chapter forty nine

I have been looking around for the past ten minutes hoping to sight uncle Haroon as each minute passed. He informed me that his plane has landed and they're already packing their luggage. So here I am together with Maya standing at the airport since the last thirty minutes.

"Have you seen him?" I asked Maya who was tapping me continuously without stopping.

"See." She disappointed me by showing me a picture on her phone. I was thinking she would show me where uncle Haroon was.

"What the butt are you showing me?" I asked her annoyed. "The pic Xavier sent to me. Its him,his uncle and cousin. Just look at the cousin,see how handsome he look. I think I'm going for him." She explained really in for the guy. I just gave her a look of 'you're crazy.'

"Vibe killer." Maya pouted and continued scrolling through the ugly pics Xavier sent to her.

"Hey ladies." The voice I recognized so much said from behind. I didn't waste another second before turning to face uncle Haroon and pouncing on him.

"Uncle Haroon. You finally appeared after a decade." I exaggerated smiling as I broke the hug. He didn't reply me instead, he turned to Maya who looked pink. I rolled my eyes at her. Just how fast is she able to crush on someone?! Wasn't she the same girl who was gushing over her boyfriend's cousin?

"Mayaaa." Uncle Haroon dragged opening his arms for a hug from Maya. Seeing that Maya was moving closer to him, I punched his stomach and he scowled playfully at me dropping his arms. Maya flushed pinker. Mtcheew.

"I wasn't gonna hug her. Its just a new style of waving hand." Uncle Haroon defended himself in the most ridiculous way. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Uncle Haroon. How was the flight?" Maya asked putting on that her innocent smile.

"It was amazing." He answered and from the look on his face,the flight was really amazing to him. We both looked at him with weird faces.

"How can a freaking eighteen hours flight be amazing?" The curious me asked.

"It will be when you fly in a private jet." He boasted and I laughed.

"You wish." Maya and I said in sync and laughed again.

"No I'm serious." He frowned.

"Again,you wish."

"Look at these." He bought out his phone and clicked on a picture in his gallery. He handed me the phone and I took it with a mocking smile.

Maya joined her head with mine so that she could see the picture also. It was a picture of uncle Haroon in a very luxurious looking room.

"A hotel room?" I smirked. "How could you be so blind girl? Its a jet's room. Just continue scrolling." He frowned deeper.

I scrolled over ten pictures of the ugly him in that jet room before finding a short video of him and another man.

"Uncle Haroon, God will bring money for you to have a PJ or ride a PJ. All these can be a green screen video and pics right Maya?" I smirked at uncle Haroon then turned to look at Maya. Her mouth was wide opened and eyes wide as saucers.

"What?"

"Mother of Neptune. Is that Isma'il Yakub?" Maya gasped and I looked at her confusingly.

"Yup." Its uncle Haroon's turn to smile smugly.

"Wow. Is he your friend?" Maya asked looking interested in the so called Isma'il. "Again,yes." Uncle Haroon stressed now looking at me.

"OK,I'm lost." I finally admitted.

"Then find your way." Maya rudely replied and pushed past me to uncle Haroon. I gasped in horror. The hell?!

"Why didn't you let me know earlier that you have such a friend?" Maya asked uncle Haroon with the widest smile she rarely puts on. "You know,it will look like bragging and I don't brag." Replied uncle Haroon.

"To me, that's not bragging. Well it is to some people. How many more of these kind of people so you have as a friend?"

"Huh,many." Uncle Haroon laughed and Maya joined him. I was just standing dumbstruck there. They looked like long lost friends who are reuniting in the most happy way.

"Khair, what are you waiting for? Come drive us home." Maya shouted,loud for me to hear. I couldn't do anything except to click my tongue and walk to my car.

"Hey bestie." Maya smiled trying to hug me.

"Abeg leave me. Go to uncle Haroon aka your new bestie." I hissed and got into my car. I started the engine and waited patiently for them to hop in but they both have another important thing to do.

