dashed out of the room, followed by her husband.
They rushed to her room, where they found her on the floor, crying profusely.

"Naairah!" Hajiya Fatima shouted and bent over her, raising her head and holding her. "What happened? Did you fall down? Are you sick or is it a nightmare?"
Alhaji Mukhtar stood with arms akimbo, checking if there was any visible sign of violence, break in, or blood. Naairah was still very agitated, finding it hard to believe Adnan just left her. He promised to be there, not to leave. No! He said he was going to wear a suit on her graduation, and they would get married soon after, and he would be studying computer science at Nasarawa, but now he was gone!
It took a lot of effort to console her, as Hajiya reminded her to recite salat and put her trust in Allah.

" What happened?" Hajiya asked.

"Adnan is gone. He is dead."

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un (From God we come, and unto Him we will return)! When, how?"

Alhaji Mukhtar relaxed. He thought it was something more serious. It was not as if he wanted Adnan dead but it was no big deal to have him dead because he was distracting and hypnotizing his daughter. She was almost obsessed with him.

" Calm down everybody." Bas said as she walked in with a gun in her hand. Followed by Bash and Daxy. They all wore face masks to hide their faces. " We would not hurt anyone if you are of good behaviour. Your security man must have taken kura di nunu, he is dozing like a filled python."

"It is fura da nono." Bash corrected her." Okay, good morning everyone."

Alhaji Mukhtar felt a shock in his heart, and his blood began to rise. Armed robbers!

"Please don't hurt us!" Alhaji pleaded in trepidation. " If it money you want, I will give. My wife has gold....."

"We don't want any of those!" Bas said and then turned at Naairah. " All we want is the PDA Naairah and we are out of here. You and your family will be safe."

"So you killed him! You killed him!!"

"No, we did not." Bash said. " But we need the PDA. You know better those who killed him. It is not our business. We had no reason to kill him."

" What is going on here? Do you know them, Naairah? Give them what they want!" Alhaji Mukhtar said with a relief.

If anything happens to me, destroy this PDA she recalled.

" I don't have it." She lied. " I don't use PDA. I have a smart phone."

" We are talking about the special PDA. No smart phone can do what it does. Adnan customized it. It is here, We traced it." Bash said.

" Search the room." Bas who was impatient said at once, keeping her gun on them. " Do that, quick!"

Daxy set to action. Naairah knew it was just a matter of time before they found it. No!
Adnan warned her but she was too flummoxed and perturbed to have thought of destroying it immediately, besides, she never expected anyone to trace it down here.

" Bingo!" Daxy said with a smile. " The incredible PDA by a genius is here with us."

Bash began to quiver in joy. He could not believe his luck. This was the incredible PDA. He knew it would be encrypted and they would not be able to use it. Adnan was too sharp to have left it opened. But there was a solution to that. He turned at Naairah.

" Now you are going to show us how to use it or else......" He produced an evil grin. " Your parents will die now!"

"Subahanallah!" Alhaji Mukhtar exclaimed. " Naairah darling, I know you to be pedagogic. Teach them and get blessed. I wish Adnan was alive, I would have blessed your union. Teach them."

Naairah broke into tears, " he did not want anyone to have it. It is dangerous."

" It is not."Her father said. " These children are good kids. They are so respectful and nice. Teach them."" I love you Abba and Ummi." She said, getting up on her feet. " Adnan did not want this."

"Adnan was dilussional." Bash said. " His past made him so paranoid. I was his mentor and helper."

Naairah moved to Daxy who held the PDA.
She took everyone by surprise. She snatched it, and dashed out of the room. Bas did not hesitate to fire a shot at her which she missed. Hajiya Fatima screamed.

"Bas!" Bash screamed. " She is the only one who knows how to use it. If you kill her, we are done."

"Then let us get the bitch!" Bas said and ran after her.

" We would take her with us." Bash said as he ran after her.

Daxy followed in pursuit. They had to get her.

