The name i grew up with was ElMustapha Kabo, the name i named myself under disguise was Salisu, my nickname was Adeel, so my real name was ElMustapha Adeel Marshal. Yes, that's my father's identity. I wasn't a Kabo by blood as you all know. It's hard to bear another name, how my name changed to ElMustapha Kabo was another mystery I discovered from Baba Kabo's diary. I stole the diary as soon as i laid my eyes on it fourteen days after his death.

By now, someone could nickname me the diary thief or the rich man who steals diary. Because i stole my brother's diary first and now i stole the Kabo diary. I laughed at that.

So, i found some information written in short lines such that if I didn't have Muhammad's diary, i could never understand what that meant. I would have tell you about it but i had questions for Muhammad and Maami. I would love to have my answers first.

I sighed, wondering if my father was just an average man would he have been alive, sound and healthy by now? And i would have been living a normal life with zero chaos. But no, here's the opposite, the perks of coming from a very rich and powerful family.

Baffa Kabo was crook. He had been looking for Baba's will and he couldn't get a hold of it. He'd called all his lawyers and they told him he'd no idea. Although no one told me, i thought i could guess where the will was.

So i decided to fly to Abuja. I hated this life of flying to places while my wife was there confused of her life. I wanted her to get things clear badly so i wrote her a letter. I asked Celine to give her once she notice she's in a good mood. I just hope the letter clear if not all, some of her misconceptions.

I was currently on my way to Kano. Because I needed to check on Abba. I appeared as my ElMustapha because i felt like i needed the Salisu identity not anymore. I wanted to be real, i wanted to have a real life but that was nearly impossible at the moment. Even my life with Adeelah was not real. If there's anyone who knew the real me, it's Uthman. He knew something but not all since when he was acting ElMustapha, he played arrogant and boastful. He portrayed me as someone who loved money, who disrespected the low class people. I felt bad that time. So bad that i wanted to just appear as my self and let the worst happen.

Stepping into the hospital, with a nose mask and a black shade, i was able to get to the unit. I paced around Adeelah's family and i noticed that he's still in the ICU. His condition seemed bad but i pray he's better soon in sha Allah. I didn't know how to introduce myself to them but seeing that Muhammad wasn't there, I decided to go and see him.

I thought this day, 25th March of 2017 was going to be memorable because i intended to reveal myself to him.

So, help me God.

*****

The apartment had three rooms, two bathrooms, a parlour and a kitchenette. Adeelah thought to have a tour for the first time.

The parlour was beige; from the Turkish floral curtains, the leathered sofas, the fur-like carpet that felt like mushy under her feet and the almost three dimensional paint or was it wallpaper? She wasn't sure. She loved the way it looked so maturedly warm and welcoming.

Her own room was plain though. It looked just like an average room, yellow paint, plain curtains like her life situation, a blue rug and a brown wooden dresser. She'd never thought of her room as ugly till she decided to have a proper look at the parlor.

The other room was locked. She felt something in her heart as she tried to open it but it proved futile. Right there, she put it in her mind that she would make it a habit to check the room till it opens. Sighing, she turned her direction and headed to the kitchenette which was as bland as her room. Just a few cabinets, a cooker and a fridge.

She pursed her lips because it didn't look like a lady's kitchen. Right now she wanted to have something traditional. Precisely, tuwo. She knew Celine wouldn't have any idea but either way, she could just tell her to get her some of the ingredients from any market the next day.

So she grabbed an apple juice from the fridge and walked out.

Adeelah stretched her hands and yawned. She had come in the same terms with her new life. She'd stopped complaining bitterly because she knew she was brought there for a reason.

"Why are you with a luggage? And those?" She asked Celine as soon as she saw her walk in with two men and two women.

Celine smiled. "You're on the verge of becoming a princess."

Adeelah blinked with a glare.

"This is Martins the cleaner," she pointed at a brown haired man.

"This is Marie, the chef. And Khadi is an assistant chef."

"This is Chris, the guard and errands runner."

"They will all spend the night in the apartment next door, okay? And i am Celine, your caretaker as well as your friend, your guardian, your godmother and your companion."

Adeelah smiled. "Oh wow. Hello guys?" It came out more like a question. When she exchanged a friendly handshake with the ladies, she pulled Celine by her arm till they were standing in Adeelah's room nearly panting.

"Okay Celine. You know i can be a murderer if you don't just tell me who the heck is the owner of this house. I have finished thinking and I can't link Salisu's face with that Adeel. They're far different. And you see if i murder you it will just come out as a defense kinda murder. I won't be killed in return."

Celine laughed hard till she had tears in her eyes. "You kinda look happy today. I will tell you all the details when you look genuinely happy."

Adeelah grinned. "Look i am happy!" She used her hand to extend her lips till her teeth were showing fully.