"Aren't you two entering?" I asked them. "Wait. We have to get a reply from Isma'il first." Maya replied.

"Me I want to go. I have other important things to do than to stare at both of you waiting for some worthless Ismail's message." I pointed out.

"Who is holding the steering wheel?" Maya rolled her eyes. "And Isma'il is never worthless." She added

"Should I go?" I asked them for the last time cos my patience was already running out.

"What's our concern? Leave we don't need you." Said uncle Haroon in a playful tone but that's just all I needed to hear so I could drive myself out of the airport.

Without wasting another minute,I roared the engine back to life and sped away. I almost smirked when I saw the horrified look on Maya's and uncle Haroon's faces through the rearview mirror.

......

"Well-done madam." I said to the sulking Maya. She has been standing in the kitchen watching me cook without attempting to help me lift up a spoon.

"Don't talk to me." She said in a serious tone.

"That will be easy and its fine with me." I smiled making her more upset.

"Where's uncle Haroon?" I asked her. "In the living room. I said you shouldn't talk to me."

"I wasn't even asking you but you answered. I wonder what you are still doing in the kitchen. Oh let me guess, you can't get tired of looking at my beautiful face."

She eyed me up and down,hissed before stomping to our room. I laughed out loudly for her to hear.

"Haters should hate." I shouted again then faced my cooking.

"Maya!" I called getting inside the room but she lied down as if she wasn't hearing me. I called her again but still no reply.

"Will get up now? I have cooked us lunch." I announced.

"OK I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have left you both at the airport but all that matters now is that you are back safely right?" I smiled at no one as I sat on the bed close to her head.

"   "

"   "

Nothing but silent followed. "I said I'm sorry ha'an." I nudged her but she still didn't budge. Her silence was already getting me worried.

"Maya?" I called her again but this time,tapping her on her shoulder.

"Maya?" I shouted worriedly and smacking her hard but that girl was motionless.

"Ke!" I shook her body. I put my head on her chest and her heart was steadily beating but she wasn't breathing.

"Innalillahi." I whispered as sweat rolled down my back.

"Uncle Haroon!" I shouted rushing out of our room to the living room like a newly mad woman.

"Uncle Haroon!" I called him again standing in front of him but he just pretended he was the only one in the world that moment.

"Haroon!" I rudely called snatching his phone and almost throwing it across the room.

"What?!" He sneered.

"Didn't you heard me shouting Maya's name? She....." I didn't get to finish when uncle Haroon said "don't talk to me."

Oh! As if they planned it with Maya. But I don't have time for argument.

"Its Maya. She has stopped breathing."

"What?!"

"Water. That's what I was trying to tell you and you're like 'don't talk to me'". I mimicked his voice and dragged him along with me to our room where Maya was no where to be found.

Okay!

"Nice joke." Uncle Haroon clapped.

"It wasn't a joke. I swear she was just right here,sprawled on this bed breathlessly." I said to him,more like convincing myself.

"Will a lifeless Maya magically disappear or have wings to fly out through the window. Where is she now?"

"Answer me." Uncle Haroon added seeing that I wasn't giving him attention.

"Uncle Haroon leave me alone for a second and allow me to process this." I sighed and sat on the floor. I was seriously afraid to sit on the bed.

How was that possible?! I'm pretty sure I'm not hallucinating.

I don't know for how long I sat in that position and Uncle Haroon standing and staring at me probably wondering if his niece is going crazy but the ringtone of my phone had us both shrieked in fright,specifically me.

"Who's calling?" Asked uncle Haroon calmly this time.

"I don't know." I answered keeping my eyes on the phone.

"Then pick it up." He instructed and before I did, the call ended.

"You see your life? Call the number back."

I tried calling the number and it was switched off.

'Nice move Khair. You're so dumb.' I face palmed myself.

"This whole situation looks really freakish.