" Did Naairah just try to sacrifice us for Adnan's wish?" Alhaji Mukhtar wondered.

" Did you not see that she was shot at? She sacrificed herself. There must be something deeper than we think."

"Are you supporting her? How much is the PDA? I can buy a share in the company."

She pouted.

" That is our daughter they are trying to take away." She said and ran out of the room.

Bas frowned! Where was this bitch? She paused, looking round the compound. She could not escape from them. Never!

Then she frowned.

"What ?" Bash who was behind her asked.

"I smell something." Bas said.

"I do too."

Then they saw it. A car was caught up in flame.

"Nooooo!" Bas screamed.

"What?" Bash asked.

"She must have used a car gas lighter and set fire to it!!!"

" Jeeeeezzz!" Bash screamed as they ran to the car.

Naairah was hiding underneath another car a few hundred yards from them. She hoped the PDA would get burnt completely.

Hajiya Fatima had already called the police.

"We must leave, quick!" Bash said. He could feel tears in his eyes. And Adnan was dead! The PDA gone! Now he felt the pain of Adnan's exit."

Naairah came out of hiding after they had gone.

She wiped off her tears.

" I don't believe you left me." she said. " I don't care what I saw! I will look for you, wait for you. You must be alive Hayati. You must come back to me." She broke down into tears.





" You messed up Addy!" Dr Abbas said.

"Are you saying this because he is your son?" Addy accused. "Are you getting sentimental?"

"Shut up! Family over relative."

"Does that make sense?'

" By Family, I did not mean biological family. I am not concerned about him as a person but what he stood for. We needed him. Do you know why he is what he is? Did you not discover that he was the brain behind the unconventional hacking? Did you wonder how he was able to use complex technological methods to secure his hotel room? Can't you remember what he was constructing at the age of six?"

"Now, try to make me look dumb."

" Shut up and I am getting sick of your thick wittedness. Adnan was not picked from the dust bin...'

" I know that already. He is your son. I was the one who was picked, right?"

" No. you were not picked from the bin." He said. " Adnan was born in USA, California. It all began two weeks after he was born. I was in USA then, shuffling between the States and Bolivia. I will tell you who your real parents are today. Belva Cane was the first person who noticed it."

"Noticed what?"

" That's what I want to explain........."

Alicia tried to assure herself that this was for real. She hoped it was a nightmare, or hallucination, and someone would tell her it did not happen.
Just a few minutes ago, she had been scared that Damon was sick, he needed to see a psychiatrist, the trauma had blurred his senses. How could he tell me that the wonderful, kind and simple couple that adopted her were her real parents? The mafias! How could he tell her that her father was her mother and her mother was her father? But to her dismay, he wasn’t a barmy. He was rather smart, and solved a mystery that no law man had solved.

While he was talking, she watched everyone and the expression on her parents' faces weakened her. They did not look astonished or ready to deny. Then some things started adding up. Her father had always taken the role of a mother. The first time she menstruated, she got scared and cried, ran to her mother. It was her father who calmed her down and told her all about it. It was him always giving her sex education, telling her how to dress, commenting on her makeup. It had always been there, she just couldn’t see it. How could she? Who could have thought of that?

At first, it was her, her parents and adopted twelve year old brother. Then she came to find out that she was also adopted and her real parents were Richard and Maria Cliff. They were said to have died in Vegas. Then they were said not to be dead. Then Bug said they were killed years later. She wanted to know them, not because she wanted to be with them but out of curiosity. She was glad the Grants were not like them. She had never seen any sign of violence in them. They never liked anything that brought trouble. She was even angry at a point that they were too soft.

Unknown to her and the rest of the world, they were the dangerous couple, the notorious Richard and Maria Cliff. So, Jeff was her biological brother. That was the only good thing about it. She had always felt that bond with him and the resemblance was there. Poor boy. He believed he was an orphan. Unknown to him, he was living right under the nose of his parents. This saga was full of twists. She did not know what to believe anymore.

