Ever since I started working, things had not been easy for me. I would go to work as early as possible and return back around four or five in the evening. I didn't even have much time for myself, and the stress in the NECO headquarters was something on its own...

Yesterday, Ya Qasim's parents came to our house and talked about my marriage with their son. Well, things had literally been going on in our house that I also didn't really like. They were trying to force me into marrying my cousin brother just because the person I was in love with wasn't from our tribe, Hausa. It was painful, I didn't know why most of our parents were still far behind civilisation. This wasn't the Nigeria of the past, the Nigeria of different empires and kingdoms! This was a united Nigeria and we ought to end tribalism.

Today been Tuesday, I had a lot on my table to do. We were given only a week ultimatum by the management to finish uploading all the NECO students' results and we had only done half of the work already. I was even pitying myself, could we be able to finish in time?

Knock!

Knock!!

Knock!!!

"Come in!" I said going through my system.

"Are you done uploading the results with you?" Mrs Ayodeji asked as soon as she bounced into my office. "If you are not done please try and do that because we only have a week deadline"

"Okey, how about you?" I said busy with what I was doing with my system. I was ordering a cloth for Amani, I wanted to send it to her as her birthday gift. I didn't forget her birthday month, it was actually the same with my sister.

"I am almost done" Mrs Ayodeji said leaving.

"Okey then" I gulped.

"Later" She said as she gently shut the door.

Just then, my phone began ringing. I thought it was Ya Qasim so I didn't pick it in time but when I did, I found out it was Idris. I was so dumbfounded for I thought he had forgotten about me already. "Hel... hello, Idris?" I said.

"I need your help" He muttered after almost a minute silence. "But first of all, how are you?"

That moment, when he asked me that question I didn't know when my eyes gathered an army of tears. I wanted to spill out every little pain in me to him, I wanted to tell him how my parents were trying to marry me off to my cousin but something told me not to, and so I didn't.

"I am fine, how about you?" I said in what seemed like a whisper. "And also Amani?"

"We are fine, what's up with the voice?" He said making the tears in my eyes to drop.

"Nothing, nothing..." I said trying hard not to break down. "Sorry I couldn't call or text you, my father forbids me from doing all that..."

"He what? Does that mean we should not be speaking on phone?" He said kindof puzzled.

"No, if you call it's not a problem" I muttered.

"I love you, Manal" He said.

Just then, I broke down. "I love you more, I love you... every passing second" I uttered.

"Manal, I am sorry I had to go that day..."

"I understand," I said and just then I decided to tell him everything. "My parents are going to marry me off to Ya Qasim soon, I don't love him but they said I must marry him wallahi!"

"What?!" He screamed very hard. "What did you just say? Marrying you off to that Qasim?"

"Ye... yes" I stuttered and thus silence crept upon us until the noise I had been hearing of a crying girl via the phone increased. "Is it not Amani's voice I am hearing?" I queried him.

"Yes" He said with a sniff. Thus, I realised that he had tears in his eyes as well. "Rumaisah is going to be engaged next week and so she left today, that's why Amani is crying" He uttered.

"Engaged?" I blurted. "Wow!"

"Yes, and I've been trying to calm Amani down but to no avail. That's why I called" He uttered.

"Why didn't she take Amani with her?" I asked.

"Because of school" He said.

"Okey, give Amani the phone" I said.

"Okey" He said, and I could hear him trying to convince the girl to be on the phone. "Come on Amani, It's Manal fa - your second Mummy..."

"Mummy?" I heard her said and that touched my heart. I didn't know when I silently broke down again. I had missed her, I had literally failed my promise to take good care of her.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••