chapter forty

Sighing tiredly as well as excitedly as I came of the exam hall,I looked around for Maya who's been out of the hall since.

I sighted her talking mindlessly with Stephanie and a girl that has the hardest name ever. Maya saw me and immediately walked towards me after waving the girl with the hard name bye.

"Sup?" She asked.

"Nothing. Just thanking God that the final exam is done and dusted. I can't wait to go back to my homeland but most importantly, I'm super hungry." I said rubbing my growling tummy.

"OK let's head for the cafe. Steph,do you wanna tag along?" Maya asked Stephanie who was busy looking at us as if we're statue from ancient museum.

"Uh...sure yeah." She fumbled and I raised an eyebrow at her but she shrugged.

That's very unlike her.

But her sudden change doesn't bother me cos the hunger in me is warning me.

We walked outside the hall completely and made our way to the cafe but stopped midway when we say a white expensive looking car drove into the school premises.

Almost all the present student stopped whatever they were doing because no one has ever driven even a bicycle to the environment but this person just has the gut....

The guy that came out of the car has everyone popping their eyeballs out. Well not everyone but i think the three of us.

"Holy hot hell!" Stephanie exclaimed.

"I think I'm gonna faint" Maya said.

I was just staring at the handsome creature and whispered "Masha Allah!"

Ok can you stop staring weirdly at someone like that?! Lower your gaze girl! My subconscious reminded me.

I quickly averted my gaze muttering an 'astagfurullah' and stared at other people. I found some of them gawking at the guy. The two dumb girl near me hasn't stop looking at the man.

"OK if you two are done,can we go to the cafe?" I said but it turned on deaf ears.

"This is my Prince charming." Maya said dreamily.

"No he's mine." Stephanie emphasized.

"Oh no he's mine only." Maya argued.

Ughhh!!

"Just wait here. I'm gonna walk up to him and tell him to marry me." Stephanie said following the guy gradually while we both stared at her shocked. I know she can't do it.

"Maya pls let's go and eat." I said to her hungrily.

"No! I can't allow Steph to steal my husband away just like that. I will wait here for her to come back then kill her gradually." Maya said,determined.

I face palmed myself at Maya's stupidity.

They both needs help!

I entered the cafe and ordered my food together with a cup of smoothie. I immediately dug in as soon as the food was placed in front of me. I was half way through when two girls dragged the chair at my table and sat down.

They were Maya and Stephanie looking angry,annoyed or pissed? I don't know and I don't care.

"Okay Stephanie look,the guy is for Khair so leave him 'ALONE'." Maya emphasized and we both look at her as if she's gone nuts.

"Stop looking at me like that you two. But I'm saying the truth, he's for Khair and we have to fight for what's yours for you my dear." Maya continuing caressing my hands.

"You're crazy." I told her the fact and she gave me a soft smile.

"Can you stop acting like my mum?" Stephanie said rolling her eyes.

I eyed them both in disbelief and continued eating

Suddenly, the girl I can never remember her name walked inside the cafe and roam her eyes about looking for someone.. Her eyes landed on Maya and age rushed to us.

"Hey Maya." She smiled.

"Hi Fathonallyona" Maya waved at her.

Oh that's her name.

"I have news for ya." The Fatho-something girl said.

"Ooh bring it on." Maya said and patted the chair near her and the girl sat down.

"Ok so Sir Mercury the architectural lecturer was involved in a really bad accident so this handsome guy came to talk to the board of directors so that the architectural students can have a substitute. Yeah like a substitute lecturer." The girl explained.

"Oh it made sense. So the guy is the substitute?" Maya questioned

"No I don't think so." She answered.

"How the hell did you know all these?" I asked

"Well my sister is a lecturer in this uni and most of the things that is happening in the school,she knows. And we're pretty close so I simply asked her what the handsome guy is doing in our school and she explained it to me. See,I'm not lying." She emphasized the last part and I nodded in understanding.

She continued blabbering rubbish to Maya and Maya listened with keen interest.

.....

"Khair why are you taking do long? We're gonna miss our freaking flight." Maya yelled from outside but I ignored her.

Today she's the one telling at me for being late. I wonder of she knows she's the princess of lateness.

"I'm here." I said closing the door behind me and entering the cab outside our apartment.

"Finally." She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." I said and the cabby guy took off to the airport.

......

"Salam to the people of this house." I shouted as soon as I step into my house with a big grin full of happiness.

"Ummul Khair is that you?" My dad asked coming out of the kitchen.

"Yes dad." I said and knelt down in front of him.

"Rukayya come out and see your daughter." My dad said loudly and my mum came out of the kitchen also.

Looks like they're cooking romantic dinner together.

"Ummul Khair." My mum cooed hugging me.

"I know you're hungry so just go and take a shower then come down for dinner." My mum suggested and I nodded smiling. I went upstairs and took a nice long shower then ate the most sweetest food of my life.

How I miss my mum's cooking.

.......

Two weeks later.

"Khair you have to start packing. We are going to Kaduna tomorrow." My mum said as soon as she entered my room.

Oh no!

