"First, you made me call these people and sounded at calm as possible. Second, you collected my phone and texted Adeelah. Beebo what's your motive behind all this? I wonder how you managed to make things up. I don't even understand why I did some things and why all of a sudden I feel regret washing me off."

She laughed. "I forgot to mention dear Ameer, I had to visit my soothsayer to do some work on you that's why you can't understand yourself. Now that you call me Beebo I fully understand that you're back in your senses. Whatever the case maybe, I have achieved my plans. One; Rabiu is humiliated in the community, as his daughter's wedding has been called off. Two, I'm finally getting him. Three, is left for me. You can go, go and see your father, son." With that, she turned on her heels, unchained his hands and left.

Ameer has remained on the chair, his head spinning on the effects of the revelations. Was life a game? How could all this be true? He didn't even know whether he should cry or scream. Beebo had spoken her own part of the story. The next was to hear from Adeelah's father. No scratch that, his father. But not yet, he has to go for a DNA test even though from all indications and his instincts he could tell Adeelah was his sister. He didn't even know what to do. What could Adeelah possibly go through after all this? How would she feel? How could she heal?

She had been broken and lonely yet she managed to be normal. He could read that from her eyes and now this... Ya Allah.

Ameer stood up from where he was sitting and began walking out of the place. Hidaya came to his mind, he suddenly felt like he was floating in the air. What would be her reaction? Could she absorb all this at once?

He didn't know and he would only know when he meets her. He walked stealthily, feeling his body light like a feather wandering in the air. His head was pounding hard, threatening to make him go nuts. He didn't know how to deal with the throbbing headache. Everything was too much for him. Too much to understand. Too much to believe.

Rabi'u Danbatta was his father. And Beebo wasn't his mother.

How bizarre!

****

Beebo smiled at herself when she got under her wheel. She had been deceiving a lot of people since she was young and it's time to stop everything since she's grown up. It's time to settle down with the love of her life and wait for death. No, she's not regretting any of her actions because she did them all to get what her heart wanted.

With another smile, she began driving on the highway that would lead her back home. She began to envision how their marriage life would be, how she would make him happy like she had always dreamt of before he cut short all her dreams. Now she would have him after so many years. She would have what she had been yearning for. Even though she had had his attention whenever Rahama was away, it wouldn't compare with what she would have now. Everyone has their own test and her own test was Dbt's love. She loved him more than everyone else. She had cheated on her husband because of him, she had killed her husband indirectly because of him.

No, she didn't kill her husband; she wasn't behind his assassination but she was behind his sickness before his death. A situation made her to choose. Either Dbt's or her husband's health. She chose Dbt because he was the love of her life. You see, she could never harm him.

With a lot of thoughts in her head, she smiled and continued to drive. She was in trance when she heard a truck honking from her back. It was too late to do anything and before she could think of what to do, the speeding truck crashed over her car.

There was a blast of fire at the instant.

****

Hajiya Sadiya and others had been pacing to and fro of the hospital premises since an hour ago. Abba had been taken to the intensive care unit and was given all the medical attention he needed. The doctor just came out with a sigh. He looked around and asked for the eldest in the family. Hajiya Sadiya presented herself in his office after his request to see her.

Few minutes later she was out of the office weeping. How could she break this information to everyone? But wait? How comes? She couldn't believe it. It left her encumbered.

How could the doctor tell her that her husband has only one kidney and that it has failed too. And that he would need a transplant as soonest as possible. She had asked if he was born with only one but the doctor clearly told her that based on his scans, Abba had two kidney and the other was removed sometime in his life. And he knew because the doctor told her that Abba used to come for checkup time to time and he's also on medication. He knew his problem and he had taken measures to tackle them and now this happened.

Hajiya Sadiya couldn't remember him mentioning donating his kidney to anyone. What was he hiding? She didn't have a single answer to her questions. And she couldn't share her questions with anyone. The problem at hand was enough. They had to think fast and do the needful. Among the gentlemen in the house, only Ammar was around.

With tears full eyes she looked at them all.

"Abba needs a kidney transplant."

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un." The children chanted immediately. What? Kidney? Has Abba been sick?

