₦airaland Forum

sabbiboi:
I must say, you deserve accolades.

SokoDobo

Thank you

olukuewu:
Still following with keen interest, more money to your account.

Thank you

anneboy02:
Can't wait for another update u re really killing my with all these suspense

More updates coming

Profdon:
Nice story u have here Bro, it's so touching and full of of lessons. Keep it up.

Thank you

She paused at his sight. Thank God it was him. He was sitting on a block, his face buried in his palms and she could hear his sobs.
Oh no! He was crying. It was the most pathetic sight she could remember ever seeing. Who could ever thought that Adnan could ever cry like this? She saw the silhouette of a boy who was dejected, rejected, lonely and dolorous.

The things her father said kept resonating, and she could see the impact on the poor boy. She saw how he walked out, and something drifted out of her. She could not let him go like that. She knew Adnan.He could leave forever.
She had to sneak out and go after him. She ran, went the wrong way, came back, searched before she finally saw him. Now as she saw him, she assured herself that nothing would ever take him out of her heart. They could only take his body away but not his love. Never!

" Adnan!" She called. He raised his face, trying to wipe off tears.

She lost it.
It was wrong.
She knew it.
But she lost it.

She ran to him and embraced him, dropped her head on his shoulder and cried.
He wanted to push her away. He had never come close to a woman like this. Then he remembered that no one had ever embraced him with affection. He had never experienced motherly or fatherly love.
No one ever showed him care.
So he lost it too. He let her hold him while a fresh stream of tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I am so sorry, Ya Hayati (My Life)." She said amid sobs. " It is all my fault. Please forgive me."

" Shhhh....stop saying that." He said trying to control himself. " I should be the one to ask for forgiveness. I came and caused a family rift. I should not have come. I don't have a family but I know it's value. I am sorry."

" No, Hayati. Stop saying you don't have a family. What am I? Have you let them separate us? Have they broken the bond that was made in heaven? Have you forgotten how our hearts met on a star? You will break my heart the more if you say you don't have a family. I am sorry for all he said. They don't know you. They can't judge you."

" I don't blame them. Man judges with words and actions. Only Allah sees the heart and intentions. They have the right not to want me near you. Can't you see that everyone there has an identity except me?"

" You have an identity. There is a reason for everything. You did not choose this upon yourself. Allah has a reason for making you come into this world this way. And He knows your identity. Don't let them judge you, or destroy your spirit. You have made mistakes but that should not be your end. You realised and made a better part of your life. Please don't leave me. Please Hayati.
I need you to be strong. I need you to remain steadfast. Remember all the things we planned? Our voyage to aljanna insha Allah......"

" I will never leave you, Miss Sunshine." He said. " Whatever happens, never revolt against your parents. Respect and obey them. We should pray about it. Just hold on tight to Allah and we shall be alright. Whatever happens, if anything happens to me, please never stop praying for me because I have no one else to do that for me."

" Stop saying that! Nothing will happen to you, please, in the name of Allah. Do not scare me, Hayati."

She held him tighter, crying.

" Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un! " Zayyad exclaimed. " Audhubillahi ! Haram! Adnan, so this is your evil plan? Muhammad! Sa'eed! I have found them!"
Muhammad, Sa'eed and Abdul-Rasheed appeared at once as Zayyad flashed his flashlight on them.

" Abba said it!" Zayyad said. " He said it with the wisdom of an old man."Muhammad grimaced." Naairah, you idiot! Get off that pig!" Muhammad shouted. " So you plan to take our sister away, huh?"

" If you think you are a bad boy," Sa'eed said, " we have seen devils!"

" Are you still there, Naairah?" Abdul-Rasheed said angrily and moved towards them. He grabbed Naairah, pulled her violently and she let out a sharp scream.

" He must not escape!" Muhammad said.

Abdul-Rasheed sent his hard palm which smacked Adnan on the back head. He dropped off the block and received a kick before he landed on the ground.

Naairah screamed.

" Dan Allah ku kyale shi ( Leave him for the sake of Allah)! Please leave him. He did not call me here."

" Shut up!" Muhammad said and moved on to Adnan to join his brother.

Kicks.
Slaps.
Punches.

She could not take it anymore. She ran, made her way roughly through them and covered Adnan with her body.

" Kill us both!" She screamed. "Kill us both!"

Sa'eed pulled her violently, and then held her.

" Deal with the idiot!" He said .

Her reaction got Zayyad mad. It seemed she was obsessed with this street hoodlum. This was not a good thing. Then an idea dropped into his head.

Naairah pulled her hand and released herself from Sa'eed's hold then broke into a run, screaming and crying.
Zayyad guessed she was going to seek for help. He had to do something fast. It seemed he would never stand a chance once this rogue was alive. He put his hand into his pocket and removed a short sharp object, a part of the nail-clipper which served as key holder.
He was going to act as if he was trying to stop them. A sharp stab at a delicate place would solve the problem. There was nothing he wanted more than Naairah and anyone coming between them was a sworn enemy.
It was better he settled this now.
He moved towards them.




Slowly Zayyad moved close to where Sa’eed ,Muhammad and Abdul-Rasheed were roughening Adnan. He held the weapon so tight he felt it hurting his hand. He was really determined to end this. He could not believe after everything she would still come after him.
What was wrong with her? If the doofus was killed, she would have to come back to her senses. He joined them, acting as if he was trying to stop them, then he got a perfect chance. The chest would be a good target.

“ Stop it! Stop it!”

Alhaji Mukhtar’s loud angry choice brought them to a stop. Zayyad turned to see Alhaji Mukhtar coming with Naairah who was crying, panting and gasping.

“ What the hell are you doing?” He came as the boys were stepping aside, leaving Adnan in pains as he lay on the ground wriggling in pains.

Zayyad grimaced. What the did this girl do? This could have been a perfect chance and the blame would have been on her brothers.
She ruined it. He wished she could realize that all he was doing was for her good. She had no future with this primary three boy who definitely bought a GCE result. Her future lay with him. He loved her immensely, and had enough money to give her the kind of life she wanted.
He could not understand what she saw in him. It was just a matter of time. Now he was sure Alhaji Mukhtar would not let Adnan marry her and that was so consoling. How many guys could afford to give their girls a diamond ring on her birthday? He did that for her and he was sure Adnan could not even afford a GL.

“ I asked a question! Who asked you to do this? "Alhaji Mukhtar was yet to complete his sentence when he saw Naairah run past him and bent over Adnan crying and checking his health.

He saw a determined love and guts that scared him. From what he saw, a lot had to be done to separate this baby couple.

“ Abba, we met them in the dark in an inappropriate manner.” Abdul-Rasheed said defensively.

“ So you decided to put the law into your hands, huh? What if you had killed him?” He said angrily. “ Come here, Naairah! Get out that place.”
Still crying, she reluctantly got up and took just a step backwards with all of her attention on him.

“ Young man are you hurt?” Alhaji Mukhtar asked not moving closer to Adnan.

What a stupid question! Adnan thought.

“ I am okay.” He said amid pains.

“ I am sorry for their madness. I did not ask anyone to do this. Let me get you something for treatment.”

Adnan sat up, rested his head on his knees, and found his breath getting calmer.

“ I don’t need any treatment for now.” He said. “ I just want to go home.”

A car suddenly pulled up there. It was Hajiya Fatima. She could not run along with them and thought there may need to rush him to hospital.

She alighted the car with alacrity.

She saw Adnan sitting on the ground, his clothes were insalubrious, but she saw no visible injury. She rushed to him and held him.
It was the first time a mother would come close to him like that and checking on him.

“ I guess you need to go to hospital.” She said with immense care . “What did you kids do? What got into your heads?”

“ I am okay, Mama.”

There was a way he pronounced the Mama that touched her.

“ You can’t be sure.” She said. “ There could be internal injury.”

He shook his head.

“ If I am taken to hospital, they would ask questions. I don’t want to complicate things. They are Naairah’s brothers and that means a lot to me. They are your children and that also means a lot to me. Allah is in control. This is my fate. I did not bring myself to this world but I a suffering the consequences. I pray it a test I can pass.”

Hajiya Fatima felt a stream of tears cascading down her cheeks.
Alhaji Mukhtar did not like this. It was not as if he had anything against Adnan personally. All he detested was having him in a relationship with his daughter. His only daughter! She deserved better than this.

“ I think we have to go back home.” Alhaji Mukhtar said. “ Thank you young man for your kindness and once again, I apologise on behalf of my children.”

Adnan only nodded. Hajiya Fatima said nothing. She did not want to break down. She loved this boy but she could not tell why.

“ It shall be well with you, insha Allah.” She said softly. “ Leave your case to the creator.”

“Thank you Mama.”

“ Don’t mention, my son.”

Zayyad felt like exploding. What was wrong with this woman? Whatever, she was not the one that would give out ut her hand in marriage and the person who had the power to do that was behind him. He was confident Naairah would come to her senses.
It was just that youthful exuberance, infatuation and childishness.

Adnan got to his feet to assure her he was okay.

“ Thank you , ma.”

“Please take this.” She offered him some amount of money. “ And don’t you dare reject it. Don’t try the anger of a mother.”

When she saw his reaction, she cringed for a split second. She did not mean any harm.

It was the word’ mother’. She had referred to herself as a mother. This was strange to him.

He went and collected the money, his eyes so wet.

“ No one ever referred to herself as my mother.” He said with a groggy voice. “ You just made my life meaningful.”

She smiled.

“Thank you for accepting it and obeying me.” She said. “ And if Allah says Naairah is your wife, no one can stop it.”

Zayyad's cheeks puffed.

“ We have to go.” Alhaji Mukhtar said.

Adnan took a few steps before he turned and looked at Naairah. She wove at him, and their eyes spoke to each other. A language only comprehended by the heart.

He walked down the street after putting the money in his pocket. He took a corner , eager to get home and change his clothes. Hajiya Fatima’s act made him felt at ease. At least there were people who cared for him for who he was.