"Okay,we can't just stand here and wait for a miracle to happen. Let's look for her around the house. It might be a prank or something." Uncle Haroon suggested.

"Yeah that's right. Let's go." I said and trailed behind him.

"Why are you following me? Let's split up so that it can be easy to find her or any clue." Uncle said and I chuckled in sadness. He really thought I will look in some corners of the house alone. Ah,that's a blunt no!

"I can't go alone. Wallahi I'm very scared." I said the absolute truth.

"Scaredy-cat. Follow me." He said and I obeyed. We went outside and looked for her but couldn't find her. We searched every nook and crook but no sign of her.

"I can't believe this!" I groaned and removed my head tie while sitting on the couch.

"What's that?" I asked uncle Haroon when I saw him coming with a short paper in his hand.

"I don't know. I found it stuck to the fridge." He answered not looking at me.

"Let me see." I snatched the paper away from him and studied it.

"It reads 'help me. I'm in pain'."

"But it doesn't looks like Maya's handwriting." I added.

"I don't like this kind of dangerous games." Uncle Haroon sighed.

"Or should we go to our neighbours? She can be there. She usually go there sometimes." I suggested and we both got up.

We walked silently to the first house close to us with different thoughts running on our minds.

"Hi Mrs...." I trailed off cos I didn't know the woman's name.

"Maya's sister. How are you? This is the second time you're visiting my house in three years while Maya always come once every week." The talkative woman ranted not minding that I didn't know her name despite us being neighbours for three good years.

I just stood there smiling awkwardly. What am I suppose to say after she indirectly told me she was hurt.

"Pls come in." She offered and I shook my head. "No thank you. Actually,we just came to ask if Maya's here." I smiled.

"No she isn't. Any problem?"

"Not really." I replied but my brain said otherwise. There's a really big problem.

"Thank you for your time...." I almost said Anty but shut my mouth.

"You're welcome. You can go to Jenny's house if you want. She might be in there." The woman said and went back inside after we said goodbyes.

"Hi Mrs Jenny." I greeted the elder woman who stood by her doorstep.

"My daughter's Jenny. I'm Clara." She smiled and I felt like pushing myself. How can I be embarrassing myself every time?

"I'm sorry Mrs Clara. I didn't..." She didn't let me finish when she said "Don't worry. Are you here for Jenny?"

"Yes." I answered.

Why yes when you don't have business with Jenny? Just get straight to the damn point. My brain yelled.

"I mean no." I said and uncle Haroon nudged me. The woman looked at us confused.

"We just want to ask if Maya is here." Uncle Haroon said saving me from further embarrassment.

"Khair. What a pleasant surprise." A girl who I thought would be jenny said standing near Mrs Clara.

She is definitely the Jenny girl cos of the striking resemblance with her mother.

But how the hell did she know me? I have never seen her before.

"You're looking confused probably wondering where I knew you from." Jenny laughed. Again,how did she know what I was thinking.

"You're Maya's sister right? She always talks about you and I have seen your pics on her phone. Beside,I attend the same school as you just that you don't notice me and you never pay me a visit." She feigned pain.

What's with people and talking about me not visiting them today?!

"I'm very sorry Jenny. I will pay you a visit soon Insha Allah."

"Anyway,did you see Maya anywhere?" And I went straight to the point as my brain instructed me to.

"Yes I did. Like two hours ago." She answered and I released a sigh of relief.

"But she looks weak and wasn't walking straight. If possible, I might say she looks unconscious." Jenny said and my heart dropped again.

Innalillahi

"Who was she with?" Uncle Haroon asked this time. I couldn't even move my mouth.

"With her boyfriend. The man said he was her boyfriend." Jenny replied and my thought just landed on one person, Xavier.

But Maya might have more than five boyfriends. Let me not jump into conclusion yet.

"And I think he's really her boyfriend. I have seen him with her many times lately. He's pretty ugly tho." She cringed.

OK. It have come to a conclusion that its Xavier. He's the only one that use to come to our house unexpected.

