Unedited.-Read at your own risk.

I'm starting exams on Saturday so maybe update will be after exams. Depends on how the exams treated me. Your prayers needed please.😊🙏

Thank you.

*****

Inna's eyes remained fixated at Sadiqu for almost a minute. "You said you want to talk, what are you waiting for Sadiqu?" She was still looking at him.

Sadiqu took a deep breath of air. He had gathered all the pieces of confidence within him to talk to his mother but the way her eyes were seeking for good news made all the confidence broke into fragments.

"I've seen Jameel," he dropped it there. His hand roamed about his face trying to remain sane. How could he break this news to her? It's either now or never.

"All ears." It seemed like she didn't believed him at all. There was no wave of shock shown on her face neither on her voice. Sadiqu began to feel scared.

"I tried to speak to him and let him know that, the path he took is an impassable one but he blamed me for his misery." Sadiqu's voice was whooshy and low.

He continued. "He said he's not coming back home until he has cleared off his mind. But he's fine, but not health wise." Sadiqu omitted the last sentence in his speech. He couldn't tell his mother about the drug addiction part. The expression on his mother's face was unreadable.

"He's spoken the truth." Inna finally blurted. Sadiqu didn't understand what that meant.

"Inna?" Sadiqu was still dazed with the way she looked and sounded as if she was disappointed in him. What has he done?

"Assalamu alaikum," a voice interrupted them. Inna glared at Sadiqu for a moment before she answered the salam. Sadiqu's uncle trudged in with a smile on his face.

It must be something big! Sadiqu thought.

****

Hajiya Sadiya remained frozen and glued on the chair she was sitting and counting money which she collected from her Adashi last night. Who was she seeing in front of her? She needed some clarifications. This guy wasn't...

"Heyy...yo...mother...happy to see me?" Nazeer stuttered swinging from side to side. She had been anticipating for his arrival since last week but he kept telling her that he missed his flight.

"Nazeer stop this joke. It is not funny at all..." She dropped the nylon that contained her money on the floor and hurried to where Nazeer was springing like a pendulum.

"Mother... Your son is back." He stuttered again revealing his front dentition.

"What's this nonsense?" Alhaji Umar came out from his room. His eyes fell on Nazeer. He scratched his eyes beneath his eye lenses.

"What's happening here?" He asked Hajiya Sadiya with a calm voice.

"I'm trying to find out." She replied shaking Nazeer's hand. Nazeer moved from her side and leaned on the wall closed to him.

"Y'all should calm down. I gotta...expl.ain to..to you." He belched and hiccupped in between each word.

Hiccup. "Your lovely breadwinner is back from London. And guess what?"

Belch. "He missed you all." He let out a humourless laughter. His eyes were red from intoxication. His voice was gruff and his body was shivering.

Alhaji Umar marched further and slapped Nazeer. "Kai, gidanku! What's this nonsense?" Nazeer touched his cheek and smirked.

"If there's anyone that deserve this slap, then...that must be your w..i..fe Sadiya." Hajiya Sadiya's eyes widened but she couldn't say anything.

"She doesn't deserve the title 'mother'." Nazeer turned to leave the parlour. Out of rage, his father grabbed him by his collar.

"Where do you think you're going?" Slap. Slap and slap. "Talk!"

Nazeer was partially in his sense. He took some drugs to induce his ability to face his parent. He couldn't face then and tell them the news that will pull them out of their sanity while he's in a normal state. Now that the drug effect was gradually leaving his system, he decided to act fast lest the drug effect will glide away.

"I got...expelled last two years." He faked a laughter to make him look like he's really drunk. Nazeer knew it would break his parent more especially his mother. For, she's the reason behind everything. But, the pen has been lifted so was the book dried.

"What's this drug telling you? Nazeer come and rest." His mother smiled. His father's demeanor disoriented him. He was profusely sweating and roaming about the parlour like a goat drenched.

"He need some rest. I'm sure he got drugged on his way back home." Alhaji Umar took Nazeer by his arm. Hajiya Sadiya held him from the other side and they led him to his room with heavy hearts. They were trying to calm their selves as calm as possible but something deep down was telling them that what Nazeer said was the truth.

****

Pindrop silence erupted the four walls building. All the family sat in suspense looking at Nazeer who was now in his sense. He shifted his eyes from his parent's to his siblings and gulped hard. He had put himself in a mess. He had put his parent in a messer situation. His siblings in a shameful condition.

Was he not a role model?

How he wished he didn't acted that way. He should have concealed that part of his character for as long as he could. He should have produced a fake certificate. But for how long would the facade reign? For how long would he be lying? Nazeer's eyes became watery.

The earlier, the better.

He began. "Father, mother, Jannah, Asiya, Zainab. I'm really sorry." He knew he sounded stupid. Sorry should be the last word to use at the moment. It was as if telling someone trapped in a lion's den not to be scared.

"We're all ears." His father had so much hope on Nazeer.

