CHAPTER XXXII

Recap

" OK, let me brief it for you. I know and I'm sure that you have developed a liking for sadiq, you don't need to pretend "

" WHAT!"

Present

" you don't need to look surprise,Rahama. Don't forget that I'm also a woman too. Don't you think the months you used to mope around feeling sad and not communicating with anyone just few days after sadiq left, don't you think that reaction actually meant something. Moreover I found out from your father about how you reacted the day sadiq left, don't be mad at your dad. I forced it out of him because I couldn't sit and watch how you mope around without me knowing any reason. So, I needed to find out something and I did " aunty yasira sighed

Rahama scoff couldn't believe this " so you and dad have been on my case all this while?. Is that why you constantly call my phone everyday in the office just to check if I was going to kill myself or something! "

" don't get me wrong here, I do not call you all the time just because of that, I call you just because I care. I want to be there for you rahama. I want to be a mother figure to you. I know you've always wished to share your problems with your mother if she was alive and I'm not saying I want to take her place as your mother, I only want you to trust me enough as a big sister to tell me what are the things troubling you. I care rahama, I care so much for you, dear. "

Rahama sobs " you don't understand what I'm feeling, aunty yasira. I myself do not understand it too. Every day when I wake up seeing my misfortune , it always makes me mad, I always end up doing things I never meant or want to do. I was never like that, aunty yasira, I wasn't "

Yasira quickly got up and ran to her side. She pull her in for a warm hug " shhh, you don't need to say anything, dear. I might not know the full detail about what had happened but I want you to know that I'm always here for you "

" thank you so much "

Yasira smiled and went back to her seat. " tell me something? "

" what? " rahama asked after wiping her tears.

" why do you want to marry Mansir,why?"

Rahama chuckles " because I love him? " she answer like it was something simple

" you love him?. Just listen to yourself. You even said it like you aren't even sure of yourself "

" please, I already told you that I love him. What more do you want me to say? "

Yasira calmed herself, she knew it will be so hard to break the shell rahama was keeping " OK, I get it that you love Mansir before , I don't even know if I should even call it love but anyways, you now have feelings for sadiq so I don't get why you want to Marry Mansir"

" Don't get me wrong here aunty yasira. I never said I love sadiq, all that I feel for him is still at an early stage and I'm quite sure that feeling will go away immediately I get married to Mansir"

Yasira shook her head " do you know that you're playing with fire? So this is what it's all about right?. You just want to get married to Mansir just to forget sadiq!. Try to listen to yourself! This is about your future!. Don't you care about your future! "

" Can we just drop this matter. I'm tired of going on and on about this same issue every day. Please" rahama said

" fine, since you don't want to hear the truth, fine. I don't even know what you see in that arrogant Mansir. He is a liar and a cheat"

" just stop it aunty yasira! Please. You don't even know what actually happened "

" fine then. I'm out of here because I'm already getting fed up of trying to make you see reasons" yasira took her bag and left without listening to rahama calls.

Immediately the door banged closed, rahama lightly hit her head on her desk " I don't know what is happening anymore "

" why can't aunty yasira just understand that that is my wish. Moreover, Mansir isn't that bad , the only mistake he had made was fail to tell me the truth about Sadiq. But he already told me his reasons for doing that and I understood "she blew out a breath

Flash back

Immediately rahama went in after the broke down she had with her father about him not telling her the truth about sadiq leaving, she retrieved her phone from her hand bag and dialed in Mansir's number. I the said man picked it up on the first ring

" Thank goodness rahama. I have been trying your number but you aren't picking" that was the first thing he said

" of course I didn't pick up. Why would I? After your betrayal! "

" please listen to me rahama. I have a very good explanation for what I did"

" I don't care what explanations you have for you to lie to my face. I trusted you Mansir, I swear I did. I don't even know who you really are anymore. All this new attitude I notice with you, is already giving me second thoughts about us, about our marriage. "

.

" please rahama, I beg you. Don't do this to us, don't end this beautiful relationship we have. I swear I have a clean reason to why I did what I did. You should know me by now. I'm a very honest person and I was only being stupid "

" of course you are"

The line went silent for a moment " can we please meet up?" be request

" no we can't. It's either you say what you wanna say here, or you forget everything about us " she answered

" please rahama ,you know that this conversation on phone won't do us any justice. Please let's meet up, that will be best. "

She thought of it for a moment " OK fine, text me the address and I'll be there "

They hung up. After ten minutes of their conversation, a text came through her phone. It was the address if where she would be meeting up with Mansir. Just a few minutes from her house.