"Oh okay yay! I missed everyone in Kaduna." I said happily and she smiled then went out of my room. I know better than to show my dislike for the travelling. The memory of last time's incident is still fresh in my brain.

Being in a place alone without any friend, only you,your phone and the TV can be a nightmare. I'm bored like hell since when I came to Kaduna. Its been five days now and I was not allowed to go out.... what's the point of coming here then?

Uncle Haroon has not even visited. He said he's stuck with work.

My parents usually go out everyday saying they have to catch up with there old friends.

Today as usual, I was sitting in my room and each time the wall clock ticks,I count it.

I was in two million, nine hundred and four thousand,six hundred when my phone rang jolting me out of my counting. I saw it was uncle Haroon and I immediately picked it.

"Hey uncle Haroon." I said joyfully.

"Hi. Come and open your house gate for me. Since I have been knocking and it seems you're all deaf." He said and I gasped.

"Including my parent?"

"I know they're not around so come out and open the gate if not I'm going."

"Wait are you for real in my house?"

"No I'm for fake. Didn't you hear me the first time?" He answered getting annoyed now.

I hung up and sped out of the room. I open the gate for and hugged him tightly as if my life depended on it.

"Finally. What took you so long?" I sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Boredom was at the verge of killing me." I stated the fact and he chuckled.

"Ok since your parent aren't around,I want to go to Mustapha's house. Do you want to tag along?" He asked and I squealed.

"Yes yes thank you." I said giddily and rushing inside the house to take my veil and my shoe. I locked everywhere and kept the keys where my parent can find them.

"Let's go." I said as I entered the car and that's when I remembered something.

"Uncle Haroon I haven't tell mum...." I didn't get to finish my sentence when uncle Haroon told me he has taken care of it.

He honked at a familiar gate and the gateman opened the gate for him without any suspicion.

Guess he has recognized his car.

We came down from the car and headed inside. We met Mustapha's mum and greeted her.

I suddenly realized I haven't seen Ibrahim but I decided not to ask.

Mustapha and uncle Haroon started talking about what I can't understand and I became bored again.

"I don't know why I agreed to come in the first place." I blurted out and the two men turned to look at me stopping midway in their argument.

"Huh sorry. Let me get you a company." Mustapha said.

"Zaitun! Zaitun!!" He yelled and a girl rushed out of a room. She looked nothing more than eighteen.

"Yes I'm here. Oh Ya Haroon, good afternoon." She said facing uncle Haroon and smiling at him.

"I found a new friend for you. Her name is Khair so take her to your room and make her feel less bored." Mustapha said sternly and Zaitun nodded.

She turned to look at me,grab my hand and led me to her room.

"Hey Khair you're so pretty." Zaitun said immediately she forced me down on her bed.

I let out a nervous chuckle before saying"thanks so are you."

There was a really awkward silence between us as I fiddled with my finger and stared at the floor.

"So aren't you suppose to be in school or something?" I tried to start up a conversation.

"Yeah I am waiting for admission. I suppose to be in uni by now but I failed jamb exam once." She explained and I just said "oh."

"So there's this girl in my school. We were classmates and she's very rich. She's super rude and she's all the bad things you know. Nobody likes that girl except some dumb people she gives money and those people follows her blindly. Anything she wants,she must I mean must get it at all cost. Look here" Zaitun said raising her cloth up and there was a long cut on her ribcage although it has healed.

"Geez what happened to you?" I asked concerned.

"I fought with girl and the nasty girl stabbed me with a scissors. She taught I was stealing her minions." Zaitun said straightening her cloth.

"This girl is really a bad news. What's her name?" I asked curiously

"Malika."

"What?! Malika as in Maya's cousin?" I asked utterly surprised

"Who's Maya?"

"Oh you don't know her. What's that Malika's surname?"

"Malika Abdulaziz."

"She's the one. I know her. The damn gut of that girl." I gritted

"I know right. And guess what? You're the first person I have shown this thing. Its like my little secret. Imagine the pain when the wound was still if I want to bath." She laughed and that's how we continued our conversation and mehn,the girl is sweet to be with.

After a while,uncle Haroon called me so that we can get going. I was just wondering where Ibrahim was cos I know that if he knows I'm of in his house,he must definitely find a way to disturb me. Or maybe he's back to school.

"So Ibrahim is your brother?" I asked Zaitun as we were walking out of her room.

"Yeah he was." She said and I nodded.

Ibrahim never told me he has a sister.

How will he tell you when you don't give him the chance to? My mind yelled

"Where's Ibrahim?" I couldn't help but ask as we reached the parlor.

Everywhere became so silent that you can hear a pin drop.

Wait,I asked Zaitun if Ibrahim is her brother and she said "yeah he was". My palms became instantly sweaty. What the hell did she meant by 'he was'?

"Where's Ibrahim?" I asked again facing Mustapha fully.

"Err he's...I mean like ehm I don't know." Mustapha replied.

"You don't know?" I asked him surprised by his answer.

"How can you say you don't know?" "Can someone pls tell me where Ibrahim is?" I pleaded. I don't know why I was suddenly worried.