"Isn't laughter happiness?"

Celine shook her head. "Happiness comes from within. It's from the heart and radiates on your face. No matter how much you fake to be happy, you can never look as good as when you're genuinely happy Adeelah."

Adeelah smiled. "Tell me Celine! How do you expect me to be happy genuinely? Do you know how much i have bottled up? Do you know what is eating me in? How can I genuinely smile when i am here, at God knows where? Nothing has been right in my life since the last two years. Not to talk of when i lost my mother! I am talking about just this recent. Celine, i wonder how my heart is able to beat after all the heartbreaks. Sometimes the harshest heartbreak comes from the way life treats you not from relationships. Celine I'm broken. I'm truly broken to be very honest with you." Adeelah paused, her breathe becoming the only sound audible in the room. She wasn't able to cry even though Celine was already in tears.

"I try to mask my worries by being a witty girl. I try, by talking in a way that sounds fun. I swear, Celine, i am broken." She added, again. For the first time she felt like spilling everything out.

"Here's a breakdown..."

"Adeelah please calm down. I'm so sorry that I can't even help you out of this. I feel like..." she fanned herself with her fingers.

"The only way you can help me Celine is to tell me who is this man that kept me here. I need to know else if my heart gives up, you should feel guilty."

Celine took a deep breath. She wanted to keep this secret but she couldn't at this point. She wanted Adeelah to be happy. So she smiled.

"I have good news which is the only thing i can tell you but remains a secret because I eavesdropped."

Adeelah nodded. "Your father has been found and the man who bought you here did that to shield you away from the evils of those who kidnapped your father. He helped in getting your father back."

Adeelah's mouth flung open. "Is that my Muhammad?"

"No. His name is Adeel like i said. Perhaps an under cover name or something!"

Adeelah stared at nothing before she spoke. "In that case, it's Muhammad."

"But what about Salisu?"

"I guess Salisu is a just a fic of your imagination or hallucinations that day because i have never seen a man with such features you described." Even though both Adeelah and Celine could sense her lie, they decided to let it slide that way.

Perhaps, Adeelah never saw Salisu.

*****

"You can't tell me it's ElMustapha Kabo in my house!" Muhammad gasped, nudging me to enter his house. I removed the mask so he could see me properly. Well, as a lot of people knew only the name not the face, Muhammad had all the right to be surprised.

He looked at me as though he was screening my soul. I knew we looked alike slightly. Not the type that you could easily point out but the type which if you look, you would clearly see the blood relation.

So i sat with a gleam on my face.

"How will i be sure it's you?" He asked.

So i smiled again and removed my ID card and flashed it before his eyes. He's still full of doubt though, i could see clearly from his eyes.

"I am just still processing it." He remarked.

"I will wait while you get the result then."

When five minutes passed, i sat up properly and extended my hands to him for another shake, this time sounding more professional kinda.

"ElMustapha..." he cut me with his own introduction. Reintroduction i mean.

"Muhammad Muhammad."

I coughed. "Muhammad Marshal you mean?" I felt his hand slackening in my hand probably out of shock but i maintained my cool as though I didn't say anything. Did i say anything wrong? Nah.

He displayed that same look he had when i met him as Salisu and we were toying with the pretence word around.

"I don't think i heard you right." He spoke in a way that made a laughter escape my lips.

"Neither did i hear you right i guess."

"I will rather be straight, I'm not in for any drama Sir, there's already enough drama in my life." I felt bad at this. But something stuck in my gut. In his diary; of the most recent record he'd written on how excited he was and how eager he was to meet ElMustapha and hand over his wife to him but why was he this cold towards me? Was he suspecting that i was some impersonator? Or he had a change of mind?

So I decided to answer in a way that's tactical. "I'm sorry about that. May Allah ease your affairs. I'm actually here because i heard about how good you're. I want to strike a deal with you. I trust you enough to hand over this case to you. It's a family case."

He looked at me as if i were some piece of an art.

"I'm sorry to reject your offer or deal as i am currently not in the right sense to do some secret work especially about a family. My own family needs my expertise." He replied, confidence oozing out of his words, such that I couldn't help but admire.

"Err..."

"You don't have to say anything. I don't need anyone's sympathetic words."

It would be a joke to say I wasn't shocked. The way he wrote in the diary made me so eager to meet him. I delayed going to Abuja just because of him. But the way he's acting cold right now was really really nerve wrecking. He's a total different from the Muhammad i met when i was Salisu and different from the Muhammad i read on his diary.

I thought he's supposed to be happy that he met me. Chilled to bones and clogged in the brain, i decided to leave. It seemed, he had a change of mind.

Whatever, it's shocking.

****

Okay. I was aiming at 50k reads but it didn't come so I decided to write today😅. Here you go!

Another update tomorrow or next in sha Allah.