Happy New year to you all my most honourable readers.

Later when they had gone back inside, gone to her ward; Zainab had wanted to sit on the mattress beside her friend but Fatimah ignored her settling her face to the other side of the bed. The anger still pinched her and she was determined to stand by the agreement they had made, even when she was in a position to let it go. Zainab tried to caress her cheek but she swiped her hands off angrily.


“Fati,” her sister said, pleadingly, “don’t be such inconsiderate. Someone had come to visit you on a sick bed and the only thing you can offer is, to treat them such way.” She presented Adefemi a white chair once he came in, after he had gone to visit the Gent.


He was speechless; didn’t want to seat before saying anything but the words could not drop out of his mouth.


“And what’s he doing here?” she inquired when she had stolen a look at who came into the ward.



“Fatimah, I’m sorry, I can explain.” He pleaded, going closer to the bed, zainab shifted her leg away from the way.


“You better start going. Your girlfriend Miss Yemisi has been disturbing me since. She’s in same or even worst position than I am, so you better go and attend to her.”


Fatimah’s sister and Zainab looked at her, horrified. Her sister made attempt to speak but got interrupted by Adefemi, she looked towards him.



“Fatimah, I’m sorry.” He made to touch her hand but she snapped it away with her left hand.


“I don’t want to see you nor speak with you anymore. When you needed me the other time, I was there for you but now…” She trailed off.
He knew he had nothing to say to defend himself. Truly, she had been there for him when he needed her the most and that was what friends do; be there for one another. He tried to entice her gaze but couldn’t get it, she kept looking away, enraged. He looked into her sister’s face and she gestured to him not to worry, that she’ll talk to her later and he left.


Zainab too left afterwards once she knew she wasn’t getting her attention and it felt she still held on to the grudges between them. She stared into the white-painted ceiling, contemplating how she was going to tell her she was going. She measured her courage and stood up, fiddling with her purse.


“Fati, I’m sorry about what happened, I want to start going,” she first said and waited to hear her speak but knew she wasn’t going to say anything. If she were, it would have been sharp replies like she had given George. “Mariam’s sister was said to have been kidnapped too.”
Fatimah’s heart beat blasted like the explosion of a bomb. She wanted to shout ‘what?’ but kept the exclamation in her mind. Her eyeballs lit bale-red, perspiration droop down her oblong love-like face. She was going peer at her sister, to look at the surprise that might lit her face but her side-view could confirm it; she wasn’t flabbergasted. Zainab walked out of the ward, the features of someone who had just announced bad news stuck to her back view. One who always want to add salt to your injury. To Fatimah, it was better she was gone.



When some few minutes silence had passed, her sister went towards the cabinet and pour Lucozade Boost into a tumbler and brought it closer to the bed, to Fatimah.


“Fatimah, take and drink,” she said in Guinea and sat beside her, using her left hand to lift her head off the pillow and down to her laps - she placed it, like she would feed her. Still she waited for her to take it but when she didn’t, she stretched and place the tumbler - down on the white chair close to her.



“I asked George about the phone and he explained some things to me,” she startled her.



“What phone?” she inquired, even when she’s been wondering where she had misplaced the phone before the incident, how careless she had been, how it would spell doom for her if her mother had found the phone.
Now she knew she had been found out. She gazed up in fear, saw the tuft of grey hair that covered the entrance of her sister’s nose. She searched for comfort in her eyes, searched for a place she could hide, so she wouldn’t have to face her parents’ cruelty, her sister’s rage and surprise at what she had done. Then she looked into her nose again and wished she could force herself through those small, shallow holes and be gone, be out of existence.

She forced the tears out of her eyes and it blurred her vision; hot tears formed shads in her eyes. She blinked and two executive drops winked out of her eyes, rather than scrolling down her cheek, they bumped into the line of her nose.



“George’s told me what happened,” she wiped her tears, “but Fati, you shouldn’t have kept it from me.” She said softly, like someone who was about to kiss her lover’s nose, the cold nose of a snowman; looking into Fatimah’s cloudy eyes.



“I probably would have helped you out before it got to this,” she continued in their Language.



“I was afraid.” She sniffed, “I was trying to talk to George but he ignored me. I never thought it would get this complicated. I’m sorry my half,” she said my half in Guinea and she started sobbing.



“I don’t know what we are going to do now, things has gotten worse. You heard what Zainab just said, Mariam’s sister too is now missing.” She wiped her sister’s tears now with her drooping scarf, gently.


“I hope the dream I had doesn’t come to pass,” she was inaudible when she said it, mucus had obstructed her throat, “I dreamt Mariam and George were shot dead.”


Her sister eyes were wide open. She was surprise hearing this and she saw this was already shaping to be what her dream might have been, even when she hasn’t gotten the details, but she didn’t want to instill fear in her sister, so she kept her fears enveloped in her heart.