“If the man had not intervened,” a voice said from behind him, “ Daxy would have come in and there would have been four dead bodies lying on the ground.”

Adnan turned to see the hunk of a tomboy.

“ What did you just say?”

She showed him a gun.

“We would have come and kill those bastards roughen you if the man had not come in time.”

“You guys use guns?”

“Have you not heard that Fulani heards men use guns when rearing?” She said. “ So why are you astonished. This world is crazy so you gotta keep your eyes wide open and wide shut.”

“ But I never ask anyone to protect me like that.”

“ I ain’t protecting you because I love your face. ‘You ’is important to ’we’ and any one fuckin* with you is fuckin* with us. And what the hell was that all about? I heard something about you not having an identity.”

“Leave my personal life out of this!”

“Who said you have a life? Now get your butt into this car.”she said. “ We got something for you.”

“What?”

“ You know I won’t talk here.”

“ I am going home. I need a good wash.”

“ We got Jacuzzi if that is what you want. We got an assignment for you and like I said, we got something new for you.”

Adnan hesitated.

He recalled the humiliation and insults he received. He looked at her, then nodded.

“ Let us go.” He said. “ From now on, I am in if you will give me what I want.”

He got into the car and they drove off.



From a dark angle, a man came out like a spirit. He was very short, thick-set with a massive head. He watched the car recede into the darkness until the taillights vanished.

He picked his phone.

“ They took him away.” He said. “There is a word about him not having an identity.”

“What?” A thick voice said from the other end.

“He seems to be a boy with unknown identity. I have a feeling it is Adnan. His name is also Adnan.” He said.

“ I don’t want to believe it.” the other man, Doctor Abbas said. “ Addy said he saw someone like him but I discarded it. Follow him.”

“I am sorry they left but I got a link.”

“A link?’

“There seems to be a family he knows.” He said. “ I will get him, sir.”

“ Please do that. This is not good.” He said. “ We have come too far to make a turn now. I hope you know what I am talking about?”

“Yes, sir.”

“ I chose Addy over him, remember?”

“Yes.”

“ And we can’t make a change now. It is too late. There has to be only one Adnan and that is Addy. We can’t throw nineteen years of struggle down the drain. I want to be sure he is the one. He has a mark on his knuckles. How do we know that?”

“First thing is about locating him.” Said the short man. “ Then leave the rest to me.”

Dr Abbas grumbled.

“ Gajere.”

“Sir.”

“ Do that fast. You know what is at stake, right?”

“I do.”

The call ended and Dr Abbas saw Addy standing and staring at him.

“ I was right, huh?”

Dr Abbas puffed air.

“ We are not sure.” He said .” We want to confirm.”

“ Now I need an explanation.” Addy said. “ How can you prefer me to your son? What is going on and why am I treated like a king? Why am I so important and making billions without working hard?”

“ You are not ripe to know that. The elders will let you know. And do not say you don’t work hard. You have undergone rigorous trainings.”

“Why was I named Adnan Abbas? You are Abbas and you named him Adnan. Why do you need two Adnans and who is the Abbas that I bear his name? Who are my parents?”

Dr Abbas puffed air again. He took three steps and sat on an easy arm chair which overlooked his gargantuan aquarium.

“Sit down.” He said.

Addy went and sat down. He rested his arms on his thighs.“I am not in the position to tell you now but what I will say is this: You are a world figure.” Dr Abbas said calmly. “ Your real parents died in a plane crash in Bolivia…..”



“ You never told me that you and Alhaji Ibrahim worked for your brother.” Hajiya said .

“ Yaya brought us up.” He said. “ You know that.”

“I know he lifted you but the details were so murky.”

Alhaji Mukhtar smiled.

“ I told you that he gave me six million naira when he came back from abroad.”

“Yes.”

“ Okay, it was I and Ibrahim. We also helped him took care of business. We started the importation thing and we got a lot of commission. Yaya is more of an academic so we handled the business aspect. He also got us connected to the government where I won a lot of contracts before getting an appointment.

And you can see how far we got. So what is wrong if I decide to make our union stronger by getting Naairah married to Zayyad?”

“ Is that what it is all about? Arranged marriage?”

“ Arranged but not forced.” He said. “ We will give her time to love him. You did not fall in love with me from the start, remember. It took some time. Guess your daughter will do the same.”

“ You know you will never force my daughter to marry someone she does not love.”

“I just said that. But be careful.” He said. “ She won’t marry that boy.”

“That is for Allah to decide.” She said. “ Where did your brother stay abroad? You have never told me that.”

“ Bolivia.”






It beeped and read fifty feet.
Walter had been in the hummocks since morning searching for the EBM. He was sure it was very close. He moved forward and pressed again.
Three feet.
He turned his head and saw it. It was lying close to a rock.
At the sight of the small electronic box, some images began to form in his head.
This time, he saw a round table, suits and uniforms: Army, Marine and lab coats. He could not make a sense out of it but he was sure he knew this thing.
If it he was found here and EBM was found here, not a distance from the ocean, then there could be more to find here.
He moved deeper, and after another one hour, he found the debris of a crashed plane. It seemed no one had found it. It was fatally crashed.

“ Aadilaaahh! Hold on tight! I got the boy! We will make it! Insha Allah!”

Insha Allah?

Was he a Muslim?

Parachute!
He frowned.
They were in a plane and there was someone else.
A pilot!
A parachute!

Yes! The pilot left in a parachute! It was not an accident. Someone wanted them dead.
Why?

Hajiya Fatima walked into her room angrily and slammed the door behind her. She dropped her weight on the edge of her king-sized bed and buried her face in her palms. She could not forget the look on the poor boy's face as Abba said all those things.
Yes, they had to be skeptical about accepting someone they knew nothing about, or one who did not know a thing about himself. And discovering that he had some shady acts made it more imperative to be meticulous.
But there was something in those brown eyes that told a story. A story she could not comprehend but gave her a direction. A direction towards something about victimization and helplessness. She just could not tell what it was but it was there.

And she saw the look he gave Naairah when she was about to burst in anger. She knew her daughter more than anyone else. She saw the power in that look and the chemistry between them. Just a look, he told her what to do and she understood him.
He had an impact on her and directed her towards positivity. She saw something extra-ordinary between those kids. Ya Allah, what could she do? She had never seen her daughter look so empty, as she watched Adnan walk out.

" Assalamu alikum." Alhaji Mukhtar said as he came in.

" Ameen wa alaikum salam." She replied without raising her head.

" What is wrong with you?" He asked and sat close to her.

" Nothing. I am okay."

" I know it is not okay."

"You know and you are asking?"

He paused, took in a deep breath then touched her shoulder with his hand.

" Empathy is blinding you." He said. " You have been more protective of the children than I am. I am surprised you are not seeing the things that I see."

" I see the things you see but from a different point of view."

" How have I gone wrong?"

" First, you have been receiving information from Zayyad and you never told me, making me look like a fool. I was telling you about this boy and you gave the impression that you were okay with it. You invited him for dinner, made him feel so relaxed, integrated and invited all your children, including Zayyad before humiliating him."

" I did not intend to humiliate him....."

"That is what you just did. That is a very wrong way to correct something. Why did you not invite him alone and talk to him? Why must you disgrace him? Have you asked how it feels to be on the street since the age if nine? And you have no one to call yours? Did you see how happy he was at the beginning? That boy needed love. Even if you don't want him around your daughter, you could have helped him."

" I did try to help him. I offered him...."

" Money? After humiliating him, you offer him food allowance in presence of everybody?...."

" Assalamu alaikum." Muhammad, Naairah's immediate elder brother came in. " Zayyad just informed me that it seems Naairah left the house."

"What?" Alhaji Mukhtar asked.

" I and Sa'eed will go check on her. What is wrong with this girl?"

" Did Zayyad see her leave?"

" Yes." He said. " We need to hurry."

Alhaji Mukhtar sighed.

" Did you not hear what he said?" He asked Hajiya Fatima.

" What do you want me to do?'

"How dare you say that? We are talking about our only daughter here!"

" Are you insinuating that she eloped? My mind tells me that boy will never encourage her to leave home irrespective of what you think. Naairah will be back."

" You seem to have been hypnotized by this boy." He said.

" Please Abban Abdul, I have a headache. I want to take Paracetamol and sleep."

He glared at her. This was happening all too fast. What was wrong? This Adnan of a boy was a devil. He only came to tear his family apart. This had to be settled.
He walked out of the room angrily.

Zayyad picked his phone and dialled. He was going to enjoy the next thing that would happen. What a wonderful night!

" Hello...." He said into the mouthpiece.

2008


He walked meticulously into the big courtyard with a tiny mini swimming pool as if he was scared of hurting the floor. He met her lying on her back, resting her head on a risen headrest while a tray was kept on a stool beside her. A tray containing what she called goodies.

“ Black, me labari(Black, what is going on?” She asked the very dark skinned man.

“ There is bad news ma.”

“ What is it?”

“ The case has been reopened.”

She paused, inhaled devil’s powder, shook her head then took in a deep breath. She was dressed in bikini and gave no hoot about the level of her exposed body.

“ What case?” she lit a wrap of hasheesh.

“ Ameer Adam is back in court.”

“ That is no bad news. Naturally they should appeal. He was sentenced to death. They won’t give up easily but….where did they get the money?”

“ There is a group of lawyers who take up case for free.”

“ There are many. Okay, I wish them luck.”

“ The lawyer is a young girl. It is her first case.”

Jezebel laughed.

“ She needs something to do. But she can do nothing.”

“ She is dangerous. I don’t like the way the case is going. Her investigative prowess is disturbing.”

“Has she opened any can of worms?”

“Not yet.”

“Yet? Do you anticipate trouble?”

“ Just feel we should be proactive, or be more watchful.”

She puffed out smoke, her eyes were becoming thinner, bulgy and red as she intoxicated.

“ I doubt if she can do anything. I got him hooked up and don’t see how he can escape this. But keep watching…..When is the next sitting?”

“ Tomorrow.”

