Episode 16
** ๐ฎ I don die be that!**
The thought alone was scary. In all my years of straffing, I had never thought about such consequence, ‘cos I felt I was always protected. Now this????
I thought about going to confront her and explain what happened. But how was I going to do that?
Me: Ehrm, sorry ma, I’m responsible for your daughter’s pregnancy…
ZM: **Brings out a dagger and stab my heart**
Ok, bad idea! I decided against it…
I was still having those thoughts when I saw Zainab’s mum coming into the ward. She looked so dreary…
**This is it!**
I braced myself for any possible negative reaction. She just sat on the bed, placing her right hand on Zainab’s head…
ZM: Zai, the doctor showed me the results of your test…
I was standing close to the bed now… I couldn’t help myself but ask, ‘Is she going to be fine?’
ZM: Yes… The doctor said apart from the bruises, she’s fine… But…
Me: **Heart hyper-beating** But what ma?
ZM: The doctor said she has been under losts of stress of late, that she needs to rest…
I wanted to ask, ‘so she’s not pregnant?’ But I heard myself say, ‘Oh… Then I guess if she just rests, she’ll be fine.’
Zainab was looking at me now. I was gradually getting relieved. If she was really pregnant, the doctor would have definitely known. And since he didn’t say anything about it, I wasn’t going to mention it too.
My verdict was, she wasn’t pregnant…
I left the hospital glad that my body would not be mutilated because I impregnated a girl (Sharia tinz).
Immediately I got home, as I was about opening the gate, I got a call from an unknown number…
Me: Hello…
Caller: Please am I speaking with Dioxidane?
Me: Who wants to know?
Caller: Dioxidane, it’s me Summaya, Malama Aisha’s cousin…
Me: Oh, how you doing?
Summaya: I’m ok… Please can you come to the house, it’s urgent. Something happened…
Me: What happened?
Summaya: Please just come…
Me: Ok, I’ll be on my way…
Summaya: Ok…
**Contd.**
**What is it again??? Haven’t I gotten enough trouble today???**
On my way there, I wondered what was so urgent that made Summaya ask me to come over. ‘Was she sick?’ ‘Was Malama Aisha sick?’
**Hope say no be for mumu thing dis girl call me o… :-\**
My watch said it was some minutes to 7pm. It was already getting dark. As I got to the compound, I saw people gathered around the front of the house.
**Dem dey do party? :-\**
As I got closer, I realized that they were really not rejoicing but in a sorrowful mood. ‘What’s happening?’, I wondered. Definitely someone to Malama Aisha must have died, if not Summaya wouldn’t have called me. ‘Jeez, hope it’s not her son!’
As I got in, I saw some women around MA. Summaya walked up to me and told me to follow her outside. It was there she told me Malama Aisha lost her husband.
๐ฎ ๐ฎ ๐ฎ
Me: How? When?!?
Summaya: They said he went with his friend to treat his friend’s mother in the village when some Boko-Haram members ransacked the village, killing everyone in sight…
Me: ๐ฎ OMG!!
Summaya: He was among the unfortunate ones…
Me: Jeezz!!! Did they find the body?
Summaya: He’s already been buried…
Me: OMG!! This is so terrible… I’m so sorry… bla bla bla…
I tried saying things to console her, but she began sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn’t just stand there looking at her, so I gave her a hug, half expecting her to push me off.
She didn’t, so we just stayed in that position, with me whispering soothing words into her ears.
After some minutes, she broke away from the hug and just sat on a bench. I sat beside her. I tried involving her in a conversation, just to lighten her up. We talked for a while before we went back inside. I spoke with Malama Aisha briefly, saying consoling words before I went back home.
Some hours after I got home, Summaya sent me a message thanking me for coming around. I replied telling her I would see her the next day.
Before I slept that night, I called Zainab. She said she was fine and she was going to be discharged the next day. I told her I was going to see her at home the next day and then… I slept.
I woke up the next morning with a barrage of calls. My mum called to check up on me… My younger brother called to tell me he was broke (as usual)… Malama Aisha called to tell me she was travelling to her Mother-In-law’s place… Prince called to ask if I was having any ‘visitor’ that day, ‘cos he wanted to come over with a ‘visitor’ **Clears throat**… Summaya called to ask me if I could come over…
I closed early from work that day. I called Zainab to ask if she’s been discharged. She said she was still at the hospital so I went there to meet her. I met her mum there. I asked after Salim and she said he wasn’t back from school. She also said tutorials for Salim wouldn’t hold that day ‘cos he would be helping in taking care of Zainab.
**8) Good for me…**
Zainab’s mum told me she was going to get something from the car. That left Zainab and I. I finally had the opportunity to speak with her alone…
Me: Baby, how you feeling now…
Zee: I’m just there…
Me: I’m so sorry… This is all my fault…
Zee: Don’t say so… I was scared of being pregnant… I needed the confirmation too…
Me: So now that we couldn’t do the test?
Zee: **Smiles** It’s no more necessary… My flow started last night…
Me: **Thank God!** That’s good…
Zee: You are happy now, right?