“Nothing will happen to him,” she first said but when she saw the look her sister gave her, she put in, “nothing would happen to her too.” She didn’t want to make her feel she already believed Mariam was dead even when she had seen it on News, and it had been confirmed.



“I should call George back to see how we can get out of this mess,” She said finally, “he can bear you witness.”

---

Past two O’clock when he had gotten up that afternoon, Kunle hadn’t still gotten off his hang-over. He yawned and yawned and yawned. Then in a moment, he jerked up and looked at the wall-clock; time had gone.

He searched around fervently for his travelling ticket but could not find it. What had he done? He asked his thought and looked at the wall-clock again. He was late, he knew it and he had missed his flight but he still searched aggressively for the ticket as if it would change the time.


The chairman had expected he be in Katsina the last 1hr 30minutes for an important meeting and for him to get a fair share of his money for the deal he had – by-the-way- executed successfully for the chairman. But at the moment, it seemed all were lost for him. He threw clothes up, here and there, scattering the room his younger brother had arranged before he went to work. The ticket was out of his mind now; hunger had set in but he couldn’t stop searching, searching for his phone. He saw it now, buried between the bed and the wall.



“God!!!” he exclaimed when he saw the phone was off. It must have been off all through the night. The chairman would have tried incessantly to get in touch with him. Even the people he had worked with, Gasper and Benji, to get the deal done - would have been trying to reach him if they had arrived for the meeting.


He rubbed his stomach as worms bit and chew at his intestine, rendering him weak and uncomfortable. He sat down resting against the wall, clothes scattered and littered around him. He stared at the home-theatre some few metres from where he sat. His visions became blurred, his head swirled as he tried to recall the previous night; How he had treated that bitch. She must be dead by now, must have learnt her lessons.


Wait a minute, he thought, I must have left the ticket in an envelope I took to her house the other time. He picked his phone, switched it on and dialed her number offhand because he had deleted it from his phone; said to have even deleted her from his memory.


The call engaged several times and he waited for a moment, thinking on what next to do. A message beep sounded and he got a text from his boss they are still expecting him and would not get the plans going unless he was present. He looked confused. What plans again was the chairman talking about? He had promised once they were done with what they had done, he would pay them off and that would be all. Perhaps, this was a tactics not to get them paid, he thought spitefully and rose up, supporting himself with the wall.


He searched round for clothe he could wear and picking up a shirt and a trouser, he put them on. Looking into the mirror at this point wasn’t a priority for him. He checked the pots covered at one side of the room but all he saw was water used in soaking the pot. “mehn, this belle don dey turn me badly but I must go carry my ticket for that Ashawo girl house,” he made for the trouser he had worn the previous day and took out the 1,200naira in it and replaced the trouser; pocketing his money and went out of the door, en route to Yemisi’s house.


He wasn’t going to take any chances with this Chairman, not going to give him an argument of not showing up. That could make him have a point, if he decides not to pay him his share, claiming he missed the meeting as scheduled. He was going to force his way into that bitch’s house, not knowing if the amount of bodily harm he had caused her would make her be at home. If she tries to act foolish, I will finish her this time around, he boasted thoughtfully as he flanked down a moving bike.



t,b,c.....

nice keep it going I'm following

Nyc one, nxt update

Nice nice... Weldone sir
More power and data to you and your phone/laptop

Nice nice... Weldone sir
More power and data to you and your phone/laptop

With her innocent eyes and pleading tears, she was able to persuade him to quickly forget all she had done to him. Yet, she didn’t know may be truly he had forgotten all about it. The tears kept flowing down her face, dabbing the white blouse she wore; her nipples slightly showing, as the blue bedsheet had crumpled below her midriff. She sniffed and tried to control the tears but they promenaded idly down her cheek.



Her sister wondered what might have happened between her sister and this boy whom she assumed she should be older than. She tried to picture many scenario of what might have brought them together but it couldn’t form. She stared at the cannula that was plastered to her sister’s left hand. She ran her hand across the bedsheet, then placed it on her sister’s leg and caressed mindfully.
Yemisi looked at her, cajoled a smile but it turned into another round of sobbing and she looked away again, back to Adefemi’s face.



“Sister mi, what is all these na? You’ve begged him and he’s forgiven you. What else are you crying about?” she asked so as to trap her into mentioning what had transpired between them, but she in turn ignored her question.


She wiped her face with the back of her right hand and anticipated Adefemi as he stood up beside David, whom had accompanied him. He went beside her, lifting her right hand off the bed it had relaxed and fiddled with her fingers. She continued to stare into his face, even her sister too was surprised – she looked at him flummoxed. When she wanted to act up again, he flicked tears gently away from her eyes with the tip of his index finger and smoothed her cheek slightly.


“You’ll be fine Ma,” he assured, even when he wasn’t sure what had happened to her, when he doesn’t think she will really be fine again with the plasters on her body. Fatimah had not explained what had happened to her, nonetheless, when he got a call from Yemisi’s sister – that she wanted to see him, he had assumed it was a serious case, since Shade confirmed she was at the hospital as Fatimah had informed.