“ I think it would be fun to go and watch how a castle is built in air”

Black frowned.

“That is a bad idea. It is not advisable to show your face.”

“ Damn! Black, I don’t run my games by hiding. That is why I always clean up. I make a lot of money and make sure I make ways to spend it freely. They have nothing against me. I am clean. The only mess I had was the file and it is long gone. I burnt it, and spread the ashes. So fu** it!”

He said nothing.

“ I want to know what has been going on, come here….give me a massage while you talk. I got oil here.”

“ There has been five sittings. I don’t know if that is the term for it. They adjourn each time because the girl is troublesome. But I feel the case is coming to an end.”

“ We got the file before Uthman died, and all those that could implicate me are gone. Except my core men like you. You have been with me since my university days, black. Please be more tender, start from the shoulder, then back, waist and anywhere else……tell me how the trial has going in details.”

“ I only discovered today. Garba called me. He gave me a brief explanation but I asked him to get a more detailed briefing and that has to be today before the sitting tomorrow.”

“ Hmm…don’t be scared. I got it under control. I made sure I am clean. Now go lower, use the oil…..”

Then her phone rang, she grimaced, then picked it, still lying on her stomach.

“ Jezebel,” someone said from the other end, “ have you heard of the on going case concerning Ameer?”

“ Yes.”

“ There is going to be a verdict tomorrow. We can’t take chances. The young girl is dangerous.”

“ What do you suggest and why is everybody scared of this girl?”

“ I am just a court official but I hear lawyers talking about her. I mean she is new but got the admiration of top lawyers. She is not lazy. From her presentations, she takes time to investigate and scrutinize every detail. We don’t know what she has up her sleeve.”

Jezebel did not like this. She felt the agitation was a storm in a teacup. She had sealed all loopholes. She felt there was nothing to be scared of.

“ I need you to come see me. I want to know who this girl is. Today and not tomorrow.”

“ She is Bello Kankia’s daughter, the Kaduna based lawyer.”

“Who does not know that idiot who is a fool but feels he is incorruptible. His wife is another bitch so I think they got a bitch as a daughter. He was in Lagos for years, before relocating to Kaduna but he got offices all over. That useless family?”

She pushed black’s hands off her butt and sat up, her bulgy thin eyes looking dangerous.

“ Where are they lodged?”

“ We can always find out.”

“ Let me get dressed. I want to know……now.”

NINE


2005

The act was getting more intense, less words, louder breathing, and moving hands in the darkness. Now the senses were blocked, reasoning suspended and lust at the peak. Clothes began to part from the body and it was just a matter time, minutes or seconds before they were drowned in consumption of the forbidden fruit when a sudden knock brought them to an abrupt split.

Damn!
Who the hell was coming at the wrong time? Wrong time? It was almost 1:00am. Amaar quickly stood up, leaving her still breathing hard, making an effort to stabilize her breathing. And she cursed whoever it was.

“ Who is there?”

“ Open the door!”

“ Who are you?”

“ NPF”

“ What do you mean by NPF?’

“Nigerian Police Force.”

Police? What did they want?

“ Just a moment.”

He switched on the light, wore his shirt and asked her to dress up. He opened the door to find two mobile policemen standing with guns.

“ Good morning officers. How may I help you?”

“ We need you to identify someone. He is just behind your house.”

“Who?”“If we knew, we would not ask you for identification. It won’t take long before you come back to your….”the cocky eyed policeman eyed Tessy, “ room.”

Amaar did not like any of this.

“ May you identify yourselves?”

“ You dey craze!” One of the policemen, who was a coporal, said harshly. “ You no see our uniform and Ak?”

“ I have said nothing wrong. We have heard of fake policemen or military men dressed in uniform and commit crimes.”

“ If we wanted to hurt you, we would have done that long ago.” Said the coporal.

Amaar said okay but Tessy sprang up and followed him.

“ I am coming with you!”

“ She has to come with me.”

“ No problem.” Said the other policeman who was a sergeant.

The sergeant allowed the coporal to take lead, he tagged behind while he started after Tessy’s bum. ‘Chai! These students dey enjoy o!’ he thought.
They went to the back of the building where three more armed policemen were waiting. Amaar saw their truck parked at a distance.
What was going on?
Then they saw who was to be identified. He was lying on the ground, in a pool of blood, with his clothes soaked with blood and mud. There was a gun lying beside him and a thin line round his neck showed sign of strangulation.
Tessy grabbed Amaar and screamed, taking her eyes off the body.

“ He is a student.” Amaar said with a shaky voice.

“ He was a student.” Said the sergeant. “ An eye witness said he asked for where you lived and a few minutes later, he was found dead. What do you know about this?”

It was very cold but Amaar felt his face clammy with sweat as he stared at Tek’s fresh dead body. Who did this?

Ameer felt as if Zuma rock had just been lifted off his neck. He found out that Amaar was there but he admitted to being the one because he did not want both of them to go down. Someone had to take care of their mum. He could bear that for his brother.

He had been scared when She brought that out. How did she find out? No wonder lawyers called themselves learned. Imagine how she was talking science like she was his classmate. And now, that part was obliterated. Amaar was free.

Amaar heaved a sigh. He had been exonerated and hoped his brother would be out of here. He remembered the incidents that lead to that event. He was there, he saw them, but it seemed no one knew what actually happened. This is the real story. On that day…………….

He was not only dumbfounded but felt like a doofus as he recalled how he tried to gesticulate to make her understand the things he said. How could he have known that she understood everything he said.

"I - I am surprised." He said, almost stammering." You speak very good English..."

" Tell me the meaning. I could not find it in Oxford dictionary." She cut in.

Whoa! She even had a dictionary.

" It means a verse having the complete number of syllables in the last foot but it also means complete. I meant you are perfect and complete."

She looked at him straight in the eye for a split second then took off her eyes.

" What do you want from me?" She asked firmly.

" Everything. I want you, your heart, your body, your soul. I don't want to date you, I want to marry you. I want to take you away from this place, take you far away and into my world, into my life because I want to be acatalectic and only you can make me attain that level."

" You speak like the Americans and you called yourself Fahad Yar'adua."

" I am a Nigerian. A Bakatsine from Yar'adua. I spent most of my life in the United States."

" And you want to marry me?" She shook her head.

" You can't marry me. What about all the educated, sophisticated girls in the city?"

" It's you I love . I love you."

" I am a cattle rearer and not educated. "

" I don't care about that. Besides, don't think I will believe you if you say you are not educated."

" I am not."

" Your English is polished."

" English is a language. Speaking English does not make me educated."

" Now you get me confused."

" A lot of white people live around here and so many come for tourism. This has been going on for years." She paused, peeped at her cattle then came back. " We used to serve as tour guides, but I was privileged to work for a white couple as a maid. I was only twelve and she refused to accept me at first. She said I was too young and it was child labour. Her husband convinced her to pick me. She was very nice. I did little or no work. She thought me how to read and write.
I love reading and she had a lot of books. Most of my family members speak English. I stayed with them for three years. I was home-taught and she decided to enrol me into a school for formal education. My family got mad. They said she wanted to destroy my life. How could a girl go to school? I was going to become a prostitute. They claim it is against Islamic laws. So, I was taken away from her. I came back home and back to the family business, rearing. I chose to rear cattle instead of hawking milk and millet cakes. Most girls hawk while the boys rear. I hate hawking. This is what I do everyday."

Fahad fought the urge to cry. When did he become so soft?

" So, you never got a formal education."

" I never got it."

" Please marry me, let me take you away. I will get you the best tutorial, get you a strong foundation and go to school. We could move to America."

" You barely know me. Marriage is a big word."

"Sometimes you stay with people for years and realise you don't know them. I feel so cool with you."

" How did you leave the other day?"

" What day?"

" The day you passed out."

"Oh.” He felt a bit embarrassed . " I woke up around ten and had to trek back."

" Where do you stay?"

" Wukari Luxury Suites."

" I kept wondering if you survived it, then I saw you the next day."

" But who got me lying near the tree."

" I - I dragged you there. I'm sorry but I could not lift you so I put a piece of sack under you and pulled you. I gave you a local remedy, then
protected you from snakes and left. That was the best I could do for you."

" So it was you. Thank you."

" You know little about cows."

" I was trying to be a hero. I wanted to impress you."

She chuckled for the first time. He could not believe cattle girl was sitting with him.

" It was funny though." She giggled. " Why did you have to go through all these? You go through all that and I never even talk to you but you still never left. I tried to chase you away ."

" I am your captive. I am your servant. I just want to serve you."

" But you know I can't marry you."

" Why ?"

" Who I marry is not by my choice. Our parents choose husbands for us. I was betrothed to someone many years ago but I hate him. I keep bringing excuses and they keep postponing it. My grandfather supports me. He is the most important person in my life right now. He wanted me to get educated. So when I pop up an excuse, he backs me up. "

" Why didn't he let the woman send you to school.?"

" He is old and sick. He barely goes out except on Fridays when he goes to masjid."

" I am glad you are not in love with the guy. But it should be your choice."

" They say Allah says we must obey our parents."

" That is true but forceful marriage is not allowed in Islam. The prophet SAW forbade it. It is been done out of ignorance. A marriage is only valid with the consent of the lady. This is barbaric. How can anyone stop girl-child education in this age? This is not Islamic, it is anti-Islam."

" I love school a lot."

" I can buy a house close here, relocate and have the chance of teaching you."

She shot him a sharp glance.

" Relocate here because of me?"

" Yeah. It is worth it."

" Who are you?"

"I am just someone who is willing to do anything to make you happy."

Oh God! This girl was breathtaking. Her eyes, her lips, her hair, everything about her was exclusive. He could imagine her in his arms on their first night. No...don't go there , Fahad, You will go crazy.

" I am confused." She said. " I like you. I don't know you but I feel good when you are around. But They will never let us be together. "

" Who?"

" My people.....and your people."

" Your people, agreed but mine, they won't....."