Adeelah shook her head and smiled.

"This doctor obviously doesn't know what he's saying." Everyone as if waiting, nodded at what Adeelah said. What was the doctor saying? He must have gone nut to say her father had only one kidney and it's failed too. By Allah she was trying to remain calm if not she would have barged into his office and force him to say the truth because this wasn't the truth. It could never be.

When all the family were rambling and arguing over the doctor's statement, something clicked Adeelah's brain and she rushed out to the car. Abba's phone. That's the only way out.

She ambled to the car and unlocked it. Behold, she found the phone ringing. The name on the screen left her off the cliff. Beebo. Who was this Beebo woman?

She took a deep breath and answered the call. She was shocked to hear a man's voice.

"Is this Danbatta? The owner of this phone had an accident and passed out due to high degree of severe burns. We are currently in the Triumph hospital gate and we have no cash on us. By the way, she unlocked and threw out the phone before the fire went worse and we managed to rescue her. She told us to call him before passing out."

Adeelah stopped a bit and removed the phone from her ears to take a deep breath. She was contemplating on what to do. And that too, fast. She was so disoriented when she came out that she even forgot to take her bank along talk more of her satchel.

"Unm, it's his daughter. I am in the hospital premises. I am on my way." She cut the call and began striding towards the gate of the hospital. On her way, she kept knitting thoughts.

Adeelah reached the gate five minutes later but was stunned to hear people's salutations. She managed and summoned alot of courage before increasing her pace.

There were about ten people surrounding a body. Just a glance, made Adeelah turn away. She couldn't stand the sight if a burnt human. In a swift, she forgot all her worries and remembered Salisu. He had underwent through same fire years ago. Tears threatened to fall out of her eyes.

"She's gave up the ghost." A nurse confirmed to them with an apologetic look. Many of the people around were not able to stare at Beebo's corpse. Adeelah too, didn't get the chance to look at her face. She would have recognize her as Ameer's supposed mother.

Adeelah slowly backed away from the crowd. Who would she tell? Abba? When he's unconscious? Would it be better to keep it a secret until she found out who the woman was? She was contemplating on what to do, when another call came through Abba's phone. It was a number so she didn't hesitate to answer the call.

There was an evil laugh the moment the picked the call. Adeelah flinched. What's happening?

"Dbt, you have just few days of grace. This time around I won't be merciful as of ten years ago. It took you weeks before you could decide to sacrifice her kidney. I wonder how you were able to sacrifice yours easily the first time you joined us as a group. But hers, that woman, it took you a century to finally give hers. Now I don't know where or how you're going to get a kidney. And like i said, it's going to be from the person you love most. That time, it was Aayat. The gods were targeting for her second kidney but she unfortunately died. Now, they request for either Adeelah's or Fadeel's own. Don't worry about the operation. Our doctor is still available and skilled. I want you to think of whom to sacrifice before the next three days to come. Willy nilly, you must sacrifice because it's that time of the decade. You have enough wealth, the gods were never tired to give you ample of wealth now it's your turn to return the favor. The gods are hungry. Why are you so quiet? You need to speak up. I sacrificed my own mother wholly before, why would it be hard to sacrifice just the kidney of one of your kids? Oh sorry, i knew how difficult it was to you, to sacrifice Aayat's. Now just..."

Adeelah couldn't continue listening to all those. Her legs were trembling as she stood. God knows all the strength she gathered since the beginning of the call had glided away. She looked at the nearest wall before her and smashed Abba's phone.

Adeelah's eyes were dry. She was just feeling dizzy, yet she managed to troll, siding the walls of the hospital. Suddenly she felt herself floating in an unknown world. She's sure shes about to zone out. In her mind, she was silently praying that death should carry her away. The revelations were much more powerful than her sanity. She felt her eyes clsoing, drifting to eternity.... unconsciousness. Before she could register anything, her brain blacked out and there she fell onto the floor. Right on Hajiya Sadiya's gaze.

Everyone rushed to her.

*****
Dedicated to Anty Hafcicy.

Hmppphhhhhhhh. What do you think? Ever envisioned that before?