“I’m deeply sorry George for everything and the way I treated you. I was blind. I was so blind, I didn’t know what I was doing,” she pleaded remorsefully.


Now, her sister was beginning to picture it one after the other. If she was begging him this way, then with the incident that just occurred between her and Kunle, it pointed to the fact something was going on between them. Perhaps, they were dating, she thought. However, she tried to put it on a different perspective – whereby, Adefemi too might have been advising her to stay clear of the violent one Kunle, as she and their parents had done. She ignored the two of them and settled her gaze on David, who in turn peered back at her.

He was thinking of something else, of something that would benefit him. Though he knew what had happened between Miss Yemisi and George after the showoff in class the last time before he left, yet, he assumed that case must have dragged long till this point.

He had gotten back that afternoon and decided his first call was to see Adefemi about what he had given to him to help him out with. He didn’t know what had been delaying everything and why he had not gotten Fatimah to realise he loves her. He had thought before he got back Adefemi would have been done with formalizing their getting to be together. He wasn’t happy with the turn of event and Adefemi not providing him much feedback; so he was going to make sure now that he is back, everything gets sorted.


He narrowed his mind and tried to imagine he was Adefemi and, Yemisi was Fatimah, oh! He would have bought something while coming to visit her on the sick bed. Yea, he nodded and readjusted on the grey plastic chair he was sitting on. What he just thought about was exactly what he was going to do: buy provisions on their way to visit Fatimah at the hospital.


He watched as Adefemi interlocked his hands with Yemisi’s right hand and continued to caress the back of her hands. He couldn’t wait to start doing that with Fatimah, couldn’t wait for them to start going to visit her right away. He garnered courage and when he was about to speak up, Kunle stormed into the room.


“Yes, what are you doing here?” Shade stood up rapidly and bumped ahead. They all turned their eyes towards his direction.



“Get out of here you crazy fool,” Yemisi nearly rose up from the bed, the blanket hooking the cannula plastered to her hands. She felt the pain and held the hand; she relaxed.


Adefemi and David didn’t have a clue of what was happening and continued to stare at Shade, as she showed Kunle his way out of the room, “Get out as she said.”



Yemisi began to cry. How was she going to get out of the mess she had put herself in with this guy. How had he find out she was even at this hospital? And what gut has he, to have come after all he did to her the other night? She blamed herself for all this; if she had listened the while her parents and Shade had warned her off this guy, it wouldn’t have gotten full blown like it was now.


“Please Yemisi, can you please give me the key to your room, I need to find my flight ticket.”



“She is not giving you any key and she owes you nothing,” Shade said tersely, “so you better start going before I call the police. If you love yourself, get out,” she showed him the way out with her hand again.


He laughed mockingly and said, “How can you tell me that? It is your sister who I’m dating, so please get out of the way,” he tried to push her out of the way but she snapped his hand off before they even touched her body.


“If you dare touch me again, I won’t hesistate, I would land you a dirty slap,” she riled and demonstrated showing him her right palm, spittle reeling out of her mouth.



“See lady, don’t interfere in our affair, our relationship,” he said and Adefemi and David continued to glare at the spectacle in front of them. David wasn’t really concentrating on what was happening. His mind was lost thinking about Fatimah, and how to make things work out in the next few days. He was beclouded by her beauty to the extent, he couldn’t think straight.



“There is no love affair,” Yemisi rejoined, sobbed, “I don’t love you. I hate you Kunle – with my life,” Stressing the latter part of her statement.



“Is it because of this brat? This small thing sitting beside you.” He gestured towards Adefemi, using his hand to weigh his worth; David’s eye followed the hand and Shade too looked back to affirmed it was Adefemi he was referring to.


It struck Adefemi, this was the guy that called him the other time – threatening him and cursing his parents. His heart raced and ominous sweat started oozing out of the pores of his skin. His bladder filled up unarticulated and he shifted, trying to balance his weight with his thighs, so the urine won’t tap out without anticipation. He couldn’t look up again and staring into the drip-stand, he released his grip off her hand and leveled his hands on his lap.


“Call him brat or whatever you want but I love him,” this surprised everyone in the room and she confirmed their fears, “yes, I love him with my whole heart and he is worth a thousand of you.”



Kunle stormed forward to attack and as Shade tried to push him away, he sounded her a dirty slap; David rose up and engaged him.



T,b,c………

David again

hmmm...

It is a gengen.
Fire jam fire... David plus Kunle, abeg who go win??
David, make sure u deal with dat idiot of a guy, oh sorry, boy

Kunle has satisfied wit d beatn he gave 2 Yemisi, David plz kindlyy show him som stuff u ar made up of

“Bros wetin dey xup na?” he pushed him back. Shade started trying restlessly to get at Kunle, cursing and hurling insults at him. She held her left cheek with her left hand, she almost cried but braved it and tried to hit him back but David was a wall, a barricade between them.