" You are from a rich family from what I can see. You are very educated people. How are you going to tell them that you are getting married to
a local Fulani cattle rearer who had never been to primary school?"

" Hey, stop it! You are great, the greatest girl on earth. No one is going to say that. I love you and I would build you. Don't worry about my family."

She peeped and saw two of her cattle going away.

"I have to go." She stood up and left in a hurry. He got up, feeling much better, he followed her.
She ran trying to bring them back. He got a stick and joined her, keeping a distance from the cattle. She looked at him and smiled. Ya Salam! She had the most radiant smile in the world: an apple blossom smile that penetrated deep into his heart, brought peace into him, tickled his fancy, mesmerised him and made him redefine beauty. How could he live without this girl?

It was fun running with her after the cattle, repeating after her the fulfude she spoke to the cattle. They went to the stream, performed ablution and separated to pray. The truth was he never prayed regularly but this girl just put the love of prayers into his heart. This girl was light to him.
She got a plastic flask which was in a bag she always carried, put a lot of cow milk in a bowl, put some millet cakes and blended using ludayi, she added sugar and brought it to him. It was like a dream.

"You have to take it with me." Fahad said.

" Eat in your presence? I cant."

" We will do more than eating together when we get married. Taking bath with a wife is sunnah (Prophetic tradition)."

She quickly covered her face in shame.

" You are corrupt."

"Sunnah?"

" Okay but don't mention it. I feel so uncomfortable." She looked away.

" I need you to be free with me. " He said and took a scoop, it tasted good. It was called fura da nono. This was not directly from the cow but had been processed. Pure kindirmo me mai.

He handed it to her. " Here, have"
She hesitated, collected it, turned her head away from him and sipped lightly. She handed it back to him. He gave her a grin and took another scoop, passed it to her. As she turned to sip, he jumped infront of her and saw her. She chuckled, and saw joy in her eyes. After he took another scoop, she took a scoop in his presence with a lot of difficulty.

Damn! Modesty!
They shared the fura da nono though he took much more than she did. She went to the stream and collected water.
Fahad hesitated. He only took bottled water, and never even trusted sachet water. But this was beauty, taking this all her life and still looked beautiful. Besides this was spring water. She served him water and he drank. Life was good but it was best with her.

" What is your name?"

" Halima." She said shyly. " Halimatu Sadiya."

" You are the most beautiful girl in the world."

She raised her eyebrow in surprise.

" Please spare me. I am not pretty."

" Shhhhhh...don't let anyone hear that. I could be arrested for allowing you say the greatest crime against beauty."

She crinkled her face. " How?"

" It is a crime for anyone, anything to deny your beauty. The Federal law of beauty will take serious action."

She laughed.

" Do you have a phone?" He asked.

" No."

" I need to get you a phone. You like i-phone?"

" What's i-phone?" She asked. " I do see the different types of phones but I don't know the names because I never ask any one to give me his phone. Not even my brothers."

" So you are not on social network?"

" Not at all. I have a friend who is on Facebook and Whats...."

" Whatsapp?"

"Yes, Whatsapp. Phones are expensive and ...I can't afford it but I'm sorry I cant accept a phone from you."

" Why?"

" I don't think its proper. Joro said a man got her a phone and he asked for something in return."

" Hey ! Don't go there. It's pro bono." He giggled shaking his head. " I am not after you for sex.."

" Stop it!" She covered her ears." Don't mention that word."

" I'm sorry. But I just want to be talking with you, chat and send you educational videos. We can do a lot of tutorials through Whatsapp. I can hire someone who would make sure you never lack electric charge."

" How?"

" Get you three phones, an iphone7, Samsumg S6 and and HTC One with removable battery with five batteries. He will always come to collect them for recharging so you will never lack charge. All the phones will have the same applications so nothing changes,"

" Even if you don't ask for anything in return, it's still not fair. I know you want me, I know you love me. I always watched you."

" Hey, you never used to look at me."

She smiled.

" Let me tell you a secret. A woman glances at you for a second and she will describe everything about you."

" Phew!"

" I was always watching you. I had never met any one who is as maverick as you.."

" What word was that, Mav....?"

" Maverick."

" You know there are so many maverick meanings, I mean which of them do you mean?"

She eyed him suspiciously.

" Okay-Okay lets say I don't know the meaning. You know the lexis is much, can't know all the words." He confessed.

She gave him a mocking smile.

" I guessed as much because the only maverick meaning I know is a person who does not think or behave like every one else."

" Whoa! That's cool. I'm learning."

" I have met a lot of people who wanted me but ....all they wanted was to ...to..."

" To have s....."

" Shut up! " She covered her ears.

" Oh! I'm sorry. The forbidden word."

"Please don't mention it."

" Ok, Leema."

" What?"

" Leema. That's your pet name."

She smiled. She seemed to like it.

" They only wanted to ......so I became very hostile to men. You were different, I wonder why I did not tell my brothers about you. If I had done that, they would have been here with sticks and broken your bones. But I did not feel threatened by your presence." She turned her face away. "Instead I began to expect you. I used to hope you will find me when I change places and you always did.
I am scared we will get hurt. When your people feel I am not good enough, when my people feel I can't chose a husband on my own, we will be tormented."

" Leema, if our families would not be a hitch, will you marry me? Do you feel anything for me?"

She glanced at him and took off her eyes. She said nothing.

" Do you love me?" He asked.

She turned at him, lowered her head and smiled. With a lot of effort, she nodded but said no word. That nod was the best move he had ever seen. Electric pulse, stream of joy, sparks of love ions, love cations and anions filled the air, in him and probably in her. If it was Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai they would have started singing with invisible bandsmen. This was the perfect scene for singing, the lovely environment, the serene natural scene.

" I love you, Leema and nothing will take you away from me."

He was not expecting her to say she loved him back. She was shy. Her smile did. Oh, so innocent, pure and chaste.
"What if your family rejects me?" She asked.

" They won't reject you. "

" I am not the kind of girl they expect you to marry ."

" Yes, they expect someone great," He said, " and I got someone greater. "

She sighed, closed her eyes trying to stop the tears that cascaded. Oh, he wished he could hold her and dry her tears.

"Why are you crying? It's okay."

It took a while to console her. They sat near the stream while the cattle were bust munching.

" My grandfather said my father loved me so much. He wanted me to become a doctor. He was not educated himself but had a lot of educated friends and he saw the value of education. He wanted to build a school in our village. They were against him, saying he was going to corrupt the village, but he was connected so he got government permission. But....he never realized his dreams. "

"Why?"

"I was only one when they left and never came back. He left a lot of cattle, tractors and money but after five years of absence, my uncles stepped on everything and my old grandfather who got a stroke because of my father's disappearance could do nothing. "

" Why did they leave?"

"They went on a business trip. He wanted to import tractors." She took in a deep breath." Only if he was around. We feel they are dead."

Something nudged his brain.

" His name?"

"He was called Ardo Salman ."


Oh my God!

He was now sitting on a hill, hungry and tired. He used to hire bikes and after a hard learnt lesson, he got the phone number of a local bike man who would pick him anytime he was ready. The bike-man did not care what time it was because Fahad paid him a lot of money.
He decided to jump down and move to a shade cast under a rock when he fell off and landed badly. His leg ached and for moments and he lay moaning in pains. He thought his leg was fractured but realised it was just badly hurt.
He tried to get up but he could not. She did not even look at him and he guessed she did not see him fall. He sat there for over one hour. He still could not stand up and walk. It was aching.

He dragged himself behind the hill, there was shade there and a stream passed near the hill. He sat there and the pain became more excruciating and he could not stand up. He sat there alone, watching the clean water flow by.
He was almost startled as he saw someone standing over him, staring at him. He could not believe his eyes. It was cattle-girl, standing close enough and he began to wonder if science had discovered all the main fields of attraction . They discovered electric field, magnetic field and gravitational field but he just discovered a stronger field. A field that acted upon the physical body, mind and soul. This field did not mind the distance. This cattle girl now standing close to him was deep into his body and soul. She was acting upon everything in him, around him and about him.

He said nothing, just looking at the perfection of God’s creation. He wondered why she came to him,why the stare.

“ An aso mata bolu? ( Don’t you ever get tired of talking?)” She said in fulfude.

He did not understand what she was saying so he kept looking at her speechlessly.
She looked at his leg, squatted and held his ankle. As she touched him, he nearly melted. She sent an electric pulse through him instantly. She touched the part he was holding in pain, pressed it and made sure it was the part she wanted, then gave it a twist.

“ Ouuch!” He moaned.

She then got up, said no word then left. After five munutes, she came back with a bowl of fresh cow milk, gave him to sip before she collected it, squeezed some leaves and mixed the sap with the milk and asked him to drink. It tasted bitter but since it was from cattle girl, it became the sweetest thing he ever drank.
He could not believe how the pain began to vanish at once. This was the power of herb. He got up and took a short walk.’

“ Damn! I can walk.” He said. “Thank you.”

She said nothing, just stared at him, like she was studying him.
He sat down again. She stood up, not saying a word. He was trying to talk, gesticulating to make her understand what he meant.

“ What is the meaning of acatalectic?” She suddenly asked in English language. Her accent, the fluency made him shocked. Did she understand English?

“ Don’t stare at me like that. You used it in your song and I don’t know the meaning.” She now sat down opposite him. “ Start talking, you stubborn guy.”


He became flummoxed.

2008

Many eyes turned at Amaar who was sitting next to their mother, and he felt a bang in his heart. What has she done? This was something that has been bugging him, and had wanted to confess but Ameer stopped him.
Why was she doing this now? Was she there to exonerate them or exacerbate? Damn!

“ Ameer was nowhere close to Shere Hills that day. Record shows that he has an alibi. He was in Kano to purchase drugs for his pharmacy. There are receipts, travel tickets and witnesses to substantiate this fact.
My Lord, Amaar did not commit the murder either. He was there on that day and actually climbed the cliff as shown in the photograph and attested by witnesses. But none of the evidence prove that he killed them.
It was claimed that he rolled down heavy rocks that killed them. The first question that came on my mind was……was the stone a boomerang?”