But Xavier's not ugly.

Oh God. My head!

"I was suspicious of him at first so I made a move to stop him but he said he was taking her to hospital and I backed off. She looks sick actually." Jenny continued.

"Did he mention the hospital he was taking her to?" Asked uncle Haroon and jenny shook her head negatively.

"Thank you Jen." Uncle Haroon said and she blushed. He held my hand and we started walking back home.

"Why don't you try calling her?" Said uncle Haroon.

"I did. Several times but its switched off." I sighed

"Try calling her again. It won't hurt right?"

"Okay." Saying that,I dialled her number. I expected it to be switched off but it went directly to voicemail.

"Finally. Maybe she's awake." I said.

"Can...." Uncle Haroon started but got interrupted by my phone's ringing.

"Its Maya." I gasped.

"What are you waiting for? Answer it." Uncle Haroon said and I did.

I tapped the loudspeaker before saying "Maya where have you been? I was worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry but this isn't Maya." A lady's voice said and I abruptly looked at uncle Haroon who was already looking at me.

"Who..who am I speaking to?" I gulped. I prayed it shouldn't be close to the nonsense I was thinking in my head.

"I'm a nurse. I'm in charge of taking care of Sumayya Isah." I would have laughed at the way that nurse pronounced 'Sumayya' but I couldn't.

Uncle Haroon snatched the phone from me and said"Which hospital?"

....

I sniffed as I held Maya's cold hand that was filled with rashes. Her face looked so pale.

"What's wrong with her doctor?" I immediately asked as the doctor walked in.

He checked her vitals and scribbled something on his notepad before answering me. "She's suffering from food poisoning."

"But food poisoning is self treatable." I said.

"Yes but her case's different. We traced a large amount of mycotoxin,specifically aflatoxin in her body. She's lucky she was bought here early. We helped her flush some out if not,there might be several adverse effect. Worst of them is dementia and cancer." The doctor explained and I felt all the hair on my body raised.

"The doctorish language the doctor just spoke,can you translate it in something more understandable?" Uncle Haroon asked.

"Mycotoxins are toxic compounds naturally produced by some fungi and that aflatoxin is an example of mycotoxin. Peanuts are high in aflatoxin so it might be what Maya took. But she hates peanut so she possibly can't see peanut and take it." I explained and uncle Haroon nodded in understanding.

"She haven't even taken her lunch to say she got poisoned from that food." I said and looked at uncle Haroon expecting him to comfort me but he was rather thinking about something.

"Oh my God." He suddenly gasped.

"What?" I curiously asked getting up from the bed.

"Do chocolates contain afalatoxigin?" Asked uncle Haroon.

"Afalatoxigin?" I questioned him. "Which one is afalatoxigin?" I added

"That thing you just explained. That is in peanuts."

"Oh,aflatoxin?" I almost laughed

"Yes that one."

"How can chocolates contain aflatoxin?" I scrunched my face.

"How will I know. You're the doctor here." He shrugged.

"Why did you ask then?"

"On our way coming back from airport before we called a cab,a small boy came running to us with a box of chocolates and gift cards. The boy and the chocolate box looked suspicious to me cos we don't know from who it was sent nor the boy's name. I told Maya not to take it but she was like 'awwwn he's so cute for a no'. The boy possessed her I think. Assuming its in Nigeria, hehe one knock on the head and the boy will run away. She started eating the chocolates immediately we got into the cab. She asked me to take one but I told her I wasn't a fan of chocolates. She took it in excess and hide some in her purse." Uncle Haroon explained and I started connecting the dot.

"Someone might have send that cute boy to give her those chocolates and they injected aflatoxin into it. She took it in excess and now she's ill. Oh God!" I blurted out my thoughts.

"I saw something like SG on the box tho." Said uncle Haroon.

SG? It didn't ring any bell.

"You said she kept some of the chocolates in her purse right? We might not be sure if the chocolates were really poisoned so we should bring them here and have the doctors inspect it." I suggested.