Kunle shrugged David hand’s off his body with an offense and commanded, posturing with a warning finger, “who you be wey you dey ask me wetin dey xup? Abi you dey mad?” he tried again to surge forward but now, David pushed him aggressively and he crashed into the wooden door; a thunderous sound invited the hospital staffs and they came running to the ward.


“What is happening here? Mr. Man, who are you and how did you get in here?” a fair-skinned nurse inquired, looking to his face and later to Yemisi, to confirm she was not hurt. A red and blue pen hung to her chest pocket, her medium side breast cupped moderately behind her nurse apparel. She dug her hands into the front pockets of her pinafore-nurse-apron- and waited for a reply.



“Better ask this fool to stay out of the way before I kill someone here,” Kunle said rising up from the floor, balancing upright with the help of a vacant bed-harm. He felt his stomach bulge and his eyes turned; he was seriously hungry and could pass out any moment but he wanted to show he was still a man. He peered at David’s basilisk eyes and saw the anger lining them. He didn’t know who this was but he wanted to really know what’s his own with his Girlfriend, as he assured himself she still was.


“Didn’t get my question? Who are you?” she grimaced, offended.



“That is my girlfriend. I came to check on her, just for this man to put up a confrontation.” He lied.



Before the nurse could ask any question she assumed would be on her mind, Shade responded sharply, “he is nothing to my sister. We don’t know him. He is a thief.”



“Sisi Yemisi, do you know this man?” a second nurse pushed the question forward immediately Shade had landed.

There was a descent of silence in the room; Adefemi had stood up from her side and he was close to the cabinet, fear gripped his features. He had not expected he was going to encounter anyone here today. Perhaps, there was nothing he could have done either way, because her sister had pleaded and he had heard Miss Yemisi’s imploring voice over the phone; even David had persuaded him to come check on her. He shifted his weight on either legs as scald pee heat his bladder, sweats beclouded his forehead.

He didn’t know when he had crunched beside the Cabinet as though Kunle was already reaching out to grab him. He wanted to cry, wanted to regret ever coming here. He stored spittle in his mouth, his throat was desert dry.


“Sisi Yemisi,” the nurse jolted her from her thoughts, “do you know this man?” she inquired again.

Instead of giving a straight response, she started sobbing. She cleaned her tears and her eyes grew larger, swollen as the cloth she used in wiping her tears, absconded her face.


“Sister mi, answer the question na,” Shade bulged her and stared at David as though he were to be the one to help her sister out. As if she was surprise he would be surprised too. “Aunty mi?”



“I….” she stammered, ‘I…I….I…don’t know him.”



“What?” Kunle exclaimed, abashed.



“ehn ehn! So Mr. Kunle or whatever your name is, disappear,” Shade showed him the way to the door.



“Yemisi, are you joking or what?” Kunle inquired, surprised.


“Mr. man,” a male staff in a scrub called out mockingly, “ you just heard what she’s said, so please, out!” he commanded and waited for Kunle who still stood looking towards Yemisi, who wasn’t interested at about him; she peered into the wall, swelling and deflating repeatedly, breathing.



“Okay, very good,” Kunle started, “give me the keys to search for my tickets.”



“Which key?” Shade asked, “the house you both rented together or what,” she said this in Yoruba.


“Mr., you’re wasting my time or else I call the police and we won’t hesitate to incriminate you,” the male staff threatened and brought out his phone to assert he wasn’t joking.



“Fine, I’ll leave but let’s bet it, you’ll come back to beg me,” he said and stormed out of the room, almost colliding into a nurse, who quickly navigated before he could.


David relaxed as he saw him leave, he had been thinking in his mind what he was going to do considering this was a hospital environment. He knew he could have acted rugged, however, he was able to control his anger. Changes he been deal with since he stopped wearing his jazz, his ring. He looked puzzled at Yemisi who started to cry again after Kunle left. Is this lady mad or what? He ignored the fact she was his teacher and tried to imagine why she cried but Shade shaded his thoughts.


“Sister mi, don’t cry. It’s all bluff, you are not going to beg him. Look at how he made you, how he almost killed you; battered you to such extent.” The two female nurses exclaimed ehn eh! So it was the guy that just left that made her this way? They shook their heads and sauntered out of the door, to gossip about the revelation they had just heard.

---

As much as they had expected him the previous day and he hadn’t shown up, even till this morning, they proceeded with their meeting. They had all lodge at the hotel, hoping he was going to come but were disappointed he didn’t. The Chairman entered, holding a wine tumbler between his fingers, red plush wine half-way between the transparent wine-cup. He acknowledged the welcome back nod his worker’s gave him; virtually the two guys that had been working on the dirty job he gave them and his Personal Assistant.



He strode to take his seat at the tip of the roundtable, on a black leathered chair, half between armchair and a normal sit-upright chair. He placed the tumbler beside a sheet of paper and a pen lay in the middle.