A short laughter, and her mother laughed too, and very proud of her daughter. If it was more than one rock he pushed, were the seven of them stuck? Why didn’t they run after the first person or the second is killed? Were they in a straight line and the stone just rolled on them all?
It does not add up. And when I saw the size of the rock and the position it was said to be on the cliff, I was forced to travel down to Jos and got a more detailed data. It was claimed that he was the only person there.
Law is my discipline and I am not science oriented. Fortunately, a lawyer is not confined to a single discipline. Versatility is a requisite factor in law so I was compelled to peep into an aspect of science to confirm my hypothesis.
The rock is said to have a mass of 1540 kilograms. When this is multiplied by acceleration due to gravity which is estimated to be 10 meters per second square, we have a weight of 15,400 Newton. That is about almost the weight of thirty-one bags of cement which weighs 500 Newton.
My learned senior colleague, it may be pertinent I state it here that there is a difference between mass and weight. When I mentioned that a bag of cement weighs 500 Newton, I saw someone shake his head because what we usually see written is 50 kilogram.
For those of us who are not science oriented, kilogram is the SI unit of mass and mass is a scalar quantity. It is constant. But weight is a vector quantity and it is gotten by multiplying the mass by acceleration due to gravity.
I also found out that the rock was at a distance of 1.4 meter before the edge of the cliff. How did he push it down? The force required to push the object parallel to the ground is anything greater than the resistive force of friction which is the normal force m time g times the friction coefficient K. To push this rock, the force produced by Amaar must exceed mgk.
How can a mortal, a single man do this? And even if Amaar is Superman, how could they all wait to get killed by a rolling stone? And there is no evidence to prove that he killed them except the photograph that he was there and two of the victims were his foes.
If this is the reason for saying my client was a cult member, I think it is now clear that it was all a misconception. Thank you my lord.”

“ I think there would be no point dwelling on this issue.” Said the judge. “ If there is no evidence that show that Amaar or Ameer killed those young men in Jos, then we should concentrate on the allegations which led to the conviction of Mr Ameer Adam.
If by any chance, the council for prosecution find substantial evidence, he has the liberty to make a motion for post-trial.”

Adnan felt as if he should evaporate into thin air and vanish. He was confused, embarrassed and sickened. Why did this man have to invite him, made him feel welcomed only to ridicule him? There were other ways of sending him away.

"I just can't understand it. Are you dating my daughter with the intention of getting married to her?" Alhaji Mukhtar asked. " Someone who does not even know his origin, a bread seller?...."

"We all had humble beginnings." Hajiya said.

" I do but we had prospects. I was a graduate when I married you. I was financially down but I had a family. My brother came back from abroad and gave me a life. I and Alhaji Ibrahim Tofa all worked for him and we made it. He also made sure we knew one or two people and we all made it to the peak. He was a former governor.
I had been an ambassador, DG, and a Perm sec. Education and family. He lacks both. Why do you compare me to him? Did you not know my parents, my village or relatives?"

Gaddafi stood up.

"Where are you going to?" Alhaji Mukhtar asked him.

" I have a stomach ache. I guess I will have to leave.Please excuse me "

"In the middle of an important meeting?"

"I am sorry, Abba but it does not look so to me. I thought you said it was a get together dinner."

" It is about your sister."

" I know Abba. This could have been done without gathering us. It seems someone has already informed you about him. I just have a stomach upset. I will have to leave, get medication and sleep."

" Okay." Alhaji said. " I wish you soonest recovery."

" Thank you, sir." Gaddafi said, moved to his mother and kissed her forehead. " I love you mom."

She smiled.

" Allah Ya ma albarka ( May Allah bless you)." She said to him.

He left quietly.

" Abba there is nothing wrong with him." Abdul-Rahman, the second child said. " He is too soft and he is supposed to head this family."

"Shut up!" Hajiya vituperated. " You that have a lion heart should lead the family if that is what you want."

" He is right." Alhaji said defensively. " This has to do with his sister. What if I am not alive. Would he allow her get along with this tout? A boy who has no face, no origin and has very bad habits? A security man! A bread seller and maigadi! Who would be his representative? If anything happens, where do we go to? Are you people insane?" He turned at Adnan.

" Listen to me young man, " he said, " I do not want to see you with my daughter again. You are not compatible. Two different worlds. You must have noticed that from the introductions. I advise you to go and look for a girl who was raised in an orphanage so you could be with her.
If it is food you want, do not come to her. I will give you food allowance every month. Ten thousand Naira. I have nothing against you. I am willing to help you, but please stay away from my daughter."

Naairah was filled with anger, shame and frustration. She did not know what to do. She felt like it was done in cahoots with her. She had invited him, hoping her father who never went against her wish would support her.
She had not bargained for this. Oh No! Zayyad! He told her father all of these. She would never forgive him .

" I have something to say!" She burst, finding it difficult to control her anger. It was just enough. She could not take it anymore. She was going
to express herself and let the world crash ,she did not give a hoot!

Then Adnan gave her a look. Their eyes met. Messages passed.
She realized that there was something between them. He had an impact on her that was beyond comprehension. Just that glance, she got the message.
Don't do it.
They are your parents.
Do not be disrespectful.
Just keep quiet.

" Go on." Alhaji Mukhtar said.

She bowed her head.

" Nothing." She said and went mute.

" Thank you very much sir." Adnan said at last. " I have a night job to do so I may not have much time to stay again. I heard what you said. I am very sorry for any inconvenience caused you and the members of the family.
I guess if not for me, you could have been having a wonderful dinner amid jokes and laughter. I am sorry. I admit to having no one to call mine. I also know my level in the society. I have always known this and avoided the chance to be reminded.
When I see children who have families, I remind myself that I have Allah. And He created me through humans whom I was not privileged to know anything about. Never in my life have I ever felt close to having a family like tonight when I first came in and you gave me a warm welcome.
As I sat among you, a family, and jokes was being shared, I felt something I had never felt. And paradoxically, I have never felt far from having a family like tonight after all you said. I just want to apologise for coming into your daughter's life. But she was a blessing to me because through her, Allah made me a better person.
I also appreciate the offer of ten thousand monthly naira for food. May Allah reward you. With all due respect, sir, I think the little I earn can take care of my feeding. I want every member of the family to forgive me. Thank you, sir."

" Thank you for understanding with me." Alhaji Mukhtar said. " May God be with you."

"Ameen."

Adnan got up.

" You have not really eaten," he said, " Sit down and eat."

Adnan forced a smile.

" Thank you, sir but I am okay." He said and turned at Hajiya Fatima.

" Thank you ,ma."

She only nodded. She could not utter a word. Adnan left the house, walking hurriedly, fighting the urge to run, with nowhere to run to. He passed through the big gate, walked down the street then felt his legs so heavy. It was like he was chained. He could not move, and his head was so heavy. He began to feel dizzy.
He saw a block by the fence of a building and sat on it.
The pain had always been there, but it never made himself the way he was. Now he felt something sweeping inside of him, starting from his legs, coming up with a strong force until it agglomerated in his head and he burst into tears.

He was weeping profusely.

Life was cruel to him!

He remembered how he was treated by the family that adopted him, the inhumane acts vented on him, the severe hardships he went through and the psychological trauma he was going through . But what just happened capped it all.

He was not just humiliated beyond reasoning, he had just being separated from the only person that ever meant anything to him.
Naairah, Miss Sunshine.

SIX

Zayyad was dressed in a very expensive voile with a black cap called Minister.

“ Zayyad .” Alhaji Mukhtar said warmly, “ You are welcome. Ya Baba (how is your father?”

“ Alhamdulillah.” Zayyad replied, looking shy.

“ Come and join us, please. We are just about to start.”

Zayyad sat down, next to Naairah, and gave Adnan a nod.
Dinner began. There was a lot of rice, beef pepper soup, tuwo, and a lots more. Adnan had no appetite but it would not have been nice if he refused to eat. He noticed that it was a jovial family and they were so free with each other.

“ Zayyad, we just had an introduction before you came. But I know you know my family members.” Alhaji Mukhtar said. “ I don’t know if you have met Adnan. Adnan, this is Zayyad. He is also a member of this family. His father and I have come a long way.
He is a an Accountant in the making and his father had served this nation as a governor. A very good friend of mine.”
Alhaji Mukhtar looked at Adnan.

“ I think we would like to know our new member of the family.” He dropped the nickel. “ Your full name, where you come from, your parents, educational background and ….just getting to know you.”

Naairah felt something drumming in her head. She gave Adnan a sharp glance and she never saw him look more flummoxed.
Zayyad had a smile on his face as he looked at Adnan.

The die was cast!

“ We are listening, Adnan.” Alhaji Mukhtar said and a graveyard silence took over.

" My name is Adnan Abbas." Adnan said, aware of the quiver in his voice. " I - I am an orphan."

" Oh-oh." Alhaji Mukhtar said pathetically. " What a pity. Where are you from? Where did your parents live."

Adnan held on to the spoon, his eyes in a blank stare at the plate of food in front of him.

" I - don't know." He said. He was not going to keep lying.

" What?" Alhaji Mukhtar exclaimed. Some of her brothers, made some low exclamations.

" I don't know my parents. I was said to have been adopted by a family."

"Who are they?"

Adnan hesitated. He could not reveal that. It was dangerous to do that.

" I was so young when I left them." He said. " I can't really remember them but the man was called Daddy. And his wife was mummy."

" How old were you then?"

"I was nine."

" Why did you leave?"

" I was being maltreated."

" So when you left, where did you go?"

Adnan did not like this. Why ask him all of these in presence of everyone?

" I was in Abuja for a while before I left for Zaria."

"So who took care of your education?"

" I think we should eat and talk later Abban Abdul." Hajiya Fatima said, feeling uncomfortable.

" It is alright. There may be no later." He said. " the purpose of the dinner is to know each other."

" I had no one to help me. I stopped my education in Primary three."