"You can do that yourself. Aren't you a doctor?" Uncle Haroon frowned

"I'm still a student not a professional and in not a mycologist."

....

"What do you want to eat now?" I pestered Maya who was awake an hour ago.

"I'm not hungry." She groaned.

"You haven't eaten anything since breakfast." I argued

"But I took some chocolates."

"Chocolate isn't food and talking of chocolate,the doctors confirmed that the chocolates contained aflatoxin. Apparently, someone injected it in." I told her and she gasped.

"Uncle Haroon was trying to stop me from taking it but I was so stubborn. I'm so foolish. Now see my skin,I caused it myself." She started to cry.

"Stop crying Maya. It was already written since before it happened so chillax." I comforted.

"About the SG,do you have any idea?" I asked her and she shook her head.

The doctor came inside and uncle Haroon trailed behind him. He explained to Maya the do's and don'ts. He said she will be strictly on diet for a month and visit a special dermatologist every week for the treatment of some nasty skin disease she invited for herself.

"Wallahi I will never take chocolates in my life again. Ever." Maya said in all seriousness and we laughed.

"And I wanted to buy you a chocolate factory on your birthday." I joked

"I will just slap anyone I see trying to give me chocolates." Maya said

"You can't believe this." Uncle Haroon interrupted.

"What?" Maya and I questioned him.

Uncle Haroon brought out his hand that he has been hiding since he came into the room and surprising enough, he held a chocolate box.

"I bought you this as a 'get well soon' gift." He gave us his best innocent smile.

The way Maya was looking at him made me laughed louder than I intended.

"Get that stupid thing out of this room if not,today I shall show you my real colour." Maya threatened and from there,they got into an abstruse argument. All I could do was just to laugh and video tape them.

"Attention pls. Look at the TV on the wall." A voice from nowhere said and we all kept quiet immediately.

As if our heads were controlled,we turned and look at the plasma TV on the wall which was airing a boxing match.

The TV screen cracked and made some weird noises by itself before showing the most scariest image I have ever seen.

It was just a person with dark hoodie covering the person's face. The background was dark and giving off weird vibes. Normally,I would have love to watch whatever's gonna happen cos I like horror movies but not just today.

"Maya,how are you doing?" The person talked.

None of us could answer. We were just looking at any miracle that will happen. Maya was visibly shaking so I held her tight.

"I wanted to get rid of you cos you're the main obstacle. After you,Khair won't be hard to eliminate." The person continued and I could hear my own heartbeat that moment.

"But it seem my chocolate plan didn't work on you. Anyway, I have permanent destruction set up for the three of you. Its gonna be hot." The person said with full enthusiasm.

I didn't know what we did to deserve this hatred from the person I didn't know. Maya and I were already crying.

"Who the hell are you?" Uncle Haroon said with no fear laced in his voice.

"Shut up Haroon." The person yelled and we were all shocked. How did he know uncle Haroon's name? The answer doesn't matter at all since this person knew almost everything about us.

"In less than a minute now, everything here in this hospital will go aflame and I will love seeing your pathetic selves begging for help while no one will come to your rescue. Its gonna be fun." The person announced the happiest thing I have heard in a while. Note the sarcasm.

I gradually stood up and walked to the bed's headboard where emergency button was. I pressed it more than twenty times enough for the whole city to hear.

"Oh dear Khair, don't bother yourself. The nurses can't do anything about it no matter how plenty they're rushing in to save you. Don't worry,it will just take three,two and one for it to start." The person said and I gulped.

I don't know what's going to happen next so I started removing the wires connected on Maya's body carefully.

"Show us yourself if you know you aren't a coward." Maya cried.

"Ok then." The person said before gradually taking off the hoodie from his head.

The only thing I caught a glimpse of was orange hair before turning my head to the fire alarm that was ringing loudly.

The next thing we knew,there was chaos in the hospital.

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