“Sorry for taking your precious time, gentlemen. That call was important.” He placed his HTC phone on the table, right beside the tumbler.

“Well, Mrs. Bar was contacted and she seemed to have talk some sense into her husband. You understand?” he glimmered his eyeballs, his brow arched, “No woman would want to lose her two daughters in succession all between the space of a month.”



“Yes sir, “the three others nodded, his PA churning up a conspiratorial smile. He rubbed his palms against each other and balanced on the chair, resting back.



“So as I speak, Mr. Bar has also called in and I told him to consider stepping down from the primaries; if he doesn’t want to lose his second daughter.” The chairman grabbed his tumbler and took a sip, placing the tumbler back on the table and picking the pen up.


The Hotel Conference room was furnished to some taste the owner could afford, with 8 leathered chairs round about the table and a 9th one place at the foot of it; for a CEO or any distinguished individual whom the sitting position befits. There stood close to the only window in the room, natural lights curtailed by the silver shutters, a split Air Conditioner. Two flower pots sat on stool-tops at two strategic position in the room; one close to the Exit door and another, close-by - where the chairman sat, some few metres away.


Crunched on the table with his two hands, index finger - ghostly drumming on the table-mat, “what was his response sir?” Gasper asked, being the outspoken person between the two gang members.


“Oh, you expect he would step down. Or what do you think?” he purposely tossed the question at his PA, to hear what he had to contribute to the discussions. At least he was his PA for a reason. He knew many of the things he does and had previously been giving his opinion, when sought after.


He untuck the pen to his suit and humming incoherently about nothing in particular, he started, “well Mr. Chairman Sir. I’ve never known Mr. Bar to be such person that could easily give in since I’ve been working for you sir. But I wouldn’t like to doubt his wife might have, or might convince him to step down considering the threat and fears of losing his Daughter.” He nodded accustomly, stifling his mouth to his nose, two hollowed lines carved out from the hinges of his nose bone.


“Yea,” the chairman nodded too, “considering the threat she might lose her second daughter.” He quoted, placing emphasis on ‘second daughter’ and looking at Benji who remained silent, as though absent minded from their discussion. “Anyway, I would want you guys to call Kunle. He might not need to come down here again. He should take charge of the other gang in Lagos, in case I might order the release of Hadizah, Mr. Bar’s Daughter. I feel pity for his wife, not the stiff-neck man.” He tried to justify his plans, dropped the pen and rested backwards.



“You mean you wouldn’t continue as planned with her sir,” Benji now spoke up. His red-shot eyes shimmered like someone who had just smoked cannabis.



“Definitely, Benji,” he stamped up from his seat and went towards the window, pulling the shutter aside and gazed at the thatch roofs of low houses that landscaped the city-state of Katsina. He nodded to his thoughts as to how, victory was almost his, casting his eyes ahead to the Airport that was a distant dot aboard.



“So sir, how do we proceed from here,” his PA asked, adjusting and pulling his suit lapel.


Still staring outside, he replied, “Give Mr. Bar a call and tell him I need a call from the Secretariat that he had stepped down from the primaries, and call Kunle immediately that he should take over Hadizah and dump her somewhere.”



“You mean release her sir, Mr. Chairman?” the PA questioned.



“That was what I meant Tokunbo. I’m convinced Mr. Bar will step down and we are still a hand ahead if he tries to act smart, which I know he wouldn’t, if he doesn’t want to jeopardise the life of his Second Daughter.”



“But Sir, you just ordered the release of the lady, sir.” The PA stared at Benji and Gasper as if they both think the way he did: his Boss was acting insane.



The chairman turned sharply and ordered, “I shall tolerate no further question or confrontation from you,” he moved closer to the table, picked up his phone, “this meeting is considered over,” and he went out of the room, his shoes drumming on the tiled floor, leaving rhythms behind.

More grease 2 ur elbow mr fembleez....following bumper 2 fender...

Mr Fembleez1. I admire your skill in writing. I wish to have this kind of prowess. I look forward to chatting you up over it.
BTW yawa Don dey gas.
More ink to your pen.

nyce one

I am back. Yemissi, i don't feeel no pity for ya, femi just watch ya back. Nice job fembleez1

Wow!...getting hotter!...more power to ur elbow fembleez1

Hi guyz, Lost my grandfather yesterday; that's why there has been no update. But I should update tomorrow.






Thanks for your patience.

Fembleez1:
Hi guyz, Lost my grandfather yesterday; that's why there has been no update. But I should update tomorrow.






Thanks for your patience.

sorry for your loss dear...

Fembleez1:
Hi guyz, Lost my grandfather yesterday; that's why there has been no update. But I should update tomorrow.






Thanks for your patience.

accept my condolence bro

Fortitude to bear bro... Itz well

Sorry about your lost.

coolbreezy01:
More grease 2 ur elbow mr fembleez....following bumper 2 fender...