"Ok we shouldn't hide this from you. Allah has taken Ibrahim's life." Mustapha said and I felt like my ears are playing tricks on me.

"I... do...don't understand." I stammered

"Ibrahim is dead!"

And it hit me like a truck. I stumbled backward in utter shock as I struggle to breath. I don't know how I get to the couch but I found myself sitting on it as tears blurred my vision.

"Why did you all hid it from me?" I managed to ask crying silently.

"Uncle Haroon even you!" I added. "How? I mean when and how did he died?"

"Well, he never told anyone he loves you until a day I found him in his room staring into space. His room was a mess. I called his name many times but he was lost in his thought so I moved inside his room and that's when he noticed my presence. I was begging him to talk to me but he didn't blink so I gave up and went back to my room." Zaitun paused and sniffed.

"I went back to school for like three months then I came back from holiday. He also went back to school and came back for holiday also. He wasn't his normal self again and it bothered me a lot. I decided to meet him in his room and I did. He was pressing his phone to his ear as if he was making a phone call but he didn't talk. He dropped the phone with a sigh and entered the bathroom. I quickly grabbed the phone and saw he was listening to a call recording. I played it and Khair was saying something like if you really love me then don't call me in your life again thank you. I was furious so I began dialing your number many times but you didn't pick up. I offed his phone and wait for him to come out of the bathroom."

Oh my God! Xavier's graduation day, when Ibrahim called me fifteen times but I ignored it. Oh no!

Zaitun chuckled and continued "Assuming you picked that phone, the kind of insult I will shower you with ehn. Ibrahim came out and saw me clutching his phone tightly. He started shouting at me saying why should I take his phone without his permission. I didn't bulge at all. I persuaded him to tell me about Khair because like,he never hides anything from me. He broke down and told me all about you and how he loves you with his life. I confronted him and advised him to forget about you but he said he can't. He said he was leaving for school the next day and well,that was the day he got involved in an accident on his way back to school in our cousin's car. God took his life from there."

I was in full crying mode now. Zaitun was trying to console me. I felt so guilty about everything. Someone handed me a cup of water and I gulped it down immediately.

"Uhm,he I mean Ibrahim left a letter for you." Mustapha said quietly when he probably saw I have calmed down a little bit.

"A letter?" I sniffed.

"Yes a letter. Should I give you or?"

"You should probably give me now." I said and he nodded then moved out of the living room.

"If he gives you the letter,you should go home and read it. I don't want you breaking down at people's house." Uncle Haroon whispered to me and I nodded.

Mustapha came back with a neatly folded paper and handed it to me.

"We have to be going now." Uncle Haroon said standing up and I also stood up.

"Where's your mom so that I can greet her?" I said in a weak voice to Zaitun.

"She's out at the neighbor's." Mustapha answered.

"May Allah accept his soul and grant him Janna." I prayed facing down too ashamed to look at their faces cos I felt all these are my damn fault.

"Bye." I whispered and I can't tell if they heard me or not. Zaitun gave me one last hug and uncle Haroon drove me home

I'm glad my parent aren't at home. I don't know what to explain to them about my puffy ugly face stained with dried tears. Uncle Haroon didn't say a word as he drove back to wherever he came from.

I entered my room and contemplated on whether to read the letter now or never. After small argument between my brain and mind,I decided to just read it. I unfolded the paper and the gates of my tears opened by themselves.

As salamu alaikum. Ya Mustapha I know you might be the one to come across this note or the great obnoxious nose poker,Zaitun.

Anyway,either of you that sees this paper shouldn't read further cos its not for your ugly eyes. Its for Khair, Ya Haroon's niece. If you happen to see Khair, then give her this letter or give Ya Haroon to give her.

Now close the paper gently and give it to Khair.

Hey Khair. Knowing the paper is with you now,yeah I know you're reading it. (Smirks)

I know this letter might look creepy because you may think,how did I know I'm going to die? Well I just got the feeling that I will die.

Hehehe funny right?

OK so like, you thought this fondness I have for you is childish but its not. I myself didn't know when I loved you so hardly and you have never noticed that,even if I try to tell you,you won't give me the chance to.

I realized that on the very day you told me to leave you alone if I love you and I decided to let you be. I don't think you can imagine how I felt during those weeks. It was really damn hard to control my sanity cos I can't do a single thing without you appearing in my front.

Yeah that's how crazy I was.

I guess I have leave your life for good. Bye Khair.

I have loved you and I will always love you.

                        Yours classmately?

Cos its definitely not yours lovely.                     

                                            Ibrahim

And by the time I finished reading the funny-sad letter I was drenched in my own tears.

I have never felt so guilty in my life. I lied on my bed and buried my face in the pillow. I screamed my lungs out in sheer agony hoping it will reduce the heaviness, sadness and guiltiness in my heart.

I knew I never had the best relationship with Ibrahim but mehn,this touched my heart. I don't think I will cry this hard if it is uncle Haroon that died.

Its been long when I cried so I have to expect a loving headache the next day.

What a really bad day!

_____________