" Tab!" her immediate elder brother exclaimed and Zayyad giggled smugly.

" Primary three?" Alhaji Mukhtar marvelled . " You don't even have a primary school certificate."

" I do . I wrote external GCE."

" Do you have a job How do you survive?"

" I work with a bakery as a sales boy and work as a security man at night."

What!

" What a shame!"

Alhaji Mukhtar said. Zayyad glanced at Adnan then smirked.

" Abban Abdul." Hajiya Fatima said .

" Let me talk. "He retorted. " I did not invite you to condemn you but to help you. I just introduced my children to you and you can see the kind of care and upbringing they had."

" I think he was also well brought up." Hajiya Fatima said. " You saw that with Naairah."

" A'a, shine Mufti Menk (no, he is Mufti Menk)" He said, " This boy is nothing but a rogue. A street urchin who decided to use my daughter as a prey. He does nothing other than follow girls, lie to them and dupe them....."

" A boy who was on the street since nine." Hajiya said, " He should be excusable."

" I am not reproaching him. I am just being realistic." Alhaji Mukhtar said. " He met Naairah by duping her. You think I did not find out?"

Zayyad exchanged glances with Naairah. She glared at him with a contempt that made her look like she was going to burst. He took his off, then typed something with his phone and then sent it to her.

It was for your protection. You don't know what he is.

She quickly typed back.

I hate you with all my life!

You will thank me later.

I will roast you later

sabbiboi:
I must say, you deserve accolades.

SokoDobo

Thank you

Fahad spent two hours rummaging through the hummocks before he found her. He was obsessed with the cattle-girl. He learnt they always changed places of grazing, so he always had to look round intensively to find her. He would then stay with her until sunset when she left. From a billionaire Havard University graduate to a cattle rearer.

This had been going on for two weeks and there was never a day he took a break. He realized how buggered her life was. Rearing cattle on daily bases, being alone in the hummocks for hours, was pernicious.
No western education, no Islamic education, just she, cattle, grass and mountains.
Some times she had to climb mountains with the cattle, running here and there, trying to control them, staying under the sun, rain, cold. Rain? Yes. He had his bite too. It had rained cats and dogs on that day. They were on a wide grass land, no trees, just grass and mountains. There was no hiding place.

The rain showered on them. He was under the rain, feeling the discomfort but as he looked at her, standing with her stick, watching over the cows, not showing any concern about the rain, he cried.
It was inexpedient, and annihilating to a girl like this. He had never witnessed such a suffering. God! He never believed such kind of life existed.

So while he and his siblings got the best things in life, there were people living in such an abyss.
He knew of the word ‘poverty’ but he never took it serious because he had never been with poor people. It was always people of high class. He saw a different side of the world and something cropped up inside him.

He had to contribute something within his reach to the less privileged. This was debilitating. She would go to streams and perform ablution when it was time for prayers, go behind a rock and pray. If there was no hiding place, he would leave the vicinity and give her space. In the afternoon, she would milk a cow and drink milk. She would make sure she hid from him while drinking. She drank water from the clean spring water from the rocks. Once he hid behind a rock, she did not know he was there and heard her singing. It was the most sonorous voice he ever heard.

Her voice was mellifluous, sweet like honey. Even though he did not understand a word of the lyrics, her heart-piercing voice, the sensational tune, her pacific and pretty face made him felt tears in his eyes. He wished she could give him the chance to extricate her, polish her, build her and love her but no, all these while, she never said a word to him. Never? Yes, never.

On the day he had fainted, he had opened his eyes to find himself in darkness. The cold air had hit him savagely. It took him seconds to remember what had happened and then he sat up, feeling pain in his jaw where the beast had hit him. He was in the hummocks, alone, in the dark. Then he saw a small fence of thorns around him. What was that for and who did this? This was not the point he had fainted. Someone must have moved him. The cattle girl? No, she could not have had the strength to move him. He checked his pocket and found his phone and money.

Nothing was missing. He turned on the flashlight of his phone, and then realised why the thorn was there. There was a big black snake that was barred from coming towards him. Snakes hated the slightest lacerate. He felt something cold piercing through his liver.
If not for the thorns, he should have been long dead. He stood up, now invigorated by the sight of the snake, he carried a small stone and threw at it. It fled away while he jumped out and went towards opposite direction. It was around 10:00 PM. He had to walk twelve kilometres back to the hotel. Yet, the next day, he was back for cattle girl.

She never talked to him , or gave him a look, or act as if he was there. He did all he could do to get her talk to him, but failed. He would talk for minutes but she never responded. Sometimes he would climb a hill and watch her, sit on a tree branch and never got tired of looking at her. He could not tell anyone what he was going through. There was a day he secretly used his mini powerful camera to snap her.
She was holding her stick amidst the cattle. When he posted it on his facebook page, he got over two thousand likes and a thousand comments. Many thought she was a model posing for a shot.

He had not forgotten about the supposedly dead doctor neither did he forget about the strange incidence he saw on the night he took the long walk through the hummocks. At a point, he saw a fleet of cars, Toyota Hilux in a convoy driving into the deep mountainous forest.
He hid behind a tree and noticed how strange it was. The cars were exactly twenty in number. They seemed to be transporting somethings. Then he caught sight of a white man among the passengers. Who were they? What were they carrying? Where were they going?

He did not tell Damon and his wife any of these. He used one hour every morning to inquire about Ardo then resume cattle rearing. He made sure Damon and his wife were occupied. He called one of the family’s private pilot and a chopper was provided, made arrangements for Damon and Alicia to visit most of the tourist sites in Nigeria. They had gone to Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross river, Yankari Game reserve , and lots more. Nigeria was blessed with a lot of tourists attractions and they were having the best time of their honeymoon.

It was one of those cold nights in Jos when everyone became a smoker, puffing out smoke. It was called breath vapour. Amaar and Tessy were walking down a street beside the campus, having been in the library for a while.
It was evening and the cold had intensified. Her teeth chattered, and her voice shook. It was her third year in Jos but she had not gotten used to the severe cold. Amaar had offered his thick shirt but she declined, saying she would soon be home.
Then one slim tall guy appeared from a dark corner. He wore dreadlocks, and earring, baggy jeans and big winter jacket,

“ Tessy!” He called with a harsh voice.

“ Who is that?” she asked.

The tall guy came out of the darkness and stood before them.

“ Who the hell is this guy that you have been hanging with?”

“ Teks what’s up?” she said when she recognized him.

“ You have not answered me, babe.”

“He is my friend.”

“ But you know I hate seeing you with guys ,right?”

She smirked.

“ Teks we broke up and I am done with you. I have the right to be with whoever I want.”

“ You get that wrong. I want us back!”

“ I am done with you.”

Teks looked at Amaar and clenched his fist.“ My guy, you dey find kasala o!” He warned, “ You go wound o!”

“ Are you threatening me?” Amaar asked, pointing to his chest.

“ Me just dey yan you my church mind. I no good. Leave my punany alone. This babe na my chick, no be today. Na small gbege just shele between us…wait first, why I even dey try explain to you? Now, get the hell out of my sight.
And you Tessy, we are going to my crib like right now. I hope you can feel the weather.”

Amaar looked at her.

“ Do you want to go with him?”

She shook her head. “ No.”

“ I hope you heard her and is it not mawkish to fight over a girl? I am a big boy and if she says she wants to be with you, then it’s a free world.

Now she says she does not want to so, I think it is settled.”

“ Chai! Babane, you go wound o!”

“ Then let’s go.” Amaar said and held her hand. As they began to walk away, Teks held Amaar by his shirt. This was a goof. Amaar turned and sent a straight punch to his face. Teks must have been expecting it so he swayed but released Amaar.

“ Enyi guys ! Arrange into Luciano setting.” Teks said two more guys came out of the darkness.

“ Please stop Teks.” Tessy pleaded.

One of the two guys was chubby. He had a cigarette between his lips, a red bandana tied on his head then wore a black baseball cap which was sideways. He held a baseball club.
The second guy was short and thickset. He also held a baseball club.

“ Tessy, come with me or we would break every bone, every joint in his skeletal system.”

“ For real, Teks.” Said the chubby one.

“ You guys can only take her over my dead body!” Amaar said sternly.

The guys now cornered him and launched an attack. Amaar was pugnacious, frenzied and dogged. He was been hit but he attacked like a grim lion. And when he hit the chubby guy in the face, his club fell off and Amaar pick it up.

“ I swear heads will roll dan uwarku!”

Tessy was now crying, begging them to stop because she knew if this continued for another ten minutes, Amaar was going down. There was no way he could face them.
Then four hefty men appeared from nowhere. They immediately attacked Teks and his boys and it took only five minutes to get them scampering. Amaar was saved.
He was still holding on to the baseball club, panting and gasping.

“ I hope you are okay.” One of the men who saved him asked.

“ I am, thank you.”

“ It’s nothing. Those are Ake boys. They will mark you.” He said and dragged Amaar to a side.

“ I am Jib. We shall meet again. You need to sit on the fence and not by the fence. Now go home.”

Twenty minutes later, he and Tessy were entering their room. It was a few minutes to 11:00PM.

“ Are you sure you are okay?” She asked with a concerned expression.

“ I am. No fractured bone.”

“ I regret ever been with him.”

“ It’s one of those things.”

“ Where is your brother?”

“ He travelled to KD.” He replied. Ameer was trying to set up a pharmacy so he was trying to put things in place. “ I think it would be wise if I see you off. It’s getting late.”

“ Now?”

“ It is almost eleven.”

“ I am scared. I don’t want to go tonight.”

What!

“ But where would you sleep? There is only one room here and one bed…mattress, sorry.”

She got up and before he knew it, she was in his arms.

“ I am scared. I just want to be with you tonight. “

No. He had never been with a woman like this. And what was this hold all about? And the warmth, the softness of her body all made him felt uncomfortable. Okay, she would sleep but nothing will happen. Nothing.
He never knew it was the beginning of a journey he never bargained for. This was how Amaar was plunged into something he never dreamt of…..and he was going to see more of Jib. Whoever he was.