Thanks bro.

diago94:
Mr Fembleez1. I admire your skill in writing. I wish to have this kind of prowess. I look forward to chatting you up over it.
BTW yawa Don dey gas.
More ink to your pen.

Lol, i'm surprised and flattered by your words bro.

bummybummy:
nyce one

Bhuumhite:
Wow!...getting hotter!...more power to ur elbow fembleez1

Thanks Bunmi square.

Sageez:
I am back. Yemissi, i don't feeel no pity for ya, femi just watch ya back. Nice job fembleez1

Welcome back Sageez and thanks much.

Bb4u:




sorry for your loss dear...

Sageez:
accept my condolence bro

Xp01:
Fortitude to bear bro...
Itz well

purity22:
Sorry about your lost.

Thank you all for your condolence messages. God bless.

---

“Don’t tell me that rubbish, you useless man. I hate you. I am going nowhere. We lost our daughter and the best you could do is run away because you want to be a senator. The best you could do…”




“Listen woman, you have to leave that house right now with Hadizah. Thank Allah nothing happened to her,” he gave thanks from the receiver.



She cried and rolled across the floor, “are you telling me I’ve lost Mariam like that? Oh Allah, why me? Why?” she screamed loud that it echoed in the room and transmitted back to her ears; she felt dumb.


Her daughter couldn’t get a hint of consolation for herself, not to talk of her mother. She couldn’t imagine what she had gone through the last few days in the kidnappers den. Her voice had gone as a result of continuous shedding of tears. She had scrub at her eyes, they had become swollen, ripe red like a bulb of tomato. As the mucus rolled down her nose and dropped on her blouse, she couldn’t make to wipe; not even a single strength remained in her. She looked lean, emaciated and depreciated. She was starved, just given sachet water to drink all the time she had been in the kidnappers den. Her clothe oozed urine, foul odour of someone who hadn’t had a bathe since 4years. Her hair had particles of dirt in them.


She had been dropped off on a road side in Isolo, without slippers or the hijab she had used to cover her head the day they kidnapped her. She remembered how it had all happened that day. She had gone to the market to buy foodstuff for the evening when they had double-crossed her at a junction close to her house, which was often deserted once it was 7:30pm. She had options, scream and die or keep quiet and succumb to her kidnappers. She had no choice, she had unwillingly succumb because of the fear of death, the fear of gun. When she had tried to engage her thoughts on the gory scene of all she had encountered in their den, her mother went hysteria again.



“We are going nowhere you bastard. May Allah punish you,” she retorted, screaming as though she had suddenly gone mad. “May the blood of her death be a curse upon you.”


“Mummy,” Hadizah voice trailed, stern, it was strain. She cleared her voice repeatedly and forcefully, then she started when her mother’s agony had subsided, “stop all this and listen to daddy,” she said and looked away from her.


Their bedroom seemed to have lost some touch of beauty since Mariam had got missing, got killed. They never bothered to clean or even dust off cobwebs that was beginning to build their palaces around. The fan continually blew at webs with two spiders mending their lines at the left corner of the room. Pile of clothes occupied the bed; rough and untidy clothes, they had last given their washings out some two weeks ago.



“Please Kadijah, just listen to me. Allah will judge her killers.” Mr. Bar prayed.



His wife cried for almost 5minutes. She couldn’t believe this was happening, nor what had happened the past few weeks. So my Mariam is gone? So my happiness is gone? And I have to leave this country because my husband want to run for a political position, because I’m afraid to lose my second daughter. Allah, why do you have to punish me this much? What have I done to deserve all these Allah? And I served you with the whole of my heart; praying five times a day. Is this how you’ll repay me back for my worship and thanksgiving to you?
Hadizah took the phone up from the floor and said in tears, “daddy.”


“My daughter. Hope you were not hurt. Please I’m sorry for all these. I know I owe the blame. Please just try and listen to me. You two have to leave the country in the next hour. I promise once the election is done, everything would be back to normal. I still don’t know who is responsible for all these but I’ll make sure the culprit is brought to book.”


“Okay daddy,” she wiped her tears and the mucus that laced down her nostril. She steered at her mother and felt her sorrow. So my sister is gone? She started sobbing.


“Don’t cry anymore dear, please.” He consoled.



“Okay daddy,” she dried her tears.



“I want you and your mother to leave now. I do not want anybody to know about this, not even Salisu my brother. There is no need to take any belongings along. I have arranged a place for you to stay with one of my friend there. And money to shop for clothes and other things you’ll need would be transferred into your account in the next hour,” silence passed and he called out, “Hadizah.”



“yes daddy.”



“I want to count on you – you’ll talk to your mother and make her see reasons. I can’t afford to lose any of you again,” this got Hadizah thinking but she continued to listen, attentively, “I promise you everything will be fine. I love you so much dear.”



“I love you too daddy.”

