You won't love to miss the next chapter! I am telling you😂😉

By the way, this chapter is dedicated to my regular commentators, I am updating for you guys. Thank you❤

*****

"Miss Adeelah." Adeelah told the receptionist her name. Since she entered the admin block of ElKab rice milling, she had been careful. The place was very quiet and chilly. She passed through several revolving glass doors.

"Does the manager know you're coming?" The woman asked. Adeelah noticed that one of the woman's tooth was gone. She was a fair Igbo woman with hair extension that adorned her makeup free oval face.

"He doesn't. I am applying for industrial training, a student from Bayero University Kano, department of biotechnology." Adeelah politely spoke.

"I am sorry. We finished accepting students just yesterday. This year, we collected only seven students from your department. Sorry Miss Adeelah." Adeelah bit hee lower lip and folded the paper then thrusted it into her bag. She returned a small smile at the woman.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mrs Adebayo here." The woman answered. She could see how Adeelah was clearly disappointed. And from all indications she was a serious student.

When Adeelah turned to leave, she stopped her. "You can talk to the assistant manager, he's easygoing. He can find a slot for you or maybe exchange you with someone. Let me call his line."

"Thank you." Adeelah said, feeling detached. She's all bubbly when she stepped her leg inside the building. It was very conducive and neat to her liking. But what the receptionist was suggesting was one of the things she didn't like. She wouldn't love to be there if there's no an empty slot. She sighed and headed out.

"Hey!" Someone stopped her because she was walking absentmindedly.

"Hi," Adeelah said in a low voice. The voice seemed familiar to her and she's sure she had never seen that face before. Why would his voice be familiar?

The man was dressed in a denim short and shirt. His hair was trimmed to a low cut, so was his sideburns. He had a sleepy eyes that looked cute and adorable.

"I hope the worker's didn't mess up with your mood. Anything? My name is Mahm—" He asked.

Adeelah shook her head while she tried to pinpoint where she knew him. The voice...

"None. I just wanted to apply for industrial training and there's no slot." Adeelah interrupted him.

"I can find one for you." He hesitated before he said that.

"If you're thinking of removing someone and putting me in their place, then thank you for the offer. I don't mean to say no, but no. I don't want to stand before Allah and explain this, in the hereafter. Just imagine how disappointed the person would be if they receive a message from you that they have been replaced or whatever. In that case, I will find somewhere. And what? Thank you." She blabbered.

"Oh ease down there. Since you said that, I can find a slot for you at our Abuja branch if you want. I am in a hurry now." He removed a complimentary card from his wallet and gave her.

"Kabo is the surname." He said and quickly left her sight with a smile on his face. He would get her, without her knowing.

*****

"Chances are you met El-mustapha Kabo you idiot! And I know you acted dumb!" Nafeesah slapped Adeelah across her shoulder.

Adeelah laughed heartily. So what if she met him, she wasn't like Nafeesah who was head over board obsessed with him. She didn't even look at him properly not to talk of recognizing him somewhere else.

"I just collected the complimentary card and walked away. What else should I have done?" Adeelah queered.

"You should have asked him. Anyways you better come and email them." Nafeesah demanded as she read the card. After the business logo and the name, came El-mustapha Mahmoud Kabo's name as the CEO and managing director then Othman Aliyu Kabo as the assistant manager. Then below came an e-mail.

[email protected].

And then their social media handles. There was no a mobile number.

"You're a party popper!" Nafeesah hissed.

"You're a parry popper, said Haneey." Adeelah added and snatched away the card. She was going to tell Abba what happened and hear what he would say.

The sound of her ringtone derived her back from her little world of thought. Because of the way she think those days, she named her subconscious, Deelah.

The caller ID made her numb. It was Salisu. Since he left for home, they hadn't talk.

"Hi." She said as she picked the call.

"Salam alaikum Dillaliya." Adeelah chuckled in her mind. She was close to missing Salisu's unending drama.

"Wa'alaikumus salam Malam Salisu. How's everyone at home?" She found herself enquiring.

"Fine. I saw you today Dillaliya. I was in a rush and you're in a rush so I let you be Dillaliya." Adeelah was quiet for a second. Whaa...aaat.

That voice and this... Something was confusing.

She scratched her nape and faltered out of the room because of her sister who had been sending questions glare towards her. Adeelah didn't like it sometimes. No matter how wittiness, somedays she didn't like talking or briefing people about what's going on in her life. She liked people to stay in their lane except if she invited them.

She could remember the first very days of her stay with Hajiya Sadiya, which most of the days they ended of fighting because Hajiya Sadiya liked to hear what's going on with her.

Adeelah had her Oum to herself then, she was only her companion whom she shared everything with. Now that she's gone, she doubt if anyone could take her place. No, she wouldn't allow anyone to take that spot. It belonged to her Oum alone.

Even Abba didn't have that spot in her heart. She liked to tell him her problems just like that but not because he would fill the gap of her Oum.

Hajiya Sadiya later learned about that and she stopped asking Adeelah. If Adeelah willed, she told her about her day and all. Some other times, she stayed far away and could spend days without talking to Hajiya Sadiya apart from greetings.

Fatimah was her closest friend too but yet, Adeelah knew more of Fatimah than how Fatimah knew her.

"Where?" She asked, sitting on a random chair of their garden.

"At kamfanin shinkafar Kabo ( ElKab rice company)." Adeelah closed her eyes to see if she had seen him. She felt somewhat different since she entered the place, like the place was familiar, like she knew all the workers.