She had to scream as dad and mum, no, Richard and Maria, or Ted and Amanda shot and killed three federal agents with such expertise and heartlessness. She never liked the agents, they were going to kill Damon so they got what they deserved but it was shocking.
Richard smiled at Damon.

“ I never underestimated you, boy.” He said. “ We never underestimate anyone and that is one of our greatest secret to success. But even though we were proactive, I never thought you will get this far. You make it look like we are bad guys.”
He widened his grin, and his feminine mannerism was gone.

“ It’s like saying the wild animals that kill preys are bad. No. It is necessity that drives them and compel them to kill. It is all about survival. Yes, we are the Ciffs and I am her father. She thought we abandoned her, no. We escaped and made sure we came back for her. We are caring but we could not come back as Cliffs. So we took the big step. We had to kill Cliffs and become Grants and live a free life. So, I became Mrs Grant and my wife, Mr Grant.” They both chuckled.

“ I had to start learning how to be a woman and she a man. We had no option. I am not a Caitlyn Jenner kind of trans, it was not my wish to have these balls, “he pointed at his firm bosom. Alicia now knew why they were so firm. Fake!

“ But it stopped your cheating habit.” Maria said amid smiles

“ Oh, yes. I mean…I cannot have any girl because the only girls that will go for me are lesbians. And when a lesbian who feels she is going to have a nice time with a sweet chick like me finds me with a ramrod stick, she will go hoo-hoo and that means…..exposure. So, I stuck to my wife. In day time…”

“ I was the husband,” Maria chipped in.

“ At night….”

“ I am the wife.’

They both laughed. It was amusing them.

“We needed another child. You don’t know how this thing works. Family money is meant to last for generations. Can’t you see the Rothschilds, and the Rockefellers ? They train the children who train their children who train their children. But we did not see the potentials in Alicia. She was kind of naive, prim, mild, soft and that was bad for business. We needed another child so she got pregnant and had to move to Africa. Jeff is going to be trained. We wanted Alicia to marry Steve. Steve is a well-trained boy, he knows family values, a potential heir, a competent future boss but you came in and thwarted it. We knew you were not together when you went to our country home. Forget all Maria said about you cheating on Steve. We also knew when you fell in love but we saw it coming. You may wonder how we know many things. In this game, you must have an ear to the ground. We rule the world. We have eyes everywhere, we have hands in every section of the society: the law, the government, the religious body, entertainment, educational institutions….we are every where. We got the big eye that sees all, we got the sun that shines on all, we got the rain that pour from the sky…..we are untouchables and this does not come with no underworld. We have over seventy billion dollars in our empire and that must be kept moving. A pedigree has been established. And the fools in America are excited they are going to have the first female president.”

Maria giggled.

“ I love the drama.” She said.

“ We must always make a fool of them. That is what it means to be at the top…..”

“ The bodies, honey.” Maria cut in.

“Oops!” Richard said and flicked a finger.

A door opened and someone alighted from the Range Rover. The man had his nose covered with a plaster and a stitch on his forehead. It was was Bug. How? Alicia thought he died.

Yes. He had been working for them all these while. She remembered him saying he was going to kill her and feared no reprisal. So he meant reprisal from The Grants. He worked for them.What a world!

“ I know you have met Bug,” he said, “ and probably think he is dead. That’s Bug for you. He had died many times.”

“ Like when he was caught up in the Colombian bomb attack. We all thought he was gone, but he appeared after two days in the debris.” Said Maria.

“ Remember when Farrilo shot him twice at close range?” Asked Richard.

“ The beast bounced back just after three months.”

“ That is bug. So,” he turned at Bug, “ go get the mess cleaned.”

Bug nodded, then gesticulated and two weird looking men alighted and started moving the bodies into the Range Rover.

“ We have kept our tracks clean.” Richard went on. “We always clean up our mess. After the surgery, Maria wanted Dr Hart dead. She never trusted him. I refused. Hoping he will be of use. She did not like the idea. So, on her birthday….”