---

After they had both come out of hospital, there seemed to be a unity between them now. They sat holding hands and talking about their feelings. She who is more experienced was telling her all she had faced since she had started falling in love. It hadn’t be really easy trying to bridle her emotions. She had faced some downturns and had some very memorable moment too. She looked into her face and told her, “Fatimah, there is nothing like being with someone you truly love.”


Fatimah who ignored her when she had looked at her before the statement now peered into her eyes, inquiringly. She saw the stitches that was covered in purple paint.

What does she mean? Does she knows how I probably feel? The dilemma I am in? She asked her thought still looking at the stitches.
Miss Yemisi ignored her stare, ran her hand to examine the stitch, she stood up. She went towards a yellow-ficus flower that bordered the garden they sat. It was a garden inside Unilag. She had invited Fatimah to her home and they had both come here to chill out. They were becoming friends even when she wouldn’t be resuming with them again the next term but she wanted to have a nice time with her, perhaps, the last time.


As she stood away from her, Fatimah continued to watch her. She stared at how nicely shaped she was, in the red gown she wore, her hair in a ponytail, hanging below – almost parting her buttocks. Fatimah stood up from where she sat and walked towards her, to stand by her side – so they could both examine the flower together, but she reclined when she saw Miss Yemisi crutched; she sniffed at the flower and breathed fresh air, raising her face upwards, eyes closed. She imagined the contentment she felt. But in a swift instance, a rage swept through Fatimah’s mind when she recalled what she had said.


She mimicked in a low breath, “there is nothing like being with someone you truly love.”


Oh, so that was what she meant. She wants to be with Adefemi and what would I be left with? Clinton? No, am not going to let that happen, she said and grabbing her bag off the chair, she made to leave.


“Hi Fatimah,” Adefemi came in her way the moment she faced front, David beside him. She puckered her lips and stood breathless. Adefemi looked ahead of her and saw Miss Yemisi turn and look towards them; she started coming forward, smiling.



“Hello George; David.” She greeted and flopped down – back on the chair, her bag clenched on her lap.



“Hi George; David. Wow! Didn’t expect you so soon.” She hadn’t been this happy before in her life. She extended her hands and he, engaging her hands, they walked off, passing few concrete-seats along the line. When she had seen another concrete-seat behind a full grown flower, she made for it dragging him by the hand along. Two girls walked off that path; their shadows tracing to catch up with them as the lights ceased to penetrate further down the bend.


David first thought about walking off to take a lean on the fruit-deserted coconut tree he sighted ahead but remained fixed to a position. He gazed blindly down on Fatimah and saw how she stared into nothingness; her face as though she were not pleased.


Should he take this chance? Should he sit beside her and tell her he loves her and had been trying to get her? How he had told George to help him get her? He asked himself many question and knew time was ticking fast. It was meant for him to take the opportunity which comes but once. But how I go take talk to her when I no fit speak English well? Wo! He dismissed his English ineloquence and took his seat beside her.


Her left hand in his right hand, placed on his lap. She held it dearly. She had called his name severally, that it doesn’t seem to him any value is left attached to the importance of his name.




“Why did you bring David along?”


“He wants Fatimah and I thought this is the perfect moment for him to express his feelings for her.” He replied, removed his phone out of his left pocket and looked at the missed call: it was Zainob. He called her back but dialing her number, the call didn’t go through; no airtime on his phone.


She had eenw the name on the screen and recalled who Zainob was. She ignored whoever she was and continued, “Oh, I see! It is nice though. I pray he has some luck.” She said and played with his finger. A guy went pass; putting on a dirty jean and a black shirt with a cartoon on the front of his shirt. He limp-swaged along and she watched how his boxers shown slightly. Another female student passed with 4 big textbooks held fashionably across her hand like a scholar. Sparkle of stars reflected from the hinges of her glasses.



“Can you be my lover?” she startled him.



He looked into her eyes, his eyes shot out in a ball form, shocked. He was short of thoughts.



“Please don’t say no George.” She pleaded and broke down, “you are too caring and you are the only one who can take me away from that idiot. Please!” a single tear flopped down her face. He watched the movement, slowly, zigzagging till it got to her jaw and formed a point. He imagined, he - flicking his tongue to suck the tears off before it passed her nose, but it was late. May be he should grab her head forcefully and suck at her jaw in a romantic way.


“Please say something George,” she shook him by the shoulders and he winked repeatedly; brought back from his train of imagination. He swallowed hard and attempted speech. The lips remained open for some second before he closed them and swallowed spittle, his mind racing as he looked away.


“Look at me George and say something,” she was really in tears now. Her mind thinking he won’t say anything positive with the long silence and misplaced emotions. Her heart thumped fast and she looked into the distance. She couldn’t see as tears covered her pupils like shad of ices: only light was what she saw, yellow light from nowhere.