"I went there, sure. What of you, what did you go there for?" She asked to be sure.

"I went there to search for job. Even if they offer me being a gateman or a cleaner I will be grateful. Life's been hectic Dillaliya." He said in a voice that made Adeelah pitied him. Had Abba not been paying him? Abba was supposed to pay him even if it was during holidays. Maybe Salisu had nothing and being her chauffeur was the only thing that kept him alive. Yes, Abba should understand that. She would talk to him.

"You should have talked to me." She said, not liking the way she was simmering down. But she was a human with a flexible heart.

"I did, you just didn't hear me. So I let you be because I was with one if the management personnel, Dillaliya."

Adeelah stretched her lips on the edge of her lips.

"Okay." She replied.

"Dillaliya they said I should go to Abuja but it's a temporary work. Just six months Dillaliya."

"Does that mean you're not coming back?"

"Yes Dillaliya till the time lapses. I talked with Abba immediately. He said it's okay. Dillaliya I will miss you, please be a good girl okay? Dillaliya, no insult, no mind jabbing words. No loud voice, you know Luqman a pious man when he was advising his son, he told his son not to be talking in loud voice because the raise of a voice is like a sound of a donkey. And Dillaliya you're a woman, stop raising your voice. Okay, Dillaliya?" Adeelah felt her eyes becoming pepperish. What had Salisu done? Had he been studying while away? He's sure a fast learner. And it maybe the consequence of what she said to him. Without her permission, a single tear left her eye. She wiped it away, another followed.

And then another.

She's not an emotional freak. She didn't use to cry unless in rare occasions or when she thought of her Oum. But this Salisu just came and made her cry in the middle of a day light.

"Dillaliya?" She didn't listen anymore. Adeelah cut the call. No one had ever told her the truth before. Not even Abba, Abba was always backing her.

If there's anything she loved and dared to have was someone to look in her eye and tell her the truth. Of course, she would retreat in an unkind manner before she realise but no one had ever did. Fatimah once told her something but she didn't listen to her.

But there was Salisu who could look into her eyes with no fear and tell her the truth. She sniffed and dropped her phone on her lap. Adeelah then stood up and went to sit on a twin swing on the garden. She sat and began to swing herself while trying to forget all that Salisu said.

She decided to call Ameer.

*****

"For real, Hidaya?" Ameer asked, rubbing his hands together. These past few days that turned to a week and few days on top was a living hell for him. He didn't know how to start tackling things and his mumma wasn't helping him in anyway.

Since she heard about the pregnancy, she had totally became kind towards Hidaya and whenever he talked with her on phone, the next thing she asked of him was Hidaya and the child.

Ameer was in a trap of two women that he held dear. None of them seemed to be by his side, not Hidaya nor his darling mother.

Now as he was working in the office, a messenger came in and told him he had a guest. And he said they should allow them in. To his surprise, it was Hidaya.

"Yes me, Yallabai Ameer. Director." She said all at once, pulling the other chair by the side of his table. Ameer had been standing looking at her like some stranger.

"Sit down. Don't you welcome your wife?" She asked with a smile that he didn't like.

Ameer sat down and remained quiet for a nanosecond. He then dragged his laptop closer and continued making the slides of his presentation.

"How're you? Or better how's the baby?" He asked feeling more irritated than he already was before he came out of the house in the morning. No, she cooked breakfast but it was too spicy and she knew it better than anyone that he didn't like spicy spaghetti. He didn't ask her why she did that but she made it clear to him that it was her baby that demanded for spicy food. Their baby, growing inside her.

"We're fine. Our baby demands to see you in your office that's why I came but it seems you're not happy to see us. What's wrong?"

Ameer saved a document before he looked at her. He stood up and went to the fridge in his office to get a drink for her. He placed it before her and opened another drawer of where he kept his crackers and biscuits.

"You're welcome Hidaya and baby." He returned to his chair.

"Thank you." She smiled and started eating immediately. Ameer chuckled at her attitude.

He thought he knew about his woman but now he had been proven otherwise. He had been asking her the reason of her sudden change and she said it just had to do with the baby she's carrying. When he talked with his mumma, his mumma affirmed to him that it was normal and since he wasn't a woman he wouldn't understand anything out of it.

Ameer had shook his head at her explanation. Although he wasn't happy with the situation, he would be at his best and make sure she delivered safely. Then he would get back his Hidaya. His loving Hidaya completely back to him. But before then, six months to come, he doubt if he could hold up. With no love words or love gestures. He prayed Hidaya would undergo some changes before the due date.

"You're so quiet in office." She said.

"I am just tired and I have to go and cast this evening news this minute. Wait for me."

"No I will go with you."

"Against the rule, except if you want me fired." Hidaya shook her head in negative.

"Take care, I will be right back." He switched the office television for her and left. He made sure he locked her from the outside.

For the first time, he deliberately lied to her. He wasn't casting any news at the moment. It wasn't his duty.

There came Adeelah's call. He smiled broadly and excused himself far away from his office.

"Ameerah," he teased.

"My name is not Ameerah. Adeelah." Adeelah corrected once again.

"How have you been?" They talked for more than twenty minutes for the first time ever. Adeelah lit up his mood and made him forget his predicament. She's lively, and it amazed him to know that she knew he wasn't happy. Not that alone, she tried all her best to cheer him up.

There he knew, he had found a new solace. All thanks to Hidaya.