Me: It’s not that… I’m just…
I was still speaking when Zainab’s mum came back into the ward, so I readjusted myself.
I spent about an hour with them before I decided to leave. Zainab’s mum thanked me profusely for coming (If only she knew).
I left the hospital and went to Malama Aisha’s house to meet Summaya……..
**Contd.**
As I got to the house, I noticed that the people I saw the previous day were no more there. That’s the thing with death. Most people console you just that day, sometimes for a week, while at most a month, but eventually they’ll leave and you would have to bear the lose yourself.
I knocked on the door and Summaya opened. She was looking different from the way I saw her the previous day. She looked quite cheerful. ‘Hey Dioxidane’, she said as she gave me a hug.
Me: How are you feeling now?
Summaya: I’m better… Thank you… Malama Aisha left for her inlaw’s place today…
Me: Yeah, she told me… Why didn’t you go with her?
Summaya: She asked me to stay back and take care of the house… But I wished I went with her. This place is so boring…
Me: Why would a place with you in it be boring? Just make it ‘unboring’…
Summaya: **Laughs**
Me: Come, did you prepare anything? I’m hungry…
Summaya: I’m home alone, so I just took noodles…. But don’t worry, I’ll fix up something for you… What would you like?
Me: Anything please, I’m starving…
Summaya: Would you like boiled yam and egg sauce?
Me: Wait o, do you even know how to cook?
Summaya: Seriously? :-\
Me: **Laughs** I’ll be your judge today…
Summaya: Let me get you Fura before I prepare the food…
Me: Perfecto!
Summaya: **Smiles**
In all the time I spent in the north, I doubt if I enjoyed any of their delicacies as much as I enjoyed Fura and yogurt not Nunu (cow milk, I think). I enjoyed it most when it was very cold. It replenishes lost energy and makes you sleep then you become fat (so they say).
She brought the Fura and as usual, it was super cold. I was watching TV while she went back to the kitchen. She came back at intervals, conversing with me.
I asked her if she had friends in Katsina and she said she didn’t.
**No wonder**
She began telling me things about herself, her struggles, her relationships e.t.c. We talked (actually she talked and I listened) like we’ve known each other for long.
**Pretty girls are not perfect, they have challenges too**
She said she was surprised she was telling me all these things. I told her I had that effect on people – making them tell me things they didn’t want others to know (yeah, right!).
She later brought the food and we ate together. We gisted some more and we watched some movies. It was getting late. I had to go back to my house (or so I told her). She didn’t verbally object, but I saw from her facial expressions, that she didn’t want me to leave. It would leave her in a bored state again. It’s not like I could help it. I couldn’t pass the night there (or could I?). She gave me a hug as I was about leaving.
The thing about some northern girls that travel out of the country is that, firstly before they leave, they are usually reserved (most of them). After spending some time there, some become good girls ‘gone’ semi-bad; some become good girls ‘gone’ bad; some become good girls ‘gone’ wild; while some become good girls ‘gone’ drug addicts. I’ve seen all these categories of northern girls. I tried deciphering which category of girls Summaya fell into.
I got to my gate and was about getting the keys from my pocket when I remembered I had dropped it earlier at a Mai Shago’s (Provision seller?) place close to my house for Prince. I walked towards the shop as I called Prince…
Me: Baba, how far where you dey…
Prince: I dey my lodge…
Me: You drop my key?
Prince: I drop am for the Mai Shago shop…
Me: Ok, later…
Guys and their calls. Straight to the point. No long talks.
I collected the key and on my way back to the house, I called Zainab. She said she was back to the house as she was already discharged. She also told me they would all be traveling to Abuja the next day. She said her mum would call me, but she was just giving me a heads-up.
I got into the house and had a bath. I had already eaten, so I just lay on the bed, doing what I do every night – Chatting and Browsing…
I got a whatsapp message from Summaya. She told me she was bored. I told her to watch TV, she said she was already tired of doing that. I recommended a site were she could real novels and recommended one for her to read. As we continued chatting, she was taking more time in responding. She said she had already started reading the novel I recommended and was engrossed in it. I told her I was going to see her the next day, and she said it was cool…….
The next day was a thursday – CDS! I always looked forward to it ‘cos I got to meet chics and peeps. Zainab would be unable to make this week’s rendezvous, but at least I get to be in the company of Summaya. I hurriedly presided over the meeting and we closed earlier than usual. Sandra and Rejoice were not present. I called Rejoice and she told me it was that time of the month for her that’s why she couldn’t attend. She asked me to write their names in the attendance register. Great! :-\
I asked after Sandra, and she said she traveled to Kaduna.
**Kai! Sandra don turn PLC for her runz girl business o**
I went home, freshened up and headed to Summaya’s (MA’s) place.
I knocked (as usual) and she opened. This time around, I was flustered. She was putting on a mini skirt and a tank top, her hair was not covered and she wasn’t putting on anything on her feet.
I don’t know how long I stood there staring at her till I heard, ‘Are you coming in or what?’ ‘Ohh, sorry’, I said as I gave her a hug. Jeez, she smelled so seraphic. My mamba was already beginning to get ideas.
**Calm down son!**