“ Oh, that was romantic.” Maria chipped in.

“ I took her to the hummocks, we had fun, and I covered her eyes and ….”

“ You told me to come with you.”

“ And when I asked you to open your eyes…”

“ Lo! Dr Hart’s beheaded body was lying on the grass. I can never forget that lovely scene. At first, I was infuriated you did it without me..”

“ Then I said….”

“ It’s your birthday surprise gift, honey,” they chorused and laughed.

“ Oh, I love you Ted.”

“ I love you too, Amanda.”

Alicia never heard them call themselves that. Damn!
Maria moved closer and kissed him lightly.

“ But Billy never knew we killed his father. I even helped him in his career,” Richard went on ,“I employed him as a family doctor. He made quite some amount. You can’t work for the Grants and don’t make money. But I needed him in Nigeria and wanted no link to his whereabout. So, he died in America and resurrected in Nigeria. But, when you guys found him out……he had to go and there are evidence in their study. Those guys were bums! Why keep record of such things? Pride, blackmail, what? Right now, there is no evidence left except……you.”

“ No!" Alicia said at once. “ You don’t have to kill him. He will never talk, I promise. Just let us be.”

“ You belong here my love.” Said Maria. “ He belongs there. He has no family wealth to protect, he has no name to maintain. He was just a diversion, something you will live to remember and say , I was only a kid then, I thought it was love, but now I know better.”

“ Never! If you think I will live without him, then have another think. If you are bent on killing him, then let me go first. I am also a witness.”

The couple laughed.

“ We can take care of you. “ Maria said .

Bug and his men had put the bodies in the car, cleaned the bood and sprayed a chemical on the ground where the bodies had laid. These were professional killers.

“ You killed your father, too?” Damon said.

Oh, Damon, shut up. The more they know you know, the more you are prone to getting killed. Alicia thought.

That seemed to surprise the Hudsons.

“ Professor Pliers was your father and he took you to Amanda’s father. You doublecrossed him.”

“ You are quite an impressive young man. I think next you will tell me the day I disvirgined Amanda”

“ In the hummocks, you idiot." Maria said and they laughed. “ I was only ten” She playfully hit him.” You did not even let me hit my teens.”

“ Sweet old days.” He said.

God! It was like Alicia was meeting them for the first time. How could they be so cagey not even her knew the real them.

“ You just have to die, my friend.” He told Damon.

“ Do you think I am foolish enough not to have my plans?” Damon said confidently. “ I knew you guys were after us. I knew Bug worked for you. I was there when you called him, and he told you he had killed Billy and his girlfriend. So, I got me a plan. Right now, my friends are close by. They saw the agents pick us. If they don’t see me in the next twenty minutes, they will talk.”

Richard paused, looked at Damon for some seconds and he felt his dangerous glare sending a cold feeling inside him.

“I think you are lying……but it is a good one.I will let you go. But you will never see Alicia again. What you called marriage is gone. You had her and it’s over. I advise you not to talk. It won’t do you any good. It won’t work out, trust me. I am contesting and right now the cock of the walk. I will spare you….for now.”

“ Are you sure about this, honey?” Maria asked skeptically.

“ Yes, I am and you know it. If you are not sure about it…..your birthday is just around the corner.”

They laughed.

Richard turned at Damon.

“ What happened between me and my father is a family business. it is none of your business.”

He said, held Alicia’s hand and dragged her after him.

“ Leave me alone! I don’t want to go with you.” She protested, trying to free her hands. He was strong. He removed a gun and pointed it at Damon.

“ I swear if you get me on edge, I will kill him right now.”

She believed him and allowed them take her inside the long car. She cried bitterly. The worst thing for her was been seperated from Damon. She sat on a seat, while the dangerous couple sat opposite her, having no scintilla of remorse. She could feel the darkness of their souls, the coldness of their hearts, the fire in their eyes and the bitterness of been close to them.
Fate! No matter what she felt, she was the child of such beasts.

