Idris drove me to their family house and I was wholeheartedly welcomed by his mother and everyone in the house. I didn't know what he told them about me but they treated me like their very own. His mother even began calling me oya wa in Igala which Idris later translated the words to me as our wife. The house was a very big building with different apartments.

"Unbgo omami deh?" Idris uttered in Igala, it seemed like he was asking about his daughter.

"Fafayi ma le duhu yi" His mother responded.

"Owun pkyi ene? Unbgo ma..." He was saying when a girl of about five years of age suddenly bounced into the house together with a lady I later learned was his junior sister, Rumaisah.

"Daddy!" The little girl ran to him.

"Oh Amani, I miss you so very much!" He said as he knelt and embraced her. "I miss you alot"

"I mishh you chuu, daddy!" She said.

Actually, it was his daughter. They didn't look much alike though but she had his head, ears and his nose. She was very fair and beautiful.

They greeted each other thus, he introduced me to them as his friend. Yes, friend! After all we were just friends, right? Well, we had some talks together in the parlor with Amani on my lap until it was time for Asr prayer. I went and performed ablution together with Rumaisah and then prayed in the apartment in which she shared with Amani. As soon as I was done supplicating, Idris' mother sent for me. I was taken to her room thus we shared our stories.

I learnt a lot about Idris' family, his late wife and about their tribes. His mother was Igala from anpka, Kogi State while his father was Nupe from Gbako, Niger State. They weren't that good in their tribes though but they were very good in speaking Hausa and English.

We stayed in the house till precisely nine p.m when night news was been aired. Thus, Idris asked Rumaisah to get her luggage and that of Amani ready. I was very happy we were finally leaving, after all I was practically exhausted.

Before we left, Idris' mother took Amani and handed her over to me. "I hope you know what I mean by this, Manal?" She said smiling at me.

"Yes, Mama" I managed to smile back.

"Thank you for understanding, please hold her as your very own. I can't imagine she had been allover you ever since you came" She uttered.

"She loves my warmness and In Shaa Allah I will take good care of her, Mama" I blurted.

"Alright" She huffed as she placed her hand on Amani's cheek. "Goodbye, my granddaughter"

"Bye, gyan ma!" Amani squealed.

And just then, Idris horned from outside - he was already waiting for us in his car. We went outside to the car and thus Amani demanded to stay in the front with me. Rumaisah smiled while loading their luggage in the car's boot.

"Mama mi, Baba mi, Nna Hajara, Ya Mahmud, goodbye!" She bade them before storming into the car. Nna Hajara was Ya Mahmud's wife, she was their father's junior sister from the village.

"Bye!" The chorused.

"Drive carefully!" Idris' mother said.

"Alright, Mama!" Idris said as we drove away.

The trip wasn't that bad if I may say, but what Idris and I did wasn't good. We weren't in any relationship yet we fooled his parents and everyone in their family house, what if they later discovered the verity? I really shouldn't have made a promise to take care of Amani, the poor girl would never forgive me if she in the future learnt about what I stupidly did!

Could you even imagine she embraced me like her mother? She slept on my lap while leaning her body on my chest as if she had knew me for a very long time. Perhaps she saw the spirit of her mother inside me but wait, did she even know her mother? I heard her mother died shortly after given birth to her in the hospital.

"Manal, should I drop you in your house or...?" Idris was saying when I unhesitatingly cut in.

"I already texted Ya Salim to lock the gate"

"Oh, nice!" He smiled as he made a U-turn.

Immediately we reached his house, he gave Rumaisah the keys to open the gate thus, we drove in. I was so exhausted that I nearly lose my balance as soon as I alighted from the car while holding Amani, she was still sleeping.

"I am sorry I put you through all these" Idris said as we headed to his flat. Rumaisah was left behind taking care of all the luggage.

"What we did was wrong!" I said.

"I know, but we can still make it right" He said leading us to a room, probably that of Amani.

"How?" I lazily asked trailing him.

"Hmm" He sighed as he unlocked the room's door and walked inside. "We can marry..."

"Each other?" I cut in so exhausted.

"Yes, Manal" He said as he helped me laid Amani on the bed. "You can sleep here with her, it's her room. Rumaisah normally share it with her, there is a bathroom and also..." He was saying when I wearily hopped unto the bed and slept without even knowing I did.

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Thank you for reading #InsideArewa

Another hard chapter!

Writer's block is what I'm facing so I had to rush everything. I know it's a bored chapter.