Thirty minutes later

"thank you so much for honoring my request "

" just say whatever it is you want to say. I don't have time to waste "

Mansir chuckles " by the way, you look absolutely beautiful "

She glare at him " I will leave if you don't stop wasting my time"

" OK fine" he put his hands up in surrender to " I'm sorry "

" just make it fast already " she scoff

" OK. As you already know, I'm the eldest son of alhaji Ringim . I don't need to go too deep cos you already know everything about me "

" point of correction, not everything, so don't be full of yourself" she folded her arms

He chuckles " OK fine . " he cleared his throat " back to business. I know I lied and it wasn't right at all but I just want you to understand that I did that out of anger"

" anger for who? " she asked confused

" for him, sadiq"

She waited for him to continue

" Sadiq and my dad haven't been in good terms for ten years now "

She looked surprised " ten what! "

" yes you heard right, ten good years. They've lived like cat and dog for so long that one would be confused if it was my father that gave birth to him or not. But luckily, no one from outside knew about this hatred. It has become a secret within my family and I trust you enough not to tell anyone about it "

She practically sealed her lips " i won't tell, I promise ".

.

" thank you."

" what actually led to this hatred? " she asked confused

" I'm getting there already. Sadiq is a very jealous type of person right from child hood. He lacks respect for everyone in that house, of course he listen to his mother no doubt about that. His hatred started the day his mother died, he blames dad for it. For crying out loud, the woman died a natural death and I see no reason why he will blame dad about it "

" and what reason does he have to blame your dad? I'm sure something must have happened for him to blame your dad"

" Thank you, that is what I also ask myself everyday and the truth is that their isn't any reason. He just woke up the next day and see it deem to blame out father just like that"

" The last fight they had was the time he heard my dad talking to his lawyer about giving me control over his company. He went berserk because of that, he confronted dad and I can vividly remember how dad had an heart attack because of how sadiq held his clothes like someone who wants to kill him. He insulted and threw so much hatefully word at my father. I had to interfere if not dad might have ended up in the hospital that day. "

" sadiq swore that all of us will regret all that we did to him. We didn't even do anything to him, he was the one causing lots of trouble. He went to his room and pack all his belongings and swore that when he comes back into this house, he will make sure to destroy each and everyone of us " Mansir shakes his head pretending to be disheartened

" he said that to your dad?" she was in utmost shock

" yes he did. From that day henceforth, we haven't heard anything from him since then not until that day I saw him for the first time over this years at your house, remember? "

She nodded " yes . Now I get it, that was why you were so angry at seeing him"

" yes. That was why I tried reasoning with you not to believe or trust whatever he says to you. I know that his mission now is to start by destroying me which is why he came to work in your company . He was trying to rile me up and he did just that. He wants me to be jealous, Rahama. I swear I love you with everything in me "

Her head told her to believe him but her mind refused to. but if you think of it ,what Mansir said kind of made sense though, she thought. If not, why would sadiq be out on the street like a poor fellow, definitely ,it surely had something to do with what Mansir just said, she thought to herself again. Could it be that sadiq was after all a user?

Now I get it, that means sadiq tried all his best to get close to me so that I can fall for him and I did just that. I fell for a monster?

" now you see why I told you I had a reason for lying " he watches how she was still in shock . He smile secretly and then held her hand " please forgive me, Rahama"

" I.. I.. I need to leave. I will call you when I get hold of all these " she stood up

" I can take you home " he appeared concern

" no , you don't need to bother " she wave him off..

" are you sure?"

" yes I am "

With that she went home. After a month of getting hold of herself and moping around, she called up Mansir on the phone and told him that she has forgiven him and their love story started from there again . After four months of courtship, Mansir dropped the bomb. 'will you marry me?'. She answered yes the next day.

But again ,what got her worried is that she couldn't get Sadiq out of her mind no matter how much she tried. She hope that after she marries Mansir she will finally forgets him.

End of flash back

" how will I tell aunty yasira about this? I'm sure she knows nothing of what trouble sadiq had caused at home. I know if she knows my reason, she will support my marriage with Mansir and as for sadiq, I'm sure she will stop him from what ever atrocious act he wants to commit" she said to herself

A thought came to her " how did he even afford the money for his flight? "

Maybe he had some savings before he left, she thought with a shrug.

***

UNITED KINGDOM, 2019

After today's lecture the three friends decided to hang out at a restaurant close by. It was a fancy looking Nigerian restaurants. That is where you can find all types of Nigerian delicacies.