As the car began to leave the vicinity, she looked through the window and saw Damon standing, helplessly looking at her. There seemed to be no life in him, he was like a beautiful sculpture with no life, like an abandoned soldier in the middle of enemies. He said no word, but she felt his pains, he looked as if he was in disbelieve, like watching his heart been plugged away and there was no damn thing he could do. He was a figure of pity, loneliness and hopelessness. Oh God! She needed to be with him, wanted to hold him, press him against her chest and tell him not to worry, kiss him and bring him back to life, make him smile again. Oh no! When she recalled they said she would not see him again, knowing that was coming from the great Cliffs, the all powerful Cliffs, she went ballistics and made a frenzied effort to get out of the car.

“ Let me out! Let me out!” She was screaming, trying to fight her way out, using her hands, legs, whatever she felt could be used. She was trying to reach the door, shouting but it was all futile. She saw in dismay as Damon’s image kept getting farther as they moved away. He was as still as a pole, too weak to react. Then she saw him sag on his knees, too weak to stand, still looking at them. She was still trying to move out. She knew it was useless but trying made her felt better. Then he sprang up, something must have gingered him, pricked his mind and he began to run after them. The speed was almost too much for a human. She wondered if Usein Bolt could get near him then, not even a cheater perhaps or it was just an imagination of hers.

He was running with all his strength, even though he knew he could not catch up with us. He was trying a futile attempt like her. It was not them, but their hearts which had a bond no science could explain, a chemistry yet to be defined, an attraction beyond comprehension. It was their souls, symbiotic, entwined, complementary, depended-on-each-other-souls. Souls finely merged and now one, no separation technique could separate . Nothing!

Bang! Bang!!

She heard a gunshot and everything became dead silent. She stopped moving at once. Saw the world spinning at an incredible speed. Her brain in hiatus, eyes blank, nerves frayed, heart stopped and then she saw Damon halt at once, held his stomach, his face glistened with sweat, then he sagged on his knees, still looking at her direction, an expression of shock and pain on his handsome face.

What!

He was bleeding. Someone shot him. It must have been from the Range driving beside them. Then he dropped on the ground, made a last wiggle then went still. Alicia could not make a move. She just watched his motionless body, lying helplessly on the ground while they went farther away. She could not cry, could not talk, could not move but just gaped. Then whiteness flashed , then she plunged into darkness. Everything was now blank. She passed out.

ELEVEN

Immediately they drove into Florida, the cab came to a halt. The cabby, a middle aged man with balding head turned and smiled.

" Welcome back to America." He said and removed a gun. " I am detective Joe . We have been expecting you."

Damon did not expect this. He wanted a chance to prove something, to exonerate himself and live a normal life but with this development, it seemed he was still in a big deadly hole.

" It's not what you think." Alicia said defensively. " He is innocent."

" Then let him prove it." He said with a grin, " You are going away for a very long time, boy. You have done this country a great harm."

Damon began to think of a way of escape. They were on a lonely highway, few cars passed-by and if he was swift, he could........but his thought was cut short as a police car pulled up and two agents alighted.
One of the cops was baulky, short with a rotund face. He rested his big hand on his holster. The other sent Damon’s liver shivering. He felt sweat on his palms. The officer looked at Damon from afar and wove at him. A wave that says,' you are dead, boy': Agent Harrison.
He walked like a lion that had his prey caged: the confidence, the swagger, the slow but steady steps all summed up to send fear burning Damon’s heart. This guy despised him, wanted him nailed, and would bend laws just to nail his head. Here was he, trapped in a cab, waiting for him.

" I need to call my father." Alicia said quickly. She was shivering because she understood the predicaments.

" Your dad warned me, and not after what happened.”

" We could settle that later. You must be saved right now."

Agent Harrison peeped through the window and gave Damon a dangerous grin.