2005

Amaar closed his eyes as he sat on a pew in a place they called gossip centre. He felt his lips between his teeth and the clenching cause him a sharp pain. He was unaware of doing that. He was infuriated. How could some urchins maltreat his brother and go scot free? What the hell was this cult all about?

That was one thing people never knew about the twins except close relations like their mother. Ameer was known to be the trouble maker, the noisemaker while Amaar was known to be reserved and cool.
But in his coolness was a stone heart. He hid most of his thoughts in his heart and had the ability to suppress his emotions but he was more vindictive. When Ameer told him what happened, he said nothing much and he realised that Ameer had let it go.

Ameer bought another phone and did a welcome-back for his SIM card. But Amaar never forgot. He began to investigate until he discovered that Small was a fresher, who just gained admission and joined cult even before his registration process was completed. His real name was Tahir Bala Anka.

He also discovered that the guy with the goatee was called Kenneth Akokokpori but known as Murphy.
Amaar marked them but never mentioned this to anyone. Not even his brother. He started stalking them while he nursed a way of getting back at them.

As he sat on the pew after watching Murphy for a while, he began to think of a way to settle the matter. He felt such guys were nothing but a nuisance to the society and were not worthy of been there. They killed, robbed, raped, blackmail and intimidate.
It was then a young girl, about his age came and sat near him. She was tall, slim and slightly light in complexion. She wore brown knee length pants, and black sleeveless vest, hanging her backpack and holding a bottle of coke and cupcake.

" Hi." She said with a smile.

" Hi." He said back.

" I hope you don't mind me sitting over here."

" The last time I checked, my surname is not UJ. I don't own a damn thing here."

She smiled.

" I am famished and damn me..." she opened her backpack and removed another plastic bottle of coke and offered it to him.

" No thanks."

" I won't accept that for an answer. You can open it yourself. It's not poisoned."

Amaar grinned and he was surprised he did because he was not a ladies man. He accepted it and before he knew it, she was offering him a cake.
They now sat side by side eating and somehow ,he was glad she did because it just downed on him that he was famished.

" Tessy Ray, "she said, " Mass Com. Three hundred level."

" Amaar Adam, Mechanical, two hundred level."

She offered her hand. He hesitated. He had never shook the hand of a lady but....he extended his hand to feel her soft palms.

" Do you know I was kind of scared at first when I saw you here?" She said.

" Why?"

" You can't tell. The boys."

"What boys?"

" Underworld. The cult boys."

" And what makes you so sure I am not one." He said and wore a stoned face.

She giggled.

" Because I see a nice guy behind that sapphire eyes. Yes, I love your eyes. Kind of strange for a blackman but you look Arabian."

" I am a blackboy."

" A mallam right?"

" I am not a mallam."

"You are. From your name, I can tell. You are an aboki, right?"

Amaar was forced to laugh.

" You guys feel every Muslim is a mallam. Mallam means one who has knowledge and pedagogic. He is a teacher. Mu'alim. Ilmi means knowledge. And you also call every Hausa man aboki. Aboki means friend."

" That's news ! I never knew."

" And for the record. I am not a nice guy."

" Then you have to prove me wrong."


Two days later, they met in the library. This time, she wore a skinny palazzo, and crop top which accentuated her broad hips. And her backpack was hung as usual. Her hair was made in braids and he wondered how long it took her to sit down and get it done for her.

" Amaar, right?" she said with a broad smile.

" Yep. Tessy and I am sure it is."

" Shame on me then."

They sat close to each other while they read. After about two hours, he said he was leaving. She said she was also leaving because her brain was saturated. They left together and he offered her lunch. She hesitated before she obliged. They went to a restaurant and had lunch.
This was the beginning of the relationship between Amaar and Tessy. They became closer but he chose to hide it from Ameer. He felt Ameer would not buy the idea and somehow, he was attracted to her.


Everything seemed normal between them until it popped up one night. That night................

2008

Maryam was aware of her pulsating heart, quivering and unbalance as she sat in the courtroom of Court of appeal Abuja. Dressed in her gown, and glancing at Peter Okorie, SAN, who was called to bar before she was born, she could not help but feel intimidated.
This was her first case in court, and like an actor facing camera fright, or stage fright, she was experiencing some level of fright. Having gone through a painstaking investigative session, agglomerating possible evidence which helped her prepare in limine.

Having gone through voir dire, she felt confident with the jury. As a council for the defense, she had skillfully intended to reserve her opening statement until the beginning of defense case but since it was an appeal, she changed her mind.

After her opening statement, Okorie did his opening statement and Maryam felt intimidated. The confidence the elderly lawyer displayed, his mannerism and use of convincing words made some confidence drift out of her.
Then she turned and saw her mother sitting down, watching her and gave her a proud smile and nod. She felt a sudden wave of synergy, invigoration and zeal inside her. Yes! Here we go.

Her first cross examination.

" Ameer Adam, you admitted to committing the crimes allegedly committed by you and pleaded guilty, why did you do that?" She began as Ameer who had a haircut and trimmed his beard stood in the dock.

" The trial had taking too long and we were out of financial support. My family were suffering and I felt we should not all be suffering so....I decided to just plead guilty and bear the cross."

" Are you saying you did not commit the crimes? That you did not intentionally kill Mr Uthman Bamanga and his entire family? You did not kill Mr Safiyan and Lawal who were found buried in his house, or having been involved in cultism which led to the death of seven students?"

" I did not commit those crimes."

" You pleaded guilty out of psychological trauma and duress?"

" Yes, my lord."

" Thank you."

Okorie stood up with a smirk planted on his face. A smirk that gave the impression that he just listened to a mere kidology, and this made Maryam felt her palms clammy with sweat. She was going to fight it. The doggedness in her was accumulating with a great force.

" Ameer Adam. " Okorie called with a straight look into Ameer's eyes. A look that was intended to get him flummoxed. But the cadaverous eyes that stared back at him seemed not be moved. It was blank and he wondered if he blinked. " What a dramatic turn of event. You decided today to deny the crimes you committed....."

"Objection my lord! " Maryam remonstrated, " my client is still only alleged to have committed the crimes."

" He is a convicted criminal." Okorie said bluntly.

" Objection upheld. This is an appellant court and the verdict of the district court is suspended until the accused is proven guilty." The judge, Justice Hafusa Afolabi said calmly but the hardness on her face showed that she was a strict judge.

" Thank you, my lord." Okorie said with a slight bow. " Let me begin with your personality. As a student in University of Jos, you were known to be a dangerous member of a cult and in one of your obnoxious acts, you allegedly killed seven students who were relaxing at Shere Hills by pushing a heavy stone that rolled on them from a cliff.

I have as part of evidence the picture of you climbing the cliff on that day, and four witnesses attested to seeing you. It was also discovered that two of the victims were your rival cult members. You claimed they once snatched your phone and got you slapped.
We do not know how authentic that is but even if it is true, killing them is tantamount to putting the law into your hands."

" Are you aware of this incidence, Mr Ameer?" Justice Hafusa asked.

" I am not, my lord."

Maryam had to switch in. That was why she was advocating and this was not Ameer's responsibility." My lord, my client did not know of the said event. He was never a cultist. He was a student who never caused trouble but instead dedicated himself to his studies and business. It was no secret that he had a pharmacy, which was run by him and his late fiancée. They were so admired by students that they were awarded the price for best couple in school. His life revolved around his academics and business."

" Barrister, Barrister Okorie just presented photographs that showed that he was there. How come you say he was not there?" Asked the judge.

Maryam paused and the court went silent like a grave yard. She gave Ameer a sharp glance. This was one part she did not discuss with him and he did not tell her about. He may not like this but she had no choice. This was dicey because if she failed, then she would lose his cooperation and that meant losing the case.

" The man shown in the picture is not Ameer as claimed or admitted by him. He has a twin brother who looks exactly like him. That is Amaar."

She dropped the nickel.

Boom!

2015

" Watcha got for the niggaz?" Kaybee said rolling a wrap of weed.

" There is a guy. He's wadded. Like real wadded and needs to be worked on." Khamil began, " I have been stalking him, using some of my homeboys. I got his routine, what a humdrum life he lives with all these money. He doesn't deserve all that money. He wakes up and goes to work, then close to watch games, sit in a garden then go home."

" Damn nigga!" Dazz exclaimed. " No clubbing, no getting high, no bae cruising, just what?"

" He ain't deserve that money. We do, coz we sure know how to squander." Kaybee said.

" Word! Word nigga!" Dazz concurred.

" Who is this guy?" Flash said for the first time.

" I think we would get to that." Khamil said, " like I said in retrospect, he would be picked but the blame would be laid on his fictitious accomplices. We are not only going to make money, we would live to spend it , and not in jail."

" Word nigga!" Dazz said, " Hey, I said get me some murderfuck*** pot dude! I hate seeing my eyes white. Get 'em red."

" For real nigga." Kaybee passed him rolling papers and a bowl of weed. " It's a shame we can't snuff the devil's powder. Damn! Niggaz we are broke!"

" Can't you niggaz shut the fu** up and talk deal with this dude?" Flash said impatiently.

" Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to say and when to say it?" Kaybee vituperated.

" Fu** you nigga!" Flash raked, " you just get high and never stop babbling!"

" I ma poke this nigga!" Kaybee got on his feet, veins bulging out on his forehead and neck.

" You are welcome a**hole! Be my guest and you know what, rest in murderfuc**ng peace."

" Stop it you dimwits!" Dazz cut in. " We need cheda and this dude is here and he is here to give us some raise.'

Khamil rubbed his palms on his face. See what drugs was doing to these guys. Well. He had no option than to deal with them.

" Maybe I should come back some other time." Khamil said. " I don't think you guys are in the mood to talk business."

" Whoooo, no dude." Kaybee said pushing his palms forward, " we are made for this deal. We are sorry, okay. Niggaz, aint we sorry?"

" Sure nigga." Dazz said. " We gotta to show some respect."