On their way to the restaurant, sadiq's phone ranged. He brought it out of his trouser's pocket.

" it's badiyya " he said to his friends with a smile

" that's your sister ,right? " khalil said after remembering who that name belongs to.

" yes, that's his sister " Jafar answered " we will be inside waiting while you pick the call"

"Ok" sadiq nodded while he watch the two head inside the restaurant.

He pick it up " hello"

" yaya sadiq. How are you? Wow! it's been day's now since we talk on the phone"

" yeah it is. How is everyone at home? "

" All fine. I have news for you, yaya"

He was alarmed " what news is that? "

" can you believe that Mansir is getting married in four weeks time! "

" what!"

" yes yaya. He is getting married to your ex office mate"

" the spoilt brat you mean? "

" yes the same one"

" oh Wow "

" yes yaya, a big 'wow' infact. I don't even know what she sees in himself "

After a long sigh, sadiq said " I wish them all the best anyways. Can we just forget the topic?"

" oh, OK. Are you alright, yaya? "

" of course I am. "

" erm aren't you bothered with what I just told you? "

He chuckles " why would I? "

" I thought, I thought __"

" you thought what? Look here badiyya, I don't want you to cause any troubles over there. Please and please don't think of doing anything stupid"

" but yaya"

" don't but yaya me. Just do as I say"

" fine. But what about your happiness? I'm quite sure Mansir lured her into marrying him"

" I said you shouldn't interfere. She also wants this marriage so stop talking about luring. No one is luring anyone, they both want it"

She sigh " does this means that you've given up on her? "

" why are you asking me such a jamb question? "

" please answer me, yaya"

He sighed out of frustration " OK fine. I haven't "

" then why don't you want to do something about it, about your feelings for her?"

" there is nothing to do, badiyya. This shows that my feelings for her is one-sided. "

" you can't be too sure of that, yaya. What if she is only getting married to Mansir because he is threatening her. You know how Mansir can be"

Sadiq snort " you can't be serious badiyya. This has got nothing to do with that. They both want it and all I can do is to end what ever feelings I thought I have for rahama".

" hmm"

" why are we still talking about this self"

" because I care for you"

" can we just end it already? "

" OK then. I pray you find your own happiness over there too"

" see this small girl o. Did I tell you that I'm here to look for a wife? "

She laughed " all the same. You don't know what the future is going to hit you with"

" hmm, madam fortuneteller. Anyways ,talk to you later"

" so now you're tired of me? "

" I never said anything like that. I don't want to keep the guys waiting , we are about to have lunch "

" OK then, say hello to them. Most especially khalil , that guy is really a good guy. I can't believe that someone like him still exist. I truly appreciate what he has done for you and Jafar "

" Hm well-done ma, I will relay your message to him"

" you better do"

" OK ma. Can I hang up now? "

" yes you can" and he did just that.

He still wasn't himself. Rahama is getting married to Mansir? . He was in total disbelief. Does this mean that I have to give up on all hopes that I have about us? . He blew out a breath and went into the restaurant to join his friends.

Upon reaching their table , the two were arguing on their all time topic ' whose country food was better "

" at long last, I can finally get to eat my own country's food " Jafar exclaimed

" what is it with our food here, it's not like it that bad. It's very delicious and just because you don't like it doesn't mean others don't like it too" said khalil with an eye roll

" I'm just saying the fact "

" common you two, won't you stop with this your fight on whose food is best and so on " sadiq finally interfere

" tell him to stop insulting our food then" khalil pout

" why would he stop me from saying the truth" Jafar also retort back

" for crying out loud would you two just shut up. I'm tired of all this dramas. You two aren't small kids, please grow up" a frustrated sadiq yell

" OK fine, calm down. Why are you all worked up all of a sudden. You know we're just joking and it's not something new. So what's up with you man? " said khalil while looking at jafar in agreement

" yes, khalil is right. What's up with you? Is it about the phone call you just received? " asked Jafar in concern

The said man put his elbow on the table while covering his face with his hand " I just received a shocking news today"

Jafar and khalil looked confused " what do you mean?"

" Mansir and Rahama are getting married soon"

" oh, wow" Jafar was shocked

" same thing I said too. "

" OK guys I'm confuse here . What are you two talking about ?"

***

How was it? You love it? ❤😁😉😇

Can someone please explain to khalil what they were talking about. Who will volunteer? 🙋💕