" I missed you, boy." He said. "I dreamt about you, kept hoping you come back home to daddy, and thank God, you are back, safe and sound."

" Don't you have big and dangerous criminals to handle?" Alicia said in a fit of pique. " Why do you enjoy bullying?"

Harrison still kept his grin wide.

" A criminal who hacked into one of the most secretive federal files, killed an innocent lady, wiped away an entire family in cold blood, snatched a girl on her engagement night and took her away, went and committed murder in Africa, killed an innocent doctor and his girl, burnt his house and stole his documents, spying for Russia and china, and travels out of the country and back without a visa is very, I mean very dangerous and I may be on my way to promotion. This is a grand case, a case that will make headlines, I will be interviewed, respected for getting you and saving America. You are too naive to understand young lady. Sex with him has blocked your thinking faculty, you are hypnotized and have become obsequious. Stay out of this. Your mother is at the verge of becoming the first female president of the United states of America. You have a family name to save, a reputation to guide and be a role model to youths. You are not considered an accomplice because of your family name.......for now. I hope you will grow up and be the first daughter you are supposed to be."

Did Damon just hear him right?

" You son-of-a-bitch ! " Damon vituperated, feeling his hackles rise, feeling goad beyond endurerance. This was crazy! This was nepotism! This was dogmatism!

" You are looking for cheap popularity! "

" Get him out!" He snarled. The short agent opened the door, pulled him out in a frenzy. Alicia tried to push him.

" Let him take me." Damon cautioned. He did not want her to get hurt. " They will hurt you."

" I don't care. We are together in this. It was all my plan. I am the main culprit.!" She was hysterical, shouting at the top of her voice.

" You know nothing about it. You are innocent!" Damon said as he was pulled out. Joe came out of the car, still pointing his gun .

The short agent removed a handcuff and turned Damon around violently. He was handcuffed like a dangerous criminal they claimed he was.

" Love is crazy, right?" Harrison said with a smirk." You are innocent, Miss Grant."

" I am Mrs Damon! Call me by my name. Mrs Damon, you addled eggs!"

" Only if your parents were dead." He said. "You would have regretted ever been uncouth."

" I don't give a hoot! We have the right to speak to our lawyer."

" You are welcome. This is CIA. I am only doing my job."

" You don't have a job! You have a gang."

Harrison smiled, trying hard to suppress his anger.

" God bless America." He said." Kimmon, lets move."

Damon was pushed inside the car. Alicia rushed in and sat with him, cursing and crying. She held him tightly and just her touch at that moment gave him comfort. He felt loved and cared for.
She was medicine, healing, shield, and his comforter. A wife that was ready to sacrifice anything for him, stand by him through thick and thin. Only if life was a fairy tale, they would have been in wonderland, living happily for ever.
But life was a reality, a cauldron on vicissitudes and commotions, a ball of acrimony and greed, a sphere of avaricious and vindictive souls, a globe of dubiety and gaudy luxuries. They were in it, and had to live it, and must leave it.

They kept driving until they got to the outskirt of the town. Where the hell were they taking them to? The car finally pulled up in a lonely vast yard with a small white building. Damon was dragged out of the car and pushed condescendingly .

" Where the hell is this?" Alicia demanded?

" It's a love zone. Can't you see that no one will interfere here? We must get the truth out of him today. This is how it works sometimes."

" You are breaking the rules. American law does not support this." She argued.

" You used to be very gentle and classy. What has this street boy done to you?"

"What have you done to me?"

They all turned as they heard the sound of a car coming with a high velocity. Damon was filled with mixed feeling as he saw the Limousine coming. The chauffeur whipped the long car, raising dust before coming to a halt to allow Mr Grant and his wife alight. Mixed feelings?
Yes, mixed feelings. He did not know what to expect. There was another car, a Range Rover behind them. The glasses were tinted and nobody opened the door or alighted. Maybe there were bodyguards in there.
Mr Grant wore a worried expression.