Flash said nothing, lit a cigarette then took a sip of dry gin.

" We would pick him in the garden but it has to be carefully planned. There are police checkpoints." Khamil said. , " he sits in a sequestered place sai kace munafiqi (like a hypocrite) ."

" What is in for us? What is the plan?" Flash asked.

" You guys will abduct him and take him to your zone. I will come and kill him myself." Khamil said.

" What is in for us and you talked about avoiding arrest." Flash went on.

" Yes, I have an inside man. A profile of a fictitious business partner has been created. And the guy has a past. He had stepped on real bad by some bad guys so he got a reason to get vindictive. He has been set-up to be awarding contracts to kill one or two people. Putting the law into his hands but there will be a double-cross. The guys will be the one that killed him. I will leave traces of faux evidence for a wild goose chase."

" Good, then the main part. What is in for us?"

" Eighty mil."

"Phew!" Dazz whistled. " That is some chedd niggaz!"

" We need advance payment of forty." Flash said.

Khamil knew there may be a problem there.

" The truth is ....the money will come after his death."

" That does not make sense." Kaybee said. " How can a dead man spill money? Hey, hope you are not here to play games. We don't build castle in air."

" Let him explain." Flash said, threw the reefer end away then lit a cigarette.

" Okay...there is going to be inheritance. I will inherit about three hundred million. He is related to me ."

"Hmmmm....but we cannot wait for that." Kaybee said. " We need to be sure ."

" I have another idea." Said Flash. " You want him dead, right? Okay, keep your inheritance money. We will collect a ransom of one hundred million before he dies. We split into four. Twenty five mil each. Then you kill him."

Khamil looked at Flash again.

" Smart son-of-a-bitc*!" Khamil said and they laughed.

The day was fixed. A day to abduct Ameer, collect ransom then kill him. At this time, he was in the garden with Ameerah....explaining to her why he was still in touch with Maryam even after getting married to her.


Khamil sent a message to Ameerah. The day has been fixed.

.

.

“ I was coming back from a small mountain climbing.” Carlos said, and then moved his rotund face forward like he was about to tell him a great secret, “ my wife is complaining about my potbelly these days so I go climbing…..”

Wife!

The word made a bang in Walter’s heart.
Aadila! Was she his wife? The name was there in his head but he could not relate it to any face.

“ And I saw you staggering. You were seriously in a bad shape. You were all wet, bleeding and out of your mind. You dropped on the ground. I looked round and saw that you were not being followed. You kept saying, ‘ocean, the boy, the boy, Aadila.’ I could not lift you alone. You are a hunk of a beef so I called Dialo, my boy who came and helped me out.

Before Dialo came, I searched you and saw something. It was a very small device. I did not know what it was. All I have known all my life is food and restaurant. I hate technology and that thing looked so full of it.
So ,I took you to Doctor Mark. He is a good man. Doctor Sean would not accept you. And I left you there. I am sorry but I never went back there. Market is bad these days. I could not afford to be told about bills.”

“ Where is the device?”

“ I have it in my office. I will get someone to help out. What happened to you?” He said, “ Oops! I forgot. You lost your memory, huh? Sometimes, I wish I could lose mine and forget all those days and these days…..and just be in a free world and I won’t care if any woman cheats on me because I have a potbelly.” Carlos said with a tinge of bitterness. “ And my mistresses don’t complain. Adriana says she loves it, same as Mette-Maaret and Kamila. Mayra reserved her comment. But my wife complains.”

Walter said nothing, but smugly wrinkled his nose as cloud of smoke from cigarette filled the air. It seemed he never smoked. It did not look familiar to him but had seen it a lot of times. He was not here to talk about his marital life. He needed answers.

“ I kept the device hidden. Only one person know where it is. I don’t even know why I hid it or felt it was important.” He turned at a young lad,

“ Hey, Rico! Tell Andrew to get his head here.”

Andrew was a short stocky man with a mean expression. He appeared and stood expectant.

“ Gimme that thing.” Carlos said.

“ What thing?”

“ The small thing that looks like pen.”

“Hmmmm.” Andre said and went in.

“ Andrew is trustworthy. But I don’t trust Rico and Pablo.” Carlos said, “ they don’t love me. They love my restaurant because they get money.”
Andrew came out a few minutes later.

“ Have.” He said, handed it to Carlos and left without giving Walter a second look.

“ Take it Senor.”

Immediately he saw it, he felt some sparks in his head, and images falling into a katzenjammer, then sputtering sounds could be head in his head. Then he began to see lab coats, stethoscopes, microscopes, syringes, and computers.
Was he a doctor?
What was he?

“ Where is the EBM?” Walter said subconsciously. He knew the device but he could not tell what it was now. And he remembered EBM but not what it was used for. Was the pen-looking device connected to the EBM?

“EBM? I told you I don’t know shit about technology. The only business I have with a laptop is watching cooking programmes and South-American drama.

Walter looked at it again. It was black, with a red button on the top and digital screen which probably displayed numbers.He pressed the red button, then heard a faint sound, then he put his thumb on the digital buttons. With a programed mind, he pressed some numbers: 00030.
On the tiny screen, he saw: EBM out of radar. 15km.

“ Where did you pick me?”

“I told you before.”

“ Please tell me quickly!”

tijehi:
......and I confidently declare this as the best story on nairaland ever.

My God, Sokodobo, who are you? Please unravel yourself.


Ah, this is something else.

Hmmm. Thank you for the complement. I really appreciate.

Meanwhile, I'm just this ordinary guy you pass-by and give no second look.

Nothing special or intriguing but I love to stash words in a book.

Just a poor lonely guy precariously perched on a steep hill with a hook.


With a laptop, bottle of water and zeal.

Putting down words, sequestered from the hubbub, shindigs,and upheavals for real.

Hoping that someday, someway, the message would be gotten and would thrill.

I am not him, I am me.

Just me.

tijehi:
Soko,

Please, what other stories have you written on nairaland? Make I jejely look for them begin read.

You are a fantastic writer.

I am not Soko ooo. Soko means God. "SokoDobo" means "God dey".

Check out the following links

https://www.nairaland.com/4700337/root-cynosure

https://www.nairaland.com/4700381/beneath-hearth

EIGHT


2008

" I was taken away," Ameer continued, " and tortured, asking me to confess, name my accomplices, who I worked for. Nothing I said made sense to them. But the psychological torture was more pernicious. I could not get Teetee out of my head, her image, memories kept taunting me. The fact that I gave them what killed them made it worse.
I was shattered beyond description. I found it hard to ingest anything or talk. Too many things go on in my head and this feelings have not changed. I have not spoken more than twenty words at once since 2006.

I was charged to court and the travails of my family continued. The case was expensive, hiring a SAN, prolonging the case which lasted for two years. I was only sentenced last month. Our dad died years ago and all we had was properties which generated income for our upkeep.
Rents were paid yearly and it was not enough to pay the senior advocates so they started selling my assets. The houses went one after the other. I told them to sell the pharmacy and give the money to Teetee's relatives because I had forfeited the money she owed me.

I did not wait for fiqh (theory or philosophy of Islamic law) to know if I was responsible for their deaths or not. Six souls. I fasted sixty for each in prison. One year none stop fasting. When my properties finished, Amaar started selling his until we were left with zilch. My family members were desperate so they kept spending money with the hope that I will be exonerated but the evidence against me was convincing. It was a perfect set-up. While the DSS asked me to tag along with the murder plan, the criminals kept recording our meeting. It was later I realised that the name they kept mentioning was UM which meant Uthman Bamanga.

I also realised that they mentioned an address which was Mallam Uthman's but I did not take note believing the deal would not even happen. The DSS denied having knowledge of the set-up but I remember vividly Mallam Uthman informed his boss.
The boss did not keep official record. He could not testify because he was found dead. Last month, I got tired of the whole thing so I pleaded guilty. I was going to be found guilty anyway but the suffering had to stop.

That is my story, Barrister. You can see why I don't want you to waste your time. I have accepted my faith. Allah is my witness and that is most important."

Maryam had been trying to hide her face, the tears that had been coming from her eyes. It was hard, she was trying to be more professional but the human side of her got hold of her. This was a victim of circumstances in front of her. A condemned young man, who's dream were shattered, with a twin brother who sheared a strong bond, a mum who was a widow, and lost everything.

But there was something else she found out but felt it was not the right time to talk about it. She could still see the pain, vacuum, and space in his eyes. She would not give up on him. It was a difficult case, more especially for an inexperienced lawyer like her, who probably may have to face senior advocates.

But she just could not let this young man die without a fight, not after knowing the truth and confirming it. She knew some things he did not know. She was in Ibadan and something popped up.

" Allah is your witness and He knows the truth but that is not reason enough to let history have you as a murderer and cultist. The Prophet SAW knew Allah was always a witness but when he was in ittiqaf and one of his wives visited him, a companion saw them and turned away. The holy one knew Allah was a witness but he called the companion and told him it was his wife.

When a man is given a wife and dowry is paid, Allah is witness but the Prophet said it should be solemnised in the presence of witnesses. Allah is your witness but we still have to fight for your innocence, and your life. You have a family and Fateemah would not wish this for you. You need to live to pray for her.

I don't think there is anyone left who would remember her like you do. I know you pray for her but do it for longer time and that means living. I am going to fight for you. I beg of you to give me the chance. I need your maximum cooperation. I am happy you opened up to me. After two visits of not uttering a single word, thus this is a big thing for me. Thank you."

"Are you thanking me for helping me?"

" When somebody lets you help him, he has done you a favour because with ikhlas, you get rewarded."

He stared at her for a split second. That was the first time he looked into her eyes. He was always facing the wall or the floor when he talked. And the eyes jolted her. There was something about those sapphire eyes, that must have had life before. It was now empty but full of unspoken words.

" Thank you." He said .

" You are welcome. The pleasure is mine."




Ten minutes later, as she entered her car, she knew she was going into more investigation and scrutiny. She was not giving up on him.