#chicklit #wklyprompts

Adiza struggles with her only trunk, trying to make sure that she doesn't lose it because that's the only possession she has left.

The trunk weighs heavily on her head and she loses her footing. She tries to hold on to the wall but she falls on the ground, the trunk lands on her foot. She cries out as someone steps on her hand, then another, and another. No one seems to mind her screams as they all are trying to save their own lives.

She scrambles to her feet, swaying as she shifted her weight from the bad foot to the good one. She wouldn't give up. She can not afford to end up like the rest of her family.

A single tear drops at the thought of her family but she brush it off. This is not the time to be weak Adiza. She says to herself.

She squints and her eyes adjust to the light as they finally get out of the underground tunnel. She sighs as she sees the ship that is going to carry them.

Her leg begins to hurt and her arms muscles weak from carrying the heavy trunk. She feels it slipping through from her hands and she grips it tighter, only to touch a pair of hands. She turns and see a tall dark man carrying her trunk from her, she offers him a weak smile of gratitude and allows him to help her.

"Thank you" she says.

"No problem madam" he offers a small smile.

They began filing into the ship and the uniformed men are shouting "Matsa sauri" which means move faster as Adiza is slowing down the line because of her injured leg.

• • •

"You are not eating anything" The young man who she has known as Ibrahim says.

Adiza is not eating because she doesn't have anything to eat but she doesn't know how to say it.

"I'm not hungry" she says with quivering lips.

He offers her a part of his roasted yam and she accepts it and dig into it. She is aware of his gaze on her but all she cares about now is satiating her hunger.

She wipes her mouth with the back of her palm as she finish eating the delicious slice of yam. She smiles at Ibrahim and he just nods.

"Tell me about yourself and what happened to you" Ibrahim questions. She swallows, every one on the boat is a victim of the same crisis but of different story.

Their state was attacked by terrorists and she lost her home and her family. The place is no longer safe to live in that's why they are running away to another country. Illegally, but a beggar has no choice. The only option for them is smuggling.

She narrates her story and tears roll down her face, her 3 year old little sister whom she was older than by 18 years, also died. Her skin heat up as she feels Ibrahim's hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

She then asks him his own story. Ibrahim was a single father of a 4 year old boy but he lost his son and aged mother to the catastrophe.

A single tear slide down his face and her heart ache for him because she knows how it feels to lose one's family.

• • •

Being on water for two days is unbearable for them but Adiza is trying to be strong. She is thankful that Ibrahim brought enough roasted yams but she doesn't eat all the time he offers her food so as not to consume the food quickly.

The floor of the ship is a mess as the children who get sea sick usually vomit on it.

She just sit there and hug her knees to her chest and stares into the distance. What is my fate from here? Adiza questions herself.

No assurance that they will not be caught when they get to their destination because they are being smuggled into another country and they could be jailed when caught or even worse, be deported.

She looks at Ibrahim's sleeping form beside her, he looks so peaceful as she could not see the pain that she sometimes manages to see in his eyes. She admires his handsome face;chiseled chin, high cheekbones, pointed nose, fine hairy brows and thin lips.

He's definitely a handsome man and very kind. She likes his smile, even though it's forced at times, his chipped tooth makes him more handsome when he smiles.

He has been very kind and attentive to her these past days and she's beginning to trust him.

• • •

It's so cold this morning, it always has been, but not as cold as this. Adiza snuggles deeper into her blanket, it's morning already but she doesn't want to wake up yet, she always want to wake up late so by the time she eats, she'll not eat again till the next day.

Ibrahim would probably be up by now but it's surprisingly quiet beside her and she turns to look at him only to find still asleep pale Ibrahim. She could hear the small sounds he makes as he takes every breath.

Something is wrong with him. She thinks and she reaches out to touch his forehead. It is hot and slick. She pats his cheek as she calls his name but he could only groan in response, eyes still closed.

She feels his neck and chest, it's hot, his temperature is very high.

"He's probably hot" but then she sees goosebumps on his forearms and chest and it confuses her. Adiza doesn't know anything about caring for a sick person and now she doesn't know whether to cover him or to remove his shirt.

She decides on leaving him the way he is and she takes a tank top from her trunk and dips it into the water and wring it, she then places the wet cloth on his forehead.

• • •

After damping the cloth and placing it on his forehead several times, his body temperature cools down.

She doesn't know what the time is but the sun is starting to set and she has not eaten anything. Not that she's concerned about it because she has been worriedly sick about Ibrahim and had even shed a few tears.

Adiza haven't had to take care of a sick person before and she's worried if what she's doing is helping because she does not know what she'd do if something ever happens to him.