She was out of her surrounding now. She was alone, crutched down at the side of nothing one could describe. She was surrounded by flashing bulbs of moonlight. Her legs folded, knee as stool, she buried her face in it, crying her life out. She has always been rejected, have never been lucky with love. She was going to remain in this unknown world and cry till her soul leaves her body to wherever it had come from.
She heard the rustling of leaves and the leg of something approaching. She thought it would be an angel or a spirit of a sort, yet she didn’t move. The person knelt before her, raised her head up; her eyes remaining shut, he brought her back to existence with a whooping mind-blowing kiss.



She stood far from him, back turned against his seated feature on the concrete chair, “I’m sorry David. I can’t date you.”



“But why now, Fatimah. I really love you na,” he was reduced to an innocent, gentle David. It seemed a woman; a beautiful woman, is the only thing that can entrap him.



She first thought how foolish Adefemi was to have done this. How could he? And she was filled with rile for Miss Yemisi the more. So he brought David here to ask me out, just for him to go off with that lady that hated him so much. After all the thing she did to him, he still has the flair to go off with her? She clutched her hands to her bag that hung along her right shoulder. She became so determine, she was going to go and look for both of them and tell her off from him. She was going to….



“Fatimah,” he held her shoulders.


“David, I won’t look at the fact you’ve once helped me. I swear, if you touch me again, I promise you a resounding slap,” she shrugged his hands away from her shoulder, and face rumpled in anger, she gave him a stern warning with her right index finger.


He took two steps backwards and went on his knees, “abeg Fatimah. I love you.” He started crying. It was a surprise though that David was crying, kneeling for before a lady . But love had made him weak. It would make any man weak, no matter his status.


She had been looking up, to talk to him before. Because he was taller than she was, but now, she looked low to his watery face. She felt pity for him but she couldn’t deny she has nothing for this guy. Not even any likeness - if not because he had saved her life the other day. They had never had a single chat since they were in the junior school. And now, to think just because he had saved her life, to have feelings for her was not right.

Two student walked past – heading towards the library. They giggled seeing David on his knee. She looked away from David and watched as one of them looked back and said, “mehn, guy, love wantiti o.”


“See David,” she snapped, leaving the grip off her bag and using her hands to narrate, “You’re embarrassing me for God sake.”


“I’m sorry but I love you,” he thought for a second and added, “I go takia of you if you give me chance to proof my love,” he meant prove but what came out was proof.


“this is not just right,” she was angry now and she adjusted her legs in anticipation to go and get whom she really loves before that bitch called Yemisi who never cared about him - take him away from her finally. She had tried to battle him from Zainob, and for this lady to join wasn’t a choice she wanted. “See David, I can’t! I have a boyfriend.”



“I no care. Shebi na Clinton? I no care. I still want you,” he retorted.


She was surprised when he mentioned Clinton and couldn’t contain her madness any longer. “I don’t love Clinton anymore,” and she left him pondering, walking ahead to locate Adefemi and that fool who called herself a Corper, whose main aim was to take away her crush.


They separated quickly when Fatimah came in view. “George, what’s this all about?” she stopped walking and stood in front of them.
Miss Yemisi and he - looked at each other as though to ask what she meant by that question.



“I don’t get,” he said.




“Why did you bring David along to embarrass me?” she diverted.



“Embarrass you?” he was astounded, “he only wanted to come express his feelings for you.”



“When I have feelings for you?” confident overwhelmed her like goosebumps, “I love you George,” and it came crashing down like a fury of fire in their midst. Puzzlement took charge of Adefemi and Yemisi’s faces. Even David that approached from beyond was flabbergasted: silence shattering through the cool evening breeze.

---

Some few weeks later. It was deem in the middle of the night but only a camp-burn-fire was penetrating from afar where a man stood vigilant. He was on a black beret, black jeans and shirt, a black Timberland boot and parading to and fro, he continually hit the blunt edge of the axe on his left palm. There were about two others like him too close-by, one in a black panama and the other, a red and black wristband to his wrist. One of them whistled and went into the dark.



Where they were gathered in a circle; many of them. They were all men in black, some with black beret, others with black panama; yellow ribbon lining their trousers at the side. One of the guys who had seen Fatimah with David some few night ago had his face glowing with the aid of the camp fire reflex.



“Aye axemen,” a jolly fellow pronounced.




“Aye mai ko ko there.” The fierce looking gathering echoed, bumping crossed-hands together as a greeting. Their axes protruding from their trousers; sharp, bloodthirsty, glimmering to the camp fire.





T,b,c……..

Fembleez1:
Hi guyz, Lost my grandfather yesterday; that's why there has been no update. But I should update tomorrow.






Thanks for your patience.

Accept my condolence bro

gevans:


Accept my condolence bro

thanks.

Guys, check for the update up there. I was banned by antispam bot while trying to post it but it has been updated up there.








Thanks.

Fembleez1:
Guys, check for the update up there. I was banned by antispam bot while trying to post it but it has been updated up there.








Thanks.

wecome back boss

Fembleez1!

You don give us season film to watch. I for don send you credit, but me sef dey owe etisalat. God go butter ya bread.

[color=#000099][/color] well done