Halima’s POV
We had arrived at the National stadium, Abuja. Teemah had been avoiding me since we got down and I didn’t know what I did.
The trip was anything but boring. I had noticed that Ya Sa’eed had been gloomy since we left school. I went over to him to start a conversation.
“Ya Sa’eed ban gane maka bafa {Ya Sa’eed I can’t seem to understand you}. You’ve been I don’t know is it moody I’ll say or..”
“wallahi nima {I swear by Allah even me} I don’t know why but I’ve been feeling down lately but don’t worry, I’ll get over it probably before tomorrow.”
“tomorrow? Haba tomorrow is too far mana. Nikam toh I’ll make you smile.”
“really? Well I’d like to see you try.” He was already smiling and it made me happy knowing I was the reason for his happiness.
“My work here is done. Cash please.” I said as I pulled my hand out and turned my head to the back and the other hand on my waist. I looked like all this senseless women in African magic Hausa asking her husband for kudin cefane.
“Toh you can manage this before we get home so that I can give you the full version.” He said after turning my hand such that my palm was facing down and placing a brief kiss on my hand then winking.
“hehehe, ban isa bah, in mutu maza su bunne ni.” I said trying to sound serious.
“kar ki damu koh basu bunne ki bah ni {don’t worry even if they don’t bury you I} I’ll bury you.” He looked very happy as he said it. I was glad I was the source of his happiness.
We didn’t separate ways, instead we walked together with him making jokes here and there. All of a sudden I saw Teemah and Kalt coming towards us.
Fatima’s POV
I finally found my brother that dumped me. I was very angry and frustrated at the time. He told me that he would talk to me about something and that I should wait for him near the busses and he was there laughing like he had no care in the world.
I had just turned Hamza down again but agreed to be his friend and I needed to talk to someone of my own to tell me I made the right decision, someone I trust. Not that I didn’t trust Halli and Kalt or anything it was just that I preferred talking to him because I’d feel more comfortable.
I knew I had done the right thing but I felt uneasy so I needed someone to talk to. Seeing that he was with Halli just angered me, his sister had been looking for him and there he was doing God knows what!!
In the bus I had tried asking him for help when Hamza was doing, you know what. But he had ignored me, now again, what was happening?
I walked over to where they were standing and dragged Ya Sa’eed by the arm just for him to slap me. He rose his hand and slapped me right in the face, on my cheek. It was as if I had been slapped right across the heart.
I could feel the tears coming and blurring my vision but I didn’t allow them to pour. I held them back and looked up to his eyes to check if it held remorse in it but as usual, it held no emotion.
I heard Halli come up to me and hold me. I hadn’t even realized that I had allowed the tears to fall. I was too distracted to even know. I was looking at my brother, my biological brother, my Ya Sa’eed.
Even jokingly he had never rose his hand to me before, not one single time. But, he just did that and he wasn’t even trying to show remorse for what he had done. No, instead, he acted as if that was just a normal thing.
I unconsciously pushed Halli away from me and said “This is all your fault. No wait, why am I blaming you for my mistake? I shouldn’t have come on this trip. My day had been very bad all thanks to my so called brother here that just slapped me across the face. But, no problem. Now I won’t even stay here for you to slap again. I’m going to leave you alone all to yourself. That’s what you always wanted right?
“Well then you just got that. Thanks for showing me my place. Whenever you had pushed me away I still tried to get close to you again thinking as your immediate younger sister you would talk to me but you just showed me that there never was and never will be a brother-sister bond between us.”
Now I let the tears fall freely. I could feel a lump forming in my throat. My vision was getting blurry and I knew what that meant but I wouldn’t give him the opportunity to see me suffering from my weakness. A weakness only he and Ammi, my mum knew of.
I ran out of the stadium to where the bus was parked. I entered and went to the extreme back of the bus and sat on the ground not minding that my sports wear could get dusty.
I sat down and breathed in and out for almost five minutes then I felt the pain in my chest subside. I took out the water that was in my bag and took it all in one gulp. My chest started to hurt again but that was the least of my problems.
I remembered the whole thing again and I just couldn’t hold back the tears. Then just like that I saw my whole life playing in front of me like a movie.
From the first time I met Halli at Glisten, to the time AbdulHalim died.
AbdulHalim. When I remembered him my tears just came like a flood.
I cried and cried till I couldn’t find the strength to cry anymore. Then I fell asleep right there on the spot.
My whole encounter with Ya Sa’eed followed me to my dreams and haunted me together with the death of AbdulHalim.
I had these nightmares about AbdulHalim’s death from the day he died till when I entered jss 2. But Ya Sa’eed had decided to bring them back. Thanks oh dear Ya Sa’eed, you got the sarcasm right?
Halima’s POV
I watched as Teemah walked away with tears in her eyes. I tried to stop her but she pushed me away and said it was all my fault. I understood that she was angry so I didn’t take offense.
Almost immediately after Teemah left, Kalt turned to Ya Sa’eed and said “this is all your fault! And you are watching your sister walk away. What if she does something drastic? Oh why would you care? You just slapped her for no effing reason. Bakada imani wallahi {I swear by Allah you are wicked}, what if she was in trouble and she needed your help? Allah ya kyauta.”
Kalt and Ya Sa’eed had never gotten along. They’d always been on each other’s necks.
Ya Sa’eed rose his hand to slap her clearly looking angry but she held his hand and dropped it back down then said “I’d keep my filthy hands to myself if I were you cause I’m not Fatima. I’m UmmuKalthum Aliyu so you better mind yourself. If not that you are one if my best friend’s brother wallahi I’d have made you regret knowing me since. Shashashan banza mugu kawai {foolish wicked human being}.”
Kalt had never talked to anyone like that. She must’ve been very angry. I watched her retreating figure as she went to look for Teemah. I turned only to see that Ya Sa’eed had also left.
Fatima’s POV
I woke up to someone slightly shaking me. I opened my eyes to see Amir. He looked so concerned and asked me what happened but not willing to tell anybody anything, I told him everything was fine.
I stood up to walk away but I felt a little dizzy so I staggered. I held one of the chairs for support and then suddenly felt headache wash over me. It was as if someone had blown me hard on the head, literally.
I went to look for the lady’s bathroom and I looked at the mirror in front of me. I looked like someone that had cried for days nonstop.
My eyes were blood shot and swollen, the tip of my nose was pink and my cheeks were flushed. I washed my face severally till my eyes were not red anymore though they were still a little bit puffy and red.
I removed my cap and poured water on my head. A remedy for headaches I had learnt from a novel I read.
Just as I was leaving someone hit me on the head real hard and I shouted what the heck just before I lost consciousness.