"I failed as a son, brother and breadwinner. In short, I have no certificate." Tears were dropping from his eyes when he said that. He waited to feel a sting on his cheek.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I got expelled. Two years back." He sniffed pitifully.

Alhaji Omar began to cough. Jannah brought water for him. His eyes were already red at the moment.

"Get out of my sight!" Hajiya Sadiya bellowed.

"Ma-" Nazeer protested.

"I said out!"

"Follow him out!" Alhaji Umar faced Hajiya Sadiya.

"Alhaji..." He raised his hands.

"Get.out.you're.divorced!" He spat and slipped on the floor, faintly. His children rushed to his aid.

****

"What are you doing here?" Leek asked when they settled at one of the SUG chairs in frontl of Ramat hostel. Leek had always said she would never sit with a guy in front of the hostel. But today, she did without feeling anything. It was a place where ladies normally sit to chat with their boyfriend's and so on. The other place was called the love garden. All used by  students and even outsiders. To some, it was only bad students that stayed at the two spots.

"I came to see a friend about some stuffs." Sadiqu sighed, looking at her. Lower your gaze! A hammer in his head hit him and he ducked his head low.

"I'm also waiting for a friend to photocopy some stuffs at one of the cafés in coke village hence I sat here waiting. How have you been?" She wasn't much of a talker but today, the case was different.

"I'm good. For you, I know you're gonna complain about school. Yay or nay?" Maleekah blushed. She was stunned at the way he mimicked the way she normally does to her face when she's tired.

"You're quiet." He pointed out.

"What do you want me to say?" She played with her fingers. Sadiqu had left her on an edgy cliff the other day. Would she be wrong to ask him what he wanted to tell her the other day?

'No, I will exercise more patience. Haste is from Satan.' She concluded.

"You're shy even before I say anything. What's going to happen if I say off what's in my mind? Are you going to melt?" Maleekah formed a serious face and looked at him.

"Who said I am shy?" She twisted the end of her lips.

"If you're not, stare at me for just thirty seconds. It's a dare." He smiled knowing fully she would never do that.

Maleekah widened her eyes. "Allah said the believing men and women should lower their gazes and guard their chastity; for that's more beneficial to them. Do you want me to step upon this priceless advice and instruction from our Lord?" Amazed. Astonished. Proud. Were all the words that couldn't explain what Sadiqu felt at the moment.

Wasn't she just the perfect one for him despite the differences between them?

"I'm awed honestly..." He couldn't stop smiling.

"You're making me uncomfortable. I'm sure it's not something new to you." She looked sideways and sighed her friend marching towards them.

"It's really...just fascinating." He shook his head. How wrong was he when he thought all girls from rich family were pompous and spoilt.

"I'm going, my friend is here." She rose to her feet.

"Let me meet her." They took just two steps to where Leek's friend was.

"Hi," she waved at him and began checking him out. It was all perfect until when she reached his leg and saw his left feet facing the other side.

She pinched Leek and showed her his leg with her eyes.

Like, 'hey you girl look what you get yourself into. He's freaking cripple!'

Leek got the message and her eyes replied back.

'Baby girl I know about it and I'm so cool with it.' When her sight moved off her friend, she smiled. Sadiqu watched them communicate through the corner of his eyes. He smiled and looked at his feet.

"Our friend didn't approve of this gurgu, Ayy?" He turned his leg with that smile still etched on his face.

"No... It's.." She stuttered.

"Don't mind. I..." His phone rang and he brought it out to see who was calling him.

It was Mimi.

He picked the call and began to talk. After a minute, Leek heard him saying something that almost made her loose her balance.

"I miss our little banter. Take care miss Mimi." He cut the call only to see Maleekah far away from him.

"It's your friend that called me." He explained when he caught up her paces.

"Ohh yeah." She managed to say.

"You're in a hurry right? Has lecture began?" He asked.

Maleekah thought of the way to revenge. The way to make him feel the sting she felt in her heart without sounding jealous.

"No," she smiled. "Ya Armaan is waiting for me at the faculty." She looked eastward wrapping all the lies she could think of, around her tongue.

"I will like to meet our brother." He was still believing her.

"He will be jealous. He's my fiancé." She literally felt her inside tousled. Lies do not suit her at all.

"Okay." Sadiqu smiled.

"May Allah bless you two." He was acting all normal. Leek almost said she was lying when she noticed the way he displayed his nonchalance over the supposed sense-disorienting news.

"Ameen, thank you so much for your prayer I'm so happy for it." She beamed with equal pretense. He managed to bade her bye and left.

Sadiqu's head began to spin. He couldn't believe Maleekah was someone's else. Maybe that's a headlight telling him she wasn't his.

And she would never be his.

Maybe Mimi was the one destined for him. Maybe Mimi would be a better partner, maybe she's going to be the queen of his heart.

Maybe the real Madam M was, Mimi Bashir.

The probability of such happening was...what he couldn't say.

————

Oh oh
Abu beiyi dadi ba😰
The height of Leek's jealousy thou😂😂💔

...

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Bas!😊