A loud release of breath jolts her from her thoughts. She looks at Ibrahim and is only able to swallow the lump in her throat when she sees his long lashes slides open. She exhales deeply to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.

Realizing the position they were in, she starts to release his hand that she held with her own but he held it, holding her tighter.

"How are you. Are you okay?" Ibrahim asks. Adiza couldn't speak, just nods her head. She's supposed to ask if he's okay but he's the one asking her.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, he smiles and squeezes her hand.

"I have the best nurse, so I'm okay" he replies with a smirk. Hmm cocky.

She searches for a good comeback and comes up with this, "If you had the best nurse, you wouldn't be out for 3 days"

The shocked look on his face is priceless and Adiza burst into fits of laughter, "Y-You should have seen your face mister. You were only out for a couple of hours"

His expression changes to one of relief and he start to gasp. The air was kicked out of Adiza's lungs as she begins to panic. Oh no, I'm loosing him.

She pats his chest and calls his name repeatedly and he suddenly starts to laugh. She is confused for a few seconds before she punches him hard on the chest, how dare he make a fool of her!

"You should have seen your face Adiza" Ibrahim says once he's done laughing.

"I hate you" she replies.

"Yeah, I cry when people I hate are about to die too" Ibrahim teases and she touch her face and see that she was already crying.

"Don't ever do that again" she warns.

"Yes ma'am" he opens his sack and brings out two slices of roasted yam and offers her one. She takes it and digs into it. Truthfully, she's tired of eating the same thing every day but she doesn't have any choice if she wants to live.

When they finish eating, she feels his temperature again and it's already fair. They talk about their state for some time, reminiscing old times with their family before the tragedy struck. Adiza starts to cry again and Ibrahim pulls her in his arms and she cries against his chest.

His embrace is warm and she feels safe in it, they stay in that position and she falls asleep in his arms.

• • •

After a week on the water, they're finally nearing their destination and Adiza's attraction for Ibrahim has grown and no doubt that he likes her too.

What a journey it had been, with that mighty sea constantly slapping against the ship and spraying the deck with salty water. There were many days no land at all and no other ships, just dolphins and flying fish, and once a group of sharks attacked their dolphin friends, turning the water red.

It was usually just them and the endless, frightening sea. The waters were particularly rough when they entered the Gulf of Guinea, and the notorious Guinea current. They were also rough in the run up to the Bay of Biscay, but the worst was entering the Mersey Estuary from the Irish Sea.

From a distance, the Irish Sea was cloaked in fog so that they could not see the rough, heaving waves that are legendary among mariners. That was the only time that she succumbed to seasickness (and everyone suffered from motion sickness that day).

• • •

The ship could not stop at the harbour since its entering the country illegally. They stop at one secluded bank and they unload. There are many white people there, mostly women with handbags securely hanged on their shoulders and Adiza is confused to meet them since they are being smuggled in.

Adiza has never seen a white person in her life. She heard about them though, but through the description, she always thought that they were just fair but never imagined them to be white. Their hair too are different and the colour varies, and it's not braided like everyone does in her country.

The uniformed men starts shouting to them, "Wannan shi ne Liverpool kuma waɗannan mutanen farin za su kai ku gida kuma za ku yi aiki a gare su. Ka tuna, kada ka yi wani abu mara wauta." Meaning,( This is Liverpool and these white people are going to take you home and you will work for them. Remember, don't do anything foolish.)

Ibrahim's hold tightens, Be strong, Adiza. This is your new life. She squeezes his hands and releases it.

"Goodbye Ibrahim, and thank you for everything. I hope we meet again soon." Adiza grows the courage to speak after none of them has said anything for some minutes.

"Goodbye Adiza, and thank you too." he does not say anything about meeting again but she tries not to be stung by it.

An elderly woman walks towards her, and smiles at her. Adiza smiles back, the woman's eyes are the colour of the grass and her hair is the colour of the sun.

" Hello my name is Morgan, how are you?" Adiza stares at her mouth. She understands English but the way this woman is speaking, it is hard to understand.

"What-is-your-name?" The woman says slowly this time.

"My name is Adiza" she replies.

"Okay-my-name-is-Morgan. I'm-sorry-about-your-home-and-family" The woman says and Adiza nods at her condolence.

A young man, carries her trunk and began taking it away. Morgan places a hand on her back and guides her towards a small car and chattering away. The woman seems nice and Adiza smiles.

She turns her head and sees Ibrahim talking to a white man, that may be his master. Adiza whispers a goodbye and turns her head to her new life.

The End.

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