" Jeez!" Harrison grimaced." Some gate-crashing though." He said in a low tone.

" Mr Grant." Harrison said with respect.

Mr Grant looked at Damon, his eyes piercing into him. He ignored Harrison.

" How have I wronged you, young man? Why decide to make my life a hell?" Mr Grant said softly.

" Are you working for a political opponent?” He went on .“Are you a paid gadfly? I offered you one million dollars as a gift and was willing to pay ten if only you could leave us alone. I saved you, but you decide to ruin me. Do you know what it means to take my daughter away on her engagement night, with important guests around? You turned me into a fiasco, a joke. That was a first class gaffe. You married her without my consent, our consent, took her away from us. Why? Why?"

" No, dad. It was all my fault." She said crying.

" Don't cry my baby." Mrs Grant said, moved and hugged her." We forgive you. We missed you." They were both crying.

" Yes, I missed her too." Said the father. He also hugged her.

" We are going home." Mr Grant said.

Alicia looked sharply at him.

" I can't leave without him!"

" I know. There are protocols. I will get him out. He has to be taken to the station ." Mr Grant said and then turned at Harrison." And hope you know that this is not the right place to bring him. Get his hands free"

" Yes, sir." Harrison said and Damon was freed from the handcuffs.

" He must not be touched. I will be there in an hour."

" Yes, sir."

With much hesitation, Alicia came hugged him, crying then said, " It will be alright."

Damon nodded. As they turned to leave, he said,"Good bye, My love."
She turned swiftly.

" What do you mean?"

Damon smiled.

" As you leave, they are going to kill me."

She shook her head.

"No! they can't do that. Dad is here."

Damon smirked.

" Yes, dad told them to kill me."

She gave him a look of disbelieve.

“Stop it, Damon. My dad can never hurt a fly."

Damon shook his head and pointed at Mr Grant and said

" That is your mother. Your real mother, Maria Hudson" He then pointed at her mother and said, " and that is your real father, Richard Cliff or Ted.”

She gave him that you-are-crazy-but- I -understand look.

She chuckled.

" I understand what you are going through. We will get over this and the doctor will talk to us."

" I am not insane, trust me." Damon said.

" I know my parents. I love you but I love them too. I can't let you say these. It doesn't make sense. How can my father be my mother and my
mother be my father? It doesn't add up."

" When they got the Ardos killed, they left for Nigeria and .....Dr. Hart, was a first class surgeon, did it. I saw the file....."

" Did what?"

" Transgender." Damon dropped the nickel. " Your father was turned into a woman, given hormones to develop breast, made sure he grew no beared or body hair, worked on his voice and plastic surgery. Your mother was made to become a man, made to grow beard, made her voice deeper, and her breast was taken off. They took a new identity and Richard and Maria were dead for good. They came back and adopted you and claimed to be Grants. They killed the real Grants and took over their identity. Your brother is your biological brother. Dr Billy handled his birth. They did not operate their sexual organs. So your so-called father got pregnant and they left for Nigeria. Remember you said he was in Africa for one year. It was Nigeria he went to not the country he told you. It was a maternity leave. Remember when Salim said Billy turned a man's sickness into a baby? He was right. It was your father or mother who came to put to bed. The year coincides with your brother's birth year. They also came back to adopt him. Billy and his father were killed because they knew too much. I am also going to get killed because I know."

Damon could see shock on her face. She wanted to disbelieve but it seemed somethings were adding up. It was like unveiling her eyes.
Harrison and his men may have been doing dirty jobs for them but it seemed they did not know about this. Damon saw shock on their faces.
Ted, who posed as Mrs Grant removed a gun and shot Harrison while Maria, who posed as Mr Grant shot and killed the other two. Damon never saw anyone handle gun the way they did. Alicia screamed. Damon saw Harrison staggering, held his chest, gave him an empty glance and then dropped on the ground near his men.
Ted looked at Damon.

" You found what no one ever found. Too bad for you."